Book Review of Developing Multilingual Education Policies:Theory,Research and Practice Edited by Michal Tannenbaum,and Elana Shohamy,London&New York:Routledge,2023,PP.208,$135.ISBN:978-0-367-61989-3(hbk)

In the book review,the author introduced the latest theoretical and practical endeavors by Isreali scholars to tackle challenges posed by multilingualism.Michal Tannenbaum and Elena Shohamy conducted a comprehensive examination of the Isreali social and educational context,setting the stage for their proposal of a new multilingual policy.The new multilingual education policy has been formulated on the basis of extensive domestic and overseas research and empirical investigation,it is expected to be offer some insights into promoting multilingualism and social justice in both Isreal and the world.

Multilingual Sentiment Mining System to Prognosticate Governance

In the age of the internet,social media are connecting us all at the tip of our fingers.People are linkedthrough different social media.The social network,Twitter,allows people to tweet their thoughts on any particular event or a specific political body which provides us with a diverse range of political insights.This paper serves the purpose of text processing of a multilingual dataset including Urdu,English,and Roman Urdu.Explore machine learning solutions for sentiment analysis and train models,collect the data on government from Twitter,apply sentiment analysis,and provide a python library that classifies text sentiment.Training data contained tweets in three languages:English:200k,Urdu:200k and Roman Urdu:11k.Five different classification models are applied to determine sentiments,and eventually,the use of ensemble technique to move forward with the acquired results is explored.The Logistic Regression model performed best with an accuracy of 75%,followed by the Linear Support Vector classifier and Stochastic Gradient Descent model,both having 74%accuracy.Lastly,Multinomial Naïve Bayes and Complement Naïve Bayes models both achieved 73%accuracy.

Generating a multilingual taxonomy based on multilingual terminology clustering

Taxonomy denotes the hierarchical structure of a knowledge organization system. It has important applications in knowledge navigation, semantic annotation and semantic search. It is a useful instrument to study the multilingual taxonomy generated automatically under the dynamic information environment in which massive amounts of information are processed and found. Multilingual taxonomy is the core component of the multilingual thesaurus or ontology. This paper presents two methods of bilingual generated taxonomy: Cross-language terminology clustering and mixed-language based terminology clustering. According to our experimental results of terminology clustering related to four specific subject domains, we found that if the parallel corpus is used to cluster multilingual terminologies, the method of using mixed-language based terminology clustering outperforms that of using the cross-language terminology clustering.

Investigation of Automatic Speech Recognition Systems via the Multilingual Deep Neural Network Modeling Methods for a Very Low-Resource Language, Chaha

Automatic speech recognition (ASR) is vital for very low-resource languages for mitigating the extinction trouble. Chaha is one of the low-resource languages, which suffers from the problem of resource insufficiency and some of its phonological, morphological, and orthographic features challenge the development and initiatives in the area of ASR. By considering these challenges, this study is the first endeavor, which analyzed the characteristics of the language, prepared speech corpus, and developed different ASR systems. A small 3-hour read speech corpus was prepared and transcribed. Different basic and rounded phone unit-based speech recognizers were explored using multilingual deep neural network (DNN) modeling methods. The experimental results demonstrated that all the basic phone and rounded phone unit-based multilingual models outperformed the corresponding unilingual models with the relative performance improvements of 5.47% to 19.87% and 5.74% to 16.77%, respectively. The rounded phone unit-based multilingual models outperformed the equivalent basic phone unit-based models with relative performance improvements of 0.95% to 4.98%. Overall, we discovered that multilingual DNN modeling methods are profoundly effective to develop Chaha speech recognizers. Both the basic and rounded phone acoustic units are convenient to build Chaha ASR system. However, the rounded phone unit-based models are superior in performance and faster in recognition speed over the corresponding basic phone unit-based models. Hence, the rounded phone units are the most suitable acoustic units to develop Chaha ASR systems.

