cooperation between pansalb structures and...

Cooperation between PanSALB and terminology

structures

Dr Mariëtta AlbertsLexicography and Terminology Development

PanSALB

TAMA Conference, February 2003, Midrand

The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB)

PanSALB is a constitutional body established in terms of

the PanSALB Act (Act No. 59 of 1995 as

amended in 1999)


The Board was established to promote multilingualism

and develop the official South African Languages, including the Khoe, Nama

and San languages and the South African Sign Language (SASL)


The Board operates under three clusters:

♦ Lexicography and Terminology

Development

♦ Development of Languages

♦ Linguistic Human Rights and

Advocacy


Lexicography and Terminology Development (L&TD)

♦ Empower languages through NLUs

♦ Avail resources towards language development (terminology)

♦ Influence channels of communication

♦ Promote multilingualism in society

♦ Facilitate communication across all languages


Development of Languages

♦ Language in Education

♦ Development of Literature

♦ Development of previously

marginalised languages


Linguistic Human Rights and Advocacy

♦ Status Language Planning

♦ Linguistic Human Rights

♦ Translation and Interpreting

♦ Research and Development


PanSALB created advisory structures to assist it in achieving its mandate:

♦ to promote multilingualism

♦ to develop languages, and

♦ to protect language rights


PanSALB structures

♦ Provincial Language Committees

(PLCs)

♦ National Language Bodies (NLBs)

♦ National Lexicography Units

(NLUs)

PanSALB structures

NLBs NLUsPLCs


Nine Provincial Language Committees (PLCs) have

been established.

A PLC is a provincial structure with the aim of

taking care of the languages of that province.


Each PLC serves the linguistic needs of the

people by determining the needs of the local speech

communities.


A PLC ensures language policy implementation and

practice♦ It advises PanSALB

♦ It advises the Member of the

Executive Council responsible for

languages in that province


Provincial Language Committees (PLCs) (9)

♦ Eastern Cape PLC

♦ Western Cape PLC

♦ North West PLC

♦ Free State PLC

♦ Gauteng PLC

♦ KwaZuluNatal PLC

♦ Mpumalanga PLC

♦ Northern Cape PLC

♦ Limpopo Province

PLC


A PLC consists of 13 representatives

proportionally representing each language in the

province, including Sign, Heritage and possibly Khoe,

Nama and San languages


National Language Bodies (NLBs)

♦ The NLBs are responsible for

providing advice to PanSALB on

matters affecting a particular

language


National Language Bodies (NLBs) (13)

♦ IsiNdebele NLB♦ SiSwati NLB♦ IsiXhosa NLB♦ IsiZulu NLB♦ Afrikaans NLB♦ English NLB

♦ Xitsonga NLB

♦ Tshivenda NLB

♦ Setswana NLB

♦ Sesotho Sa Leboa NLB

♦ Sesotho NLB♦ Khoe & San NLB♦ South African

Sign Language NLB


A NLB for the Heritage Languages will be established soon

(e.g. Dutch, French, German, Greek, Gujerati, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese,

Tamil, Urdu, etc.)


Each of the thirteen NLBs consists of 13 members from across the country representing the speech

community for the specific language group.


The NLBs advise PanSALB on issues relating to:

♦ The development, promotion and

maintenance of its particular

language

♦ Literature


♦ Spelling, orthography and

language standards

♦ Terminology development and

dictionaries


NLBs are the authorising structures of terminology

work in South Africa♦ NLBs are involved in the term

creation process, and

♦ in providing term equivalents

♦ NLBs verify the terminology

♦ NLBs approve terminology


National Lexicography Units (NLUs) (11)

Government supports the

preservation and development of

languages in South Africa


In the previous dispensation:

♦ South Africa had a bilingual policy

♦ Government supported two

dictionary offices:* The Bureau of the Woordeboek van

die Afrikaanse Taal (WAT)* The Dictionary of South African

English (DSAE)


With 11 official languages Government supports 11 national dictionary offices

11 National Lexicography Units (NLUs) were established according to the revised

PanSALB Act of 1999


NLUs

♦ Afrikaans NLU: Woordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal (WAT)

♦ English NLU: Dictionary of South African English (DSAE)

♦ Xitsonga NLU♦ Tshivenda NLU


NLUs

♦ IsiNdebele NLU: IsiHlathululi-mezwiSesiNdebele

♦ SiSwati NLU: Silulu SesiSwati National Lexicography Unit

♦ IsiZulu NLU: Isikhungo Sesichazamazwi SesiZulu

♦ IsiXhosa National Lexicography Unit


NLUs

♦ Setswana National Lexicography

Unit

♦ Sesotho sa Leboa NLU: Sesotho sa

Leboa Dictionary Unit

♦ Sesotho NLU: Sesiu sa Sesotho

Lexicography Unit


NLUs are governed by a Board of Directors (BoD)

♦ BoD members are stakeholders

♦ BoD employs staff

♦ NLUs are Section 21 Companies


♦ NLUs are situated at tertiary

institutions

♦ Within boundaries of the

geolinguistic area of most first

language speakers


Each NLU has to

♦ Document, preserve and develop

♦ Compile monolingual dictionaries

♦ Compile other dictionary projects

that will assist with development


PanSALB funds

♦ The 11 NLUs on a monthly basis

♦ Lexicography projects (e.g. Khoekhoegowab - Afrikaans Glossarium)

