Designing and developing a language environment for second language writers

This paper presents a field study carried out with learners who used a grammar checker in real writing tasks in an advanced course at a Swedish university. The objective of the study was to investigate how students made use of the grammar checker in their writing while learning Swedish as a second language. Sixteen students with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds participated in the study. A judgment procedure was conducted by the learners on the alarms from the grammar checker. The students’ texts were also collected in two versions; a version written before the session with the grammar checker, and a version after the session. This procedure made it possible to study to what extent the students followed the advice from the grammar checker, and how this was related to their judgments of its behavior.The results obtained demonstrated that although most of the alarms from the grammar checker were accurate, some alarms were very hard for the students to judge correctly. The results also showed that providing the student with feedback on different aspects of their target language use; not only on their errors, and facilitating the processes of language exploration and reflection are important processes to be supported in second-language learning environments.Based on these results, design principles were identified and integrated in the development of Grim, an interactive language-learning program for Swedish. We present the design of Grim, which is grounded in visualization of grammatical categories and examples of language use, providing tools for both focus on linguistic code features and language comprehension.     

Designing and developing a language environment for second language writers

This paper presents a field study carried out with learners who used a grammar checker in real writing tasks in an advanced course at a Swedish university. The objective of the study was to investigate how students made use of the grammar checker in their writing while learning Swedish as a second language. Sixteen students with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds participated in the study. A judgment procedure was conducted by the learners on the alarms from the grammar checker. The students’ texts were also collected in two versions; a version written before the session with the grammar checker, and a version after the session. This procedure made it possible to study to what extent the students followed the advice from the grammar checker, and how this was related to their judgments of its behavior.The results obtained demonstrated that although most of the alarms from the grammar checker were accurate, some alarms were very hard for the students to judge correctly. The results also showed that providing the student with feedback on different aspects of their target language use; not only on their errors, and facilitating the processes of language exploration and reflection are important processes to be supported in second-language learning environments.Based on these results, design principles were identified and integrated in the development of Grim, an interactive language-learning program for Swedish. We present the design of Grim, which is grounded in visualization of grammatical categories and examples of language use, providing tools for both focus on linguistic code features and language comprehension.     

Cecil: a sequencing constraint language for automatic staticanalysis generation

A flexible and general mechanism for specifying problems relating to the sequencing of events and mechanically translating them into dataflow analysis algorithms capable of solving those problems is presented. Dataflow analysis has been used for quite some time in compiler code optimization. Most static analyzers have been custom-built to search for fixed and often quite limited classes of dataflow conditions. It is shown that the range of sequences for which it is interesting and worthwhile to search in actually quite broad and diverse. A formalism for specifying this diversity of conditions is created. It is shown that these conditions can be modeled essentially as dataflow analysis problems for which effective solutions are known. It is also shown how these solutions can be exploited to serve as the basis for mechanical creation of analyzers for these conditions     

Feedback strategies for error correction in speech recognition systems

In a noisy environment speech recognizers make mistakes. In order that these errors can be detected the system can synthesize the word recognized and the user can respond by saying “correction” when the word was not recognized correctly. The mistake can then be corrected.Two error-correcting strategies have been investigated. In one, repetition-with-elimination, when a mistake has been detected the system eliminates its last response from the active vocabulary and then the user repeats the word that has been misrecognized. In the other, elimination-without-repetition, the system suggests the next-most-likely word based on the output of its pattern-matching algorithm. It was found that the former strategy, with the user repeating the word, required less trials to correct the recognition errors.A model which relates the average number of corrections to the recognition rate has been developed which provides a good fit to the data.     

Increasing adaptability of a speech into sign language translation system

This paper describes a new version of a speech into sign language translation system with new tools and characteristics for increasing its adaptability to a new task or a new semantic domain. This system is made up of a speech recognizer (for decoding the spoken utterance into a word sequence), a natural language translator (for converting a word sequence into a sequence of signs belonging to the sign language), and a 3D avatar animation module (for playing back the signs). In order to increase the system adaptability, this paper presents new improvements in all the three main modules for generating automatically the task dependent information from a parallel corpus: automatic generation of Spanish variants when generating the vocabulary and language model for the speech recogniser, an acoustic adaptation module for the speech recogniser, data-oriented language and translation models for the machine translator and a list of signs to design. The avatar animation module includes a new editor for rapidly design of the required signs. These developments have been necessary to reduce the effort when adapting a Spanish into Spanish sign language (LSE: Lengua de Signos Española) translation system to a new domain. The whole translation presents a SER (Sign Error Rate) lower than 10% and a BLEU higher than 90% while the effort for adapting the system to a new domain has been reduced more than 50%.     