Learning from Ourselves——Incorporating “multilingual competence” in L2 users' learning trajectories

Inspired by a Chinese notion of "无为而治", this paper tends to stresses the nature of language learners, who always bring in their multilingual competence in their language learning process. Based on a thorough presentation about the nature of language learners, this paper also provides constructive teaching implications for future actual teaching practices.

Character Development in a Multilingual International School and Its Use of Self-Assessment Tools

This article describes a multiyear initiative of a multilingual multicultural international school that has come to adopt and internalize character development as part of its identity.That is,character education has been treated as a central tenet and core value that permeates the school and binds the community.It has not been regarded as a supplemental or enhancement project,but rather integral to the general educational program.Built from a principled framework with sound theoretical backing,the infusion of character education at this international school has resulted in the crafting of new standards and the introduction of teacher and student self-assessment tools.In that vein,in this article,we share how the school has come to embrace character development and has forged personalized ways for stakeholders,including teachers and multilingual learners,to engage in improving teaching and learning.

An Ethnographic Study:The Role of“Play”in the Development of English Listening and Speaking Ability of Two Chinese Children in a Multilingual Setting

Much scholarship on“play”activities has focused on enhancing children’s learning processes and developing interest towards learning second language[1].Many of these studies,however,adopt the survey to conduct their study.This study explored how“play with local kids”activities effect the development of English speaking and listening of two Chinese children in the Philippines,employing an ethnographically based approach to observe the two participants playing with local kids,which lasted about 4 months.The findings of the study revealed that“play”activities can not only help young children have a better understanding of their English conversations,and make them have more confidence to speak English,but also inspire them to speak English in such environment.In view of the results,it is obvious that“play with local kids”is a very good way for young children to acquire a second language in a multilingual setting.It is strongly recommended that language researchers and teachers should pay more attention and do more research on the relationship between“play”and second language acquisition.

Multilingual Practices and Multiple Contestations in the Linguistic Landscape of Selected Towns in Oromia:A geosemiotic perspective

This study analyzed a linguistic landscape,which is a relatively recent development in sociolinguistic research committed to the investigation of the visual manifestations of the relationships observed between language or semiosis and society in the public space.There has been less attention on the semiotic interpretations in the public environments despite the ubiquitous nature of such signs in Ethiopia.This study intends to fill this gap through Semiotic Landscape research.By means of mixed methods,qualitative and quantitative,it aims to discover the contestations in the Linguistic Landscape(LL,henceforth)of selected urban environments in Oromia.The study employed a theoretical concept of geosemiotics from social semiotics as an analytical tool.Visual data consisting of 1275 photographs of signs were collected from the main streets of Adama,Jimma and Sebeta towns from different domains of sign using bodies.Besides,data were collected through in-depth interviews with major LL actors,selected based on purposive sampling technique.The analysis demonstrated that some top-down and most of bottom-up signs showed varieties of multilingual practices,contestations,identity constructions and other related social concerns.The absence of a clear policy on language use on signs at both federal and regional levels has resulted in contestations.

A Cloud Service Model for Multilingual Home-School Communications

In this paper, we present a cloud service model of multilingual home-school communications （MHSC） with the Drupal framework to provide a friendly learning environment for the students from transnational marriages. The transnational marriage is a phenomenon with ever-increasing in Taiwan and around the world. For a student who has a transnational foreign mother, home-school communication is often an obstacle because the foreign mother has language difficulty understanding the delivered messages in the communication book from teachers. In order to improve parent-teacher communications for the transnational families, we designed and constructed the cloud service platform with online multilingual communications and translation service functions, such that teachers can prepare different sheets of multilingual messages for home-school communication books and foreign mothers can read the messages from the teachers in their native languages through the web interface.

