A MULTILINGUAL STATISTICAL DICTIONARY IN THE BROADER SOUTH

Terminology Development

Dr Mariëtta AlbertsFocus Area Manager: Terminology Development

Pan South African Language Board

Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February

IntroductionNational Language Bodies (NLBs)Technical Committees (TCs)StandardisationSpelling and OrthographyLexicography vs. TerminographyTerminology as a tool in language developmentInformation technology - the future of language development

National Language Bodies (NLBs):

Are the custodians of the languages

Determine the standards of the languages

Empower, promote and develop languages

Verify and authenticate terms

Work through Technical Committees (TCs)

Advisory capacity of NLBs:

Technical Committees (TCs) advise the NLBs and PanSALB on:

StandardisationTerminology developmentDictionary needsLiterature and MediaResearchEducationOther language related matters

Powers and functions of TCs:

Standardisation TC - Advice to NLB on:spelling and orthographygeneral standards in all functions of languagepopularisation of standards generated

Terminology TC - Advice to NLB on:the development and authentication of new terminology;stabilisation of new terminology;popularisation of new terminology; andmanagement of terminology in conjunction with the National Department of Arts and Culture.

Standardisation

Crystal (1985) defines standardisation as a natural development of a standard languagein a speech community or an attempt by a community to impose one dialect as a standard.According to Hudson (1980) standardisation is a direct and deliberate intervention by society to create a standard language where before there were just ‘dialects’ (non-standard varieties).

Standardisation (cont.)

Standard languages are usually associated with prestige and cut across regional differences, providing a unified means of communication.The standard language is an institutionalised norm which can be used in mass media, economic sector, education, science and technology: Concept Symbol Linguistic representation* I i 1 one, een, eins, uno, tee, nngwe, inye, ukunye** II ii 2 two, twee, zwei, duo, pedi, bobedi, isibini, isibili

Standardisation is necessary to facilitate communication, provide a uniform form for learning material and dictionaries, and the establishment of agreed orthography and spelling rules.Standardised terms ensure exact communication among subject specialists themselves, but also between subject specialists and laypeople.

Standardised termsThe increasing use of non-standard language in the classroom often has dire consequences for learners and for the traditional languagealimentary canaldigestive tractgastrointestinal tract

Spelling and OrthographyNew and unified spelling and orthography systems should be created for the languages selected for standardisation.Establishing well standardised, efficient and practical spelling and orthography rules, is a crucial basis for developing a modern literacy tradition.An efficient and practical spelling and orthography is a direct function of enabling educational, cultural, administrative and mass media system in the countries concerned (Abdulaziz, 1991).

Lexicographers document the vocabulary of a standard language.Terminographers document the terminology of the standard variety of a language.Lexicographers and terminographers adhere to the spelling and orthography rules of the standard variety of a language when compiling dictionaries.Language practitioners and language users need standardised spelling and orthography rules.

Revision of spelling and orthography rules

PanSALB requested the National Language Bodies in July 2004 to revise the current (DoE) spelling and orthography rules.The Technical Committees: Standardisation of the nine African Language NLBs revised the current rules.Consultative meetings were held with stakeholders to discuss draft rules.The process was finalised in 2007 and PanSALB is in the process of publishing the revised spelling and orthography rules (2008).The revision of spelling and orthography rules is an ongoing process and the NLBs will immediately after publication start with the revision process. Publication would be at the end of the 5 year term of office of NLBs.

Modernisation

No living language is static. A living language No living language is static. A living language change and therefore it needs to be change and therefore it needs to be modernised.modernised.Modernisation entails that the spelling and Modernisation entails that the spelling and orthography rules of a language need to be orthography rules of a language need to be revised on a regular basis.revised on a regular basis.An orthography is to literacy what numeration An orthography is to literacy what numeration is to numeracy (EN Emenanjo, 1998)is to numeracy (EN Emenanjo, 1998)Language modernisation is a coLanguage modernisation is a co--operative operative venture between government agencies (i.e. venture between government agencies (i.e. language bureaux) and the speakers of the language bureaux) and the speakers of the language.language.

