1. Terminology Development
Dr Mariëtta Alberts
Focus Area Manager: Terminology Development
Pan South African Language Board

2. Introduction National Language Bodies (NLBs)
Technical Committees (TCs)
Standardisation
Spelling and Orthography
Lexicography vs. Terminography
Terminology as a tool in language development
Information technology - the future of language development
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

3. National Language Bodies (NLBs):
Are the custodians of the languages
Determine the standards of the languages
Empower, promote and develop languages
Verify and authenticate terms
Work through Technical Committees (TCs)
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

4. Advisory capacity of NLBs:
Technical Committees (TCs) advise the NLBs and PanSALB on:
Standardisation
Terminology development
Dictionary needs
Literature and Media
Research
Education
Other language related matters
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

5. Powers and functions of TCs:
Standardisation TC - Advice to NLB on:
spelling and orthography
general standards in all functions of language
popularisation of standards generated
Terminology TC - Advice to NLB on:
the development and authentication of new terminology;
stabilisation of new terminology;
popularisation of new terminology; and
management of terminology in conjunction with the National Department of Arts and Culture.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

6. Standardisation
Crystal (1985) defines standardisation as a natural development of a standard language in a speech community or an attempt by a community to impose one dialect as a standard.
According to Hudson (1980) standardisation is a direct and deliberate intervention by society to create a standard language where before there were just ‘dialects’ (non-standard varieties).
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

7. Standardisation (cont.)
Standard languages are usually associated with prestige and cut across regional differences, providing a unified means of communication.
The standard language is an institutionalised norm which can be used in mass media, economic sector, education, science and technology:
Concept Symbol Linguistic representation
* I i one, een, eins, uno, tee, nngwe, inye, ukunye
** II ii two, twee, zwei, duo, pedi, bobedi, isibini, isibili
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

8. Standardisation (cont.)
Standardisation is necessary to facilitate communication, provide a uniform form for learning material and dictionaries, and the establishment of agreed orthography and spelling rules.
Standardised terms ensure exact communication among subject specialists themselves, but also between subject specialists and laypeople.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

9. Standardised terms
The increasing use of non-standard language in the classroom often has dire consequences for learners and for the traditional language
alimentary canal
digestive tract
gastrointestinal tract
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

10. Spelling and Orthography
New and unified spelling and orthography systems should be created for the languages selected for standardisation.
Establishing well standardised, efficient and practical spelling and orthography rules, is a crucial basis for developing a modern literacy tradition.
An efficient and practical spelling and orthography is a direct function of enabling educational, cultural, administrative and mass media system in the countries concerned (Abdulaziz, 1991).
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

11. Standardisation (cont.)
Lexicographers document the vocabulary of a standard language.
Terminographers document the terminology of the standard variety of a language.
Lexicographers and terminographers adhere to the spelling and orthography rules of the standard variety of a language when compiling dictionaries.
Language practitioners and language users need standardised spelling and orthography rules.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

12. Revision of spelling and orthography rules
PanSALB requested the National Language Bodies in July 2004 to revise the current (DoE) spelling and orthography rules.
The Technical Committees: Standardisation of the nine African Language NLBs revised the current rules.
Consultative meetings were held with stakeholders to discuss draft rules.
The process was finalised in 2007 and PanSALB is in the process of publishing the revised spelling and orthography rules (2008).
The revision of spelling and orthography rules is an ongoing process and the NLBs will immediately after publication start with the revision process. Publication would be at the end of the 5 year term of office of NLBs.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

13. Modernisation
No living language is static. A living language change and therefore it needs to be modernised.
Modernisation entails that the spelling and orthography rules of a language need to be revised on a regular basis.
An orthography is to literacy what numeration is to numeracy (EN Emenanjo, 1998)
Language modernisation is a co-operative venture between government agencies (i.e. language bureaux) and the speakers of the language.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

14. International Standards Organisation (ISO)
Standards can be incorporated into legislation by referring to them.
Compulsory specifications can be redrafted as legislation.
All standards are voluntary unless incorporated into legislation.
Since standards are second to written law, they affect all aspects of human life.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

15. ISO/TC 37
ISO standardised terminology comprises of all terms and definitions occurring in ISO standards.
As such standards are important elements of the teaching and training of subject related topics.
The initiation phase into any specialised field or domain goes through the learning of its main concepts, the definitions describing these concepts and the terms denoting them.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

16. ISO Standards and South Africa
South Africa established a national ISO/TC 37 committee in the field of Terminology and other language and content resources on 19 August 2002.
StanSA TC 37 is the local standardisation committee regarding terminology and other language and content resources.
StanSA TC 37 is a mirror committee of the international ISO/TC 37.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

