ELL: technologies for Endangered Languages

[Nicholas Ostler]

I was interested to read the proposal by Transparent Language, Inc. to
adapt their own machine translation and CALL technologies for
neglected/endangered/sparse-data/low-density languages, brought to our
notice by Jeff Allen.

It seems in principle a valuable endeavour, and apparently an altruistic
one by Transparent Lg. (although we are told "A single flat fee covers our
costs.")  But there are some notes which ring a bit false.

First of all, there is the self-praise which is part of corporate publicity
language we're all used to, though not usually in this field:
>Transparent Language's exclusive LanguageNow!
>technology. Powerfully effective at all levels, from beginner
>through advanced, it enables successful language use in a
>rich multimedia learning environment. Because of the unique
>fundamental technical architecture underlying the
>LanguageNow! technology, it is now possible to
>develop a comprehensive, effective language learning and
>preservation package...

If the heritages which are to be preserved and transmitted are as rich as
Transparent believes, aren't they a bit rash to believe that their
technology will be adequate for any one of them?

Secondly, where is the evidence that Transparent has anything to "save"
languages, besides the magnificent title?
> The Endangered Languages Preservation and Revitalization Project

Having visited the web site (http://www.transparent.com/), I see that
Transparent offer multimedia Computer-Aided Language Learning environments,
machine translation, and perhaps some electronic books or the equivalent.
"Cultural Partners" are expected to be able to pour any linguistic culture
they know into this framework.  But this is unlikely
>to give endangered
>languages a new breath of life

At best, it will show that smaller communities' languages can express the
same kind of cultural content that has been found adequate, apparently, for
the 18 languages already incarnated in this "Transparent" form.

Most such smaller languages are community languages, or they are nothing:
but it seems that there is no role for  communities of present-day speakers
in the production of these materials. And will people learn a language from
a multimedia environment that simulates the community, if they won't learn
it from the real community?  (That is one place that the analogy with most
modern language learning breaks down, since you usually take a language
course when you plan to interact with the real language group, but for some
reason can't be a part of it, or visit it, yet.)

Anyway, I for one would feel a lot easier about this initiative, if it were
represented as a product which is now available (perhaps on concessionary
terms, or with consultancy and support thrown in) to be explored by people
in endangered language communities, rather than as some sort of mission or
crusade by the producer company.

In some sense, a company and a set of products is just a tool, no better
and no worse than the purposes to which it is put; so maybe this can be the
basis for something really good.

But corporate culture itself, based on the production of these tools and
seeing them and trade in them as the essence of life, has not been
inspiring, or much of a force for good, whenever it tries to be benign on
its own terms.  (Cf. the UK's Body Shop, with its efforts to "harvest" the
rain forest; or much more noxiously, large oil companies like Occidental,
Maxus and BP, offering "education" to the indigenous inhabitants of
territories they want to exploit.)

The issue raised here is one I find central, placed as I am, paid to offer
consulting on language technology, but trying also to do what I can for
endangered languages.  Can there be a fruitful marriage of global computing
and indigenous culture?  How do others see this tension?  Or am I perhaps
seeing (at least in this case) potential conflict where it may never arise?
----------------------------------------------------------------
Nicholas   Ostler
President
Foundation for Endangered Languages
Registered Charity 1070616

Batheaston Villa,  172 Bailbrook Lane
Bath           BA1 7AA        England
+44-1225-85-2865 fax +44-1225-85-9258
nostler at chibcha.demon.co.uk
http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Philosophy/CTLL/FEL/


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