Inaugural Launch of Afrolinguals Magazine
The launch of Afrolinguals Magazine on 14 November 2024 marked a historic milestone for the African language services industry. Inspired by Multilingual, a globally recognised publication in the language services industry, Afrolinguals seeks to establish a dedicated resource for the African context. As one of the first publications dedicated exclusively to this field, Afrolinguals aims to provide a knowledge-sharing platform, foster collaboration, and elevate the industry across the continent.
Championing Igbo Language Preservation: A Conversation with Onyekachi Ogbu, a Young Igbo Advocate
Explore the journey of Onyekachi Ogbu, a young Igbo language advocate and professional, as he discusses his passion for preserving and promoting the Igbo language. This insightful interview delves into the challenges of providing Igbo language services, the impact of technology on language preservation, and innovative ways to sustain African linguistic diversity. Discover how language learning apps and other technologies can engage younger generations with African languages, and learn about the future of African language technology
Nduku Musyimi-Mulumba from Mbôngi Ya Ubuntu and a strong advocate for the KiUbuntu language
Explore the mission of Mbôngi Ya Ubuntu and its efforts to promote KiUbuntu (commonly known as Kiswahili) as a unifying language for African people globally. In this insightful interview with Nduku Musyimi-Mulumba, learn about the significance of preserving African languages, the challenges faced in promoting KiUbuntu, and the organization’s vision for fostering pan-African unity through language. Discover how technology and grassroots efforts are being used to reclaim and evolve this important cultural heritage.
ALCA Annual Conference 2024: Forging Robust and Thriving Language Services Companies in Africa
ALCA-Annual-Conference-2024 ALCA invites professionals from diverse backgrounds within the language services industry to share their expertise and experiences at the conference. Interested speakers are encouraged to submit proposals outlining their proposed topics, formats, and key takeaways by May 30, 2024.
Preserving African Languages through Technology: A Conversation with Olanrewaju Samuel, Founder of Linguistics Island, a Community for Linguists.
Preserving African Languages through Technology: A Conversation with Olanrewaju Samuel, Founder of Linguistics Island, a Community for Linguists. Kabod is a language service provider that specialises in providing quality language services in African languages as well as other Western languages. Our primary goal is to elevate African culture through our languages. Mr. Olanrewaju Samuel is a graduate student at the Department of Linguistics, University of Toronto (Canada). His research focuses on the fascinating fields of Phonology, Phonetics and Computational Linguistics, which explore the intricate systems of speech sounds, their production and the application of computational methods to linguistic analysis. Alongside his academic endeavors, Mr. Samuel founded the Linguistics Island. This community serves as a platform to both educate individuals on Linguistics and offer African language’ scholars valuable opportunities. Click here to listen to the full Podcast Kabod: Can you provide us with a brief background or information about your community? I have been running Linguistics Island since 2014. The idea behind the community is that we want to connect with linguists from all around Africa, the ones that are working on African languages, those who will be interested in coming to talk to us about their languages, share opportunities and grow the African space. This vision emerged even before the advent of me getting a lot more into natural language processing and computational linguistics. So, the community has been growing since then and now, we have over five hundred members from what began as a small group of just five or six individuals. We’ve had a lot of successes and challenges too. But basically, I think our successes surpass our challenges. From scholarship to conferences, from conferences to opportunities, to job opportunities and many things. Currently, we are working on a volunteer project which I call “Yawa Linguistics.” “Yawa’’ is in Pidgin language that means “what is going on linguistics?” And we are doing that to create the first open-source dataset that is tonal, that is on proverbs and is a different task on the parallel languages we have represented in the group. These are Hausa, Yoruba, Ogba and other languages in Nigeria. Kabod: What progress have you made so far with regards to Yawa Linguistics? In terms of progress, everybody is getting their hands dirty in terms of data. We have a collaborative platform we are building dataset from. I had a symposium where I explained the modalities, the reason, the methodologies and other things that are needful to push the project. So, in terms of progress, I would say we are already on the 20 percent level. We just started not quite long and it is a big project which I’m not hoping to finish in the next 6 months because I want it to be representative enough; I want it to be written by Africans because Africans must learn how to write their own history and not to let another person talk about their history. So let us own it. Kabod: Going back to your experience in Rwanda, I know you taught natural language processing for linguists in Rwanda. How was the experience for you? Can you share some key takeaways from your teaching experience in Rwanda? I taught Natural Language Processing (NLP) in a nontechnical way, which is without coding, without the use of technological jargons, emphasizing Africans, particularly Rwandese, creating and managing their own data independently. By leveraging linguistic tools familiar to linguists, not typical coding languages, we bridged the NLP gap through collaboration between NLP practitioners and native speaker linguists from Rwanda. Major highlights included widespread participation from across Rwanda and successful training sessions at the University of Rwanda. One key thing is that Africa is growing and I’m very happy to be part of the community and people that are growing Africa in terms of technology. Kabod: As the leader of the Yoruba data sets creation for the Aya Project, can you share insight into some challenges that you faced and how you overcame them. While you are speaking on that, could you highlight the role your community members played in supporting the Aya project? The Aya project was a very fantastic initiative by Cohere AI. The aim was to create a dataset collaboratively with native speakers. The challenges I faced started from the dataset itself. The datasets were not properly written. So we had to go through series of orthographic corrections and separating verbs from objects. Additionally, we faced difficulties with finding the right keyboard. What we did was to use Microsoft shortcut to deal with the tone and the subscripts that are on some of the special letters. The other challenge was maintaining contributor motivation. So I had a lot of people rushing in at the initial stage of the dataset creation, but at some point, people were not really motivated. To address these, I organized weekly meetings to remind contributors of the project’s significance, resulting in periodic surges in participation. These challenges underscored the importance of community involvement, dataset integrity and sustained motivation in linguistic projects. Kabod: How do you envision the future of African linguistics, especially in the context of advancements in computational linguistics and AI chatbots. I envision a future where Africa plays a pivotal role in AI and global development. Despite current challenges such as limited resources and expertise, initiatives like Masakhane and Mbaza NLP are driving progress. These efforts aim to empower African voices and create technologies that reflect our culture and language. I believe the future holds more African datasets, products and projects where Africans are actively involved in their creation, shaping a more inclusive and representative digital landscape.