17. ISO/TC 37 and StanSA TC 37
Members of StanSA TC 37 represent South Africa at the annual international ISO/TC 37 meetings.
The StanSA TC 37 team has a very valuable role to play in deliberating at international level when the standards dealing with terminology, lexicography and other language and content resources are discussed or under revision.
The StanSA TC 37 team also gain valuable experience from the international scene, which they are able to share with their South African colleagues.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

18. ISO standards (cont.)
Developing new standards has the advantage that these standards could focus on addressing the needs of the users.
Developing new standards is a time consuming and costly process.
Adopting regional and international standards has the advantage of utilising standards that were well researched and relatively cheap.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

19. Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

20. Lexicography vs. Terminography
Lexi = word -graphy = to write
Lexicography is the practice of compiling dictionaries.
Dictionaries can be compiled on any aspect of language, i.e. general words, explanatory dictionaries, translation dictionaries, slang dictionaries, etymological dictionaries, dialectal dictionaries, technical dictionaries
Terminography is the practice of compiling technical dictionaries that are subject related.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

21. Terminology development
Terminologists document terminology with the aim of providing subject specialists and laypeople with standardised terms that denote the corresponding concepts.
It is of the utmost importance to use standardised terms in subject related work.
billion: 109 or 1012 ?
Concept English/German American/French 109 milliard billion billion trillion
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

22. Terminology:
The set of practices and methods used for the collection, description and presentation of terms;
A theory, i.e. the set of premises, arguments and conclusions required for explaining the relationship between concepts and terms which are fundamental for a coherent terminological activity;
A vocabulary of a special subject field. (Sager 1990;3; Cluver 1989:146)
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

23. Terminology (cont.) Point of departure is concept.
Principally subject or domain oriented rather than language oriented.
There is a one to one relationship between concept and term to ensure exact communication.
Terminology is a standardising process.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

24. Terminological triangle:
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

25. Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

26. Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

27. Definitions
A definition is supplied to designate the concept: a straight line is the shortest distance between two points
If a concept is defined, the exact meaning can be determined: .__________.
Information on the concept is gained from the definition to name such concept or to coin a term: straight line: reguitlyn, umugqa oqondo thwi, umgca ongqalileyo, umugca locondzile, umudathwi, molatlhamalalo, mothalothwii, mola o otlolohileng, mutalo tswititi, layini-thwi, layini yo ololoka
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

28. Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

29. arsonist vs. pyromaniac
The terms arsonist and pyromaniac describe a person who sets fire to an object, but:
An arsonist is a criminal who deliberately sets fire to something, e.g. a building.
A pyromaniac is a person who cannot control the desire to set fire to things, often because of a mental illness.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

30. Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

31. The role of terminology:
Language development - functional languages in all domains/subject areas
Information retrieval through mother tongue/ first language (acquire vs. convey)
Standardisation: misunderstanding vs. exact communication
Cultural differences:
raisin = grape or dried fruit?
private school vs. public school
billion = or = 1012
Consultation: subject specialists, language practitioners, lay people, stakeholders, members of National Language Bodies, etc.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

32. Terminology as a discipline is
at the service of the language policy of the reigning government, e.g. monolingual, bilingual or multilingual;
governed by the language policy of the country
previous dispensation: bilingual technical dictionaries
present dispensation: multilingual term lists
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

33. Role of Terminology in language development
Availability of multilingual polythematic terminology: indicator of development
Specialised communication has a central axle or hub in terminology
Streamlined translation and interpreting services provide competitive advantages
Standardised terminology contributes to quality of translations, interpreting and subject related communication
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

34. Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

35. Compilation of terminology list is a time-consuming task
A task that needs commitment and devotion from
subject specialists
trained terminologists
language practitioners, linguists (e.g. NLBs)
End-result:
enhancement of subject area
better / exact communication
development of languages into functional languages
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

36. Dissemination of terminological information
Direct queries to national termbank (e.g. Intranet,TCS homepage (flat files))
Online dictionaries on Internet or CD ROM
Indirect queries to national termbank via , telephone or fax
Publications (term lists, technical dictionaries)
Documents containing terms: text books, dissertations, manuals, journals, brochures, etc.
Mass communication media (radio, press, TV…)
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

37. Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

38. HLT virtual network
SA Government has approved the development of a human language technology (HLT) virtual network
All lexicography and terminology endeavours will be part of HLT virtual network
Multilingual terms available on HLT virtual network to end-users (subject specialists, students, language practitioners, general public)
Spellcheckers are made available in official languages
Microsoft Interface Packs (LIP) for XP and Vista platforms
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

39. Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

40. Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008

41. Thank you! Dr Mariëtta Alberts PanSALB Private Bag X08 ARCADIA 0007
Tel:
Fax:
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, DoE (Subject Facilitators: Language), St Georges Hotel, 4 and 6 February 2008