Teaching Computers to Understand African Languages
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Speakers
- Happy Buzaaba
Description:
In this cross-disciplinary seminar, students will embark on a journey to understand language technology i.e ChatGPT, Gemini, Llama etc and, in particular, its application to the intricacies of the African languages. By examining the evolution of language technology and its limited application to commercially profitable languages, the course will highlight the need for expansion into a wider array of world languages in order to equally provide the cultural and societal benefits that the technology provides. Students will gain an understanding of how language technology impacts daily life through examples like smart devices and virtual agents.
Sample Reading List:
- Daniel Jurafsky and James H. Martin, Speech and Language Processing
- G. Tucker Childs, An Introduction to African Languages
Reading/Writing Assignments:
Students will engage in term projects which will start during the second half of the course, and the project presentations will serve as the bookend for the course.
Requirements/Grading
Term Assessments:
- Project(s) - 30%
- Papers/writing assignments - 30%
- Participation - 10%
Final Assessments:
- Final paper or project - 30%
Other Requirements:
First-Year students limited to one FRS course in Fall term.