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1 NML ARTICLES SWAP PAGE 1 NML MAJOR GALA PAGE 2 NEW MUSEUM TRUSTEE PAGE 2 GRANTS PAGE 6 INTERN AND DOCENT NEWS PAGE 6 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR PAGE 7 NML VISITORS AND PROGRAMS PAGE 8 NML IN THE MOVIES PAGE 9 MUSEUM ADDITIONS PAGE 9 POT POURRI FROM THE MUSEUM PAGE 10 NML IN THE NEWS PAGE 11 FILLERS FROM THE EDITOR PAGE 11 LA DONNA MANN AND GARY MCCONE EXAMINE 1763 SAUR BIBLE (SEE PAGE 1) NML ARTICLES SWAP NML made history in November 2011 by implementing its first ever article exchange when it loaned its flag (the world’s only International Flag of Language) to the Alphabet Museum in Waxhaw NC for some Bibles and liturgical manuscripts. Specifically, NML accepted (1) facsimiles of the Gutenberg Bible from the Year 1940 (500th Anniversary of the Bible's printing); (2) the 2nd Edition from the Year 1763 of the Saur Bible as well as the hard cover case containing it (the German language Saur Bible was the first printed in North America in a European language other than English; (3) an original 13th century manuscript of a glossary with Romanized Hebrew words and names from the Bible and their supposed significations in English; and (4) an original 15th century liturgical manuscript of instructions regarding observing the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The items are on display in the NML reception area until July 2012. The flag was introduced in a formal ceremony at the Alphabet Museum in February. It is fitting that the Alphabet Museum would display the flag since NML Associate Debra Kieft, an Alphabet Museum docent, was the designer of the original. For THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF LANGUAGE newsletter April 2012 Volume 14 Issue 1

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Page 1: THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF LANGUAGE newsletter · GALA PAGE 2 NEW MUSEUM TRUSTEE PAGE 2 GRANTS PAGE 6 INTERN AND DOCENT NEWS PAGE 6 LETTER FROM ... Specifically, NML accepted (1) facsimiles

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NML ARTICLES SWAP PAGE 1 NML MAJOR GALA PAGE 2 NEW MUSEUM TRUSTEE PAGE 2 GRANTS PAGE 6 INTERN AND DOCENT NEWS PAGE 6

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR PAGE 7

NML VISITORS AND PROGRAMS

PAGE 8 NML IN THE MOVIES PAGE 9 MUSEUM ADDITIONS PAGE 9

POT POURRI FROM THE MUSEUM PAGE 10 NML IN THE NEWS PAGE 11 FILLERS FROM THE EDITOR PAGE 11

LA DONNA MANN AND GARY MCCONE EXAMINE 1763 SAUR BIBLE (SEE PAGE 1)

NML ARTICLES SWAP

NML made history in November 2011 by implementing its first ever article exchange when it loaned its flag (the world’s only International Flag of Language) to the Alphabet Museum in Waxhaw NC for some Bibles and liturgical manuscripts. Specifically, NML accepted (1) facsimiles of the Gutenberg Bible from the Year 1940 (500th Anniversary of the Bible's printing); (2) the 2nd Edition from the Year 1763 of the Saur Bible as well as the hard cover case containing it (the German language Saur Bible was the first printed in North America in a European language other than English; (3) an original 13th century manuscript of a glossary with Romanized Hebrew words and names from the Bible and their supposed significations in English; and (4) an original 15th century liturgical manuscript of instructions regarding observing the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The items are on display in the NML reception area until July 2012.

The flag was introduced in a formal ceremony at the Alphabet Museum in February. It is fitting that the Alphabet Museum would display the flag since NML Associate Debra Kieft, an Alphabet Museum docent, was the designer of the original. For

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF LANGUAGE newsletter April 2012 Volume 14 Issue 1

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the record, this is the second visit of the flag to the Alphabet Museum, having been on hand when the Alphabet Museum celebrated its 20th birthday in October 2010. NML Trustee Greg Nedved also showcased the flag in a Dakota Territorial Museum program in Yankton, SD, in September 2011. While NML has hosted articles on loan from other Museums, e.g., the National Cryptologic Museum, the Alphabet Museum, this is the first time that it has loaned out something of its own. Furthermore, it intends to loan the flag elsewhere, having reached a tentative agreement with the Star Spangled Banner and Flag House in Baltimore (the home of Mary Pickersgill, sewer of the flag which inspired Francis Scott Key to write the National Anthem). Articles to be received from the Flag House in exchange have not yet been determined.

