Digital+Divide+and+Language

=Digital Divide and Language=

Language is one of driving factors of digital divide.
 * In terms of the Internet access and utility, the richest linguistic group is English speakers. “English is used in 80 percent of the websites although only one thenth of the world speaks the language.” (Macapagal-Arroyo)
 * The poorest are those whose languages cannot be used on the Internet.
 * “There are 6,800 known languages spoken in the 200 countries of the world. (yourdictionary.com)
 * 2,261 languages have writing systems”. (yourdictionary.com)
 * On February 19, 2006 World Language Resource website listed 1,056 languages and sold products for 786 language
 * More than 1,000 languages on the web is present on the Internet, it seems that about half of languages with script have at least some presence on the Internet, and the other half has not.

What is needed for bridging the digital divide?

 * 1) font development
 * 2) typing system development (Keyboard, on-screen key board, Operation System)
 * 3) multilingual internet domain name and URL
 * 4) translation of software into local languages
 * 5) language modernization


 * Related Links**

Digital Divide.wikispaces.com India and the Digital Divide


 * Bibliography**
 * Fattal, Khaled. “Multilingualization of the Internet” Multilingual Internet Names Consortium. 23 Feb. 2006 
 * Ribeiro, John. “India tackles the digital divide.” //IDG News service, Bangalore Bureau// Itworld.com 22. Feb. 2006. 
 * Thomas, Ned, et al. Chapter 3. – Information technology and the small language. //Linguistic Diversity on the Internet: Assessment of the Contribution of Machine Translation.// STOA Study, European Parliament, 22. Feb. 2006 
 * “India innovates with new technology! The other India in the IT age: poor, illiterate but techno-smart.” //GOOD NEWS India// Jun. 2001. 23. Feb. 2006 
 * “Spanning the Digital Divide, Understanding and Tackling The Issue.” bridges.org. 23. Feb. 2006 
 * “International Mother Language Day 2004” UNESCO homepage 23 Feb. 2006 
 * “ Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Education” UNESCO Homepage, 22 Feb. 2006 
 * Microsoft TecNet, 24 Feb. 2006
 * World Language Resource website, 23 Feb. 2006 
 * “GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO ADDRESSES UNESCO CONFERENCE.” UNESCO homepage, 29 Sep. 2003, 23 Feb. 2006 
 * yourdictionary.com, 23 Feb. 2006 