Toward the use of speech and natural language technology in intervention for a languagedisordered population

We describe the design of Simone Says, an interactive software environment for language remediation that brings together research in speech recognition, natural language processing and computer-aided instruction. The underlying technology for the implementation and the system's eventual evaluation is also discussed.     

The AppVox mobile application,a tool for speech and language training sessions

AppVox is a mobile application that provides support for children with speech and language impairments in their speech therapy sessions, while also allowing autonomous training at home. The application simulates a vocalizer with an audio stimulus feature, which can be used to train and amend the pronunciation of specific words through repetition. In this paper, we aim to present the development of the application as an assistive technology option, by adding new features to the vocalizer as well as assessing it as a usable option for daily training interaction for children with speech and language impairments. In this regard, we invited 15 children with speech and language impairments and 20 with no impairments to perform training activities with the application. Likewise, we asked three speech therapists and three usability experts to interact, assess, and give their feedback. In this assessment, we include the following parameters: successful conclusion of the training tasks (effectiveness); number of errors made, as well as number and type of difficulties found (efficiency); and the acceptance and level of comfort in completing the requested tasks (satisfaction). Overall, the results showed that children conclude the training tasks successfully and helped to improve their language and speech capabilities. Therapists and children gave positive feedback to the AppVox interface.     

Leveraging topical and positional cues for language modeling in speech recognition

Multimedia Tools and Applications - This paper investigates language modeling with topical and positional information for large vocabulary continuous speech recognition. We first compare among a...     

A multimedia framework for second language teaching in self-access environments

This paper presents an account of a self-access language teaching scheme operated at the University of Bologna during the last three years. The main goal of the D.I.A.P.A.S.O.N. (Distributed, Interactive, And Personalised Audio-visual Study Over Network) project is to teach English to university students up to intermediate level, by building a self-access environment freely available to learners. Some laboratories equipped with multimedia workstations, video stations, satellite receivers and specifically targeted courseware were set up and tested in one complete year of work. Here I will analyse some topics concerned with self-access language learning through CALL (Computer Aided Language Learning) and the complete structure of the DIAPASON courseware. Some data collected on a sample of students during the year are presented and an interpretation of the data suggested. The main result emerging from the data is that students are very busy and tend to spend only the minimum required time to study foreign languages, organising this activity in few short sessions during the week.     

Integrating ICT into second language education in a vocational high school

Abstract This study investigated the potential impacts of integrating the Internet into an English as a second language class in a vocational senior high school in Taiwan. Twenty-nine students and a young male English teacher were involved. It was found that the students overall had a positive perception toward using Internet tools. This study indicated that the integration of information communication technology on the Internet with English facilitated the creation of a virtual environment that transformed learning from a traditional passive experience to one of discovery, exploration, and excitement in a less stressful setting. The study revealed that a computer-mediated communication environment could lower students' psychological barriers to enable them to express their opinions freely and to communicate actively on the Internet and that it could also enhance their critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills through online activities or class homepage construction. An individual case study further revealed that a task-oriented English tutoring strategy in association with email communication could motivate the student's writing competence but the student's language proficiency and grammatical accuracy did not improve. Finally, based on the findings, recommendations for future studies are made.     

An evaluation of constraint aggregation strategies for wing box mass minimization

Constraint aggregation makes it feasible to solve large-scale stress-constrained mass minimization problems efficiently using gradient-based optimization where the gradients are computed using adjoint methods. However, it is not always clear which constraint aggregation method is more effective, and which values to use for the aggregation parameters. In this work, the accuracy and efficiency of several aggregation methods are compared for an aircraft wing design problem. The effect of the type of aggregation function, the number of constraints, and the value of the aggregation parameter are studied. Recommendations are provided for selecting a constraint aggregation scheme that balances computational effort with the accuracy of the computed optimal design. Using the recommended aggregation method and associated parameters, a mass of within 0.5 % of the true optimal design was obtained.     

