Language Technology is a Key Enabling Technology
In the past, investment efforts have focused on language education and translation. For example, according to some estimates, the European market for translation, interpretation, software localisation and website globalisation was € 8.4 billion in 2008 and was expected to grow by 10% per annum.1 Yet, this existing capacity is not enough to satisfy current and future needs.
Language technology helps people collaborate, conduct business, share knowledge and participate in social and political debates across differ-ent languages.
Language technology is a key enabling technology that can protect and foster European languages. Language technology helps people collaborate, conduct business, share knowledge and participate in social and political debates regardless of language barriers or computer skills. Language technology already assists everyday tasks, such as writing e-mails, conducting an online search or booking a flight. We benefit from language technology when we:
- find information with an Internet search engine;
- check spelling and grammar in a word processor;
- view product recommendations at an online shop;
- hear the verbal instructions of a navigation system;
- translate web pages with an online service.
The language technologies detailed in this paper are an essential part of innovative future applications. Language technology is typically an enabling technology within a larger application framework like a navigation system or a search engine. These white papers focus on the readiness of core technologies for each language.
In the near future, we need language technology for all European languages that is available, affordable and tightly integrated within larger software environments. An interactive, multimedia and multilingual user experience is not possible without language technology.
- 1
- European Commission Directorate-General for Translation, Size of the language industry in the EU, Kingston Upon Thames, 2009 (http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/publications/studies).
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