The Welsh Language In The Digital Age

This white paper is part of a series that promotes knowledge about language technology and its potential. It addresses educators, journalists, politicians, language communities and others. The availability and use of language technology in Europe varies between languages. Consequently, the actions that are required to further support research and development of language technologies also differ for each language. The required actions depend on many factors, such as the complexity of a given language and the size of its community. META-NET, a Network of Excellence funded by the European Commission, has conducted an analysis of current language resources and technologies. This analysis focused on the 23 official European languages as well as other important national and regional languages in Europe. The results of this analysis suggest that there are many significant research gaps for each language. A more detailed expert analysis and assessment of the current situation will help maximise the impact of additional research and minimize any risks. META-NET consists of 54 research centres from 33 countries that are working with stakeholders from commercial businesses, government agencies, industry, research organisations, software companies, technology providers and European universities. Together, they are creating a common technology vision while developing a strategic research agenda that shows how language technology applications can address any research gaps by 2020.

Against the backdrop of social media and internet use and their impact on communication, those working with minority (or autochthonous) heritage languages, including teachers, language activists and planners and researchers, are reassessing the media, language policy and teaching practices which they had previously applied to stem the tide of language shift towards majority languages. The languages examined in this book are still spoken by a considerable number of speakers and enjoy varying and varied forms of institutional, legal, financial and ideological support. While their overall numbers of speakers are declining, their importance for identity construction and commodification processes continues to increase. This book addresses issues including the potential for a shift from a focus on oral to written practices; the rise of new communities of practice and communicative domains; and the need for resulting shifts in language policy and teaching methods.

This white paper is part of a series that promotes knowledge about language technology and its potential. It addresses educators, journalists, politicians, language communities and others. The availability and use of language technology in Europe varies between languages. Consequently, the actions that are required to further support research and development of language technologies also differ for each language. The required actions depend on many factors, such as the complexity of a given language and the size of its community. META-NET, a Network of Excellence funded by the European Commission, has conducted an analysis of current language resources and technologies. This analysis focused on the 23 official European languages as well as other important national and regional languages in Europe. The results of this analysis suggest that there are many significant research gaps for each language. A more detailed expert analysis and assessment of the current situation will help maximise the impact of additional research and minimize any risks. META-NET consists of 54 research centres from 33 countries that are working with stakeholders from commercial businesses, government agencies, industry, research organisations, software companies, technology providers and European universities. Together, they are creating a common technology vision while developing a strategic research agenda that shows how language technology applications can address any research gaps by 2020.

Dyslexia is a complex condition, and every dyslexic needs a different solution. Technology is not that solution, but a part of the process to minimise the impact of dyslexia on individuals and to assist with the difficulties they face in everyday situations, so that they can demonstrate their potential in school or at work. This book takes the reader back to basics, from understanding the needs of the dyslexic individual to getting the most from available technology. It does this by providing frameworks from theoretical perspectives and following this through to practical implementation, including reviews of the most common types of software. There is plenty of practical advice on how to support dyslexic individuals using technology, including how to get the most out of what is available. It highlights state of the art technology, and suggests what more still needs to be done to make this technology truly enabling for all dyslexics.

This open access book presents a comprehensive collection of the European Language Equality (ELE) project’s results, its strategic agenda and roadmap with key recommendations to the European Union on how to achieve digital language equality in Europe by 2030. The fabric of the EU linguistic landscape comprises 24 official languages and over 60 regional and minority languages. However, language barriers still hamper communication and the free flow of information. Multilingualism is a key cultural cornerstone of Europe, signifying what it means to be and to feel European. Various studies and resolutions have found a striking imbalance in the support of Europe’s languages through technologies, issuing a call to action. Following an introduction, the book is divided into two parts. The first part describes the state of the art of language technology and language-centric AI and the definition and metrics developed to measure digital language equality. It also presents the status quo in 2022/2023, i.e., the current level of technology support for over 30 European languages. The second part describes plans and recommendations on how to bring about digital language equality in Europe by 2030. It includes chapters on the setup and results of the community consultation process, four technical deep dives, an overview of existing strategic documents and an abridged version of the strategic agenda and roadmap. The recommendations have been prepared jointly with the European community in the fields of language technology, natural language processing, and language-centric AI, as well as with representatives of relevant initiatives and associations, language communities and regional and minority language groups. Ensuring appropriate technology support for all European languages will not only create jobs, growth and opportunities in the digital single market. Overcoming language barriers in the digital environment is also essential for an inclusive society and for providing unity in diversity for many years to come.

The world of publishing is evolving at an ever-increasing speed, with developments in digital workstreams and products, customer expectation, enriched content curation, and user-generated content becoming commonplace. In Publishing in the Digital Age: How Business Can Thrive in a Rapidly Changing Environment, Ross discusses the most significant and recent developments in educational and trade publishing, educational technology, and marketing that has enabled a new generation of content creators to reach more consumers. It is the only book that addresses disruption in the industry head on. Building on the insights from his last book, Dealing with Disruption: Lessons from the Publishing Industry, Ross takes a fresh look at the publishing environment and provides the reader with a clear view of how publishing has evolved and how it has benefitted consumers regardless of their preferred medium for accessing knowledge. Through an examination of what has worked and what has not, and with Ross’s unique perspective of more than 35 years of publishing success, Publishing in the Digital Age presents an indispensable overview of the publishing industry, how it has evolved during the first quarter of the 21st century, and how publishers, content providers, and consumers can benefit from the many options that are available today. With insights from industry leaders, Ross discusses new opportunities on the Web, streaming services, and audio formats. He reviews new publishing platforms and provides a practical guide for content developers to address the knowledge needs of their constituents by giving readers real-life, actionable examples of how best to publish their content consistent with users’ purchasing preferences. The book will be of interest to specialists in education: K-12 and higher education, the non-fiction trade, corporate education trainers, and specialist sectors such as scholarly, technical, and medical publishing. It includes clear applications for any business that is undergoing transformation or is forced to make a radical pivot because of sudden environmental changes or market conditions.

Language Policy and Conflict Prevention analyses the components of a balanced language policy with a view to reducing conflict potential. It draws upon contributions from experts working for the OSCE HCNM, Council of Europe, UN as well as leading academics.