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SIL International 2007 Officers and Administration Partners in Language Development UPDATE

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SIL International 2007 Officers and Administration Partners in Language Development UPDATE SIL International 2007 Officers and Administration Partners in Language Development UPDATE Cultural and Language Research Software—SIL FieldWorks SIL FieldWorks is a software suite that helps scholars to manage cultural and language About SIL International Corporate Officers Board of Directors data from the initial collection stage to the publication of dictionaries, text collections SIL International is a faith-based nonprofit organiza- President David Bosma and grammars. Version 5.0 offers enhancements to software already acclaimed by field tion committed to serving language communities Carolyn P. Miller, L.H.D. Finance Coordinator researchers and used in small- to medium-sized dictionary projects at several universities. worldwide and building capacity for sustainable Vice President SIL Pacific Area language-based development by means of research, Barbara L. Trudell, Ph.D. D. Richard Brown, Ph.D. candidate Learning that Lasts Innovative features include a mode to rapidly collect vocabulary translation, training and materials development. Secretary International Translation Consultant, SIL As a nongovernmental organization, SIL has by semantic domain and then to perform early dictionary edits by Eugene C. Burnham Marco A. Herrera special consultative status with the Economic and Chief Administrator of the Global Thirty men sat on rows of wooden benches. Some were capable readers; most were not. bulk manipulation tools. Distributed as freeware, SIL FieldWorks has Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations and Treasurer David T. Cram, CPA Scripture Fund, American Bible Society Peter was teaching them to read Ejagham, their mother tongue, by transferring the skills support for Unicode, complex scripts, multi-user networking and with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). General Counsel Michel Kenmogne, Ph.D. they had learned for reading English. both stem-based and root-based dictionaries from a single database. SIL offers training in applied linguistics at many Robin R. Green, Esquire Director, Cameroon Association for Bible Translation & Literacy Two vehicles roared up to the classroom with a group of regional officials. They had www.sil.org/computing/fieldworks institutions around the world. Course topics include phonetics, phonology, grammar, linguistic research, International Grant I. Lovejoy, Ph.D. heard men were learning to read Ejagham. After a short greeting, they sat next to me cultural anthropology, sociolinguistics, literacy, Director of Orality Strategies to watch. translation and program planning. Administration International Mission Board SIL operates on contributions from individuals Executive Director Stephen A. Marlett, Ph.D. Later the Cameroonian political leader stood up next to Peter. “I am glad to see an and organizations interested in various aspects of John R. Watters, Ph.D. Training Coordinator “I am thirsty Ejagham man teaching this class,” he stated. “When I see Peter teaching, I know this language-based development. Major contributors SIL Americas Area Associate Executive Director program can succeed because it can last beyond the presence of foreigners.” I left 30 include affiliated member organizations of Wycliffe for SIL Administration Carolyn P. Miller, L.H.D. to see these International. Peter Wang, M.D. President, SIL International years ago, but that leader knew what would make the program last—Ejagham teachers. SIL makes its services available to all without participants Associate Executive Director David A. Ross, Ph.D. regard to religious belief, political ideology, gender, Africans training Africans continues to be effective. In August 2007 in Burkina Faso, for SIL Operations President, Graduate Institute race or ethnic background. join us…so that Clare F. O’Leary, Ph.D. of Applied Linguistics SIL African and international literacy consultants taught advanced literacy principles to Vice President for Academic Affairs George F. Shultz together we 24 educational leaders from nine francophone countries. The three-year curriculum,* Software for Speech Investigation SIL Statistics Paul S. Frank, Ph.D. Director, SIL Cameroon can contribute divided into annual month-long classes, is equipping the participants to train others in Vice President for Corporate Mark H. Taber language program development and education. The curriculum was translated from a 6,912 Languages spoken in the world Communications Director, SIL Indonesia to significantly In 2007 SIL developed new and more versatile versions of software applications that assist as cited in the Ethnologue Carol A. Dowsett Barbara L. Trudell, Ph.D. similar course in Kenya conducted in English. 