[A12n-forum] Re: African oral literature

["Don Osborn" <dzo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks, Andrew.  This work you and Dinka people there are doing on literacy
and uses of ICT in the Dinka language is very interesting. Among other
things, it highlights the important contributions new technology can bring
to learning and language development, and the significant roles that
diaspora communities outside of Africa can play.

Re the oral and written literature angles, it seems that the boundary
between the two may be sometimes fuzzy for the purposes of education and
enjoyment.  Oral histories or retelling of stories can be transcribed and
anything written can be read aloud. Of course a lot depends on having the
means and the time.

More thoughts in text below...

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andrew Cunningham" <andrewc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Don Osborn" <dzo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <A12n-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxx>; <AfricanLanguages@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 2:01 AM
Subject: Re: [A12n-forum] African oral literature


> Hi
>
> Don Osborn wrote:
>
> > Elsewhere I have mentioned the potential for using the audio capacities
of
> > computers & internet for sharing oral literature - and indeed for
> > combinations of text, audio and image that use African languages in
> > different ways.
> >
[ . . . ]
>
> recording of oral traditions is very important.
>
> There has been initial discussions locally among some of the Dinka here
> in Melbourne to establish a Dinka Digital Library. Part of it would be
> recordings of oral history, traditions and foktales. These would also be
> transcribed.

What about the potential of speech-to-text technology?  At least for
speeding the process up? I also wonder about this to create a synchronized
(and searchable) text & audio file.  Without knowing the technology well, I
mean synchronization as in sound and image in films.

> The second element would be to provide access to materials about the
> language: grammars, dictionaries, literacy resources.

This could start with a good online bibliography, of course, if there is not
already one.  Weblishing language materials pubilished in the past is
important, but I suspect that new materials and approaches would be a
priority to meet needs of people today.

> The third element is to provide an electronic repository for material
> published electronically in Dinka.

Again probably the question of means.

> At the moment, its just an idea that some memebers of the community have
> started throwing around. No ideea on time scale.
>
> There are other priorities taking up their time, esp. the setting up of
> Dinka literacy courses for the local community who want to learn to read
> and write their own language.

I guess you've already sketched out the vision.  One has both to take things
one step at a time and have a destination (at least an idea and hope...).

Don Osborn
Bisharat.net

> Andrew
>
> -- 
> Andrew Cunningham
> Multilingual Technical Officer
> Online Projects Team, Vicnet
> State Library of Victoria
> 328 Swanston Street
> Melbourne  VIC  3000
> Australia
>
> andrewc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> Ph. +61-3-8664-7430
> Fax: +61-3-9639-2175
>
> http://www.openroad.net.au/
> http://www.libraries.vic.gov.au/
> http://www.vicnet.net.au/
>