Icelandic Education Minister Lilja Alfreðsdóttir sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook asking him to help preserve the Icelandic language by adding it to the company’s voice, text and language operating systems collection.
In the letter, he expresses his interest in using technology in schools and in society as a whole. He notes that the smart devices do not support Icelandic, which causes Icelanders to fear for the fate of their language, which has remained almost unchanged for a thousand years and is at the core of the nation’s culture and image.
She notes that the Icelandic authorities have gathered scientists, entrepreneurs and private companies to work on projects to improve language technology for those who wish to convey Icelandic voices to smart devices.
“As it follows from [listu], the goal is to ask for help from one of the largest companies in the world to ensure that the Icelandic language is preserved “ – writes Lilja in an article published in Morgunblaðið. “We expect a positive response because we know from experience that a drop will hollow a stone. It’s enough to mention Disney’s reaction when we urged them last winter to increase the number of subtitles and dubbing in Icelandic on the Disney + streaming service. This effort has already resulted in a better quality of service for Icelandic children and other users of the streaming service. “
“The increase in foreign language proficiency among Icelanders, especially regarding the English language, is positive and offers various opportunities. This is especially true for children and adolescents. Knowing English strengthens their position in the labor market, but at the same time globalization threatens cultural diversity. “
“We trust that we can count on the help of the greatest in our fight for the future of the Icelandic language” – summarizes Lilja.
Source: Yle