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Editor for this issue: Marie Klopfenstein <marielinguistlist.org>
socrates.Berkeley.EDU>Dear Linguistlist, This is a report on the effort to cover all scripts of the world (past and present) in the international character encoding standard for readers of this list and a call for participation. It should be noted that the LinguistList website is Unicode-compliant, as are the texts included at the large Indo-European website TITUS, http://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/. A similar letter has been sent to the Linguistics Society of America. As a liaison for the Department of Linguistics at Berkeley to the Unicode Consortium, I would like to keep linguists informed of ongoing developments as they relate to coverage of scripts in the character encoding standard Unicode, why this is important for linguists, and how linguists might be able to help. Unicode is the international standard, now the default character set for XML and HTML 4.0. Because it is a standard, it will preserve the integrity of linguistic data and allow easy interchange for online teaching materials, texts, online corpora, etc. Unicode is an open standard and is widely supported by the computer industry. While 52 scripts are currently included in Unicode (and its ISO sister, 10646), 96 remain outside the standard. These scripts include (a) scripts used by minorities (i.e., Cham, New Tai Lu, and Vai) and (b) historic scripts (i.e., Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Avestan, and Tangut). Unfortunately, these two groups are not of primary interest to corporations (and some governments), so the main push to cover the remaining scripts must now come from the universities and professional societies, and in particular, linguists. Scripts needing proposals (or scholarly input) are found listed in red and green on "Roadmap to the BMP (Plane)" and "Roadmap to the SMP (Plane 1)", accessible from http://www.unicode.org/roadmaps. The standards process involves the creation of a proposal that lists the characters of a particular script (if not already found in Unicode), a glyph (visual representation) for each character, any comments on the character's properties, a name, and an introduction to the script for general users and font and software implementers. Both historic scripts and those scripts used by minorities can entail significant research and usually require contact with the user community (be it native speakers and/or academic researchers). In order to provide a centralized effort to cover the remaining scripts, we have begun a Script Encoding Initiative at UC Berkeley so that script proposals can be prepared and moved along the standards process. The SEI is run in collaboration with the Unicode Vice President. We currently seek linguists willing to work on such proposals and funds for those experts needing support in order to proceed. In order to support this effort, linguists could be of assistance by: - endorsing the effort to cover the remaining scripts; - publicizing the need for expertise from linguists to either prepare Unicode proposals, review them, or write letters of support on proposals to the two standardizing bodies (Unicode and ISO WG2); - suggesting that those linguists with NSF, NEH, or other governmentally or institutionally supported projects that include an electronic representation of a language in its native script use Unicode for the character encoding. For projects using Unicode but which run into problems -- i.e., find missing characters or errors in the Unicode Standard, etc. -- linguists should report them by visiting the on-line error reporting page, linked from the contact page at: http://www.unicode.org/unicode/contacts.html. If a script is missing from Unicode, it would be very useful to include a line-item in the grant application requesting money for a Unicode encoding proposal. The Script Encoding Initiative can provide guidance (i.e., suggest the approximate cost for the proposal, what is needed for a successful proposal, etc.). The SEI can also receive funding, help to locate an encoding expert, and coordinate work on a proposal. (For those who sit on the review panels for these organizations, recommending that such projects similarly use Unicode or include a line-item for a Unicode proposal would also be extremely helpful.) For further information on the Script Encoding Initiative, please see: http://www.linguistics.berkeley.edu/~dwanders. The Unicode website is: www.unicode.org. Any support from linguists, their host institutions, or professional societies would be greatly appreciated, and would serve to draw attention to the importance of the project. I would be more than happy to answer any questions or receive any comments. With best regards, Deborah Anderson Researcher, Dept. of Linguistics UC Berkeley Email: dwandersMail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue
