There are many, many languages in our world. While it is true that some are widely used and disseminated through modern media, others, such as indigenous languages , are simply disappearing.
With the intention of defending this part of our common history, Google recently introduced the Woolaroo platform, an app that makes the link between the modern world and its linguistic heritage.
What exactly is Woolaroo?
After years of work and collaboration with different expert organizations (such as museums, foundations, experts in the field, etc.), and available through Google Arts & Culture, Google has developed Woolaroo . It is an application that focuses on learning indigenous languages that are at risk of disappearance .
The idea for this app originally comes from the location of Yugambeh, an Australian language native to southeast Queensland.
As with many other indigenous and ancient languages, whose vocabulary, although used on a day-to-day basis, may lack terms for some elements common today and modern concepts, making it difficult for many children to learn Yugambeh. in such a contemporary world.
Now, Yugambeh will become the first indigenous language to appear in this experimental application . It is, specifically, a trial version that uses the Google Cloud Vision API. Starting at the Yugambeh Museum, the app uses three decades of research in local languages and culture to help preserve the different Aboriginal languages, especially as they adapt to an ever-evolving Australia.
What is Woolaroo’s goal?
One of the main objectives is to use the power of the most modern tools to distribute certain indigenous languages and languages more widely , thereby ensuring that they are not forgotten.
In addition, it wants to serve as a link between the youngest and their own cultural heritage , since while very few people today remember certain indigenous languages, few originally speak them fluently.
A participatory and open source application
With the intention not only to reach the youngest audiences, but to include them in its development process, Woolaroo is a participatory and open source app , allowing all those who wish to enrich the data, add new terms to their different dictionaries or record new words, so that the correct pronunciation is known to the rest of the users.
And this is precisely one of its main advantages, since users who wish to can add or edit content, making a significant contribution to the application itself. And is that all new registrations are welcome .
In this way, people of different origins, and living all over the world, can learn much more about indigenous and minority communities in the region where they live.
So far, the platform already has ten languages in which any user who wishes can contribute: Yugambeh, Tamazight (Guanche or Canarian Berber), Yiddish, Maori, Louisiana Creole, Calabrian Greek, Nawat, Rapanui, Sicilian and Zhuang Yang.
Therefore, if some of these languages are part of your heritage, or you have a thirst for culture, do not hesitate to discover this fascinating and interesting project.