♦ Terminology projects (e.g. Centre for Legal Terminology in African Languages (IsiZulu project))


Relationship between PLCs, NLBs and NLUs

♦ Contact and liaison

♦ Determine language needs

♦ Language policy, practice,

implementation

♦ Promotion of multilingualism

Collaboration between PanSALB structures and the Terminology

Coordination Section (TCS), NLS

NLBsPLCs NLUs

Terminology CoordinationSection (TCS)

CLIENTREQUEST FOR TERMINOLOGY LIST (X)

(National project) ? (X+SL+def+10 TLs +def)⇑

HEAD OF TERMINOLOGY COORDINATION SECTION, NLS (X+SL+def+10 TLs +def)

⇑SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH DATA MANAGEMENT & PUBLICATIONS(Needs assessment, determination of priority; (Print dictionary (DTP) = X+SL+def+10TLs+def)registration of project, monitoring of progress) (e.g. multilingual explanatory dictionary, Term bank, Internet)

X

TERMINOGRAPHY SECTION TERMINOLOGY SECTION(excerpt SL terms, define SL terms) (supply translation equivalents in 10 TLs)(Source Language (SL) = English) (supply definitions in 10 TLs)

(TLs = 10 Official South African languages)

X + SL + DEF ⇒ X + SL + 10 TLs + DEF

Natural Life Human & Commercial Sesotho isiXhosa Xitsonga Tshivenda AfrikaansSciences Sciences Sciences Sepedi isiZulu

Setswana isiNdebeleSiswati

CONSULTATION CONSULTATIONSUBJECT SPECIALISTS LINGUISTS (English) LANGUAGE USERS SUBJECT SPECIALISTS LINGUISTS LANGUAGE USERS

TERMINOLOGY SECTION NLS TRANSLATORS ⇔ TERMINOGRAPHY SECTION NLS TRANSLATORSc c

PROVINCIAL LANGUAGE COMMITTEES / NATIONAL LEXICOGRAPHY UNITS / NATIONAL LANGUAGE BODIES

Dr M.Alberts


National collaboration

♦ National Terminology

Coordinator: Terminology

Coordination Section (TCS),

National Language Service

♦ External compilers of terminology

lists (e.g. private initiatives)


National collaboration

♦ Advisory bodies (subject committees, linguists, NLBs, PLCs, NLUs)

♦ National liaison (Government (national, provincial, local))

♦ External bodies (industry, media, private sector, tertiary institutions)


International collaboration

♦ Infoterm

♦ TermNet

♦ ISO TC/37

♦ IOUTN, WBIT, IFTB, Danterm, etc.

National and International Collaboration

Terminology Coordinator

Compilers of terminology lists or technical dictionaries Advisory bodies

External bodies making use of terminology

KEYBodies already using and providing terminology to National Termbank

Possible interaction in future

International and national liaisonDr M Alberts

TCSNLSDAC

CLTAL NLBsSAAWKprojects

HANSARD Privateinitiatives

Subjectcommittees

Linguists PansalbCEPTSA NLUs PLCs

International liaison, e.g. Infoterm,TermNet, IOUTN, WBIT, IFTB,ISO TC/37, Danterm, etc

NATIONAL TERMBANK managed by

Terminology Coordination Section(TCS)

National Language Service (NLS)Department of Arts and Culture

(DAC)

National liaison: Government, Provincialand local Departments; HLT virtualnetwork, ...

Industrye.g. Sasol

AfrilexProlingua

SATIALASA

EscomSABS

SABCMNET

News Mediae.g. papers

TertiaryInstitutions

SANDFNEC

NGOsStatutory bodies

Privatesector


Human Language Technology Virtual Network♦ Research, coordination and

consultation re field of HLT

♦ Acquisition, enhancement and

management of digital text and

speech data for all official

languages (including SASL)


♦ Usage of digital text and speech

data as reusable resources for

development of HLT applications

♦ Development of open-sourced

software for natural language

processing (NLP)


♦ Human resource development

through HLT implementation

♦ Human resource training and

reskilling


Research, coordination and consultation through HLT♦ Coordinated research

♦ Central knowledge base

♦ Liaison with roleplayers, stakeholders,

funding agencies

♦ Promotion and application of ISO TC37

standards

♦ Technical assistance to NLUs re hardware

and software

Centre forHuman Language Technologies

Central planning, coordination &consultation

Digital Text and Speech CorporaAcquisition, enhancement, management

NLP Software development

HLT TrainingNLUP

CompanyA

UniversityD

NLUZ

UniversityC

GovtDept B

UniversityA

CompanyB

Resources and Expertise to feed into

NationalLexicographic

Units(NLUs)

GovernmentDepartments

HLT products fore-governance

e-learninge-commerce

Academicresearch anddevelopment

Private sectordevelopmentICT (HLT) job

creationsoftware dev.e-commerce

MEDIA SABC

GovtDept A


Conclusion

♦ PanSALB structures are in place

♦ Good working relationship between

PanSALB structures and National

Language Service Sections

♦ Stakeholders willing to collaborate

♦ HLT virtual network office to be

established soon


Speakers of the official and other South African

languages should play the bigger role:

“They should take pride in their languages, use the

languages in various domains, and exploit the indigenous knowledge systems embedded in

these languages in order to avoid cultural stagnation.”

(Marivate 2001:5)

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