CTexT

The Centre for Text Technology (CtexT™) (In Afrikaans: Sentrum vir Tekstegnologie) at the North-West University, South Africa, is "a non-profit, self-supporting unit of the Research Focus Area: Languages and Literature in the South African Context in the Faculty of Arts at the North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus)." (CTexT website) It began work in 2004.

Website:

• AF http://www.puk.ac.za/fakulteite/lettere/ctext/
• EN http://www.puk.ac.za/fakulteite/lettere/ctext/index_e.html

"The four main activities of the Centre for Text Technology involve the following:

• Research (including basic research, strategic research, applied research, and market research)
• Development (including development of sources and end-user applications & products)
• Commercialisation of products and services
• Maintenance of products and support to end users/clients" (CTexT website)

Utilities for South African languages

CTexT has developed the following products for Microsoft Windows products, which are for sale at http://www.spel.co.za/ :

• Afrikaanse Speltoetser 3.0 en Woordafbreker (Windows 2000+/XP)
• Afrikaanse Speltoetser 2.0 en Woordafbreker (Vir Windows 98)
• Afrikaanse Tesourus 1.0
• Setswana Spelling Checker 1.0 & Hyphenator
• Sesotho sa Leboa Spelling Checker 1.0 & Hyphenator
• isiZulu Spelling Checker 1.0 & Hyphenator
• isiXhosa Spelling Checker 1.0 & Hyphenator

Project with Microsoft

CTexT is "developing data for several African languages, viz. Hausa, Igbo, Kinyarwanda, Wolof and Yoruba. The developed data will be used in proofing tools such as spelling checkers and grammar checkers. ... This project is a part of Microsoft's Local Language Program, a global initiative to provide desktop software and tools to their customers by collaborating with local experts (governments, universities and other interested parties)." (Igbo Language and ICT message board)

Language learning programs

CTexT has also developed language learning programs for Tswana and Zulu.

References

• Spell checker for African languages & language learning programs
  • AF http://www.spel.co.za/
  • EN http://www.spel.co.za/ingels/index.html
• Microsoft project
  • "Resource-Scarce Languages - ELECTRONIC RESOURCES & PEOPLE NEEDED" (message reposted on A12n-forum, 2007-2-10 http://lists.kabissa.org/lists/archives/public/a12n-forum/msg00576.html
  • Igbo language and ICT, message #207, posted 2007-6-29
• Wikipedia, "Potchefstroom Campus," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potchefstroom_Campus

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