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"Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit."
~ Jawaharlal Nehru ~
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Greetings!
In imitation of life, this month's newsletter brings you some changes and some constants. I hope you like our new packaging and continue to gain good information from the language and cultural news and resources sections. As usual, our calendar also includes some great local international events -- enjoy! I am excited to have been selected as the Executive Director for the International Festival of Raleigh, an event that has been close to my heart since arriving in Raleigh 20 years ago. I'll be continuing the newsletter in this new capacity, and look forward to building on its current format to include even more cultural and international resources for you. The World Company is under new ownership and remains the Triangle's first source for high quality customized language training and testing. I'm confident you'll continue to find the right language solution for your needs and goals with its great staff and linguists. I hope you are able to stay cool through these hot August days, and look forward to seeing you at the International Festival in October! As always, very best wishes to you and yours! Sincerely, Clodagh Bastian Executive Director
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Raleigh's Annual Celebration of Cultures
The first International Festival of Raleigh was held in October of 1986 at the Raleigh Convention Center. The Festival was originally a project of the Sister Cities Association of Raleigh before it became a stand-alone event under International Focus. This year will mark the 24th annual Festival.
Over the years, the Festival has become a key component of the Triangle's cultural and artistic offerings with over forty different ethnic groups participating annually. Activities and exhibits include the main stage with continuous entertainment from local and international dance groups, food booths with culinary offerings from around the world, cultural booths where visitors can learn about different cultures and their traditions, a world market, games from around the world, the biergarten stage, the town square, and ethnic dance lessons and cultural demonstrations.
Local artist Bob Rankin creates art for each year's Festival. See the image above for this year's original art piece. The Festival also has an annual theme around which the cultural exhibits are created. The theme for 2009 is LANGUAGE.
A Naturalization Ceremony became a part of the Festival in 1988 with the help of the Raleigh Woman's Club. At the 2008 Festival, nearly 1,000 new Americans were naturalized.
The International Festival returned home to downtown Raleigh with the 2008 Grand Opening of the new Raleigh Convention Center, and continues to celebrate the Triangle's multicultural diversity there each October.
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Language and Culture in the News
Lip-reading Computer Picks Out Your Language
Linguists have long suspected that our sequences of lip shapes and lip motions vary strongly with the language we speak. A recent study conducted by a team from the University of East Anglia in the UK proved that it is possible to tell what language someone is speaking by watching the shapes their lips make or the movement of their tongue. The development could lead to automatic lip-reading and translation systems for deaf people.
Read the full article . . .
Papal YouTube Message in 27 Languages Beats Record
The publication of Pope Benedict XVI's Easter message on YouTube broke the record with its translation into 27 languages. The message was posted online with subtitles for various languages and it is the first time a YouTube video has been posted in as many languages.
Read the full article . . .Trouble in Translation for Arabic Gay Book
A book in Arabic about gay travel in the Middle East has encountered problems due to what gay-rights groups perceive as a derogatory translation of the word describing homosexuals. The book, Gay Travels in the Muslim World, is a compilation of stories by gay Muslim and non-Muslim authors. The Arabic-speaking gay community is taking issue with Lebanon-based publisher, Arab Diffusion, on its translation of the word gay into the Arabic word shadh, which means abnormal or deviant.
Read the full article . . . Language Skills in Your Twenties May Predict Risk of Dementia Decades Later
People who have superior language skills early in life may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease decades later, despite having the hallmark signs of the disease. These findings were published in the July 9, 2009 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Read the full article . . .Monkeys Have a Memory for Grammar
A recent study reveals that primates can intuitively recognize some rules of grammar. Findings from the study conducted on cotton-topped tamarin monkeys suggest that some of the skills required to use language may be linked to very basic memory functions.
Read the full article . . .
The Changing Face of Immigration to America
The U.S. Census data show that more than half of immigrants to the United States are women. And research by the Pew Hispanic Center finds that immigrants live in families with children. Results from interviews conducted by New American Media of both women who arrived within the last 10 years and those who have lived her for more than 20 years show that American culture reaches and transforms America's female newcomers.
Read the full article . . .
New Study May Revolutionize Language Learning
The teaching of languages could be revolutionized following ground-breaking research by a Victoria University, New Zealand PhD graduate who found that the best way to learn a language is through frequent exposure to its sound patterns. Simply listening to a new language sets up structures in the brain required to learn words.
Read the full article . . .
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Resources
Worldpress.org is a nonpartisan magazine that offers readers a first-hand look at the issues and debates that occupy the world's newspapers and magazines. It contains articles reprinted from the press outside the United States, as well as originally written material. Worldpress's goal is to foster a globally engaged citizenry, which acts not only in its own country's interest, but also in the interests of the world community.
Language Island is a virtual environment where kids from around the world can interact with each other and play games while working towards becoming fluent in a chosen language.
Kwintessential is an online international guide to the culture, customs, social and business etiquette from countries around the world. Kwintessential's guides to intercultural management are arranged on a country-by-country basis, and offer valuable advice and tips to managers working in that country. Topics range from management styles to business management to management skills.
eiktub(TM) is a collection of products designed to make it easier to write in Arabic without using an Arabic keyboard.