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There Will Be More Collaboration Amongst African Language LSPs – Oluwatobi J. Oladipo
The language industry in Africa is full of untapped opportunities. Kabod has ventured on a journey of identifying, documenting, and highlighting inspiring stories and innovative projects from entrepreneurs, researchers, and freelancers in the Translation, Interpretation, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) communities. The final goal is to celebrate African professionals in the language industry and facilitate knowledge and experience sharing. Mr. Oluwatobi J. Oladipo is the co-founder of iVoiceAfrica, he is a voice-over artist and a translator in Nigeria. His love and devotion to the development of African languages are unmatched. Kabod: What attracts you to the language industry? I have had the opportunity to live in different cities around the world and to interact with different people that didn’t necessarily speak the languages that I’m fluent in. When I saw that I got to a point in my life or to some places where I could not particularly communicate with the next person, I began to think of possible solutions. How about a solution where, although not a solution necessary that we all speak the same language, but a solution where you can have an understanding of what I am saying, irrespective of when we speak two different languages? And that, for me, was the one thing that attracted me to the language industry to see how humans can actually communicate irrespective of the language differences that they have. Kabod: What does translation mean to you? So this would also be a continuation of the last question because translation for me is beyond the text-to-text representation of what is trying to be said or what is trying to be expressed. I believe that translation also embodies mannerisms and using the right tones and the right principles of that language to communicate. Furthermore, I also believe that the reason why we do translation work as individuals or companies is because we are trying to actually speak to a certain audience or we are trying to speak to an actual person. It would only just be right if I spoke to you in a way that you would understand and that, again, is the basis of communication. I need to ensure that you understand and you can put into context what I’m saying to you. Kabod: How did the idea of creating iVoiceAfrica come up? On this question, iVoiceAfrica, the name is special to me because it was a name that I never thought about. It was a name that just came to me when I started my career as an independent voiceover artist. I returned back to Nigeria full-time in 2017. While I was in Nigeria, I started freelancing for broadcast agencies, I meant to say, and radio stations and ad agencies. I remember at the time I was working with a company in Barcelona, one of the requirements that they needed from me was a website of my own. I took a week off and I created a website on my own from scratch. I remember when I wanted to purchase the domain, the only name or the only thing that came to my head was iVoiceAfrica because I was already a voiceover artist. I used to do voiceovers in French and English and sometimes in Pidgin, with my unique African accent. I think why I chose that name because I wanted people to know that you are unique despite being an African and even having a distinct African accent. I wanted people to know that you’re unique and be proud to show it off to the world that this is what you do and what you’re about. That was why I believe that the name came to my head. But most significantly, I knew that I wanted to express this feeling to every African that was coming in as a voiceover artist. Even if you’re a content creator, I wanted to be able to extend this to everybody saying, irrespective of what accent you have or what language that you speak, it is special and unique. Most importantly, people need it. That became the new business model of iVoiceAfrica when I decided to transition from being just a voiceover artist. Kabod: How did you become a co-founder? When we started working, that is when we started creating localization work for our clients in terms of translations, voiceovers, and interpretations; we got accepted to Microsoft for startups in 2022, the first quarter of 2022. One of the requirements that we had at the time was that we needed to create a tech-enabled company. So at that time, we had one of our friends, who used to be a consultant for us on technology and business development and strategy. Hence, she joined us full-time as a co-founder and the technical co-founder and we began to develop new business models and new business cases for how we can transition to be a tech-enabled company. Although that is still a work in progress, we are very sure that sometime this year, 2023, we will be able to announce to the world what we are trying to do next as a company. Kabod: What are some challenges you encountered during your career? For some of the challenges that we encountered in our career, I’m going to answer this from the perspective of iVoiceAfrica, not myself as a voiceover artist, although they still go hand in hand. I think the biggest challenge that we face in localization, particularly from Africa, is that we have lots of languages. We have over 2,000 languages and 7,000 dialects in Africa. In addition to that, finding professional resources that are able to deliver quality in these languages is also very hard. We always have to go the extra mile, do the extra marketing, and do the extra sales. The fact that I speak multiple African languages also helps. For instance, when I’m speaking to people in places or countries like Congo, Guinea Bissau, and so on, I communicate effectively with them. In some regards, that could also be
Language Translation Price List
