Language technology comprises computational methods, computer programs and electronic devices that are specialized for analyzing, producing or modifying texts and speech. Accordingly with Hans Uszkoreit, these systems must be based on some knowledge of human language.
In Hans Uszkoreit terms, software products are applicable on human languages and they are urgently needed for improving human-machine interaction. Referring to computer languages, they are difficult to learn and do not correspond to the structure of human thought. The use of human language can increase the acceptance of software, as well as the productivity of its users.
Natural language interfaces enable the user to communicate with computer´s natural languages ( for exmple, with english). Some applications of such interfaces are database queries, information retrieval from texts, so-called expert sistems, and robot control. Nevertheless, spoken language needs to be combined with other modes of communication such as pointing with mouse or finger.
For browsing, navigation, filtering and processing the information on the internet, we need software that can get at the contents of documents. Language technology for content management is a necessary precondition for turning the wealth of digital information into collective knowledge.
Even thought the successful simulation of human language competence is not to be expected in the near future, researchers have numerous realistic short-terms goals involving the desing, realization and maintenance of sistems which facilitate everyday work, such as grammar checkers for word processing programs, intelligent email sorting and response generation, document categorization and summarization software, and systems for extracting selected information from large volumes of text.
Hans Uszkoreit. (2007). What is Language Technology? Language Technology Lab. Retrieved February 28, 2007, from http://www.dfki.de/lt/lt-general.php