NML MAJOR GALA

Every year NML holds its annual dinner with a featured speaker. The event is usually the highlight of the year for the Museum since it updates visitors on NML activities and achievements, bestows awards on members, greets friends and raises money. This year the event is different— it honors a specific individual, a first for the Museum. The honoree is Dr. J David Edwards, who is retiring after many years as the Executive Director of the Joint National Committee for Languages and the National Council for Languages and International Studies . He will be given the very first “Outstanding Advocate for Languages Award.” The theme of the event will be “National Connections to a World of Languages.” The dinner will retain its many features. As in past years, there will be a major speaker. Dr. Josephine K. Olsen, the former Peace Corps director for both the Bush and Obama Administrations, has graciously accepted the NML invitation to speak. However this year the scale of the event is grander. It will be the biggest fundraising event in Museum history, as ticket prices at $65 members and $75 non-members are higher than in past years. The silent auction items will also be more attractive, e.g., private foreign language lessons, boat rides. Another novelty will be that group table sponsorships are being solicited. The event is also earlier in the year than in the past, being held on 6 May rather than the usual late June. Finally, the event will be held for the first time at Mulligan’s on the University of Maryland Golf Course. Edwards has been one of the nation’s greatest language advocates, responsible for the writing and funding of major legislation promoting foreign language education in the United States. He is known as a tireless lobbyist on behalf of important legislation that influenced foreign language teaching, learning and assessment. He has promoted programming that is proficiency oriented and integrates cultural knowledge and oral communication skills. A friend of the Museum, he also has been a past NML dinner speaker. It is hoped that his Capitol Hill colleagues and associates will attend the event, recognizing his contribution to the greater language world.

We are expecting a grand time and hope that you can make it (please see the attached flyer).

NEW MUSEUM TRUSTEE

We at NML are delighted to announce that Jason Teshuba has agreed to become its newest Trustee. What is unique is that Jason, the CEO of Mango Languages, is Michigan-based, becoming the first Museum Trustee that does not live or work near College Park. Jason visited the Museum for the first time in February 2012 and participated in his first ever Trustee meeting. Find out about Jason in the bio on Page 4.

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Founder/President Emerita

Amelia C. Murdoch, Ph.D.

National Advisory Council

Dr. David Crystal Dr. Joan Houston Hall Dr. K. David Harrison Sen. James Rosapepe Dr. Charles Stansfield Officers

Gary McCone, President Pat Barr-Harrison, Ph.D. Vice President Alan J. Turnbull, Secretary James E. McFadden, Treasurer

Trustees

Sandra L. Allen Richard Biffl James Davis Gregory J. Nedved Joseph E. Page Jill Robbins, Ph.D. Jason Teshuba

Associates

Martha G. Abbott Barbara Bennett Janet Chernela, Ph.D. Donna Christian, Ph.D. Donald B. Domogauer P. Manuel Guevara Marion E. Hines, Ph.D. Stephen Huffman, Ph.D. Jack D. Jones Debra Kieft M. J. “Mike” Levin La Donna Mann Leah Mason Olga J. Page Earl M. Rickerson, Ph.D. R. David Zorc, Ph.D.

Staff and Contributors

Pat Barr-Harrison, Ph.D Renee Domogauer Deborah Kieft Leah Mason, Ph.D Gregory J. Nedved, Editor Jill Robbins, Ph.D.

How to contact us:

The National Museum of Language 7100 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 202 College Park, MD 20740 301-864-7071 [email protected] www.languagemuseum.org

NML MEMBERSHIP FORM

Memberships are in effect for the calendar year

MEMBERSHIP LEVELS

Patron $5,000 and up

Corporate Member $2,500

Benefactor $1,000 - $4,999

Sustainer $500 - $999

Institutional/Organizational Member $300

Supporting Member $250 - $499

Contributing Member $100 - $249

Dual/Family Member $70

Individual Member $50

Student/Senior Member $20

To join the NML, check the appropriate membership level, fill in the information below, and mail this form along with your check to the Museum. Make checks payable to The National Museum of Language. To pay with a credit card, access our Paypal link on www.languagemuseum.org

Note: Members outside of the U.S. should add an additional fee of $6 to cover mailing costs.

Title: ____ Name: _________________________________

Address: __________________________________________

City: ____________________________________________

State: ________ Zip Code: __________________

Phone: (______)__________________________________

Email: __________________________________________

I would like to volunteer to help with museum activities

I am interested in making a bequest of assets or property

to NML

NML is officially recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Membership contributions are therefore tax deductible to the full extent authorized under the law.