Check out our Language Translation price list. We offer unbeatable services in the Language Translation Industry. TRANSLATION SERVICES French/English/All African local languages Source document type Price per page Ghanaian Birth Certificate/Acte de Naissance Ghanéen GHS 80 Driving Licence/Permis de Conduire GHS 80 Police Record/Casier Judiciaire GHS 80 Certificate/ Diplôme GHS 80 Results Slip/Relevé de Note GHS 80 Identity Card/Carte d’Identité GHS 80 Passport/Passeport GHS 80 Non-ghanaian Birth Certificate/Acte de naissance non ghanéen GHS 100 Transcript/Bulletin Scolaire GHS 100 Personal Letters/Lettres Personnelles GHS 100 Non Academic Testimonials/Attestation non scolaire GHS 100 Business Letters/ Lettres Commerciales GHS 100 Marriage Certificate/Acte de Mariage GHS 100 Death Certificate/Acte de Décès GHS 100 Adverstising Documents/ Documents Publicitaires GHS 130 Product Labels/Étiquettes de Produits GHS 130 Curriculum Vitae GHS 130 Medical Reports/Rapport Médicaux GHS 130 Invoices/Factures/Récépissé GHS 130 Commercial Documents/Documents Commerciaux GHS 130 Conference Documents/Documents de Conférences GHS 130 Technical Documents/ Documents Techniques GHS 130 Legal Documents/Documents Juridiques GHS 130 Bank Statement/ Attestation Bancaire GHS 130 Other/Divers GHS 130 For any additional information, please contact the language services department via the following email address: language@languages.kabodgroup.com/
We Must Share The Good News & Beauty Embedded in our languages – Oluwadamilare Temitope Igbayiloye
The language industry in Africa is full of untapped opportunities. Kabod has ventured on a journey of identifying, documenting and highlighting inspiring stories and innovative projects from entrepreneurs, researchers and freelancers in the Translation, Interpretation and Natural Language Processing (NLP) communities. The final goal is to celebrate African professionals in the language industry and facilitate knowledge and experience sharing. Ms. Oluwadamilare Temitope Igbayiloye is an African languages activist in Nigeria. She is a Yoruba Language Coach, Translator, Content Creator and Founder of Akoniledeyoruba, an online Yoruba School. She helps individuals connect with their audience in Yoruba language such that they will be proud of their identity & values. Kabod: What attracts you to the language industry? As a native speaker, I am naturally endeared to my language and my grandmother encouraged me to teach it to foreigners when I was still a teenager. All these didn’t really matter to me until now because I see the result and feedback from parents and students about the transformation of our Yorùbá language school in their lives. Kabod: What do African languages mean to you? African languages mean a way of life to express myself and solve problems in the language I understand. Kabod: How did the idea of creating Akonilede Yoruba come up? After struggling with the thought of teaching children the Yoruba language, I eventually agreed to start a mini school in my living room with our nine-month-old daughter and my neighbour’s children in November 2018. So, I had a family meeting with my 3 younger brothers, my husband and a young guy who designed our first website then, we came up with different kinds of names, checked online and with CAC, (business registration site in Nigeria). I told them I wanted the word “Yorùbá” to be part of the name and I don’t want to focus on children only but teenagers and adults, especially those in the diaspora. Then we got the word “Ẹni” which means ‘a person’, and after so much deliberation we all coined the word together “Akọ́nilédè Yorùbá” which means ‘A Yoruba language coach’. Kabod: Why did you choose Yoruba? Do you plan on adding more languages to your company? I chose Yoruba because I understand the nitty-gritty of the language. Aside from being a native speaker, I studied the language up to the master’s level. For now, I’m only focused on Yoruba, probably in the future, we’ll add other languages. Kabod: What are some challenges you encountered during your career and this project ? One of the challenges I encountered at the early stage of my career was parental acceptance. Most parents don’t want their children to learn about their mother tongue while others believe that their children will pick it naturally and there’s no need to enrol them to learn from a school. I can confidently say that it doesn’t work that way anymore because there are several reasons why the child will not pick up the language naturally, thereby leaving the child to grow up and being a novice of his/her language. Also, there are not enough L2 Yoruba resources available online (I spent long hours designing my content, videos and resources, to teach the students). Then, the lack of Professional Yoruba language teachers. Most Yoruba teachers then were not willing to invest in themselves and learn how to teach the language online, which is totally different from the classroom teaching style they are all used to. I had to organise different kinds of training to enlighten Yoruba language teachers on how to teach online using the best practices and innovative methods. Kabod: Can you share some success stories of projects involving your company ? One of our major success stories is that we were able to educate parents on the importance of allowing their children to learn the language. We also have students from 8-10 countries who are learning the language from our school now. We have more than 10 professional teachers who are teaching the language in our school. I was also awarded the National Education Advancement Ambassador by SNEA and our language school was finally registered in the United States of America. To mention a few. Kabod: How can Africans position themselves to better tap opportunities in the global language industry? Africans can position themselves to tap into global opportunities in the global language industry by showcasing and going to the marketplace. If we don’t share the good news and the beauty embedded in our language and its benefits, no one will know about the language. I realised that most language upholders are not bold enough to talk about their language at national or international programs, conferences. When