Language, Technology, and Society - 9780199549382

`Richard Sproat's canvas is exceptionally broad, as befits the subject, ranging from the clay tokens of ancient Mesopotamia and the later Egyptian hieroglyphs, through decipherment, pseudo-decipherment and literacy, to the computerization of the Chinese script and the development of machine translation. His expertise, especially in computing, is evident; his examples are varied, apposite and accessible; and his style is lucid, measured and often amusing. Language, Technology, and Society is clearly the fruit of long reflection by the author, and this shows on every page.' Andrew Robinson, author of Writing and Script: A Very Short Introduction

This book traces the history of language technology from writing---the first technology specifically designed for language---to digital speech and other contemporary language systems. The book describes the social impact of technological developments over five millennia, and addresses topics such as the ways in which literacy has influenced cognitive and scientific development; the social impact of modern speech technology; the influence of various printing technologies; the uses and limitations of machine translation; how far mass information access is a means for exploitation or enlightenment; the deciphering of ancient scripts; and technical aids for people with language disabilities.

Richard Sproat writes in a clear, readable style, introducing linguistic and other scientific concepts as they are needed. His book offers fascinating reading for everyone interested in how language and technology have shaped and continue to shape our day-to-day lives.