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Jason Teshuba is the CEO of Mango Languages, an online language-learning software company that focuses on teaching foreign languages and cultures as well as English as a second language. Year after year, the company has grown over 100% and flourished in what many deem the worst economy since the Great Depression. After studying computer engineering at Michigan State University, Jason worked for Electronic Data Systems as a vehicle simulation software engineer. He developed software to run on GM and Daimler Chrysler vehicle simulators that saved his clients millions of dollars in annual expenses. Following a life-long interest, Jason later founded an e-commerce language company in early 2004. Originally deemed a "side business," Jason's Midas touch transformed the small company into an international operation by selling language educational programs to clients worldwide. He sold that part of the business to fund the creation of Mango Languages in 2007. From there, he transformed an original staff of four with zero dollars in revenue into a thriving office of over 52 employees and $6 million in sales in less than four years. A passionate student of language, Jason had always been frustrated by the deficiencies of the many language-learning systems that he had used. Thus, he founded this new company with a very noble goal: to revolutionize the way people learn languages. His vision was to make learning a new language as fun and as easy as learning one's own native language. Mango Languages has 52 full-time employees at its headquarters in Farmington Hills, MI and 150 employees worldwide. The company sells a product that helps people to learn the elements of conversation in a new language, including vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and culture through a methodology called intuitive language construction. And continuing his own language journey, Jason is currently learning Latin and Russian and is

On 21 February NML attended the Language Martyrs Day event at the Bangladeshi Embassy. Language Martyrs Day is a national holiday in Bangladesh, commemorating the resistance of East Pakistan to attempts by Pakistan to make Urdu the national language. East Pakistan wanted Bangla (Bengali). Trustee Greg Nedved represented NML at the event at the invitation of Raihan Ahmed, a museum visitor. At right are Paraguayan dancers at the event.

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conversationally proficient in Hebrew, Italian, Spanish, Greek, and Brazilian Portuguese. In addition, he has surveyed many other languages including Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese, Hindi, Dutch, Armenian, Japanese, Thai, French, German, Polish, Romanian, Albanian, and Twi. In addition to his enthusiasm for language learning, Jason is also passionate about entrepreneurship and has molded Mango Languages’ success through his enthusiasm for entrepreneurial spirit and innovation. As two of the six driving core values of the company, entrepreneurial spirit and innovation encourage a culture of creativity and provide many opportunities for Mango employees to innovate and explore their own original ideas. Together, his two loves of language and entrepreneurship have led him to coin a term called "Linguapreneur," which is a word that encapsulates both of his passions that drive the engine of his business. In 2011, Jason became a member of the EO, Entrepreneur Organization, whose mission is to engage leading entrepreneurs to learn and grow. EO has more than 8,000 members worldwide, and it provides the opportunity to network with entrepreneurs from around the world. What’s more, he also participates with many non-profit organizations, like Yad Ezra, a food pantry in Detroit where he is a board member. Between his deep interest for language and culture, his knowledge of helping small and startup organizations grow as well his experience with non-profits, Jason Teshuba is both enthusiastic and capable of helping the National Museum of Language prosper and promote a better understanding of language. Welcome aboard, Jason!

This little guy is the newest NML mascot. Lei Zeng, one of our docents, brought him back with her from a recent trip to China. It is the Year of the Dragon and the Chinese character shown here means “fortune.” In this sense, he is the Museum’s good luck charm. Come to our main exhibit room to see the Chinese exhibit and this little dragon. The Chinese language power points—Youxi (meaning “game”) and Did You Know—are among the Museum’s best. There are also numerous Chinese items

in the exhibit vitrine.

We are pleased to announce that visitors can now access

Mango Languages in the Museum, thanks to the generosity

of Jason. To find out about Mango, try this link:

http://languagemuseum.org/resources/

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GRANTS

Early this year, the Development Committee formally applied for a $70,000 Planning Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in partnership with the Dictionary of Regional American English (DARE). The purpose of the grant is for the eventual NML and DARE joint promotion nationwide of the fifth (and final) DARE volume (Letters Sl to Z) and all previous DARE volumes. Since members of DARE are scattered nationwide, NML Trustee Jill Robbins hosted a series of telephone conferences in late 2011—early 2012 to discuss strategy and complete the application. In March, the new volume was formally published and NML officers attended a DARE press conference at the NEH headquarters in downtown Washington. NML is thankful to DARE for the partnership opportunity and is optimistic about the proposal since NEH has funded past DARE endeavors. NML has had a previous working relationship with DARE personnel since Volume V Editor, Dr. Joan Houston Hall, is an NML National Advisory Council member and Orin Hargraves, a DARE team member, was the lexicographer for the NML 1812 American Languages exhibit. All previous DARE dictionaries are on display in the Museum reception area and we believe that the 5th volume will soon be added as well. NML has also received a Prince George’s County Council Special Appropriation Grant of $2,500. Although we have received past grants from the county council, this amount was higher than normal. Thank you, Councilman Eric Olson!