there are conversations at such events, as language upholders, we should strive to share our opinions in our language and proffer solutions to problems using our local languages. With this practice, I believe more attention will be given to African languages because of the solution we bring to the table. Kabod: What do you think are some challenges African languages face and how does your job help in solving those challenges ? The challenges are numerous, I will list a few. Inferiority – They’ve lied to us that our language is vernacular. I confidently say that my language is noble, my language is my identity – Èdè mi ni Ìdánimọ̀ mi. Solution – My job at Akọ́nilédè Yorùbá helps in solving this problem by sensitising our parents and sharing the values embedded in the language and culture. Unavailability of language resources – Most African languages words, cultures and traditions are not documented. Solution – In my school, we are documenting most Yoruba words, especially words that upcoming generations can use in their daily conversation, in our Yoruba bank word. Lack of recognition – In Africa, most of our languages are not recognized. Unlike other languages, there is no national day set aside for the recognition of our language. I believe that if this is in place, it will inspire the language upholders,
The People First Approach To HR In The 21st Century
Christus Codo, Programmes Assistant, People’s Management Unit Human Resources (HR) is an essential function of any organization, responsible for managing the most valuable asset, i.e., its employees. The traditional approach to HR has been focused on administrative tasks such as payroll, benefits, and compliance. However, with the changing times, businesses are moving towards a people-first approach to HR, where employees’ needs and experiences are prioritized. In this article, we will explore what it means to have a people-first HR approach. A people-first approach to HR focuses on employees’ needs, experiences, and well-being, rather than just administrative tasks. It involves providing employees with an engaging and meaningful experience that motivates and empowers them to achieve their full potential. It also involves developing a culture that supports and values diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This concept focuses on people not on the company but on the staff’s personal and intellectual development so that as they grow they can also contribute to the growth of the company. “Take care of the people, and they will take care of the company’’ says Tracie Sponenberg. In the twenty-first century era, you don’t want to be a manager who seeks his/her interest first but who rather looks out for their staff, values them, and encourages them. You don’t want to be the reason why your workers don’t want to come to work, but you want to be the reason why they enjoy their work, and also the office environment. From a people-first perspective, it’s important to keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to be a solution to the problems employees face, rather than being a problem for them. By focusing on creating a positive work environment and providing resources and support to employees, you can help them overcome any challenges they may encounter. This approach not only fosters a sense of trust and respect between employees and management but also contributes to a more engaged and productive workforce. Therefore, as HR you should prioritize understanding and addressing the needs of your employees to ensure they are the solution, not the problem. Also, be an advocate for people, put yourselves in their shoes by prioritizing their needs, and by doing so, you create a more engaged workforce which leads to better performance and increased innovation. Finally, the more you value your workers, the more they value their work and protect the company’s interest. This strategy connects more with employees, whose needs and well-being are timely recognized and prioritized. That’s why at Kabod, we intentionally provide employees with opportunities for professional development, promote work-life balance, and build a culture of trust and respect. This approach results in lower turnover rates, higher job satisfaction, and better business outcomes overall. By putting people first, your business too can create a more supportive and productive work environment that benefits both employees and the organization as a whole. In this perspective, as HR leaders we must : In a people-first approach, technology is crucial in facilitating employee experiences and supporting their needs. By utilizing technology to automate administrative tasks, businesses can free up time and resources to focus on more meaningful and engaging interactions with employees. For example, employee self-service portals can enable employees to access and update their personal information, benefits, and pay, reducing the workload of HR staff. Additionally, technology can be leveraged to support remote work, flexible schedules, and personalized development opportunities. However, it’s important to keep in mind that technology should always be used in a way that enhances, rather than replaces, human interaction and connection in the workplace. Ultimately, technology can be a valuable tool in a people-first approach, and it should be used strategically and intentionally to support and empower employees. CONCLUSION The paper first to people first is one innovative way to shift people’s mindset about how they perceive the Human Resource field and how things are being handled in the office environment. It exposes more managers to their employees and vice versa. It puts people first and aims to streamline processes while minimizing the use of paper. By adopting a digital-first approach, businesses can improve their HR processes, increase efficiency, save on costs, and have a positive impact on the environment. It is an approach that businesses should consider to improve their HR operations while also contributing to a more sustainable future.
