Fascinating insights from Thomas Mayo about childhood, the Torres Strait, the referendum and what’s next for Indigenous policy.

Trump expected to sign order designating English as the official language of the US President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States. That's according to the White House.

Here we go again

apnews.com/article/trum...

Terrific to talk to and develop projects with Myanmar educators this week, always cheerful and committed despite the very difficult conditions they face. I find it a privilege to work with them.

Irish language: First 'strike' over cross-border funding cuts Irish language organisations in Belfast and Derry will close their doors over cuts to Foras na Gaeilge.

“The organisations on strike are collectively calling for a new funding model for Foras na Gaeilge and for the organisation to reverse the cuts if it receives additional funding from the governments.”

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Convention on the Rights of the Child Find out about the world’s most widely ratified human rights treaty in history

“…the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history…”. Art 30 protects children minority or Indigenous children, to practice their religion, use their language. The convention built momentum & change for years, but now needs boosting.

www.unicef.org/child-rights...

Call for 'immediate' curriculum overhaul after 'shocking' civics results National test results show just 28 per cent of Year 10 students are proficient in civics.

This is so disappointing but not very surprising. Such a pity that basic electoral and democratic literacy is so poorly appreciated.

“Australian students record worst ever civics result with 72 per cent not understanding the basics of democracy”

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02...

Junta No.2 Turns Solar Salesman After Military Eclipse; Scam Crackdown on Karen Allies; and More Also this week, the regime signaled further election delays, and lost more territory amid reports of a growing crisis in the ranks.

Meet ‘Solar’ Soe Win, moonlighting as spruiker of photo-voltaic cells, day job number 2 in a brutal military murderous junta.

www.irrawaddy.com/specials/jun...

Language Politics in Tunisia This book offers both a nuanced picture of language ideologies and language policies in post-Arab Spring Tunisia and a detailed critical and interdisciplinary model of Language Policy and Planning.  T...

Finally it’s here. Our book is titled ‘Language Politics in Tunisia: A Study of Language Ideological Debates’, and my co-author is Dr Fethi Helal.

Till the end of February you can get a 60% discount with the code LPT60 on the MM website: bit.ly/4aT6ycU

lnkd.in/gsNr8zJG

The ‘scale of the misconduct is staggering’. It sure is, plus outrageous and predictable (and predicted by many of us).

amp.abc.net.au/article/1049...

It’s a terrific book

“… 1994 genocide of the Rwandan Tutsi never happened. This is this unfounded and disturbing allegation at the heart of a new book by …Herman and…Peterson…it was part of an elaborate American conspiracy…”

review by Gerard Caplan Pambazuka News, June 2010.

Inside of Herculaneum scroll seen for the first time in almost 2,000 The Bodleian Libraries and the Vesuvius Challenge have announced a historic breakthrough in the endeavour to decipher text preserved on papyrus scrolls from the ancient site of Herculaneum.

Disgust is one of the first words they’ve deciphered. Can’t wait to find out more.

www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-02...

Are whales talking?

Hmm, 'language-like' and 'language' are not the same thing, as the clarifying Dr Allen explains.

amp.abc.net.au/article/1048...

Donald Trump junior spara a specie protette nella laguna di Venezia: la denuncia di Avs

Donald Trump Jr shoots a protected Venetian duck.

www.repubblica.it/politica/202...

NB

In all spheres but in international politics specialised professional interpreting and translating are indispensable to being serious and yet our national effort in language teaching continues to erode.

On the 4th anniversary of the violent overthrow of the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, this Statement on Myanmar by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs.

www.dfat.gov.au/news/media-r...

Welcome to the blue skies AAH

Hey everybody, Kristof has very helpfully extracted a few highlights from his terrific new book.

Babies as young as 4 months can tell how the sounds of different languages are made – new research The findings shake up previous ideas about language learning – and give us an earlier window to help children who might be at risk of speech or language delays.

“This discovery changes what we thought we knew about babies’ early language learning. It suggests babies start figuring out patterns at four months, well before they begin perceptually attuning to the sounds of their native language between six and 12 months.”

theconversation.com/babies-as-yo...

Coming up tomorrow. I’ll be hosting this seminar on the role of writers and writing in the Myanmar conflict, featuring Ma Thida and Michelle Aung Thin, please read their remarkable bios and stories in the attachment, and join if you can.

Joseph (call me Joe) Lo Bianco on LinkedIn: Fact Sheet - Australia and Indonesia Saya harap Anda menikmati membaca laporan ini. It’s great to see the publication of the research by ACOLA and AAH on Mapping Australia’s Indonesia Research…

Saya harap Anda menikmati membaca laporan ini.

It’s great to see the publication of the research by ACOLA and AAH on Mapping Australia’s Indonesia Research Capability.

Below pls find the two-page summary for those with limited time, and the full report.

www.linkedin.com/posts/joseph...

The splendid cover of our book is a painting by Habib Bouhawel depicting meetings of the Jama’at taht al-sur literary group at the Below the Ramparts Cafe, in which key figures of Tunisia’s literary and cultural elite debate independence.

It’s out! Ten years of long distance collaboration, much respect to my co-author & friend Fethi and all who collaborated. We feel the book makes a contribution to language policy (theory, critique and method), to language rights and problem-solving.

www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l...

All welcome: seminar on activist literature & writers in Myanmar conflict. It will be my honour to host Ma Thida & Michelle Aung Thin who will discuss the ongoing conflict, prospects for success of the revolution & solidarity we can offer democratic forces & democratic culture of civil society.

How to raise bilingual children in Australia, where English reigns supreme The social and cognitive benefits of knowing two or more languages, especially from childhood, are well-established. Here's how experts say it can be done.

Latest ABC feature on bilingual homes and challenges/support for raising children bilinguals. Keep it up ABC.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01...

Trump making parliamentary Danes smile.

x.com/thefl0orisla...

Joseph (call me Joe) Lo Bianco on LinkedIn: Join us on January 22 for this important discussion on the role of writers… Join us on January 22 for this important discussion on the role of writers and writing in the Myanmar conflict, featuring Ma Thida and Michelle Aung Thin…

Join us on January 22 for this important discussion on the role of writers and writing in the Myanmar conflict, featuring Ma Thida and Michelle Aung Thin, please read their remarkable bios and stories in the attachment.

www.linkedin.com/posts/joseph...

Here’s the link to the Special issue of the Australian Review of Applied Linguistics 47:3 (2024):

Decolonizing or recolonizing?
AI through the eyes of applied linguists, language teachers, and language learners.

benjamins.com/catalog/aral...

ARAL Special Issue: "Decolonizing or recolonizing? AI through the eyes of applied linguists, language teachers and language learners", eds Dobinson, Chen & Steele, Curtin U, perspectives and research on AI affordances and threats in lang learning/teaching.

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