Poio Text Prediction: Lessons on the Development and Sustainability of LTs for Endangered Languages
Proceedings of the 1st Joint Workshop on Spoken Language Technologies for Under-resourced languages (SLTU) and Collaboration and Computing for Under-Resourced Languages (CCURL)
Abstract
2019, the International Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL), marked a crucial milestone for a diverse community united by a strong sense of urgency. In this presentation, we evaluate the impact of IYIL’s outcomes in the development of LTs for endangered languages. We give a brief description of the field of Language Documentation, whose experts have led the research and data collection efforts surrounding endangered languages for the past 30 years. We introduce the work of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Social and Language Documentation and we look at Poio as an example of an LT developed specifically with speakers of endangered languages in mind. This example illustrates how the deeper systemic causes of language endangerment are reflected in the development of LTs. Additionally, we share some of the strategic decisions that have led the development of this project. Finally, we advocate the importance of bridging the divide between research and activism, pushing for the inclusion of threatened languages in the world of LTs, and doing so in close collaboration with the speaker community.