COMPANY
Appen is a language technology solutions and consulting firm, recognized as a global leader in the quality, range and caliber of its expertise. We are focused on helping our clients reach international markets by leveraging our expertise in over 150 languages and dialects. Our clients are among the world’s top internet search engine and voice recognition providers. For more information come see us at www.appen.com.
LINGUIST – HAUSA
DEPARTMENT
Linguistics
PROJECT
Start immediately and ongoing for the next 20 weeks.
Reliable internet connection required.
The successful candidate will work from home.
TASKS
The work will involve assisting in the creation of the Lexicon component of a Speech Database (SDB) in Hausa, as spoken in Nigeria.
A Lexicon is an electronic pronunciation dictionary (in text format) consisting of phonetic representations of all words transcribed from audio files in a SDB. The lexicons also include syllable boundaries and stress or tone mark-up. They also usually include variant pronunciations, dialectal or regional variation and can include additional labelling indicating ‘foreign word’, ‘Proper Name’, ‘acronym’, ‘homonym’, etc.
The work will also involve creating documents to describe the language for the purpose of language technology development and assisting with resolution of any spelling standardisation or dialectal variation issues in the language. The majority of the linguist’s time will be spent checking and correcting transcriptions of words in phonetic script. Training in Appen processes will be provided.
Must have, or be currently taking, a university degree in Linguistics.
Must have a background in linguistics and a familiarity with the language, at the level of a fluent native speaker.
The candidate should be a linguist or have completed part of their linguistics training.
Specific linguistic background should be geared towards phonetics and phonology, and as such the candidate should be familiar with the IPA and possibly other phonetic scripts like X-SAMPA.
Must be able to co-ordinate over Skype or similar for training.
Good typing and computer skills essential
Must pass the Hausa spelling/qualification test
Must pass the Hausa SAMPA/lexicon test.
Must be able to understand and follow detailed instructions written in English.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills And Abilities
Good time management skills
Availability of minimum 20 hours per week