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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Nigeria Tech African Languages (TV)
HEADLINE: Nigerian Language Advocates Call for Including African Languages in High Tech Devices
TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT: 01/25/2022 9:01 pm
BYLINE: Timothy Obiezu
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Abuja, Nigeria
VIDEOGRAPHER: Emeka Gibson
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: BR, MAS
VIDEO SOURCE (S): All VOA
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __
TRT: 3:12
VID APPROVED BY: Sue Jepsen
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[Voice activated virtual assistant technologies, such as Siri and Alexa, are becoming increasingly common around the world but in Africa, with its many languages, most people are at a digital disadvantage. To address the problem, some African researchers are creating translation tools to recognize and promote indigenous languages, such as Yoruba. Timothy Obiezu in Abuja has details.]]
((VIDEO -VOA: Shots of Awosanya - various, Awosanya and students ))
((NARRATOR))
Yoruba language teacher Oluwafemi Awosanya is struggling to migrate his class modules to his online students' blogsite.
Awosana says he spends several hours manually editing and correcting his notes before uploading to his blog because there is no speech recognition technology for Yoruba.
((Oluwafemi Awosanya, Yoruba Language Teacher)) ((In English, 20 secs))
"Yoruba language is a language that has to do with signs at the top, so I need to go (the) extra mile. When typing my notes, I have to first type on Microsoft Word and even when I type on Microsoft Word it gives me best highlighting, like your words are not correct."
((VIDEO -VOA: More shots of Awosanya in class ))
((NARRATOR))
Awosanya has been teaching the language for ten years and says despite technological advancements, African languages like Yoruba remain neglected.
((Oluwafemi Awosanya, Yoruba Language Teacher)) ((In English, 15 secs))
"It limits knowledge. There are things you wish you want to educate the children on, things you want to exhibit in the classes but because there's limited materials..."
((VIDEO -VOA: Streets GVs, Shots of Kola Tubosun - various, Tubosun's library))
((NARRATOR))
There are over 2,000 distinct languages spoken in Africa. But researchers say two-thirds of these languages are not included in emerging technologies, making it difficult for native speakers to use technology in local languages.
Researchers say this threatens Africa's technological future.
Nigerian writer and language advocate, Kola Tubosun, is trying to address the problem by creating an online Yoruba dictionary as well as a text-to-speech machine that translates English to Yoruba.
((Kola Tubosun, Language Researcher)) ((In English, 23 secs))
"If a language doesn't exist in the technology space, it is almost as if it doesn't exist at all. That is the way the world is structured today and in that you spend all your time
online every day and the only language you encounter is English, Spanish or Mandarin or whatever else, then it tends to define the way you interact with the world. And over time you tend to lose either the interest in your own language or your competence."
((VIDEO -VOA: More shots of Tubosun, Tubosun in the library ))
((NARRATOR))
Tubosun, who advocates for including African languages in technology, says the tech giants are starting to pay attention. But he admits the gap remains very wide.
((Kola Tubosun, Language Researcher)) ((In English, 17 secs))
"There are lots of obstacles. Some languages are not written down at all, some don't have scripts, some have scripts but don't have so many people using the languages or writing them in education or using them in daily conversations."
((VIDEO -VOA: Streets GVs of Abuja, Shots of Tubosun ))
((NARRATOR))
Language experts say it will take a long time before African languages are adopted in voice-driven technology.
But in the meantime, researchers like Tubosun and Awosanya are working to adapt the Yoruba language for technology users.
((Timothy Obiezu, for VOA News, Abuja, Nigeria))
NewsML Media TopicsScience and Technology, Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateJanuary 25, 2022 21:08 EST
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