10 African authors writing only in African languages
KIRE, MAGÎTÛKORA, MAGÎTÛOROTA Mokire na mîtokaa mîkururaniona thuti hûre bathina iratû njiru ta ndumana thaa irametameta. Magîtûkora tumîte ibarûana mathîna maitû ng’ong’oona mîatuka itû magûrûinîNa ndangari iria tûîkîraga. Makîîarîrîa na thiomi cia rûrayamagîtûorotaga ithuî andû ethîmakiuga ati mîthiîre ituTi ûmwe na ûndûire witû. This piece is a Kikuyu poem both written and translated into English by the Kenyan writer Bryan Ngartia. It is generally a story by a poor rural young person criticizing the ‘They’. These are the learned elite who take pride in their origins and culture but blame the youth for abandoning their cultures without seeing their “motorcades,” “ironed suits,” “polished shoes,” “glittering watches,” and “foreign languages.” The poem silently bites at this habit which is quite common in Africa.’ Though I do not speak nor understand the Kikuyu language, it is good to see and read a poem written in an African language. It is beautiful to write in one’s local language. Writing in general is not an easy task, let alone in an African language. However, with the aim of promoting and preserving their language, quite a number of brave African intellectuals have distinguished themselves by writing in their local languages right from the beginning of their careers or shifted from writing in foreign languages to writing in African languages only. This piece pays tribute to these courageous authors, of whom 7 have passed. I- AUTHORS STILL ALIVE 1- EBRAHIM HUSSEIN (Tanzania: 1943 – ) Ebrahim Hussein is an iconoclastic Tanzanian playwright and poet. He is a leading member of the pioneering generation of African theater artists that rose to prominence in the revolutionary ferment of the 1960s and 1970s. He is also one of the best-known Swahili playwright, Tanzania’s most complex literary personality and a theorist whose dissertation on the theater in Tanzania remains the standard reference work. His plays are a corpus of theatrical material with great significance to an understanding of Tanzania’s political and social development in relation to the Swahili/Islamic coastal culture, of which he was a part. The Ebrahim Hussein Poetry prize is an eponym literary prize which is awarded annually since 2014 to the winner of the poetry contest under the same name. Follow this link to get the full list of his works. 2- PENINA O. MUHANDO (Tanzania: 1948 – ) Penina Muhando is a Tanzanian Swahili playwright, theorist and practitioner of Theatre for Development (a movement that sought to encourage marginalized people to use plays to engage in issues important to their lives within their communities and with experts) in Africa. She is one of the few female writers published in the Swahili language as of the late 20th century. She rose to become a Professor and Head of the Department of Theatre Arts at the University of Dar es Salaam. Her plays explore a variety of themes but are generally concerned with contemporary problems involved in Tanzanian society’s rapid adjustment to development and westernization. In addition to her plays, Muhando wrote several scholarly works in English dealing with Swahili literature, including Culture and Development: The Popular Theatre Approach in Africa (1991). She also appeared in the film Mama Tumaini (1986). Her work is generally distinguished by excellent characterizations and a natural, realistic use of modern standard Swahili. 3- NGUGI WA THIONG’O (Kenya : 1938 – ) Ngugi wa Thiong’o, originally named James Thiong’o Ngũgĩ, is one of Africa’s most important and influential postcolonial writers. He began his writing career with novels written in English, which revolved around postcolonial themes of the individual and the community in Africa versus colonial powers and cultures. As he became sensitized to the effects of colonialism in Africa, Ngugi adopted his traditional name and also committed to writing only in Kikuyu and Swahili after a one year imprisonment without trial by the Kenyan government for the staging of a politically controversial play. He is a perennial favorite for the Nobel Prize in Literature, and the winner of an uncountable number of awards and honors. His popular Weep Not, Child (1964) was the first major novel in English by an East African. In March 2021, The Perfect Nine became the first work written in an indigenous African language to be longlisted for the International Booker Prize, with Ngũgĩ becoming the first nominee as both the author and translator of the same book. He is the author of 8 novels, including 3 in Bantu, 3 short story collections, 3 plays in English and 1 in Bantu, 5 memoirs, 10 other nonfiction books, 4 children’s books. He considers language as a key tool for decolonizing the mindset and culture of African readers and writers and wrote the following works in Kenya’s Kikuyu : II- AUTHORS WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY 4- SHAABAN ROBERT, (Tanzania: 1909 – 1962) Shaaban bin Robert, is a Tanzanian poet, novelist, essayist, and biographer, considered one of the greatest writers of the Swahili language. This great man is also known as the “Father of Kiswahili Literature” or “the Shakespeare of Africa.” Aside from their purely literary value in the development of written Swahili literature, his works provided an important link between the origins of the language among the coastal ethnic Swahili and its acceptance and usage in the broader East African cultural milieu. He promoted the development and popularization of the Swahili language, principally through the writing of more than twenty works of multiple literary genres that were widely read in the 20th century. He wrote tales and poems such as “Sanaa ya Ushairi” and lectured on poetry and its relation to Swahili culture. He produced an autobiography, Maisha yangu (1949; “My Life”), and a biography, Maisha ya Siti Binti Saad, mwimbaji wa Unguja (1958; “Life of Siti Binti Saad, Poetess of Zanzibar”). His essays were collected in Insha ya mashairi (1959; “Essays and Poems’) and his notable work is Kusadikika. His remarkable contribution to the promotion of Kiswahili literature was celebrated through two awards, including the Margaret Wrong Prize and Medal for African Literature. 5– DANIEL OLORUNFEMI FAGUNWA (Nigeria – 1903-1963) D.O. Fagunwa was a fiction and creative writer, born at Oke-Igbo (now Ondo State). He was a teacher and Yoruba
Why must African translators be more open to change and innovation? – Ady Namaran
The language industry in Africa is full of untapped opportunities. Kabod has ventured on a journey of identifying, documenting and highlighting inspiring stories and innovative projects from entrepreneurs, researchers and freelancers in the translation, interpretation and natural language processing communities.