As always, the Development Committee, headed by Secretary Alan Turnbull, has been busy finding Museum funding opportunities,

doing the paperwork and meeting application deadlines. Thank you Development Committee!

INTERN AND DOCENT NEWS

NML WARMLY WELCOMES ITS NEWEST VOLUNTEERS--NILOOFAR BAGHERI JEBELLI, BOBBY LEAF AND YANAN LOU. NILOOFAR WAS RECENTLY HIRED ON AS AN INTERN AND WILL BE WITH THE MUSEUM UNTIL MAY. FROM IRAN, SHE IS ONE OF NML ASSOCIATE DR. JANET CHERNELA’S STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. BOBBY IS A RETIRED LAWYER WITH AN INTEREST IN LANGUAGES (AND OUR MUSEUM). HE IS DOCENTING FOR US NOW. YANAN, FROM CHINA, IS WORKING ON A PROJECT INVOLVING THE STUDY OF HOW SMALL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION SUCH AS MUSEUMS UTILIZE THEIR VOLUNTEERS AND CHOSE US AS A CASE STUDY. SHE IS ALSO A DOCENT.

WELCOME ABOARD TO ALL THREE.

WE NEED YOU!

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DARE DICTIONARY ON DISPLAY AT THE MUSEUM

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

When NML opened to the public about four years ago, those individuals involved (including myself) knew that they were doing something unique, important and promising. How have we fared? Yes, we are still in a location that is too small for what we want to do. Yes, paying the bills is still a challenge. I prefer however to focus on the plus side—and there is a lot of it. We, for example, are running three exhibits simultaneously. Our speaker programs are usually standing room only affairs. We continue to bring in the school groups on a regular basis. There is also no shortage of curious adults—who spread the word. Our web page is constantly updated. I would argue that these past few months in particular have been wonderful for NML. For the first time, we have loaned out one of “our” objects (the flag) to another museum for display (See Page 1). We have been asked to serve as technical consultants for a movie (See Page 9). We are being invited to embassy events (See Page 4). And we are thinking bigger. We now have a trustee who is not local (See Page 2). We also are seeking our largest grant ever—$70,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities—as we partner with the Dictionary of American Regional English in promoting Volume V of the dictionary (See Page 6). Finally, we are holding our largest ever fundraiser on 6 May as we attempt to honor a legendary language advocate—a feat new to NML (See Page 2). Will everything we try and do work out for us? No. Are we heading in the right direction? Yes. We have come a long ways in four years, especially lately. There is no turning back.

--Greg Nedved

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NML VISITORS AND PROGRAMS

It was quite a past few months as NML had some great presentations and held its winter gala—with more to come in the months ahead. Here is a brief recap:

