ELK-Tech

Endangered Language
Knowledge meets
Technology

Who we are

Created in March 2019, our ELK-Tech (Endangered Language Knowledge and Technology) group brings together people in linguistics, applied linguistics, Indigenous studies, geography & environmental studies, computer science, and information technology, working in partnership with global endangered language communities. We are based at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.

Our goal

To adapt and develop, in partnership with endangered language communities, digital tools that:

  • are easy to access and simple to use
  • are relevant to the everyday lives of community members
  • support collaborative language learning and documentation
  • encourage social interactions and relationships
  • require minimal technological resources

Our activities

Our first event was a two-day gathering at Carleton University on Sept. 27th and 28th, 2019 where we explored user experiences with existing digital tools and considered additional tools and features desired by language communities.

Kumiko Murasugi will be representing ELK-Tech at UNESCO's International Conference Language Technologies for All (LT4ALL) in Paris, France, December 4-6, 2019.

Erik Anonby and Rebekah Ingram will be presenting a collaborative paper by ELK-Tech members, "Surveying Digital Tools for Endangered Languages", at the Foundation for Endangered Languages conference (FELXXIII) in Sydney, Australia, December 13-16, 2019.

Meet the people behind ELK-Tech

School of Linguistics and Language Studies

Erik Anonby
Kumiko Murasugi
Mike Barker
Lev Blumenfeld
Christopher Cox
Rebekah Ingram
Eva Kartchava
Michael Rodgers
Jaffer Sheyholislami
Adam Stone
Ida Toivonen
Mercedes Veselka

School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies

Kahente Horn-Miller, Kanien’kehá:ka

Geography and Environmental Studies, Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre (GCRC)

Amos Hayes
Peter Pulsifer
Fraser Taylor

School of Computer Science

David Mould
Olga Baysal
Majid Komeili
Oliver van Kaick

School of Information Technology

Omair Shafiq
Wei Shi

To contact us, please email Erik, Kumiko or David by clicking their names above.

 ELK-Tech
School of Linguistics and Language Studies
Carleton University
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1S 5B6

Digital Tools for Endangered Languages: Listening, Learning and Looking Ahead (past event)

On September 27th and 28th we hosted a gathering of people involved in language documentation and revitalization. Invited participants included language educators, program administrators and researchers working on language documentation and technology. We shared our knowledge and experiences with existing digital language tools (computer software, apps, etc.) and considered additional tools and features desired by language communities. Click here for the conference program.

The following invited speakers and ELK-Tech members gave presentations at the meeting:

A report of the meeting (with photographs) can be found on the website of Carleton's School of Linguistics and Language Studies.