New language software in works

Wed, 27 November 2013, Phnom Penh Post, Stuart White

Microsoft Cambodia late last week requested the cooperation of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports in creating a Khmer-language version of Microsoft’s Translator Hub, translation software that the ministry hopes could broaden internet use, and improve the Kingdom’s “digital literacy”.

According to Chhourn Piseth, a technology adviser with Microsoft Cambodia, the computing giant hopes to use the MoEYS’ Khmer linguistic skills to build a reliable Khmer translator, before turning the program over to the public.

“They know best about the national language, over the whole country, because they are a ministry of the government,” Piseth said yesterday. “So we want them to control the quality of the translation, and provide feedback, and they also can provide the data [for translations].

“The first phase will be putting in all the important words and phrases,” Piseth added, noting that the phase would take about a year. “The second phase will be … improving on what’s wrong with feedback from the users.”

Minister of Education Hang Chuon Naron said yesterday that the ministry and Microsoft hope to sign a memorandum of understanding “in the next couple of weeks”, and said the new software would present another option to Google Translate.

“We have Google [so] you can translate from Khmer text to English, and vice versa, but the quality may not be excellent,” Chuon Naron said. “This could have a big impact on the Khmer language.”

Contact author: Stuart White