Comments on: Linguistic diversity and inclusion in the era of COVID-19 https://languageonthemove.com/linguistic-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-era-of-covid-19/ Multilingualism, Intercultural communication, Consumerism, Globalization, Gender & Identity, Migration & Social Justice, Language & Tourism Thu, 26 Nov 2020 22:26:41 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 By: Sarah Hopkyns https://languageonthemove.com/linguistic-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-era-of-covid-19/#comment-75096 Mon, 26 Oct 2020 07:13:29 +0000 https://www.languageonthemove.com/?p=22642#comment-75096 In reply to Christina.

Thank you, Christina. You make some important points here. Yes, although this piece is on one small area of Abu Dhabi, the same issues occur in many other linguistically diverse regions of the world. In many global contexts, awareness needs to be raised regarding existing linguistic inequalities, and importance needs to be placed on providing greater access for all, especially in the Covid-19 era.

]]> By: Christina https://languageonthemove.com/linguistic-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-era-of-covid-19/#comment-74776 Sun, 11 Oct 2020 07:31:28 +0000 https://www.languageonthemove.com/?p=22642#comment-74776 Hi Sarah, thank you for your post regarding this issue. You have made various valid and notable points that not only apply for your specific context, however, these notions can also be applied globally in various multicultural countries. If we place the same issues in a country like Australia, it is apparent that there will be linguistic inequalities present, specifically for speakers of non-English speaking backgrounds who are in their later years, that do not speak nor read English well. For these people, they cannot access the information easily in order to understand the severity of COVID-19 in order to protect themselves. In these situations, specifically a pandemic, it is difficult to “cater” for everyone, however other options of accessibility should be created in order to assist everyone.

]]> By: Sarah Hopkyns https://languageonthemove.com/linguistic-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-era-of-covid-19/#comment-73285 Mon, 20 Jul 2020 12:14:04 +0000 https://www.languageonthemove.com/?p=22642#comment-73285 In reply to Sara Hillman.

Thank you, Sara! I agree with your point that laborers may be illiterate or semi-literate in English due to the script of their first language being different. This further impacts their access to written health warnings in public spaces. You raise an interesting point about radio and verbal messages. While workers may access COVID-19 information through radio in their off-site non-working hours, the most visible warnings during their working days are on signage. I like the idea of the vans with loud speakers you mentioned in the Qatar context. I haven’t seen them here yet. There are many other COVID-19-related government initiatives taking place in the UAE, which would be intriguing to explore further. While this blog looks at a specific ecosystem of one beachside community, once restrictions on movement start to ease, I am curious to explore other districts with regard to COVID-19 communication. I am looking forward to reading your upcoming article, Sara!

]]> By: Sarah Hopkyns https://languageonthemove.com/linguistic-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-era-of-covid-19/#comment-73284 Mon, 20 Jul 2020 12:09:44 +0000 https://www.languageonthemove.com/?p=22642#comment-73284 In reply to Asif.

Thank you, Asif! You have made some good points. I know that throughout the UAE volunteer initiatives have taken place where community members have given time and resources to those in need during this crisis. Regarding language on signage, I think communities helping to make language more inclusive is a very good idea. Some residents may be reluctant to invest in such initiatives due to the transient nature of life in the Gulf. Especially during the COVID-19 crisis, more transnational residents are leaving than usual. However, there are many residents who are heavily invested in their communities here and discussing issues of linguistic inclusion on community forums could encourage grassroots action. It would be great to see more accessible signage in multilingual communities, I agree.

]]> By: Sara Hillman https://languageonthemove.com/linguistic-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-era-of-covid-19/#comment-73272 Sun, 19 Jul 2020 09:29:05 +0000 https://www.languageonthemove.com/?p=22642#comment-73272 Nice piece Sarah and interesting to see some of the similarities and differences in our approaches and contexts with regards to the multilingual COVID-19 campaigns across Gulf countries. While I think you make a great point about inequalities in signage, one thing I wonder about is whether the public spaces or “make-shift monolingual signs” really represent the main way that laborers are accessing safety warnings? Since many workers are semi-literate and doing manual jobs, they often engage more with oral modes of communication like radio. In Qatar, we found that the government collaborated closely with migrant language radio stations and community and religious leaders in its campaign to get the COVID-19 awareness information out to various communities. For example, a new Bengali radio station was launched within the first month of COVID-19 and radio RJs went out with loud speakers in vans and were on the ground talking to people. It would be interesting to see if similar initiatives took place in the UAE and whether they were top down or more grassroots initiatives like the example you provide of Suchetha Satish.

]]> By: Asif https://languageonthemove.com/linguistic-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-era-of-covid-19/#comment-73259 Sat, 18 Jul 2020 10:55:44 +0000 https://www.languageonthemove.com/?p=22642#comment-73259 A great piece about how public signages might fail to portray linguistic inclusivity, which is otherwise, very evident in society! You have initiated good thought-provoking discussion about the mono/bilingual nature of these signages that may not adequately serve the population these appear to address. Just wondering: Can community members play a role? Can there be a social initiative where community members help label these posts with their languages? I’m sure it’s possible, but not exactly sure what official procedures this might entail? A point to ponder, and perhaps, discuss in relevant community forums.

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