On 13 June 2024, the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) hosted final-year linguistics and language practice students from the University of Johannesburg for a one-day online externship. The aim was to educate students on the career possibilities in the field of Digital Humanities and Language Development. SADiLaR team members engaged the students in valuable conversations while also exposing them to resources and tools that could play a role in their research.
Spearheaded by Digital Humanities researcher for Afrikaans at SADiLaR, Dr Benito Trollip, the externship was lively with topics such as the transition from traditional linguistics to computational linguistics informing the discussions. Final year linguistics student, Ncamisile Nzuza, asked what course is required to bridge into computational linguistics. Nzuza was met with enthusiastic guidance from SADiLaR’s Digital Humanities researcher for English, Deon Du Plessis, who shared links to relevant courses and recommended the ESCALATOR programme. ESCALATOR is a SADiLaR initiative which aims to support the development of an inclusive and active community of practice in Digital Humanities and Computational Social Sciences in South Africa. Students also expressed interest in the practical skills with Yusuf Momoniat enquiring about what programming languages linguistics and languages practice students should focus on learning for computational linguistics. Du Plessis once again shared valuable insight, recommending introductory R and Python courses offered through the ESCALATOR programme. From these exchanges, it was made clear that there is indeed a growing demand for linguists with computational skills.
The externship also sparked conversations around topics such as the importance of including indigenous knowledge in online platforms. Concerns over the future of linguistics in the age of fast-evolving technology also enjoyed attention with students bringing to the forefront questions like, “Will the growing use of computational linguistics and language technology in computers affect the demand for human linguists? If so, how can we as linguists-in-training adapt to this changing landscape?”. These types of questions highlight just how engaged students are with the impact that the ever-changing technological landscape will have on their field.
Overall, the externship seemed to have narrowed the gap between students’ academic learning and their expectations for practical industry applications. “Thank you so much for all that the team shared today. Learning the rich tapestry that goes into translating and editing was truly incredible,” said language practice student, Kgopotso Raphadu. Such sentiments seem to encapsulate the entirety of the externship and the reason why it was such a success.
“The second edition of the UJ externship was invaluable and enriching in as far as engaging students and exposing them to the kind of work we do at SADiLaR”, said Dr Trollip when asked about the externship. Laurinda van Tonder, Applied Lingusicts Lecturer at UJ, expressed gratitude for the collaborative effort of staff members that shared their insights with students. “Their passion and enthusiasm were incredibly inspiring and created an atmosphere where students felt comfortable enough to spontaneously ask questions and excitedly share their own thoughts and perspectives”. Such encouraging feedback, coupled with the dynamic conversation are indicative of the positive impact of the externship in making students feel more informed about the ever-changing linguistics job market.
(Written by: Kamogelo Radebe)
