cooperation between pansalb and terminology structures dr mariëtta alberts lexicography 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

NLBsPLCs NLUs


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-mezwi SesiNdebele

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 Coordination

Section (TCS)

CLIENT

REQUEST 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 isiNdebele Siswati

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

TERMINOLOGY SECTION NLS TRANSLATORS TERMINOGRAPHY SECTION NLS TRANSLATORS

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

MEDIASABC

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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