International Standards Organisation (ISO)Standards can be incorporated into legislation by referring to them.

Compulsory specifications can be redrafted as legislation.

All standards are voluntary unless incorporated into legislation.

Since standards are second to written law, they affect all aspects of human life.

ISO/TC 37ISO standardised terminology comprises of all terms and definitions occurring in ISO standards.

As such standards are important elements of the teaching and training of subject related topics.

The initiation phase into any specialised field or domain goes through the learning of its main concepts, the definitions describing these concepts and the terms denoting them.

ISO Standards and South Africa

South Africa established a national ISO/TC 37 committee in the field of Terminology and other language and content resources on 19 August 2002.

StanSA TC 37 is the local standardisation committee regarding terminology and other language and content resources.

StanSA TC 37 is a mirror committee of the international ISO/TC 37.

ISO/TC 37 and StanSA TC 37Members of StanSA TC 37 represent South Africa at the annual international ISO/TC 37 meetings.The StanSA TC 37 team has a very valuable role to play in deliberating at international level when the standards dealing with terminology, lexicography and other language and content resources are discussed or under revision.The StanSA TC 37 team also gain valuable experience from the international scene, which they are able to share with their South African colleagues.

ISO standards (cont.)

Developing new standards has the advantage that these standards could focus on addressing the needs of the users.

Developing new standards is a time consuming and costly process.

Adopting regional and international standards has the advantage of utilising standards that were well researched and relatively cheap.

Lexicography vs. Terminography

Lexi = word -graphy = to writeLexicography is the practice of compiling dictionaries.Dictionaries can be compiled on any aspect of language, i.e. general words, explanatory dictionaries, translation dictionaries, slangdictionaries, etymological dictionaries, dialectaldictionaries, technical dictionariesTerminography is the practice of compiling technical dictionaries that are subject related.

Terminology development

Terminologists document terminology with the aim of providing subject specialists and laypeople with standardised terms that denote the corresponding concepts.

It is of the utmost importance to use standardised terms in subject related work.

billion: 109 or 1012 ?Concept English/German American/French

109 milliard billion1012 billion trillion

Terminology: The set of practices and methods used for the collection, description and presentation of terms;

A theory, i.e. the set of premises, arguments and conclusions required for explaining the relationship between concepts and terms which are fundamental for a coherent terminological activity;

A vocabulary of a special subject field. (Sager 1990;3; Cluver 1989:146)

Terminology (cont.)

Point of departure is concept.

Principally subject or domain orientedrather than language oriented.

There is a one to one relationship between concept and term to ensure exact communication.

Terminology is a standardising process.

Terminological triangle:

rectanglereghoekunxandeuxandecalandze, irekthengeliuncamane, uhlangothinekhutlonnetseparekthenkelerekithiengeleyinhla-dzi-mune, rhekithengele

A rectangle is a shape which has foursides and four angles, each of which is aright angle. Each side has the samelength as the side opposite to it.

Definitions

A definition is supplied to designate the concept: a straight line is the shortest distance between two pointsIf a concept is defined, the exact meaning can be determined: .__________.Information on the concept is gained from the definition to name such concept or to coin a term: straight line: reguitlyn, umugqa oqondo thwi, umgca ongqalileyo, umugca locondzile, umudathwi, molatlhamalalo, mothalothwii, mola o otlolohileng, mutalo tswititi, layini-thwi, layini yo ololoka

arsonist vs. pyromaniac

The terms arsonist and pyromaniac describe a person who sets fire to an object, but:

An arsonist is a criminal who deliberately sets fire to something, e.g. a building.

A pyromaniac is a person who cannot control the desire to set fire to things, often because of a mental illness.

The role of terminology:

Language development - functional languages in all domains/subject areas

Information retrieval through mother tongue/ first language (acquire vs. convey)

Standardisation: misunderstanding vs. exact communication

Cultural differences:raisin = grape or dried fruit?

private school vs. public schoolbillion = 109 or = 1012

Consultation: subject specialists, language practitioners, lay people, stakeholders, members of National Language Bodies, etc.

