Over the last few months, Matt and the mapping team have been working to get maps and other data files complete and ready for publication in the next Ethnologue. That was hard work, and some of the maps proved to be very difficult to get right. Perseverance was the key! The production plan is for the revised maps and other pertinent data to be published on www.ethnologue.com in February 2014.
We hope that at the same time website users will be able to purchase and download reports for individual countries in pdf format that will include any available maps. Soon after that, it will become possible to order printed copies of the Ethnologue via the website. It will be in three regional volumes, but there is still a lot of work to be done on the website and the technical publishing aspects to make that happen. We cartographers, however, are turning our minds to other things. There’s lots to plan for the future of the mapping team and new ways of working. We’ll be looking closely at ways to publish language maps on the web as well as mobile devices.
We are looking for a summer intern, as well as longterm team members, to help with researching language locations which are outdated or have not yet been mapped. We have lots of geographic data that needs to be edited. Please pray with us for more helpers and clear direction forward. Matt has been attending a “Learning That Lasts” seminar for the purpose of sharpening his training skills. He often has to provide technical support and other training for the ArcMap software, and this will help his training and management of others to be more effective.
Judy’s work is progressing well. A couple of the books have come back from the editors at the same time. Prophetic Rhetoric: Case Studies in Text Analysis and Translation is back from the author, ready for final corrections and adding the index. A Role and Reference Grammar Analysis of Kankanaey has just come back from the first round of editing, and some additional work is needed. The e-book dissertation, On the Adequacy of Hawai’i Creole English, is nearly ready to go to the editor for the first time.
So, we keep busy and are honored to be a part of the Wycliffe Translation team here in Dallas. If you have not yet visited the Wycliffe Website or Facebook page, you can find these links below. We are always looking to meet people who are interested in the world of Ethnologue and the vision to share the Gospel message to the world. Please follow us on this blog and email us anytime at matt_benjamin@sil.org
Benjamin Bits
Yaminahua scripture on cell phones in Peru? That’s right! Judy did the layout several years ago for the New Testament in Yaminahua (www.ethnologue.com/language/yaa). Now creators of websites and applications for mobile devices can download Yaminahua and other Bible texts from Digital Bible Library (DBL) (www.everytribeeverynation.org/library and www.digitalbiblelibrary.org) to provide the opportunity for people everywhere to experience the power of God’s Word in their heart language. Two of the organizations that have made this scripture available to the public are You Version http://www.youversion.com (a web and phone provider), and Bible Search www.bibles.org (a web provider).
Worldwide there is a proliferation of mobile phones, and mobile technology is being used to enhance engagement with the scriptures! DBL is an ever-growing, secure yet accessible collection of quality Bible translations. These resources will make it possible for people from some language communities to download an app containing scriptures, or insert a mini-SD card containing all the scriptures in their language into a slot on their phone. There are multiple audio and visual opportunities like the JESUS Film now available. Everyone who wants to, will soon be able to carry those scriptures with them, access them at will, and engage with them. God is permitting us to use these technologies to get scripture into the hands of people in record time!
Benjamins' Bits 