Search

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to explore multilingual access in digital libraries and to present a case study of creating bilingual metadata records for the Tse-Tsung Chow Collection of Chinese Scrolls and Fan Paintings. The project, undertaken at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, provides access to digital copies of calligraphic and painted Chinese scrolls and fans from the collection donated by Prof Tse-Tsung Chow (Cezong Zhou). Design/methodology/approach -- This paper examines the current approaches to multilingual indexing and retrieval in digital collections and presents a model of creating bilingual parallel records that combines translation with controlled vocabulary mapping. Findings -- Creating multilingual metadata records for cultural heritage materials is in an early phase of development. Bilingual metadata created through human translation and controlled vocabulary mapping represents one of the approaches to multilingual access in digital libraries. Multilingual indexing of collections of international origin addresses the linguistic needs of the target audience, connects the digitized objects to their respective cultures and contributes to richer descriptive records. The approach that relies on human translation and research can be undertaken in small-scale digitization projects of rare cultural heritage materials. Language and subject expertise are required to create bilingual metadata records. Research limitations/implications -- This paper presents the results of a case study. The approach to multilingual access that involves research, and it relies on human translation that can only be undertaken in small-scale projects. Practical implications -- This case study of creating parallel records with a combination of translation and vocabulary mapping can be useful for designing similar bilingual digital collections. Social implications -- This paper also discusses the obligations of holding institutions in undertaking digital conversion of the cultural heritage materials that originated in other countries, especially in regard to providing metadata records that reflect the language of the originating community. Originality/value -- The research and practice in multilingual indexing of cultural heritage materials are very limited. There are no standardized models of how to approach building multilingual digital collections. This case study presents a model of providing bilingual access and enhancing the intellectual control of cultural heritage collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Businesses that operate globally bring together people from different cultures and traditions; educated through different learning processes; and who operate in different political systems, in regions with different levels of industrial development. Language affects the ability of multinational organizations to function in the global market. Yet, the need for corporate language policies has not been adequately recognized in both the strategic management literature and communications literature. In this paper, we discuss some of the emergent conditions that necessitate corporate foregrounding of language in the formulation of business strategies. We also examine some of the critical factors that would define the development of a corporate language policy in a globalized market, drawing upon insights from traditional language planning in the sociopolitical context of community and nation building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of results from exploratory research into the attitudes of exporters of the food and drink industry of north-east Scotland towards the value of foreign language skills suggests a certain degree of ambivalence, which, together with the lack of resources and available skills can explain the absence of systematic language strategies. It also demonstrates the case for a questionnaire survey focusing on the various aspects of international marketing communication in the context of that particular industry sector across Scotland. Findings provided information on a range of practices and attitudes as well as a better knowledge of the nature of communication barriers; the means and tools of international marketing communication; the context of use of foreign languages; criteria for export success, perception of the impact of the customer's language use on marketing success; significance of skills for international marketing success; perception of impact of educational policies on opportunities in the global market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper responds to a call in the literature for methodological and empirical studies to advance research into accounting narratives, in the light of acknowledged areas of weakness and gaps in the accounting literature and with a view to investigating impression management. A general line of critique in the accounting literature points to a need to expand both the syntactic and thematic dimensions, with a particular focus on developing objective methods of analysis that allow computer-based measurement. The paper draws on the literature of managerial business communications, supported by that of applied linguistics, in bringing to accounting research a transitivity index and the application of DICTION analysis. Both have the potential to extend computer-based analysis of accounting narratives, subject to careful initial research design and specification. The potential for a richer empirical analysis is demonstrated through an illustrative empirical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of bilingual authority files in academic and research libraries has been successful in most of the multicultural societies. Today, with the advancement of information and communication technology many libraries and information services providers on the Internet are accessible in more than one language, facilitating access, retrieval and use of information for scattered users all over the world. Nevertheless, there are also challenges associated with the provision and use of bilingual authority files. This study analyses and describes bilingual authority files of the main library of the International Islamic University of Malaysia. The study also investigated perceptions of cataloguers and end-users in relation to the bilingual authority files. All the three cataloguing staff at the "Department of Arabic and Religious Resources" and 23 end-users were interviewed. Respondents felt that the use of bilingual authority files was essential for the success of the library use. However, the end-users felt that more subject headings and bibliographic