Terminology as a discipline is

at the service of the language policy of the reigning government, e.g. monolingual, bilingual or multilingual;

governed by the language policy of the country

previous dispensation: bilingual technical dictionaries

present dispensation: multilingual term lists

Role of Terminology in language development

Availability of multilingual polythematic terminology: indicator of development

Specialised communication has a central axle or hub in terminology

Streamlined translation and interpreting services provide competitive advantages

Standardised terminology contributes to quality of translations, interpreting and subject related communication

The Envisaged Web-enabled Lexicography and Terminology Management Model

INTERNET (via HLT interface)

TERMLISTS COLLABORATORSDICTIONARIES USERSCD-ROMS LINGUISTSON-LINE DICTIONARIES SUBJECT SPECIALISTS

GENERAL PUBLIC

NATIONAL WORD AND TERMBANK(via HLT interface)

WORD AND TERMBANKADMINISTRATOR

EXTERNALINPUT

TERMINOLOGISTS

TRANSLATORS

HLTinterfaceEXTERNAL

LEXICOGRAPHERS 11 NLUs

Compilation of terminology list is a time-consuming taskA task that needs commitment and devotion from

subject specialiststrained terminologistslanguage practitioners, linguists (e.g. NLBs)

End-result:enhancement of subject areabetter / exact communicationdevelopment of languages into functional languages

Dissemination of terminological information

Direct queries to national termbank (e.g. Intranet,TCS homepage (flat files))Online dictionaries on Internet or CD ROMIndirect queries to national termbank via e-mail, telephone or faxPublications (term lists, technical dictionaries)Documents containing terms: text books, dissertations, manuals, journals, brochures, etc.Mass communication media (radio, press, TV…)

PanSALB skills development terminology training programme

TCS, NLS, DACMultilingual polythematicnational term bank

PanSALB

National Lexicography UnitsMonolingual general dictionaries

National Language BodiesVerify and authenticate terms(need terminographic guidelines)

Re-skilling ofunemployedand otherlanguageworkers

Provincial Language Committees

Subject specialists

HLT virtual networkSA Government has approved the development of a human language technology (HLT) virtual networkAll lexicography and terminology endeavours will be part of HLT virtual networkMultilingual terms available on HLT virtual network to end-users (subject specialists, students, language practitioners, general public)Spellcheckers are made available in official languagesMicrosoft Interface Packs (LIP) for XP and Vista platforms

T h e fo l lo w in g d ia g r a m d e m o n s t ra te s th e v a r io u s re la t io n s h ip s :

C e n t r e f o rH u m a n L a n g u a g e T e c h n o lo g ie s

C e n t r a l p la n n in g , c o o r d in a t io n &c o n s u l ta t io n

D ig i ta l T e x t a n d S p e e c h C o r p o r aA c q u is i t io n , e n h a n c e m e n t , m a n a g e m e n t

N L P S o f tw a re d e v e lo p m e n t

H L T T r a in in gN L UP

C o m p a n yA

U n iv e r s i t yD

N L UZ

U n iv e r s i t yC

G o v tD e p t B

U n iv e r s i t yA

C o m p a n yB

R e s o u rc e s a n d E x p e r t is e to fe e d in to

N a t io n a lL e x ic o g ra p h ic

U n it s( N L U s )

G o v e r n m e n tD e p a r tm e n ts

H L T p r o d u c ts fo re - g o v e r n a n c e

e - le a rn in ge - c o m m e r c e

A c a d e m icr e s e a rc h a n dd e v e lo p m e n t

P r iv a te s e c to rd e v e lo p m e n tIC T ( H L T ) jo b

c r e a t io ns o f tw a re d e v .e - c o m m e r c e

M E D IA S A B C

G o v tD e p t A

Thank you!

Dr Mariëtta AlbertsPanSALBPrivate Bag X08ARCADIA 0007 marietta@pansalb.org.zaTel: 012 341 9638Fax: 012 341 5938

A MULTILINGUAL STATISTICAL DICTIONARY IN THE BROADER SOUTH

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