ELL: On software for Basque and other lgs ("support")

[Jokin Garatea]

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	     Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 16:36:27 +0200
	     From: Jokin Garatea <garatea at gaia.es>
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	     Subject: Re: ELL: On software for Basque and other lgs
	     ("support")
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	     Marion Gunn wrote:

	     > Scr.obh Trond Trosterud <Trond.Trosterud at hum.uit.no>:
	     > >...
	     > >Seen in this perspective the question of who paid for what is
	     > subordinate.
	     > >All other  lgs with small or poor user communities should be
	     > glad for the
	     > >achievements of Basque and Icelandic this spring. I would like
	     > to see some
	     > >concrete discussion on this list as to #how# this was
	     > achieved, and #how#

	     I have nothing against MS or whatever other company. But this is
	     not, in my
	     opinion, the best way to promote the use of endangered languages
	     through the
	     use of telematic means. If all the promotional actions are to
	     subcontract big
	     companies to translate their almost "monopolistic" tools, forget
	     your national
	     lg industries, if ther is any.

	     Minority lgs need a clear strategy to survive developing their
	     own industries
	     with the help, or not, of big companies and with the help, by
	     sure, of their
	     local administrations. This is a clear statement that we in the
	     Basque country
	     are trying to undertake with the, very important, help of our
	     local
	     administrations.

	     As far as I know, most of endangered lgs lack of local
	     administrations able to
	     help them, so, are they condemmned to loose their technology
	     train and also
	     their lg?. For, as far as I see, they will not able to
	     subcontract a big
	     company and neither to promote their own industry.

	     The solution to this. I do not know. However we are trying to
	     develop one:

	     Rapid convergence of hitherto separate technologies are already
	     changing the
	     nature of work and organisations. Versatile applications of
	     existing and
	     emerging technologies are being demonstrated in educational and
	     training
	     situation and it is no longer possible to ignore serious
	     consideration of their
	     deployment in the minority languages.

	     We, in GAIA, based on our experience in this field and according
	     to the lack of
	     beneficial results in the different program implementation for
	     minority
	     languages, have based our strategy in those three different
	     lines:

1. Marketing of Minority Languages.
2. Concretion of the role of the Education Centres.
3. Build up an important industry sector of marketable IT and Multimedia
products addressed to minority languages.


This approach does not mean to  subcontract any tool. That means short term.
Our language has survived to a lot of problems, among them a strong
dictatorship, we are taking advantage of  different programmes to finance our
activities in that field. And it if is not easy for us, eventhough we can
count
with our administration, what about other languages?.

Our approach is not the best of course. It will take more than approaches to
keep most European Minority Languages from becoming extinct. If all it took
was
approaches, then the minority languages would not be in the sad condition that
most of them are in now because many of them have been exposed to approaches.
What then? Lots of different approaches have been tried. These are not
startling innovations; what we need is a critical mass of committed people,
and
this critical mass can only be created through continuous capillary
infiltration of information and encouragement. Our approach is intended to be
a
part of such an effort.

We look forward hearing about other experiences and also about other
institutions eager to participate in our different lines of working.

Regards,

Jokin

>
>
> So would I.
> mg
>
> >more lgs could be provided with software of different kinds.
> >
> >Greetings,
> >
> >Trond Trosterud
>
> --
> Marion Gunn <mgunn at ucd.ie>
>
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