Steven Bird's Blog

Experiments in Language Evolution

I've just embarked on a new phase of work, based in Australia's Top End. I'm asking: what is the future of Language in the world, and what can we do to create a world that sustains its linguistic diversity? Since I'm working with oral cultures, I've decided to share my journey in a series of podcasts, here.

Trekking on the roof of the world

Once, about halfway to London, I looked out the window and saw the silent twinkling lights of a city far below. I figured out that it was probably Tashkent. Tashkent! What would that be like? Since then, Central Asia hovered in my mind’s eye like a fata morgana. Two decades later I am exploring the area, and recently spent two weeks in Tajikistan.

It’s a short drive from Tashkent to the border. The crossing is dramatic. You walk through a neutral zone shouldering your luggage, overlooked by wa...

Academics team up to save dying languages

A beautifully crafted documentary about Aikuma byThom Cookeswhich aired on ABC’s programThe World.This video included a segment aboutLauren Gawneand her work onKagate(Nepal).

Two Interviews on ABC Radio National

Stories from the Brazilian Amazon, with Waleed Aly and Phillip Adams, onABCRadio National:
ABCRN Drive with Waleed Aly:Passport: Steven Bird, computer scientist and preserver of old languages[audio|website]ABCRN Late Night Live with Phillip Adams and Carmel O’Shannessey:Lost and found languages[audio|website]

The wrap up of my Brazil fieldwork

Aikuma app for speech annotation Of the ~200languages spoken in Brazil, about half are spoken in the Amazon. During March-May this year I had the privilege to work with speakers of Tembé, Ticuna, and Nhengatu, teaching them how to use mobile technologies for preserving their disappearing linguistic heritage. It was incredible to see how the technology didn’t just enable the work, but motivated people to participate.

Much of the activity was close to water — unsurprising given the vastness of t...

Photographs from Terra Preta

I’ve just returned from four days in Terra Preta, a 50km boat ride up the Rio Negro from Manaus. My friends from the Tembe trip, Katie and Isaac, joined me and did an brilliant job with recording and transcribing Nhengatu stories. This post has a selection of photos from our trip. (Click to enlarge and see captions.)

Nhengatu: A Timely Lesson in Language Preservation

Showing off the Aikuma smartphone app for recording and translating spoken language The village of Terra Preta is a short boat ride up the Rio Negro from Manaus (satellite picture). I went there last Sunday, hoping to give the Nhengatu people a short lesson in language preservation, and wondering if I could interest them in doing some recording work using our mobile phone app.

After leaving Manaus, we tracked along the northern bank of the river, about 50m out, dense rainforest on our right an...

Photographs from my visit to a Tembe Village

I recently visited a Tembé village and wrote about it here (Androids in Amazonia). This post has a selection of photos from that trip.