Human Language Technology Audit 2018: Analysing the development trends in resource availability in all South African languages

Abstract

Almost a decade has passed since the first audit on the state of HLT in South Africa was published in 2009. An increase in HLT R&D in South Africa since then, as well as developments in language resource management in the country surfaced the need for an updated audit of HLT resources. Consolidating information on the availability and maturity of HLT resources provides valuable information for both researchers and decision-makers. On the one hand, information on available HLT resources enables researchers to identify new opportunities for multidisciplinary research. On the other, decision-makers can use the information to determine priorities for resource development and where to focus their investments. The paper presents an overview of the main findings of an audit of HLT resources, undertaken in 2017/8, and makes some suggestions for ensuring that the current information is continually updated as new resources are developed.