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The publication component of the African Language Research Project began in 1992. From 1992-1994 Language Research focused primarily on Namibia (Herero, Kwanyama Languages); Cameroon (Ewondo); and Nigeria (Nupe and Isoko). These activities involved translations of less commonly taught African Languages. The goal was to monitor the fidelity of the translations to authentic media texts in African Languages.
From 1994 to the present the project has published level two and three readers in Yoruba, Hausa, Lingala, Sudanese Arabic, and a forthcoming reader in Igbo. Currently, a manuscript is being developed in the Wolof language (Senegal). For the next two years funds are available for readers in Akan and Luganda. These readers are professionally published by Dunwoody Press, a division of McNeil Technologies.
Both spoken and written texts are gathered in accordance with Standard English as categorized by the Swartvik Schemata. Both "field" linguists are located in the target countries. Our "home" team of University faculty who call Africa their home work collaboratively to collect the appropriate newspaper and journal articles to translate them. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has a large international faculty and student body. The advantage of having these individuals on campus as faculty consultants and work study students helps to validate translations for authenticity and grammatical correctness. Given its international faculty resources and its existing foreign language program, the University enhances its research and instructional capability by collecting a variety of authentic written African Language text books. Thus, current performance in the publication of texts for use by schools, businesses and government provides the African Language Research Project a unique edge in supporting the advancement of language research.

 
 
 
 
 
 
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
African Language Research Project
Department of English and Modern Languages
Princess Anne, MD 21853
Office: (410) 651-6909