SCOLA is a nonprofit educational organization that receives and re-transmits television programming from around the world in native languages. SCOLA content is available via satellite, the Internet and through participating cable providers. SCOLA's mission is to use modern information technology to help the people of the world learn about one another, their cultures, their languages and their ideologies.
MLD - Multi Language Dictionary is a downloadable multilingual dictionary offering eight source languages, eight thesauruses and conjugation in one product. Languages are Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.
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 Upcoming International Events
Learn more about the international events being held in the Triangle during August and September:
Fairs, Festivals and Celebrations
Summer Dance Party - August 8, 2009
Sponsored by Chinese-American Friendship Association
Talley Student Center at N.C. State University
Raleigh, NC
5th Annual Ritmo Latino Festival - August 9, 2009
Diamante, Inc.
Fred G. Bond Metro Park
Cary, NC
Aniversario de La Ley VI - August 16, 2009
Booth Amphitheatre
Cary, NC
Latino Festival 2009 - August 22, 2009
Rock Quarry Park
Durham, NC
RTP Ganesh Festival - August 23 - September 3, 2009
Hindu Society of North Carolina
La Fiesta del Pueblo - August 29 - 30, 2009
Jim Graham Building, N.C. State Fairgrounds
Raleigh, NC
Wake Forest ItaliaFest - September 12, 2009
Festival Park
Wake Forest, NC
28th Annual Greek Festival 2009 - September 18 - 20, 2009
N.C. State Fairgrounds Exposition Center
Raleigh, NC
Wake Forest IrishFest - September 26, 2009
Festival Park
Wake Forest, NC
24th International Festival of Raleigh - SAVE THE DATE!
October 2 - 4, 2009
Raleigh Convention Center
Raleigh, NC
Exhibits
David Roberts and The Holy Land - May 21 - November 29, 2009
Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University
Durham, NC
Picasso and the Allure of Language - August 20, 2009 - January 3, 2010
Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University
Durham, NC
Film
The Class - August 7, 2009
N.C. Museum of Art 2009 Movies on the Lawn Series
Raleigh, NC
The Duchess - August 21, 2009
N.C. Museum of Art 2009 Movies on the Lawn Series
Raleigh, NC
Picasso Film Series: "Picasso: The Man and His Work" - September 10, 2009
Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University
Durham, NC
Australia - September 25, 2009
N.C. Museum of Art 2009 Movies on the Lawn Series
Raleigh, NC
Performances
Starlight Concert Series Presents Brazilian Soul - August 7, 2009
Page-Walker Arts & History Center Garden
Cary, NC
Explosion 2009: Sunidhi Chauhan, Javed Ali and Hard Kaur - August 14, 2009
Memorial Auditorium at Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts
Raleigh, NC
Tarrus Riley - August 20, 2009
Lincoln Theatre
Raleigh, NC
"An Evening in Spain" Concert with Ed Stephenson and the Paco Band - August 22, 2009
Celebrating the Nasher Art Museum's Picasso Exhibit
Holly Springs Cultural Center
Holly Springs, NC
Freddie McGregor and Friends - August 26, 2009
Lincoln Theatre
Raleigh, NC
Pinecone Presents: The Greencards - September 12, 2009
A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater at Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts
Raleigh, NC
Durham Children's Choir Concert for Peace (Part of The September Concert) - September 13, 2009
Fletcher Hall, Carolina Theatre of Durham
Durham, NC
Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to the Beatles - September 16, 2009
BEATLEMANIA with the North Carolina Symphony
Meymandi Concert Hall at Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts
Raleigh, NC
The Last Cargo Cult - September 16 -20, 2009
Kenan Theater, UNC Campus
Chapel Hill, NC
YAS - September 17, 2009
Memorial Hall at UNC
Chapel Hill, NC
Buju Banton - September 24, 2009
Lincoln Theatre
Raleigh, NC
Corey Harris Quintet + James "Blood" Ulmer Trio - September 25, 2009
Reynolds Industries Theater at Duke University
Durham, NC
Lectures and Workshops
Remembering the Fall of the Wall Dinner Event - August 6, 2009
Presented by International Affairs Council
The Franklin Hotel
Chapel Hill, NC
Business for Diplomatic Action Luncheon - September 10, 2009
Time and Location to be determined
Competitions
CanSouth Euchre Tournament - August 8, 2009
Trali Bar and Restaurant, Brierdale Shopping Center
Raleigh, NC - August 14, 2009
Wake Forest IrishFest Writing Competitions (short story and poetry) - September 26, 2009
Festival Park
Wake Forest, NC
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About International Focus
International Focus, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to promote awareness and appreciation of the diverse cultures in this area, and to make cultures accessible to each other through art, community and education. International Focus strives to be a resource for native North Carolinians and those from other parts of the world through information, outreach and its annual celebration of multiculturalism, the International Festival of Raleigh.
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This newsletter and all content and information contained herein are the property of International Focus, Inc. and may not be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the publisher. |
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