information of missing material should be provided. Meanwhile, the cataloguers believed that bilingualism has an effect on bibliographic control. They also felt that AACR2 and LCSH should be translated into the Arabic language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports exploratory research which examines the relationship between the extent to which executives have a positive attitude towards a foreign culture and the level of competence they have achieved in that language. Suggests that this was a weak correlation but a much stronger one existed between these two factors within the Spanish market. Cites that cultural liking may be a positive factor in foreign language acquisition but only in some circumstances or cultures and ecnourages further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LIS departments in English speaking countries frequently neglect the study of foreign languages. Argues that this is short-sighted. Information professionals will be increasingly required to analyse and organise information from different cultural backgrounds, and to disseminate their own materials to an international and hence culturally diverse user group. The first section demonstrates the extent to which the English language dominates international communication. The second section shows that this problem is largely ignored by English language publications regarding the future of the LIS profession. Section three makes six positive suggestions of how to integrate new modules into current LIS courses to overcome the Anglo-American bias and thus to educate students to become true experts in the multicultural information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses why the MARC21-based authority format has failed in a global setting and details the use of XML and its related technologies to achieve global name access control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Locating guidance for developing foreign language collections in academic libraries can be difficult. The author reviews strategies for applying the available advice to Spanish-language literature collections, including trips to international book fairs, creating approval plans, and establishing lines of communication with faculty and students. While the availability of traditional development tools has diminished, new online resources have developed. A selected list of online resources is included. The article concludes by urging the incorporation of foreign language collections into the new formations developing in contemporary academic libraries, including digital libraries, links to digitization projects in other countries, full-text CD-ROMs, DVD video formats, and electronic text centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes some of the information retrieval issues faced by Arab libraries with bilingual (Arabic/English), biscript (Arabic/Latin) catalogues. Reviews earlier published work on multiscript bibliographic databases before focusing on controlled name and subject access points, including suggestions for how best to serve the information needs of a group of end-users who are predominantly native Arabic-speakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Wide Web offers access to information resources in many languages. Certain developments facilitate multilingual exploitation of these resources. Some search engines, for example, allow the user to restrict retrieved sites to those in particular languages; some also provide the searcher with an interface in a chosen language. Many web sites also offer their information in several languages, one of which typically is English. Systran, a machine translation system available from the AltaVista search engine, can even translate a search statement or a retrieved page from one language to another. Despite these features, however, language also creates obstacles to full exploitation of web resources. Not all languages are catered for by these multilingual tools. Machine translation output typically is but a rough and ready version of a human translation. The variety of scripts in which the written forms of the world's languages appear also create major problems in searching, inputting, displaying and printing text in non-roman scripts. The paper offers an overview of multilingual information access issues in relation to the Web. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the findings of a study of the use of foreign languages by Irish exporting companies. Suggests that, although a substantial majority of respondents believe that foreign language skills are very important for export success, relatively very few of them actually use foreign languages to any great extent in their day-to-day exporting activities. Just over half of the firms contacted claim to communicate frequently in German or French, around 20 percent in Italian or Spanish, only 7 percent use Japanese and less than 3 percent use any other foreign language on a regular basis. The specific tasks conducted in a foreign language are relatively low level basic exchanges of information in telephone calls, fax messages or routine letters rather than activities requiring higher-level language skills such as negotiating contracts or discussing technical specifications. The implications of the research are discussed in the wider context of export promotion and development in general, and some ideas for further research on this topic are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of teaching English as a second or foreign language has become increasingly important at colleges and universities. Academic libraries must provide TESL students and professionals with an adequate selection of journals in the field. This annotated bibliography and summary chart of TESL-related journals will aid collection development librarians in evaluating and building their collection, provide TESL students with an overview of available professional journals, and help TESL faculty and professionals identify journals in which to publish articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing software for processing bibliographic materials in the Arabic language is a relatively recent development. When libraries in parts of the Middle East, where Arabic is the main language, started automating their collections, most library systems did not provide for the use of Arabic script and this capability had to be developed. Automated library systems started to emerge (like Minisis, ALEPH, Dobis/Libis, TinLib, OLIB) to fill the gap for non-Roman scripts. This article describes the stages the American University of Beirut Libraries went through in converting their Arabic materials for use in