Boogeymen, Spirits, and Specters: Stories of Fear, Wonder, and Haunting from Brazil, 23 October 2011, Deborah Schindler With Halloween only days away, this was a timely (albeit unusual) topic for NML given by a woman who has collected stories for many years (many of which have never been translated into English). In fact, the oral literature of Brazil has absorbed, blended and reprocessed the influences of Latin America, Europe and Africa into an incredibly varied body of myths, stories, fables and legends. Some of the more interesting topics for discussion were salt, the evil number 7, boogeymen and dolphin stories. This presentation was not intended for children. Deborah’s powerpoint presentation was actually her own drawings. Peoples and Languages of the Middle East, 20 November 2011, Michael Chyet Did you know that Hebrew is the only language to emerge from extinction? This was one of the many tidbits gleaned from Dr. Chyet’s presentation. A recognized expert on Kurdish, Dr. Chyet revealed that the Middle East is not just a land of Muslims and Arabs. For example, Iranians although Muslims are not Arabs. There are many Christian sects in the Middle East as well. Because of space limitations, people were turned away for the first time from a Museum presentation. Holiday Party, 4 December 2011 This annual event was once again special, not just because of the festive atmosphere but because of the crowd it attracted. Museum officers brought family members and friends to the event, some of whom were seeing the Museum for the first time. Others were returning after a leave of absence. For some, this was the first look at the Bibles on loan from the Alphabet Museum (see Page 1). Distinguished attendees were NML President Emerita Amelia Murdoch, Sen. Jim Rosapepe (a Museum National Advisory Council member), and College Park District One Councilman Pat Wojahn. From the Telegraph to the Internet: How Both Governments and Protesters Exploit New Communications Technologies, 22 January 2012, Irene Wu NML welcomed in 2012 with a thought-provoking presentation about communications technology past and present. Dr. Wu used examples from the recent South Asia tsunami, 1900 China, the anti-landmine campaign, the Canadian Diamond Jubilee broadcast, Brazil hinterland telegraphs, and Taiwan cable television to show how activists and governments use technology to their advantages. A Georgetown professor and Federal Communications Commission member, Dr. Wu conducted her presentation as if teaching a class. The presentation began with around-the-room introductions (more challenging because the event was standing room only) and ended with Dr. Robbins updating attendees about NML homepage additions, e.g. Facebook Page, Twitter. The “Virtual” in the National Virtual Translation Center, 26 February 2012, Mary Ellen Okurowski Virtualization has become the “new norm” because of needs to optimize technology and expand networks of skilled workers. In her presentation, Dr. Okurowski showed how the National Virtual Translation Center, set up after “9-11” to meet a national translation emergency, was serving as a virtualization model for the translation industry. Dr. Okurowski also fielded questions about employment opportunities and government translation in general. This presentation brought a whole new audience to the Museum as many attendees were eager to learn about the National Virtual Translation Center from a person who is the current director.

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MUSEUM ADDITIONS

The Museum has three exhibits going on right now (not bad for such a small museum). What is less obvious is that we are constantly making adjustments to existing exhibits. This is an attempt by us to create a more attractive, interesting, efficient and systematic Museum. Here are some of the changes made over the past few months (with more in the offing undoubtedly):

Next to the font changer (Main Exhibit Room), there is a new alphabet gif that shows the history of the Western Alphabet—it goes perfectly with the alphabetic (left side) section of the room. Here is your link:

NML IN THE MOVIES

PHILIP MARSHALL, AN EMMY-WINNER PRODUCER FOR MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, IS SEEKING NML’S HELP IN THE MAKING OF A FEATURE FILM ABOUT FRANCIS SCOTT KEY (MARYLAND IS CELEBRATING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR OF 1812). AT HIS INVITATION, TRUSTEES GREG NEDVED AND JILL ROBBINS AS WELL AS ORIN HARGROVES (NML WAR OF 1812 EXHIBIIT LEXICOGRAPHER) ATTENDED THE FILM’S PRESS CONFERENCE IN LATE NOVEMBER. THEY FIELDED MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LANGUAGE OF THE TIME PERIOD AS WELL AS PROVIDED SCRIPT CORRECTIONS. MARSHALL CONTACTED THE MUSEUM BECAUSE HE HAD HEARD OF THE 1812 EXHIBIT AND WAS LOOKING FOR LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE WITH THE SCRIPT. HE HAS HINTED AT DOING A FOLLOW UP DOCUMENTARY WHICH WOULD FEATURE THE MUSEUM AND INDICATED A STRONG DESIRE TO SEE NML IN PERSON. THE MUSEUM IS VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSIST MR. MARSHALL AND HOPES TO PROVIDE FURTHER ASSISTANCE ON HIS MOVIE PROJECT IF REQUESTED.

NML VISITORS AND PROGRAMS CONTINUED The Quechua Oral Tradition, 25 March 2012, Regina Harrison

Dr. Harrison brought the Quechua speaking world to Museum guests through artistic imagery and audio samples of Quechua songs and myths. Her riveting presentation told the story of the Quechua peoples through her experiences living among them during field work. Dr. Harrison’s most recent work on Spanish-Quechua translation in the colonial period is forthcoming.

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http://usemycomputer.com/indeximages/2007/July/Alphabet%20Evolution.gif

Some of the items in the Chinese vitrine (Main Exhibition Room) have been replaced—this happened because an original donor requested her items back.

The Reception Room now features Native American and Amharic displays as well as books from the Kietzman Collection. Now in the Activities Room are the Dictionary of American Regional English volumes and the word origin wood blocks--this reorganization came about to create room for the borrowed Alphabet Museum items (See Page 1).

