15 research outputs found
A Model for Language Annotations on the Web
Several annotation models have been proposed to enable a multilingual Semantic Web. Such models hone in on the word and its morphology and assume the language tag and URI comes from external resources. These resources, such as ISO 639 and Glottolog, have limited coverage of the world's languages and have a very limited thesaurus-like structure at best, which hampers language annotation, hence constraining research in Digital Humanities and other fields. To resolve this `outsourced' task of the current models, we developed a model for representing information about languages, the \textbf{Mo}del for \textbf{L}anguage \textbf{A}nnotation (\langmod{}), such that basic language information can be recorded consistently and therewith queried and analyzed as well. This includes the various types of languages, families, and the relations among them. \langmod{} is formalized in OWL so that it can integrate with Linguistic Linked Data resources. Sufficient coverage of \langmod{} is demonstrated with the use case of French
Geostrategies of interlingualism: language policy and practice in the international maritime organisation, London, UK
McEntee-Atalianis L.J. (2006) ‘Geostrategies of Interlingualism’: Language Policy and Practice in the International Maritime Organisation, London. UK. Current Issues in Language Planning. 7 (2&3):341-358.
Fettes (2004) asserts that ‘politico-strategies’ of languages are no longer viable frameworks for ‘national and community policy’. Rather, he proposes the development of ‘geostrategies of interlingualism’, i.e. linguistic strategies which promote international communication equitably and efficiently, whilst respecting and ensuring language maintenance and pluralism. He asserts that the future development of interlingual communication will depend upon chosen communicative device(s). To date research has focused on ‘the advocates, developers and practitioners of each approach’ (p. 38) independently rather than on the influence of these instruments in combination on communities of speakers at micro and meso-levels. Supranational organisations serve as important sites of investigation for language planners interested in studying multi-functional/lingual communication. One such organisation is the ‘International Maritime Organisation’, established in 1958 to facilitate cooperation among governments in matters of international shipping. Currently 165 countries (and three associates) constitute its membership. There are six official and three working languages. This paper discusses the nature of interlingualism at IMO, investigating whether the instruments in place ensure equitable and efficient communication. Multilingual practices are guaranteed at the highest levels of political representation but at lower levels English functions as the main tool of communication. Comparisons are made with other supranational organisations
Food and Environmental Parasitology in Canada: A Network for the Facilitation of Collaborative Research
Parasitic diseases are of considerable public health
significance in Canada, particularly in rural and remote
areas. Food- and waterborne parasites contribute
significantly to the overall number of parasitic infections
reported in Canada. While data on the incidence of some
of these diseases are available, knowledge of the true
burden of infection by the causative agents in Canadians
is somewhat limited. A number of centers of expertise
in Canada study various aspects of parasitology, but few
formal societies or networks of parasitologists currently
exist in Canada, and previously none focused specifically
on food or environmental transmission. The recently
established Food and Environmental Parasitology Network
(FEPN) brings together Canadian researchers, regulators
and public health officials with an active involvement in
issues related to these increasingly important fields.
The major objectives of the Network include identifying
research gaps, facilitating discussion and collaborative
research, developing standardized methods, generating
data for risk assessments, policies, and guidelines, and
providing expert advice and testing in support of outbreak
investigations and surveillance studies. Issues considered
by the FEPN include contaminated foods and infected food
animals, potable and non-potable water, Northern and
Aboriginal issues, zoonotic transmission, and epidemiolog