Google announced on Tuesday that it has added 110 more languages to its language translation service, Google Translate, marking a significant growth.
Google created Google Translate, a multilingual neural machine translation tool, to translate webpages, documents, and text between languages.
According to Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s Communications and Public Affairs Manager for West Africa, this update is part of the company’s 1,000 Languages initiative.
According to him, the programme uses AI models to support the 1,000 most widely spoken languages in the world, which is a huge step towards breaking down language barriers and boosting communication across cultures.
He stated that the new additions included eight African languages, in addition to Nigerian languages Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Fulani, Kanuri, and Tiv, which were already supported by Google Translate. According to him, Google’s purpose is to help everyone express themselves in several languages.
“With the addition of over 110 additional languages, many of which are from Africa, we are creating new chances for almost half a billion people to connect and communicate.
“Africa, with its rich linguistic diversity, is a key focus of this expansion,” he stated.
According to him, the addition of multiple African languages demonstrates Google’s dedication to promoting underrepresented languages and elevating voices from all over the continent.
He said that the new language additions for Google Translate were carefully considered, from selecting languages to include to the use of specific spelling.
Since many languages lack a single, standard form, it is more practical, according to him, to acquire the particular dialect that is most widely spoken in a given location.
“Our approach has been to prioritise the most commonly used varieties of each language.”
According to him, 110 new languages have more than 614 million speakers globally, accounting for almost 8% of the global population.
He stated that this comprises major world languages with over 100 million speakers, languages spoken by small Indigenous populations, and languages under revitalization efforts.
Kola-Ogunlade highlighted the languages supported by Google Translate, including Kikongo, Middle Africa, Luo, Swati, Venda in East Africa, Fon, Wolof in West Africa, Swati, and Ndebele in South Africa.
Why this matters
Over 614 million more people can now potentially access translated content and communicate more easily using Google Translate.
The inclusion of eight African languages and languages undergoing revitalization efforts shows Google’s commitment to representing a wider range of cultures.
Bottom Line
By focusing on the most common dialects, Google aims to ensure translations are relevant and useful for most speakers of a particular language.