the OLIB7 library management system. A description of the background of the library is given along with the details of the romanisation process, the conversion process, the software and hardware chosen, the testing of the database, problems encountered, output and the handling of authority records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An outline of a cataloguing strategy that might be adopted for the millennium is given with reference to how such a strategy is being implemented at the British Library. The first stage has involved co-operation with American libraries and future plans are linked to co-operation with European libraries. Such developments involve countries with different languages and different cataloguing cultures and so present many challenges. Finally skills required by staff needed to implement the cataloguing strategy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the effect of Internet growth on education within Japan, where English and the alphabet are not the first forms of communication. In 1997 the Internet Society carried out research to find what language people were using on the Internet. English accounted for 82% of all web sites, German was second with 4% and then Japanese at under 2%. However, with policy changes at the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, and better translation software, the Japanese use of the Internet exploded. By the end of 1997 the number of servers using Japanese overtook those using German. This article examines the policies, initiatives and developments of the Japanese Government that created this growth and looks at the effect of these changes on educational policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, foreign language teaching can find important resources in technology, the Internet, etc.; but how the teaching of foreign literature, or literature in general, might benefit from technology remains a more open question. The project "Writing La Fontaine" seeks to complement the traditional practice of literary imitation with technology that facilitates writing and peer-editing. The project allows for detailed study of the literary text and may provide a possible model for the use of technology in the teaching of literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1950s early adopters of a succession of new technologies have been working to see how these could be exploited in the language learning field. However, this pioneering work has had relatively little impact on the teaching and learning of languages. Is this pattern going to be repeated with the introduction of network technologies into language education? Raises some key themes which need attention if this cycle is to be broken. The central questions are: Why should language teachers be trying to integrate the use of network technologies into their curricula? If they should, how can this be achieved? To support this discussion recent experimental work in the area is described and considered. Concludes by stressing the need for skilful management of technological innovation in the education sector, and the importance of applying sound pedagogical principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a study into the market for electronic publishing in the Welsh language which was undertaken for the Welsh Books Council. The scope of the potential market is estimated including both home computer users, educational institutes and libraries. The current Welsh multimedia industry is described and topics are considered that might be possible for electronic publication. Financial details are given of the amount of sponsorship needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of text retrieval methods based on the probabilistic model with Chinese language material is discussed. Since Chinese text has no natural word boundaries, we must either apply a dictionary-based word segmentation method to the text, or index and search in terms of single Chinese characters. In either case, it becomes important to have a good way of dealing with phrases or contiguous strings of characters; the probabilistic model does not at present have such a facility. Some ad hoc modificatkions of the probabilistic weighting function and matching method are proposed for this purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to observe that, as globalization increases the need for businesses to communicate across borders, more HR and learning and development specialists are recognizing the link between communication skills, talent mobility and improving business productivity.Design/methodology/approach – It underlines the need for a unified language-training system integrating the "perfect blend" of virtual classrooms, mobile learning and e-learning.Findings – It argues that one seamless, standardized blended-learning system can be a powerful tool for organizational talent succession mobility. With a unified approach, management can better categorize the current profile of employees, identify their level of language skills and determine potential successors for different jobs.Practical implications – The paper urges the need for a combination of global delivery and local support, especially for corporate language training.Social implications – It highlights the need for proper language training in an increasingly globalized business world.Originality/value – The paper advances the view that a truly collaborative, adaptable approach for social and mobile learning will harness its benefits to the maximum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Commission is proposing that 2001 should be the European Year of Languages. The central message will be that learning foreign languages opens the door to understanding other cultures and to improving career prospects. Language skills make it easier to take full advantage of European citizenship, including living and working in other EU countries. A key theme of the year will be the celebration of linguistic diversity. The aim is not merely to encourage people to learn widely-spoken languages such as English. To live among or to have successful contacts with people requires a knowledge of their language and their culture. Mastering a range of languages is also important in career terms. Employers can find plenty of people who speak English. The European Year will complement existing Community activities supporting language learning. The new Socrates programme includes this under different headings. For example, Comenius (school education) provides measures for the initial or further training of language teachers and backing for language-learning projects based on exchanges between school classes.