The Belt and Road Initiative:Multilingual Opportunities and Linguistic Challenges for Guangxi,China

The Belt and Road Initiative(BRI)is to construct a large unified market,to make full use of both international and domestic markets,and to enhance the mutual understanding and trust of member nations of Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN)through cultural exchange,people-to-people ties and integration.Geographically adjacent to ASEAN countries and is close to India and Bangladesh in South Asia,Thailand and Cambodia in Southeast Asia,Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region of China is a key littoral or southern gateway for China’s BRI.Foreign language planning is an essential element for the social development of a country economically and culturally.By reviewing the implementation of the foreign language policy in Guangxi,I analyzed the multilingual opportunities and linguistic challenges in the region,which shares the cross-border languages with its neighboring countries in the multi-ethnic and multi-lingual community,to reveal the sociological meaning of the foreign language policy beyond its linguistic meaning,and propose an English-plus multilingual policy approach toward the ASEAN countries to meet the current needs of communications associated with the BRI.

A Comparative Study of Multilingualism in the Linguistic Landscapes of Zhongyang Street, Harbin at Different Periods

This paper compares the multilingualism in the linguistic landscapes of Zhongyang Street in the beginning of the 20th century(before 1932)and now.The distribution of languages is discussed with Russian being dominant in the first period and sim plified Chinese being dominant now.The connection between societal factors and the multilingualism are also discussed in the as pects of politics,demography,business,tourism,globalization,etc.Results show that while the multilingualism of the past was more a result of different ethnic groups living together and competition between different ethnicities in business,today’s is more for communication and tourism purposes.

Is There a Conflict between Englishisation and Multilingualism in the Process of the Expansion of Global Trade from the Organisations’ Perspective?

It is undoubted that language,as an intermediate,plays an important role in today’s trading.Collins(1994)also supported this view that language smooths the process of trading and even contributes to the growth of global trading.This study will thus investigate how two opposite language phenomena,Englishisation and multilingualism,boost or hinder companies from conducting their business.We used secondary research and questionnaires distributed to employees in multinational corporations.We found that multilingualism tends to be the trend in future global trading and the company tends to apply languages used by countries with higher trading volumes.This work explains that language professionals are still highly demanded by society.

Implications of Research into Multilingualism and Translanguaging: A Report

It is often assumed that foreign language pedagogy and first language pedagogy are two homogeneous and independentsystems.However,there is a growing awareness that second or foreign language teaching should not be easily distinguished with theassistance of the fist language of the learners.This article reports on research that question the challenges and advantages to multi-lingualism and translanguaging.It sets out to describe flexible implications to language teaching and learning in bilingual or multi-lingual context.

A Brief Introduction of EU Language Policy——Multilingualism and its Negative Implications

Recently, a rise in attention of Brexit has come to the public. The UK and European Union would both have an enormouamount of influence mutually. One of the important issues raised by the European Union(EU) is also deserved to cope with, namely language policy. In this paper, I develop an analysis aimed at presenting the basis introduction of multilingualism and its negative effectduring the implementary process. The paper focuses on the current language policy—how does the multilingualism work and some challenges confronted by EU language official institution, whether maintaining or abandoning the present form of institutional multilingualism or not to keep balance between promoting diversity and achieving efficiency.

Meaning construction in Nigerian multilingual hip hop:a study in sociology of music

The wide acceptability of Nigerian hip hop music,home and abroad,indicates increasing value of the inclusion of local popular languages in the composition and performance of the music.In the text of many of the award winning singles and albums are mixtures of different languages ranging from English,Pidgin English,Yoruba,Igbo and other local dialects.Drawing on Ferdinand de Saussure’s theory of structuralism,this study examines meaning construction in hip hop music in Nigeria.By focusing on the Nigerian hip hop artists,who adopt different slangs embedded with codes considered absurd within the mainstream cultural milieu,the study closely investigates constructed meanings in the lyrics of four Nigerian award winning hip hop artists.All the artists adopted multilingual codes-switching from one language to another in presentation of their messages.The codes in the songs generally symbolise and present messages or meaning that appears out of the mainstream cultural meanings.Listeners and artistes meet at the level of interpretations.The article argues that Nigerian artists creatively present a sub-culture where they and their fans can relate through codes and words embedded with symbolic meanings shared by both artists and fans.

