If you missed the seminar but would like to catch up, the recording is now posted to the Language Matters in the Pacific channel: bit.ly/LangMattersP...
It was a great talanoa from the panelists who all work in the language tech space in the region and their work is worth checking out!
The 2026 series of the ‘Language Matters in the Pacific’ webinars begins with a double bill on language technology. In the first webinar, four panellists from across the region will share their experiences of working in this space. The session will begin with a brief demo from each participant of the tool(s) or platform(s) they have developed, before the moderator will lead a talanoa around regional developments in language technology. The discussion will focus on affordances of new technologies in keeping communities connected, supporting the sustainability of Pacific languages, and providing solutions to real-world challenges such as language learning, literacy development, translation, dubbing, speech recognition, dictionary creation and data management. It will centre the need for Pacific-led approaches to language technology that enable communities to participate in this space on their own terms. Panellists will highlight the creation of jobs or entrepreneurial opportunities in this sector, and how this is balanced against more critical concerns about the commercialisation or commodification of language and culture. The session will also touch on issues of data sovereignty, intellectual property and security although these topics will be the main focus of the second webinar. Panellists Ms Heiura Itae-Tetaa, Founder and CEO, E-Reo Dr Rolando Coto Solano, Assistant Professor Linguistics and Computer Science, Dartmouth Mr Steven Renata, Managing Director, Kiwa Digital Ms Theresa Tupuola-Sorenson, Co-founder, Pacific Kids Learning