online.nsk.su>Dear Colleages, I am writing to bring to your attention and with a request to forward to your colleagues, teachers and students who might be interested, information on the International Summer Language School "A MISSION OF PEACE", which is an educational not-for-profit multi-cultural program that our International Language School "Cosmopolitan" runs in Siberia, Russia, during the summer of 2002, with participation of volunteer teachers and international students from all over the world. This is an annual program, so those who think that it's too late for them to commit this summer, can participate next year. The "MISSION OF PEACE" summer school will take place in four two-week sessions during the summer of 2002 in a picturesque wooded area outside the city of Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia. The DATES of the summer school sessions for the year 2002 are as follows: First Session: June 18th until July 2nd, Second Session: July 3rd until July 17th, Third Session: July 18th until August 1st, Fourth Session: August 2nd until August 16th. There is no limit of number of sessions attended. Of course participation in two and more sessions rather than just one gives a person more opportunities to experience the culture, learn the language, interact with more people, enjoy a larger excursion, cultural and socializing program. For the past few years volunteer teachers from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, France, Finland, Holland, Denmark, Argentina, Singapore, Malaysia, and university students and school children from the USA, Great Britain and Germany have participated in our program. The International Summer Language School 2002 is themed "A Mission of Peace" . The program is aimed at creating opportunities in a diverse multicultural environment for the youngsters to improve their foreign language knowledge, learn about the ways to live their lives as peacemakers and acquire peacemaking skills, find creative expression and build relationships based on honesty, understanding and respect. English, French, German and Russian classes are scheduled within the educational program of the Summer School with a variety of techniques applied, such as conversations grammar in use, language games, discussions, drama, etc. The program is also a great opportunity to learn the Russian language and get a first-hand experience of the Russian culture. The Russian course is provided for all international participants and covers language studies as well as Russian culture, history and society. The program of the Summer School integrates language and peace education into daily activities which include daily language classes, creativity workshops, music and drama, games and contests, art and journaling, creative writing and drawing, cultural fair and the Summer School Olympics, interactive projects with the use of the Internet technologies. We plan to complete the Peace Register and submit it to the United Nations. The program is a great learning experience that encourages people to see with new eyes, as they explore artistic ways of knowing and ways of learning about peacemaking, expand their creative potential, and prepare to deal with the complexities and challenges of life in an interrelated world. We seek participation from as wide a geographic distribution of cultures and nations as possible, so that representatives of a broad range of nations could have an opportunity to share their hopes, dreams and concerns, express their thoughts and feelings, and make a lot of good friends to achieve a greater international understanding and promote a safer, saner world. We are looking for VOLUNTEER TEACHERS (TEACHERS of English, French, German and other subjects levels elementary school through University, SPECIALISTS in other fields such as computing, business, journalism, music, arts, etc., MEDIA and TECHNOLOGY professionals, UNIVERSITY STUDENTS) who are energetic, enthusiastic, enjoy summer camp experiences and working with teenagers, possess love for children and the desire to foster a peaceful environment. The new millennium needs bold, creative men and women who can turn their dreams into reality. We encourage teachers of your institute to join the international volunteer teachers' team of our program, and contribute to filling young people's heads with positive images of peace, preparing our children for their leadership roles for the next century, promoting positive relationships. We also seek people worldwide (middle school through university STUDENTS, and ADULTS) to join this international forum as students, gain in-depth understanding of international issues and bring a new depth of appreciation and knowledge home to their friends and communities. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS' AND VOLUNTEER TEACHERS' RESPONSIBILITES: - Roundtrip airfare to Novosibirsk. - Obtaining the Russian visa and visa fees. - Medical insurance. - Participation fee, which covers accommodation, meals, local transportation, excursions, etc. One can also join the "PEACE THROUGH TOURISM" program of the Summer School by ordering one of the offered excursion packages that include trips to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Lake Baikal, the Altai Mountains, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, TransSiberian Railroad. We encourage you to contribute to investing in a vision of a better world by joining people around the globe willing to support ongoing peace through this worthwhile effort. It's a wonderful way to show that you value peacemaking and inspire the world to quest for peace. It is a powerful way of sharing to children that we are all one world. I will very much appreciate it if you get interested in the program and could also assist in forwarding the information on the International Summer Language school in Siberia to people who might also be interested. I look forward to hearing from you and remain hopeful that we could establish a worthwhile co-operation. Regards, Natasha Bodrova, Director of International Language School "Cosmopolitan", Novosibirsk, Russia cosmopolitanMail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue
twc.it>Courses at The Tuscan Word Centre 2002 17th-20th June HOW TO USE CORPORA IN LANGUAGE WORK 24th-27th June HOW TO USE CORPORA IN LANGUAGE TEACHING ########################################### Still a chance to come on one or both of these courses. If you are interested, please contact John Sinclair at: jmsMail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue