Technology (language)

[Nicholas Thieberger]

A very interesting post, that shows yet again 
that who pays the piper can play discord!

I hope that list members shared my reaction of 
cringing at the imposition of inappropriate 
technological fixes to working with small 
languages. While the claim is that languages are 
'preserved', this may not be the case if proper 
archival methods are ignored.

Microsoft is not providing useful tools, but is 
providing its own tools, which tie the user into 
deadend proprietary solutions. The effort that 
goes into this work is not repaid by having 
enduring and archivable language material, but 
rather is useful for a quick result and then 
needs to be done again for future

It is the case in many parts of the world that 
speakers of endangered languages are looking to 
produce interactive software to support the 
continued use of their languages.

However, much of the work is not linguistically 
informed, and does not pay attention to the sort 
of issues discussed by Steven Bird and Gary 
Simons 2003. Seven Dimensions of Portability for 
Language Documentation and Description. Language 
79: 557-82

We need to support these kinds of efforts with 
good use of new technologies. Initiatives that 
are doing this work include AILLA, DOBES, 
PARADISEC, ELDP and others (see the links here: 
http://www.paradisec.org.au/Archive_Links.htm).

With a little extra effort we can create good 
archival forms of language material that can then 
be used for interactive tools, and will still be 
there for generations to come.

Nick

Project Manager
PARADISEC
Pacific And Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures
http://paradisec.org.au


nicholas.thieberger at paradisec.org.au
Department of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
University of Melbourne
Vic 3010
Australia

Ph 61 (0)3 8344 5185




>Using Technology to Preserve Endangered Tribal Languages, Culture
>http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/505883/
>
>Newswise ? Efforts to help preserve native languages through the use of
>technology can be considered a "matter of life and death." Thanks to
>the work of Native Americans from the Colorado River Indian Tribes
>(CRIT), the University of Arizona and funding from the Bill and Melinda
>Gates Foundation, two more languages are closer to preservation.
>
>Susan Penfield, of the UA department of English has devoted more than 30
>years of her professional life to working with endangered languages.
>More recently, she has been the principle investigator in a project
>funded since January 2003 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to
>train tribal members in the use of selected technologies that support
>language revitalization.
>
>This grant has provided funds for the collaboration between the CRIT and
>the UA. The CRIT Reservation is located on the Colorado River, just
>south of Lake Havasu on the Arizona/California border. CRIT is home to
>four culturally and linguistically different tribes: Mohave,
>Chemehuevi, Hopi and Navajo. Goals include the training of CRIT
>speakers of Mohave and Chemehuevi in the use of software and Internet
>tools which will support preservation and instruction related to these
>languages.
>
>Mohave, a Yuman language, is spoken by 33 fully fluent speakers at CRIT.
>Most of these speakers are at least age 70 or older. Chemehuevi is
>spoken by only about 10 fluent speakers who are 60 years or older.
>
>"The need to take action on these two most critically endangered
>languages of the four CRIT cultures was apparent," says Penfield. While
>the preservation of native languages ultimately rests with the members
>of the tribes themselves, Penfield and a group of specialists from the
>UA have initiated a project to train tribal members from the CRIT
>communities in the use of computer software and other technologies to
>help tribal members in this task.
>
>As part of the project, six fluent speakers of Mohave and Chemehuevi
>learned how to record, preserve and digitally manipulate samples of
>their language with the help of special software installed on the
>laptops purchased with the grant money. Participants were already
>involved with language work either as teachers, librarians or
>consultants who were available to train on the UA campus.
>
>One of the first sessions was on the use PowerPoint® and Audacity® to
>create language lessons. Pictures from coloring books of Mohave and
>Chemehuevi were scanned and transformed into electronic images which
>were later combined with sound files created by the participants with
>the help of Audacity®. These skills and language lessons encouraged the
>native speakers to learn additional computer skills and to use more
>complex software such as MaxAuthor, used for rarely taught languages
>and the MOO developed at the UA for multi-user conference space
>accessed through the Internet.
>
>While the grant money is running out and funds are needed to continue
>the work, Penfield says that the project "has met its goals of training
>members from CRIT to develop a model for the use of technology-enhanced
>language revitalization. I'm very grateful to the participants from
>CRIT who interrupted their lives and work to train with us and who
>continue to fight for their languages. We learned a lot from them and
>the experience of working together was enriching for everyone."
>
>Penfield would like to establish a one-week computer camp on the UA
>campus which would provide three units of credit in indigenous
>languages and technology. Also, more assistance is needed for
>additional hardware and software development. She says that "it's vital
>to recognize that the field of indigenous languages and technology is
>new and largely untapped."
>
>"Computers, video cameras and recorders can't save languages; only
>people can do that," says Penfield, "but technology can support
>revitalization efforts."
>
>Compiled from various sources and edited by Julieta Gonzalez, News
>Services.

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