2,394 Total languages researched (over 1.7 billion speakers) reducing illiteracy linguists in phonetic transcription, acoustic analysis and phonological analysis. Vice President for Finance Director of Academic Affairs 1,415 Active language projects (568 million speakers) Throughout the world, we continue to promote and provide training for Eleanor L. Berry, CPA SIL Africa Area rates in Africa.” over 1,000 Active literacy programs Vice President for Personnel ethnolinguistic minority communities as they develop the skills and expertise needed Phonology Assistant 3.0 performs phonological analysis, enabling linguists to test over 2 million Number of readers trained Daniel G. Butler 29,753 Published works to conduct and sustain their own language development and education programs. This hypotheses of the sound systems and patterns of the world’s lesser-known languages. Vice President for Strategic Initiatives Affiliated Gédéon Tatchum Doyle L. Peterson update highlights a number of opportunities we had in 2007 to work alongside local It allows the investigator to search a data corpus for phonetic patterns within over 6,000 Active personnel Organizations Noussi, one of the course President, JAARS, Inc. Canada Institute of Linguistics and international trainers. It also shows contributions we have been able to make in specified environments in order to produce consonant and vowel inventory charts. over 60 Nationalities of SIL staff instructors* and a literacy James S. Akovenko Langley, British Columbia, Canada developing leading-edge language-analysis software. Our hope is that in this and every www.sil.org/computing/pa www.canil.ca coordinator for the SIL These statistics offer the most current estimates available. Africa Area Director generation, minority language communities will increasingly be able to equip their own John W. Hollman, Ph.D. Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics regional training center Nairobi, Kenya Dallas, Texas, USA people through learning that lasts. Speech Analyzer 3.0 is a tool for recording, transcribing and in Maroua, Cameroon Americas Area Director www.gial.edu analyzing speech sounds. Linguists, ethnomusicologists and James W. Roberts International Museum of Cultures, Inc. language learners use it to investigate, mimic and annotate the 7500 W. Camp Wisdom Road Dallas, Texas, USA Dallas, Texas, USA Dallas, Texas 75236-5629 USA Asia Area Director www.internationalmuseumofcultures.org John R. Watters, Ph.D. acoustic sounds of human language. Phone: 972 708-7400 Kenneth E. Schmitt, Ph.D. JAARS, Inc. Fax: 972 708-7350 Executive Director, 2000-2007 www.sil.org/computing/sa Manila, Philippines Waxhaw, North Carolina, USA E-mail: [email protected] www.jaars.org Web: www.sil.org Eurasia Area Director Neil Carleton Wycliffe International, Inc. IPA Help 2.1 provides extensive phonetic charting and phono- High Wycombe, Bucks, England Dallas, Texas, USA logical querying capability. This program helps researchers learn More reports and audited financial statements: Pacific Area Director www.wycliffe.net The Board of Directors has appointed Fredrick A. Boswell, Ph.D. candidate, to succeed John to hear, transcribe and produce the sounds of the International www.sil.org Norman R. McGuire Other news items: Indooroopilly, Queensland, Australia Watters as SIL Executive Director beginning January 2008. Phonetic Alphabet. www.sil.org/sil/news/archives.html International Relations Interim Director www.sil.org/sil/roster/boswell_fredrick.htm www.sil.org/computing/ipahelp Language-related resources: Joshua A. Strecker www.ethnologue.com Washington, DC, USA * Théorie et Pratique d’Alphabétisation (Literacy Theory and Practice): www.sil.org/sil/news/2007/literacy-course.htm Malaysian Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education New DVD: Kisim AIDS—Kisim Taim Bilingual Kriol-English Dikshineri Published in Belize More than 200 official delegates representing 21 language communities across Malaysia A DVD drama, Get AIDS—Get Trouble, dramatizes how HIV/AIDS impacts the whole family The Belize Ministry of Education and the National Institute of Culture and History took part in a one-week conference in April. Several thousand people attended the when one member has HIV/AIDS. It also provides practical HIV/AIDS education. Produced celebrated the release of a new dictionary by giving copies to each school, library and opening ceremony of the conference held in Kota Belud, Sabah. International and local and performed in Melanesian Pidgin by SIL workers in Papua New Guinea (PNG), the DVD media organization in Belize. They funded the printing of 1,000 copies of the 465-page speakers addressed the benefits of establishing multilingual education (MLE) programs. has also been translated into several local languages. dictionary and hosted an official celebration. The conference was co-sponsored by two local language
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