By launching this function, Tromsö University wants to contribute to preserving the Lule Sami language in the future as well.
– With the launch, we are a step in the right direction and it is a big development that gives me hope for the future, says Inga Lill Sigga Mikkelsen.
At a time when computers can speak Sami, the Sami languages are seriously entering the age of speech technology. Sami speech synthesis provides opportunities to use Sami in new contexts. In language learning, speech synthesis will be valuable so that students hear how the words and language are pronounced.
– We already communicate orally with units around us and it is also becoming more common. At home I speak Norwegian and English with my devices. It’s quite scary considering that the Sami languages have to be used in order for them to be heard in the future, but these devices allow me to speak Norwegian and English in my own home, says Inga Lill Sigga Mikkelsen.
“An important work”
A speech synthesis is a function that reads text aloud on a digital device and is a good aid for people with reading and writing difficulties or visual difficulties, but also for language learning.
Sander Andersen, Sigmund Johnsen and Britt Inger Sikku have lent their voices to the project. With speech synthesis, you can choose between which artificial voice you want to hear, and when the computer speaks Lule Sami, it is one of these three voices that is heard.
– They have done important work for the Lule Sami language, and now their voices will be with us into the future, and thus also be heard and used by new generations of Lule Sami, she says.
Develop Sami language technology
For Divvun, speech technology is an important focus area. During the autumn, Divvun will also launch a Southern Sami voice. Divvun is also working on speech recognition, that the computer writes what you say, for both Northern, Lule and Southern Sami.
The launch takes place at the cultural center Stormen in Bodö during Tuesday.
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In the clip: Inga Lill Sigga Mikkelsen, engineer at Divvun, about the challenges for Sami language technology when giants such as Google are in power. Photo: HANNIBAL HANSCHKE