Top 15 free CAT Tools every Translator Must Know
Are you a translator looking for ways to boost your productivity and make more profit? This is what you need:Get yourself a CAT (Computer-Assisted Translation) tool! And this article provides you with a variety of free CAT tools that you can use as you prepare to get a paid one someday. Advancement in technology has allowed the development of numerous translation software programs that facilitate the translation of different text types more efficiently and expeditely. An example of these tools are CAT tools. This article will demystify the concept of CAT tools and aid you in choosing those suitable for you, while indicating those that are free of charge. What are CAT tools?CAT (Computer-Assisted Translation) tools have been designed to help translators in boosting productivity, translation quality and consistency. They facilitate editing, storing previous translations and using them for future projects. They include Wordfast, OmegaT, Trados, MemoQ, Memsource, Déjà Vù, Metatexis, Isometry, Phrase and a non-exhaustive list. Features of CAT tools There are many CAT tools on the market lately with different features included. Nevertheless, modern CAT tools tend to share several common features, namely: Top 15 free CAT tools There are many CAT tools on the market lately with different features included. Nevertheless, modern CAT tools tend to share several common features, namely: Top 15 free CAT tools There are two groups: desktop and cloud-based CAT tools. While desktop CAT tools are installed locally on your computer and can be used regardless of internet availability, cloud-based CAT tools require no installation but internet access. Most CAT tools are nowadays cloud-based. A. Desktop CAT tools 1.OmegaTOmegaT is an open-source software that facilitates translations (in Java) and runs on desktop computers (Windows, Linux and MacOS). It is compatible with Trados files, provides general translation and user glossary functionality, supports about 30 file formats including Microsoft Word, Excel, Power, XHTML and HTML, and Open Document Format. Download OmegaT 2.SimilisSimilis provides its users with a translation memory and supports XML, HTML, MS Word, OpenOffice, as well as Trados files.It offers a translation tool which allows you to translate Microsoft Word documents in interactive mode linked to a Similis server which helps to manage and pre-translate documents as well as helping with translation memory, glossaries, and alignment. The server dealswith all linguistic processes and stores data (memory, vocabulary etc.). Download Similis. 3.CaféTran EspressoOffering numerous powerful features such as MT integration, one-click replacement of suggested text, smart auto-completion as well as a customizable interface, it is a unique CAT Tool that can be used on Mac, Windows and Linux. With the free copy of CafeTran Espresso, you can access the tool forever. It allows you to work with TM files under 1000 TU’s in size and glossaries under 500 wordings/words. Download Cafetran 4.AnaphraseusAnaphraseus is a Wordfast macro for OpenOffice and works in the same way as Wordfast. It offers a TM editor, a translation tool, editing, and glossary creation. Download Anaphraseus 5.Poedit It is a localization management platform suitable for App localization, websites and game localization. Furthermore, it carries a traditional yet user-friendly interface that helps to start translating tools for WordPress translation. It syncs with popular repositories like GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure, enables translators to review the translation history of a string and recover previous translations if needed and provides an option to crowdsource translations for your software. Download POEdit 6.ForeigndeskIt is an open-source software produced by the Lionbridge company. Not only that, but it runs on Windows and offers: An integrated translation environment (translation memory, terminology management, contextual visualization and translation assistance)– Possibility to add native support for new file formats– Option to add native support for new file formats– A project management assistant.Download Foreigndesk 7.G-translatorG-translator is a specialized translation tool that translates software and is programmed for use on GNOME desktop environments. It is a po. file editor, similar to the PO edit method used by gettext for the GNOME desktop environment. It processes all po file formats, compiled (gmo/mo), compressed (po.gz/po.bz2 etc.) and all the utilities of a text editor such as find/replace, automatic translation, learning transcribed messages, a message table, and easy navigation through messages and comments. Download G-translator B. Cloud-based CAT tools 8.MateCatWell-known for offering a wide variety of features, MateCat is a free online CAT tool that is solely focused on giving its users access to machine translation databases in order to improve their working efficiency. It has the largest translation memory of approx. 12 billion words. Users can simplify urgent project management by easily splitting the rush projects as teams of various fields like translators,quality, etc., work simultaneously on the same project. 9.PootlePootle is an open-source online translation management tool designed specifically for translating applications. It provides its users with an easy-to-use interface. Due to its easy use, Pootle is preferred by many translators and companies worldwide. Users can have the benefits of translating in any language being spoken worldwide and receive suggestions for continuous translations. 10.Wordfast Anywhere As the name suggests, Wordfast Anywhere offers a connection to public translation databases. However, it must be used online. It allows its users to create private Term Bases (TBs) and Translation Memories (TMs). As it runs on a web browser, different users can easily collaborate and work together on a translation project. 11.SmartCATSmartCAT has great advantages of being free, user-friendly, and comprehensive. It offers collaborative space and freelance marketplace. 12.AcrossOffering a complete translation environment including terminology management, translation memory, quality assurance, and project management, Across is a fully-featured CAT tool. It is compatible with Word Excel, PowerPoint, XML, HTML, InDesign, FrameMaker, rc, exe, dll. While the basic edition is available for free, the premium version can be used on a monthly-charge basis.Download Across 13.GlobalSightAn open-source translation management tool, GlobalSight streamlines, automates, and manages localization processes of firms and can be used by translators, project managers, and editors alike. 14.VirtaalIt is a multi-format translation tool with a specific focus on software translation only. Written in the Python programming language, Virtaal is developed and maintained by Translate.org.za. Moreover, it
Why you must stop being a general translator and find your niche – Laetitia Sullivan from South Africa.
