Contents

[Language Grid Toolbox 2.0 Has Been Released]

[Hosting Service of the Toolbox]

[New Language Resource]

[Monthly Maintenance for January]

[International Conference of Intercultural Collaboration 2010 (ICIC2010)]

[Gold Prize at Microsoft Cup IEEE China Student Paper Contest]

[Language Grid Users] Human Interface Laboratory, Osaka Institute of Technology

Language Grid Toolbox 2.0 Has Been Released

  The multilingual collaboration tool "Language Grid Toolbox" has been upgraded. You can try it here. The following new functions are available:
 
Multilingual Web Page Creation
  With this function, you can translate Web pages using multilingual HTML templates created by users. On the basis of the results of the translation services, the users collaborate on the creation and application of the HTML templates. This allows for the creation of multilingual Web contents.
 
Multilingual Real-time BBS
  This bulletin board system (BBS) checks new posts at regular intervals and automatically updates the messages displayed. It can be used like a multilingual chat system since you can check the list of users that are browsing the displayed topic.
 
File Sharing Function of BBS
  You can upload files on the BBS and easily share them with other users.

Hosting Service of the Toolbox

  In December, the hosting service will be launched for the user organizations of the Language Grid. With this service, you can operate your own Toolbox for the members you choose without preparing a server on your own. The service will be available for up to thirty organizations. After using the trial site, if you wish to use the Toolbox to the full extent, please contact us at langrid [at] khn.nict.go.jp for the new service.
 

New Language Resource

  A new language resource of the educational field is available.
Provided by the Language Grid Operator: An Introduction to Schools in Japan: School Guidance for Foreign Guardians (Mie Prefectural Board of Education)

Monthly Maintenance for January

  The next maintenance of the Language Grid will be conducted on January 12, 18:00-21:00 JST.
Please note that this day falls on a Tuesday.
If you wish to use the Language Grid during this period, please contact us in advance at operation [at] langrid.org.

International Conference of Intercultural Collaboration 2010 (ICIC2010)

  The International Workshop on Intercultural Collaboration (IWIC), which started in Kyoto in 2007, has become an ACM conference. It will be held in Copenhagen in 2010. We are looking forward to your submissions.
 
   Date: August 19-20, 2010
   Venue: Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
   URL: http://langrid.nict.go.jp/icic2010/ ( Call for Papers can be viewed here）
   Submission Deadline: February 1, 2010

Gold Prize at Microsoft Cup IEEE China Student Paper Contest

  The paper that is presented below won the Gold Prize at the Microsoft Cup IEEE China Student Paper Contest, held in China in September. The paper deals with the study on the multilingual support of a distance learning system called Open Smart Classroom, using the Language Grid. It was selected from over fifty papers from twenty-seven universities. (Related news in Chinese is available here)
 
Yue Suo, Naoki Miyata, Hiroki Morikawa, Toru Ishida, and Yuanchun Shi. Open Smart Classroom: Extensible and Scalable Learning System in Smart Space using Web Service Technology. IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering, Vol.21, No.6, pp. 814-828, 2009.

Language Grid Users: Human Interface Laboratory, Osaka Institute of Technology

  The Human Interface Laboratory at the Department of Information Science and Technology in the Osaka Institute of Technology develops a communication tool that can smoothly exchange user’s emotions, using graphical communication media such as pictograms and avatars. Graphical communication media can be used between different languages and cultural areas; however, it can result in misunderstandings and conflicts arising from the differences in languages and cultures. By using the services on the Language Grid, especially for communicating through pictograms and translating the different interpretations by different languages and cultures, it will be possible to reduce the differences among the interpretations.
  Our laboratory has investigated the following:
  -Pictogram Conversion tool for the pictograms that have cultural differences among the interpretations for a multilingual chat tool (2007*)
  -Multilingual translation tool for interpretations of pictograms and example phrases for Japanese mobile phones (2008-present)
  -Study on the Effect of user's native language on the word orders of pictogram messages (2008-present*)
(*activities at the Special Interest Group on Graphical Communication in the Language Grid Association)
  The activities of the Language Grid provide the students with the best opportunities to improve their skills, enjoy new experiences, and raise awareness through collaborations with other groups such as universities and nonprofit organizations, making contributions to society, and increasing their awareness of different cultures. We will continue with our efforts to develop a useful multicultural communication tool for daily activities, by using the Language Grid, and contribute to the further advancement of the Language Grid Project.
 
(Tomoko Koda, Associate Professor at Human Interface Laboratory, Department of Information Science, Osaka Institute of Technology)