POTPOURRI FROM THE MUSEUM

The questions and responses below are just a few of the questions asked often by visitors to the Museum or by persons who are just hearing about the Museum for the first time.

Q: WHAT DO YOU SEE IN A NATIONAL MUSEUM OF LANGUAGE?

R: You see exhibits/displays on different aspects of language. The three underlying themes for the Museum are: the Universal Aspects of Language, Language in Society, and World Languages. Currently, we have the development of writing (language culture/ artifacts) from 3,000 years ago beginning with the Sumerians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese…. Four different Collections of Books…including four different volumes of the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) and an international children’s book collection (the Ann Kietzman Collection)…a Spanish doll collection representing the four official languages and cultural regions of Spain…a small display on Native Americans and on Amharic (Ethiopia)…the display of the Gutenberg Bible Replica with liturgical writings…the story of Noah Webster, his dictionaries, and Noah’s efforts to standardize American English from British English….and more.

Q: WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE MUSEUM?

R: You may browse the exhibits, listen to CD’s…songs from around the world, hear different languages (over 20 Mango Languages), listen to power points on a variety of topics, see DVDs such as a day in the life of a child from China, Egypt, France, Japan, Spain, Israel, plus videos on other cultures (West Africa and Martinique). In addition one can sit at the Museum’s table and learn numbers in Chinese and Japanese while writing the numbers with a brush and water.

Q: HOW DO YOU GET WASHINGTON DC PEOPLE TO COME TO THE MUSEUM?

R: We are listed in the Washington Post Friday Weekend Section and so lots of people read about the Museum and visit. The Museum works with schools to bring student groups in and tries to relate the exhibits to curriculum being studied. More FAQ’s will be shared in the next Museum newsletter --Pat Barr-Harrison, Ph.D

All photos in this issue were taken by Greg Nedved, Raihan Ahmed, and Jill Robbins

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FILLERS FROM THE EDITOR

Several new books have recently been added to the Museum’s Allen Walker Read Library. They can currently be found in the Recent Arrivals section of the library. The books are from the Library of Congress Surplus Book Program and from a donor to the Museum. The library collections can be searched through two different interfaces: www.librarything.com/languagemuseum and http://nml.scoolaid.net/bin/home. NML books unfortunately cannot yet be lent out to the public

Have you ever seen the NML power point? You can view it at: http://prezi.com/gxrsnd1p1jwh/e-resources-at-the-national-museum-of-language/

In our last issue, we mentioned that a new brochure was coming. It is out! You can get one of course if you come to the Museum for a visit. Otherwise, try this link: http://www.languagemuseum.org/brochures.html

Our condolences to the family and friends of Harold (Andy) Andrus, an NML member who passed away in January 2012.

NML IN THE NEWS A February article about the Museum had a Latin title. Here is the link to a really nice article about us: http://www.expressnightout.com/2012/02/adniti-praemio-dignum-est/ The Foreign Language Program Office (FLPO) Quarterly in March 2012 introduced the Museum to its readership in an article on page six. FLPO is the language arm of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. For the record, NML activities and events have been promoted for many years in the CLArion, a newsletter for linguists at Ft. Meade. Author Michael Erard tweeted that he would like to talk at NML about his new book, Babel No More, which is attracting a lot of attention these days. Something tells me that an invitation to him might be forthcoming! The Museum is always looking for ways to promote itself and has advertised successfully in the Washington Post Friday Weekend Section in the past. In November 2011, we tried the Washington Post Express. What new advertising venues are coming for us in 2012?

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NML closed for a couple of days in early March because our host building was flooded. Fortunately, there was no damage to the Museum.

Finally, SPECIAL KUDOS to Pat Barr-Harrison and her team for dealing smoothly with a large group of high school students on 13 March. This particular event, involving ten different languages, was in colloboration with the Language House at the University of Maryland. As we all know, Pat has been handling these large groups for some time and so knew what needed to be done for a successful program. As she has said before: Our Museum offers the same kinds of programs as the Smithsonian…just in smaller, smaller spaces with no paid staff.”

A NEW ADDITION TO THE RECEPTION ROOM

The National Museum of Language

Executive Office Building 7100 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 202

College Park, Maryland 20740 (301) 864-7071

[email protected]

COMING TO THE

MUSEUM

APRIL NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING RESEARCH AT DARPA, 29 APRIL 2012, 2:00-4:00, BONNIE J. DORR

MAY OUR MAJOR GALA (SEE PAGE 2 FOR DETAILS)

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