The language industry in Africa is full of untapped opportunities. Kabod has ventured on a journey of identifying, documenting and highlighting inspiring stories and innovative projects from entrepreneurs, researchers and freelancers in the translation, interpretation and natural language processing communities. The final goal is to celebrate African professionals in the language industry and facilitate knowledge and experience sharing. Ms. Laetitia Sullivan is a sworn translator in South Africa. Her two working languages are English and Afrikaans. She is specialized in three fields, which are technological translation, legal translation and non-fiction book translation. She has shared about her experience in this interview. Do well to read it! Kabod: What attracts you to the role of translator? How did you start your career in the translation industry? I had an affinity for languages from a young age. My mother loves to tell the story of how I taught myself to read at the age of four because I was too impatient to wait for her to read to me. Many years later, when it was time to decide on tertiary studies, I wanted to study journalism but Stellenbosch University only offered it as a postgraduate degree. After finishing my bachelor’s degree and attaining more insight into what I would enjoy as a career, I settled on a postgraduate diploma in translation. After finishing our studies, a fellow student started working at a publishing company and because we kept in touch, she reached out to me to offer me my first translation job. The rest, as they say, is history! Kabod: How does your native language influence your fluency with other languages? It’s more a matter of the lingua franca in my country (English) influencing my native language (Afrikaans). Because I live in South Africa where we have 11 official languages (Sign Language to soon become the 12th), English is used for general communication so I have to constantly guard against the idiom of my native language being influenced by another language I hear and speak all day long. Kabod: What are some relevant projects you are currently working on? At present, I’m translating a series of books into Afrikaans on robotics and coding for primary school children. I also work on the User Interface localisation of software on a daily basis and I continue assisting people planning to emigrate with sworn translation services (Afrikaans into English). Kabod: What aspects of translation do you find most difficult? I find marketing translation or transcreation most difficult but also most satisfying, as you have to convey the message and the emotion behind the words rather than just the literal meaning of the text. Kabod: How do you market yourself and your services as a translator? I use various outbound and inbound marketing strategies such as my website, posting on LinkedIn, networking with my colleagues, and attending conferences, webinars and events. Kabod: How did you get your first contract? I received my first translation task from a colleague whom I kept in touch with after we both left university. She went on to work at a publishing house and I started translating cookbooks for her. Kabod: How can African translators position themselves to better tap opportunities in the global language industry? African translators should take part in conversations happening on social media regarding the language industry. This way they attract the attention of the ‘big players’ in the industry and can inform the rest of the world about the opportunities existing in Africa. African languages translators should also consider banding together to attract clients who are looking for ‘one-stop shops’ rather than dealing with individual translators. Kabod: What strategies do you use to increase your pool of clients while maintaining the existing ones? I post relevant information on social media to attract clients and I also send out a quarterly newsletter to past clients with translation industry news and language tips. I also reach out to past clients via email when I haven’t heard from them in a while. Likewise, I sometimes reach out to clients directly on LinkedIn if we have mutual interests or have built a relationship. Kabod: Do you have any translation areas that you specialise in? Why those topics? I’m a sworn translator admitted to the High Court of South Africa (Western Cape Division). So, my day-to-day translation work involves texts and documents of a legal nature for use in a court of law or for emigration purposes. I like the precise nature of legal language and producing documents that help people improve their lives. I also have a further specialisation in UI/UX translation where I work on large-scale software localisation projects for tech giants. Furthermore, I have always been interested in how technology can make things easier, quicker and more convenient, so I enjoy working on tech-related translation. My third specialisation is non-fiction book publishing, especially cookbooks and texts involving food and beverages. I started out working on this subject matter so it will always be close to my heart, but I also believe that the sharing of food can bring people together which no other way can. Kabod: Are you using Computer Assisted Translation tools? Which one do you prefer and why? I use CAT tools on a daily basis for consistency across my work and to improve productivity. I also use OCR software to convert documents sent as scans or difficult file formats to facilitate a better workflow. My CAT tool of choice is Trados Studio 2022 but I also regularly use Memsource (now Phrase) for agency work. I prefer Trados but only because I have been using it the longest and I’m more familiar with the user interface and functionality. Kabod: Do you think there is a viable market for African languages translation/interpretation? Are there enough economic opportunities for translators/interpreters in African languages? Yes, definitely. Economic activity on the content is projected to grow at a much faster rate than the rest of the world. Because the continent is home to more than a billion people,
3 Existing Awards in the Language Industry in Africa
