Microsoft tackles language barrier with new software

Talk of the world being a global village thanks to technology is one that you will certain hear daily.

And you must have contributed to the debate, perhaps saying how computers and phones are every where; and, they are cheaper.

True. Until the idea of softwares and the question of literacy dawn on you.

While there are a number of people who can read and write and do simple math, many hear of the Global Village discussion as distant; they face language barrier and cannot understand what is written in English or Kiswahili.

However, a new window of opportunity is opening thanks to support from technology firms that are setting aside billions of shillings to push for the deeper penetration of technology especially in the developing world.

e-government

Apart from the hardware, the software giant Microsoft is offering local software developers an opportunity to come up with programmes that can translate English into the local languages to enable people who are not conversant with it or Kiswahili to use the computers.

This offer, follows another programme by the World Bank and the Kenya ICT Board that has offered funding to the tune of $1.5 million in grants to help software developers in Kenya.
The developing of standards is aimed at making the geeks to produce software that can compete globally.

On its part, Google has come up with an initiative — G Africa — that brings together local developers to provide an avenue for the firm’s engineers to train on their latest technologies, including APP engine.

Computer programmes in local languages would ensure that many Kenyans participate in the e-government projects.

Until now it is only the Microsoft Swahili windows programme, the Goggle search engine and Facebook that have come closer to using local languages.

Although Kenya has a relatively high literacy rate of 85 per cent, there are millions who cannot read and write English or Kiswahili, although the latter is the lingua franca across East Africa.

The Microsoft initiative in Kenya seeks to support local developers in coming up with programmes that will not keep a certain group of users at an arm’s length.

Some of the services that the targeted population can enjoy on e-government are applying for public service jobs, checking exam results, filing tax returns, reporting corruption and track status of identity and travel documents.

The success of the Microsoft plan will add to the efforts of increasing penetration of information communication technology (ICT) in the rural areas.

Some of the groups that can benefit from the local language computer programmes are the smallholder farmers, considering that they have benefited from mobile phones that help in pricing and other market information.

Dr Cheick Diarra, the Microsoft chairman for Africa, said the support for the project is planned to ensure that penetration of ICT in the country is fast tracked.

“Accessibility is more than just providing equipment and training. There are many people who are excluded because most programmes are developed with the western market in mind,” said Dr Diarra.

He said Microsoft would support local developers to take example of its Swahili Windows that was developed with the East African market in mind.

Microsoft supports Starehe Girls Centre’s ICT laboratory, which is now planned to be upgraded to an IT academy to train the school neighbourhood.

The training will offer disadvantaged groups whose access to computers is limited, said Margaret Wanjohi, the principal of Starehe Girls Centre.

The need for local language software in Africa and Asia is growing because communities have traditionally used their languages to conduct affairs.

For instance, Ethiopia, has adopted local languages as the working language, meaning that providing them with the planned programmes will go a long way into boosting their social and economic activities.

In Asia where access to Internet has grown exponentially, rural folk are particularly limited by their lack of understanding of English.

This has led to greater appreciation of local language computer programmes to overcome this digital divide.

The Centre for Research in Urdu Language Processing in Pakistan partnered with the Pan Asia Networking programme to generate tools to translate Internet content into local languages, build capacity for local language computing and advance policy for local language content creation and access.

Online content

The project involved developing character sets, fonts, spelling and grammar tools, speech recognition systems, machine translation, and other related local language applications.

This has enabled the local people to have tools to publish online content in local languages and create data bank of locally relevant knowledge, resources, and materials.

In July this year, the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) released new local language software developed jointly by Microsoft and ICTA in Sinhala language.