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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Thanks Paul, Interesting to know of your work and I’d like to
know more about it. Part of my interest is developing ways of looking at the language
planning challenges as relate to localization in Africa (one might speak of
localization policy and planning as a subspecialty of language policy and
planning, which overlaps with localization studies, computational linguistics,
standards among others). Basically ways of organizing information and classes
of situations of African languages for localization strategies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>The area of corpus development is obviously part of this and I
would mention the interest of some colleagues (in cc) and a project concept
page at <a
href="http://www.panafril10n.org/wikidoc/pmwiki.php/Marrakech/CorporaAsLanguageResource">http://www.panafril10n.org/wikidoc/pmwiki.php/Marrakech/CorporaAsLanguageResource</a>
. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>There could be some useful collaboration on both (interrelated)
levels: corpus development and ways of categorizing the current situations of
languages for various kinds of planning (such as localization).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Look forward to learning more.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Don<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> owner-lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu
[mailto:owner-lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Paul_Lewis@sil.org<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, May 10, 2007 1:10 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: Ferguson's schema for written & standardization
categories<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Don:</span> <br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Thanks for
reminding us of the Ferguson article.</span> <br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Some of my
colleagues and I have been looking at using Fishman's GIDS (Graded
Intergenerational Disruption Scale) as a means of categorizing the status of
"development" of various language communities. Fishman, of course,
intended it to be used as a measure of disruption, but taking his GIDS Stage 6
as the general norm (most of the world's languages that are being transmitted
intergenerationally are there) we're looking at what kinds of language-based
development activities would be required or indicated to help them move
"up one stage" to Stage 5 (widespread use of literacy that language
in the community). Similarly, following Fishman's RLS (Reversing Language
Shift) agenda, what would it take for a language community that is at Stage 7
(incipient loss and shift) to be restored to full intergenerational oral
transmission at Stage 6?</span> <br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The W and S
scales suggested by Ferguson might give a finer-grained way of describing what
Stage 5 (and upward) would or could look like in each situation and so provide
a blueprint or agenda for corpus planning activities.</span> <br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Warmly,</span> <br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Paul</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>*****************<br>
M. Paul Lewis<br>
SIL International<br>
7500 W. Camp Wisdom Rd.<br>
Dallas, TX 75236<br>
<br>
Voice: (972) 708-7521<br>
Fax: (972) 708-7589<br>
Cell: (817) 703-8361</span> <br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"Don
Osborn" <dzo@bisharat.net></span></b><span style='font-size:7.5pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span><br>
<span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Sent by:
owner-lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu</span> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>05/09/2007
09:41 PM</span> <span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><lgpolicy-list@ccat.sas.upenn.edu></span>
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Ferguson's
schema for written & standardization categories</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><br>
<br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I came across a
1962 article by Charles A. Ferguson entitled “The Language Factor in
International Development” (Anthropological Linguistics 4(1): 23-27) in which a
simple schema for measuring relative language “development” (quotes are his)
according to degree of use in writing and degree of standardization. Ferguson
puts this forth as a “first approximation.” </span><br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I summarize his
system below. I’m interested in knowing if anyone has tried to apply and/or
develop this further. I realize that such a concept of hierarchies is
problematic and even if one accepts the principle, its application is not easy
(IOW the boundaries defining the categories are not so clear). However I am
looking at it for two reasons:</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>1)
as a possible way of sketching the language situation for language
planning purposes (straying here into ground that is not my specialization) –
can it be useful to have sense of language use from application of such
categories despite whatever shortcomings?</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>2)
in localization of ICT there is another kind of categorization
happening, and that is the level of technical resource endowment for languages.
Terms like “under-resourced” languages have emerged to describe the situation
of minority languages without much in to facilitate their use in computing or
the internet. In 2004 Vincent Berment completed a thesis on this subject in
which he also proposed using Greek letter as neutral terms for the level of
endowment: tau (well resourced), mu (moderately well resourced), and pi (poorly
resourced). Such discussions focusing on technology however, and whatever terms
are used, are difficult without reference to other basic measures. Berment
seems to recognize this, but is it useful to separately analyze such basic (non
technical) measures as writing and standardization. The object in this case is
to provide richer information for localization strategies.</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Anyway, it’s a
current small area of interest that I’m trying to gather more information on.</span>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The scales
proposed by Ferguson for discussion are:</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>(level of
writing of a language)</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>W.0 – not used
for written purposes</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>W.1 – used for
normal written purposes</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>W.2 – original
research in physical sciences regularly published</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>W.3 – languages
in which translations and resumés of scientific work in other languages are
regularly published.</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>(level of
standardization)</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>St.0 – a
language in which there is no important amount of standardization</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>St.1 – (this
category he recognizes to pose some challenges, but involves situations where
there is more than one standard)</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>St.2 – a
language which has a single, widely accepted norm which is felt to be
appropriate with only minor modifications or variations for all purposes and
for which the language is used.</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Thanks in
advance for any information or thoughts.</span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span> <br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Don Osborn</span>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span> <o:p></o:p></p>
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