Creating and simulating a realistic physiological tongue model for speech production

Simulation of the tongue has important applications in biomechanics, medical science, linguistics, and graphics. The accuracy of the geometry, intrinsic structure and dynamic simulation of tongue are crucial for these applications. In this paper, we build a 3D anatomically and biomechanically accurate tongue model. For ensuring anatomical accuracy, the tongue mesh model is constructed based on accurate medical data and an interactive muscle marking method for specifying the muscle geometry and fiber arrangement. For ensuring biomechanical accuracy, a nonlinear, quasi-incompressible, isotropic, hyperelastic constitutive model is applied for describing the tongue tissues. Particularly, tongue muscles are additionally endowed with an anisotropic constitutive model, which reflects the active and passive mechanical behavior of muscle fibers. The dynamic simulation results of tongue movements subjected to certain muscle activations are presented and validated with experimental data, indicating the suitability for visual speech synthesis.     

盲源分离在单通道语音增强算法中的应用

提出一种单通道语音增强算法。首先由接收到的单声道语音信号的含噪部分构造一个假想噪声源,将这一噪声源和含噪的信号作为多通道自适应去相关（MAD）盲分离算法的输入,得到增强的语音信号。进一步将这一增强的语音作为输入,利用Daubechies小波对其进行分解,在小波域中选取合适的阈值函数进行滤波,然后合成时域语音信号。根据以上步骤得到的增强语音有较高的信噪比及可懂度。     

Feature-based hybrid strategies for gradient descent optimization in end-to-end speech recognition

Multimedia Tools and Applications - With the increasing popularity of deep learning, deep learning architectures are being utilized in speech recognition. Deep learning based speech recognition...     

Implementation of a case-based production scheduling system in C language

This paper presents the application of Case-Based Reasoning to the production scheduling problem in a corrugated card-board factory, its main task is to find a promising sequence for jobs processing, a prototype of the scheduling system is implemented in C language. In this system, a schedule case is represented in the form of ordered tree and each job is represented in the format of attribute-value pairs. When jobs to be sequenced are given, a previous case which is the best matching with the problem is recalled from the case-base, the sequence of given jobs can be decided assigning the jobs to the nodes of the ordered tree of the recalled case. Several real world scheduling problems in the factory have been solved and the system behaved as correctly as the human experts did. It was showed that the Case-Based Reasoning approach is well suited to solve production scheduling problems.     

Usage of SoS methodologies in production system design

Production systems design is a multifaceted task, due to a variety of aspects such as the mutual interdependency between the sub-systems, the variety of configurations and alternative system control strategies, the multiple managerial and “soft” aspects that cast an influence on the behavior of the system. A reasonable number of modeling tools can be applied to production system design, but they tend to divide the problem into unconnected sub-problems whose individual solutions may result in a poor global one. This is despite the fact that production design encompasses all aspects of manufacturing operations, and needs a systemic approach, as clearly shown in practitioner-oriented literature. This paper proposes to apply the “System of Systems” approach to production system design in order to represent their main aspects and support the rational definition of the path leading from corporate strategy to system (re)design.     

Reading-strategy use by English as a second language learners in online reading tasks

This study investigates adult English language learners’ reading-strategy use when they read online texts in hypermedia learning environments. The learners joined the online Independent English Study Group (IESG) and worked both individually and collaboratively. This qualitative case study aims (a) to assess college-level ESL learners’ use of reading strategies for online second language (L2) texts and (b) to examine their use of hypertext and hypermedia resources while they read online L2 text. The seven strategies were (a) using hypermedia, (b) using computer applications and accessories, (c) dialoguing, (d) setting up reading purposes and planning, (e) previewing and determining what to read, (f) connecting prior knowledge and experiences with texts and tasks, and (g) inferring. The first two strategies were unique to online readings; the five remaining strategies apply to both online readings and paper-based text readings. The findings also revealed that “hybrid” online reading emphasized participants’ various reaction patterns and preferences in their hypermedia learning environments.