Multimodal Pretraining from Monolingual to Multilingual

Multimodal pretraining has made convincing achievements in various downstream tasks in recent years.However,since the majority of the existing works construct models based on English,their applications are limited by language.In this work,we address this issue by developing models with multimodal and multilingual capabilities.We explore two types of methods to extend multimodal pretraining model from monolingual to multilingual.Specifically,we propose a pretraining-based model named multilingual multimodal pretraining(MLMM),and two generalization-based models named multilingual CLIP(M-CLIP)and multilingual acquisition(MLA).In addition,we further extend the generalization-based models to incorporate the audio modality and develop the multilingual CLIP for vision,language,and audio(CLIP4VLA).Our models achieve state-of-the-art performances on multilingual vision-text retrieval,visual question answering,and image captioning benchmarks.Based on the experimental results,we discuss the pros and cons of the two types of models and their potential practical applications.

Study on International Standard Multilingual Nomenclature of Chinese Medicine

The International Standard Chinese-English Basic Nomenclature of Chinese medicine（ISN） was released in 2007,a nomenclature list consisting of 6 500 Chinese medical terms.ISN was the culmination of several years of collaborative diligent work of over 200 specialists who represent Chinese medicine in 68 countries.The overall goal for devising standard English nomenclature for Chinese medicine is to develop a practical international standard nomenclature for Chinese medical basic terms,to make it compatible with contemporary research and educational standards in the globalized health care service.In this article,provided is an overview of principles and methods for the multilingual translations,the processes behind the particular content of the Chinese-English ISN and an introduction to the ongoing new projects,i.e.the multilingual versions of ISN（International Standards of Chinese-Spanish,Chinese-French and Chinese-Portuguese Basic Nomenclature of Chinese Medicine）.

A Unified Framework for Multilingual Text-to-Speech Synthesis with SSML Specification as Interface

This paper describes the design of a unified framework for a multilingual text-to-speech （TTS） synthesis engine - Crystal. The unified framework defines the common TTS modules for different languages and/or dialects. The interfaces between consecutive modules conform to the speech synthesis markup language （SSML） specification for standardization, interoperability, multilinguality, and extensibility. Detailed module divisions and implementation technologies for the unified framework are introduced, together with possible extensions for the algorithm research and evaluation of the TTS synthesis. Implementation of a mixed-language TTS system for Chinese Putonghua, Chinese Cantonese, and English demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed unified framework.

China’s First Multilingual Information Processing Base Launched

Wuhan China Multilingual Information Processing Base officially opened recently at the Wuhan Eastlake Hi-Tech Innovation Center. In accordance with the country’s strategy on service outsourcing and the international translation service industry, Wuhan began to put its development plan for a multilingual data processing base into practice.

An Efficient Long Short-Term Memory Model for Digital Cross-Language Summarization

The rise of social networking enables the development of multilingual Internet-accessible digital documents in several languages.The digital document needs to be evaluated physically through the Cross-Language Text Summarization(CLTS)involved in the disparate and generation of the source documents.Cross-language document processing is involved in the generation of documents from disparate language sources toward targeted documents.The digital documents need to be processed with the contextual semantic data with the decoding scheme.This paper presented a multilingual crosslanguage processing of the documents with the abstractive and summarising of the documents.The proposed model is represented as the Hidden Markov Model LSTM Reinforcement Learning(HMMlstmRL).First,the developed model uses the Hidden Markov model for the computation of keywords in the cross-language words for the clustering.In the second stage,bi-directional long-short-term memory networks are used for key word extraction in the cross-language process.Finally,the proposed HMMlstmRL uses the voting concept in reinforcement learning for the identification and extraction of the keywords.The performance of the proposed HMMlstmRL is 2%better than that of the conventional bi-direction LSTM model.