Have your parents ever rewarded you with some toffees or money just because you did your homework well? How did you feel? Let me guess! You were very happy and made up your mind to always do your homework well to get more toffees, weren’t you? And again, how motivated were you to do something knowing that you would be rewarded for it? Indeed, the act of rewarding, as little as the reward may be, motivates one to do more. In the same way, awarding language professionals, whose job consists of helping people from different parts of the world bridge language barriers and connect, will benefit the language industry. Unlike industries such as football, music, and literature, which provide many awards for their heroes, the language industry provides few prizes, which are mainly for literary translations from and into various official languages. What are the existing awards in the African language industry? What are some awards that can be founded in Africa to promote the African language industry? Read to the end to find answers to these questions. 3 existing awards in the language industry In Africa Sol Plaatje Prize for Translation The Sol Plaatje Prize for Translation is a bi-annual prize first awarded in 2007 by The English Academy of South Africa with a cash prize value of R7 000 or $382 and an illuminated certificate. The English Academy is a non-profit organisation with over three hundred members from within and outside South Africa. They organise this prize in honourof Sol Plaatje. He worked as a court interpreter during the Siege of Mafeking, and translated works of William Shakespeare into Tswana. The Award, which bears his name, rewards excellence in the translation of a literary text (poetry or prose) of at least 1 000 words in one of the otherSouth African official languages into English. The purpose of the prize is to encourage effective mutual understanding in that multilingual country. Since then, the awards ceremony has been held. Previous Award winners 2019 – Michiel Heyns for The Shallows (Vlakwater by Lettie Viljoen), from Afrikaans 2018 – Leon de Kock and Karin Schimke for Vlam in die Sneeu, from Afrikaans 2017 – Held over to 2018 2015 – Not awarded 2013 – Daniel Sekepi Matjila and Karen Haire for Lover of His People: A biography of Sol Plaatje, from Setswana (by Seetsele Modiri Molema) 2011 – Daniel Kunene for My Child! My Child! by C. L. S. Nyembezi 2009 – Award withdrawn (Jeff Opland for Abantu Besizwe: Historical And Biographical Writings (by S.E.K. Mqhayi)) 2007 – Michiel Heyns for Agaat (by Marlene van Niekerk) Mabati-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature The Mabati-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature was founded in 2014 by the son of the world acclaimed language activist Ngugi Wa Thiongo, namely Dr Mukoma Wa Ngugi (Cornell University) together with Dr Lizzy Mabati (Short Story Day Africa). This prize “has the express goal of recognizing writing in African languages and encouraging translation from, between and into African languages.” The prize is named after its primary sponsors, Mabati Rolling Mills, a roofing company based in Kenya and Cornell University, an Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York. The Mabati-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature will now be known as the Safal-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature. The name change reflects the new parent organisation of one of its sponsors. Indeed, Mabati Rolling Mills of Kenya, a former major sponsor of the prize, is now a subsidiary of the East-Africa-based steel roofing conglomerate The Safal Group Limited. Despite the change in name, the objective of the prize remains the same. The award is a cash prize worth $15,000, which is divided among four different winners. 1st fiction/non-fiction Prize winner and 1st poetry Prize winner will receive $5000, respectively. Two runners-up, in any genre, will receive $2,500 each. From 2022 forward, the prize will only consider previously unpublished works. Previous Award winners 2021 Halfani Sudy for “Kirusi Kipya”(“New Virus”) (fiction) Lucas Lubago for “Bweni la Wasichana( The Girls’ Dormitory) (second-place winner, fiction) Moh’d Omar Juma for “Chemichemi Jangwani” (“Water Spring in the Desert) (poetry) 2020 Not awarded 2019 Lello Mmassy, Mimi na Rais (The President and I) (fiction) Moh’d Khamisi Songoro (poetry) 2018 Zainab Alwi Baharoon , Mungu Hakopeshwi (fiction) Jacob Ngumbau Julius (poetry), Moto wa Kifuu 2017 Ali Hilal Ali (fiction) Dotto Rangimoto (poetry) 2016 Idrissa Haji Abdalla_Kilio cha Mwanamke (fiction) Hussein Wamaywa_Moyo Wangu Unaungua (runners up) Ahmed Hussein Ahmed -Haile Ngoma ya Wana.” (poetry) 2015 Anna Samwel – Penzi la Damu (fiction) Enock Maregesi Kolonia Santita (runners up fiction) Mohamed K. Ghassani- N’na Kwetu (poetry) Christopher Bundala Budebah -Kifaurongo (runners up poetry) Marion Boers Prize for translation of work of fiction or non-fiction This prize is in honour of Marion Boers who was the President of FIT (International Federation of Translators) for two consecutive mandates from 2008 to 2014. She was also the Executive Director of SATI (South African Translators’ Institute) for more than two decades. This award is designed to promote the translation of works of fiction or non-fiction originally written in an African Language by a citizen of the 16 SADC (Southern African Development Community)countries. The prize may be awarded either for a single translation of outstanding quality or for the entire body of work of fiction or non-fiction involving at least one African language. Possible awards in the language industry in Africa Indeed, Kabod Group, the largest language service provider in Africa, together with partners will launch an Award Ceremony next year. The prizes are as follows: 1- Most innovative & successful African language project solutions Prize This prize is awarded to a freelance translator, interpreter or language service provider that comes up with an outstanding solution for any African language issue, be it in the area of collecting data and documenting African languages. 2- Best African languages software Prize This annual prize is presented to an individual or a group of people whose software has increased access or use of any African language. 3- Best Literary
