ACDH-CH Lecture 10.2

Why does language matter in DH? Multilingual DH as a phenomenon in digital research and infrastructures

The rapid development of digital humanities has led to the diversification of the field with a wide array of tools and methods. However, linguistic aspects remain a problem in DH practice because most languages beyond English, and particularly non-Latin scripts, are still significantly underrepresented and under-resourced. My talk will discuss the realities and specific challenges of the lifecycle of a multilingual DH project primarily through examples from East Asian studies. These will also serve as case studies pointing at broader issues that multilingual DH as a phenomenon reveals about the importance of language sensitivity, diversity, and equal access in DH. In addition, the presentation will also showcase emerging initiatives aiming at raising awareness of and remedying these challenges in order to reorient Anglo- and West-centric aspects towards a more inclusive DH field. 

Please RSVP for the onsite-lecture / register for the online lecture.

Alíz Horváth
Assistant Professor of East Asian history and digital humanities at the East Asian Institute of Eötvös Loránd (ELTE) University.

Dr. Alíz Horváth received her PhD in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago (2019) and is currently assistant professor of East Asian history and digital humanities at the East Asian Institute of Eötvös Loránd (ELTE) University. She is interested in the mechanisms of transnational flows within and beyond East Asia, with a focus on Japan, China, and Korea. She recently co-guest edited a special issue on East Asian studies and DH for the International Journal of Digital Humanities with Hilde De Weerdt. She is also co-founder and chair of the DARIAH-EU Multilingual DH Working Group, a member of the Core Editorial Team for the DARIAH-EU sustained project OpenMethods, a topic editor of the Asian and Asian Diaspora studies section of Reviews in DH, and former contributor to the pioneering NEH-funded project, New Languages for NLP: Building Linguistic Diversity in the Digital Humanities, organized by Princeton University and DARIAH-EU.

Find Alíz Horváth on Social Media:

• Twitter: @alizhorvathaliz
• Mastodon: @alizhorvathaliz
• Bluesky: @alizhorvathaliz.bsky.social
• Professional homepage: sites.google.com/view/alizhorvathphd

or listen to several Episodes of Humanista: The Podcast.