CHALLENGES FOR LANGUAGE TECHNOLOGY

Annamalai University, accredited with A ++ grade by the NAAC, is proud of the Centre of Advanced Study in Linguistics which has come under UGC-SAP-V Phases for twenty five years continuously from the inception of SAP, by its yeoman service to develop descriptive  linguistic studies, comparative linguistic studies and applied linguistic studies during last five decades. The centre as one of the pioneer institutions in India promoting higher research and learning in linguistics as well as applied linguistics is an ideal place for accomplishing various academic activities like implementing research projects, conducting seminars, conferences, workshops and refresher courses. Besides, the centre has also been collaborating with other institutions at the national and international levels.

Under UGC-SAP, the centre has been conducting at least two programmes such as seminars or seminar and workshop a year for several years. Thus, it becomes a meeting place for many Indian and Foreign scholars who work on various aspects of Dravidian linguistics and applied linguistics which come under the two thrust areas of Indo-Aryan and Dravidian language studies and applied linguistics that includes computational linguistics, clinical linguistics and educational linguistics.

In this regard, the centre of advanced study in linguistics conducted an International seminar on Challenges for Language and Technology (ChaLT) on 6th and 7^th Feburary 2020 was infused with many ideas and exchange of innovative methodologies in teaching the language and linguistics including  research activities. In the 21st century, the challenge for the linguists and language teacher is to incorporate technology with language for inspiring, educating and persuading the learners to acquire language not only for communication purposes but the competency to incorporating technology for critical and effective reasoning skill which is an imperative for a corporate and global ecosystem of work.

We will find that participants from their experiences joys of being linguists and teachers and scholars alike are immensely driven to be more creative and pioneering in their approach of teaching and research. It is must to break away from the old – the intensity for breakthrough in all quadrants of communicating, connecting and collaborating in the process of knowledge build-up. The points to ponder and contemplate will be the possibility for the linguists to stay will it lose its appeal in the course of the years as technology invades into our lives and where the process of globalization is a constantly evolving development.

We hope that you find this issue a rewarding experience of knowledge accumulation that will aid you in your teaching and research. This International seminar on Challenges for Language and Technology (ChaLT) on would not have been if it was not for your active and enthusiastic participation alike building knowledge and acquiring ideas from one another’s experiences which we can take back that will benefit our students greatly for their futures and in turn, build our country taking it to greater heights of growth and prosperity.