A Constraint-Based Approach to Visual Speech for a Mexican-Spanish Talking Head

A common approach to produce visual speech is to interpolate the parameters describing a sequence of mouth shapes, known as visemes, where a viseme corresponds to a phoneme in an utterance. The interpolation process must consider the issue of context-dependent shape, or coarticulation, in order to produce realistic-looking speech. We describe an approach to such pose-based interpolation that deals with coarticulation using a constraint-based technique. This is demonstrated using a Mexican-Spanish talking head, which can vary its speed of talking and produce coarticulation effects

Beyond the paint and ink: ASAR Oaxaca resistance and getting up Arte Pal Pueblo

This thesis aims to address the ways in Oaxacan street artists frame alternative realities within art and interviews about their art. Asamblea de Artistas Revolucionarios de Oaxaca or ASARO, is a revolutionary artist collective that currently works in Oaxaca Mexico. They place their art in publically accessible areas and comment on local, national and international social issues. Through ethnographic interviews and participant observation with members of ASARO along with critical discourse analysis of their images, I explore the ways getting up is accomplished. The combination of ethnographic field work paired with a critical approach deepens an understanding of what influences modern communication production through art in a marginalized area of Mexicos periphery. In this thesis ideas of art as transformative, legible, accessible are explored. Also Mexican local and global issues such as immigration, iconography, collective action, women\u27s and human rights, exploitation of workers and natural resources are also analyzed within images created by ASARO

Language Ideology and Racial Inequality: Competing Functions of Spanish in an Anglo-owned Mexican Restaurant

This article examines the influence of language ideology on interactions between English-speaking Anglo and monolingual Spanish-speaking employees in an Anglo-owned Mexican restaurant in Texas. In directives to Spanish-speaking employees, Anglo managers typically use English with elements of Mock Spanish. Because the Anglo managers fail to question whether their limited use of Spanish is sufficient for communicative success, Spanish speakers are almost always held responsible for incidents resulting from miscommunication. For Latino workers, Spanish provides an alternative linguistic market in which Spanish operates as a form of solidarity and resistance. The competing functions of Spanish serve to reinforce racial segregation and inequality in the workplace

Spanish Sign Language synthesis system

This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Visual Languages and Computing. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Visual Languages and Computing,23, 3, (2012) DOI: 10.1016/j.jvlc.2012.01.003This work presents a new approach to the synthesis of Spanish Sign Language (LSE). Its main contributions are the use of a centralized relational database for storing sign descriptions, the proposal of a new input notation and a new avatar design, the skeleton structure of which improves the synthesis process. The relational database facilitates a highly detailed phonologic description of the signs that include parameter synchronization and timing. The centralized database approach has been introduced to allow the representation of each sign to be validated by the LSE National Institution, FCNSE. The input notation, designated HLSML, presents multiple levels of abstraction compared with current input notations. Redesigned input notation is used to simplify the description and the manual definition of LSE messages. Synthetic messages obtained using our approach have been evaluated by deaf users; in this evaluation a maximum recognition rate of 98.5% was obtained for isolated signs and a recognition rate of 95% was achieved for signed sentences

A videoconferencing tandem exchange involving adult learners of english and spanish as foreign languages : an interactionist perspective

Pour les fins de la présente étude, des vidéoconférences ayant pour objectif l‘apprentissage en tandem par le jumelage d‘étudiants universitaires de l‘anglais langue étrangère et de l‘espagnol langue étrangère ont été soumises à l‘analyse. Partant du cadre notionnel interactionniste (Ellis et al., 2001a; Loewen, 2005; Long, 1980; Varonis & Gass, 1985), elle vise à examiner quatre phénomènes: 1. les lacunes remarquées par les sujets dans leur propre interlangue, c‘est-à-dire la production d‘épisodes visant la forme/EVF pendant qu‘ils transigent le sens au cours des vidéoconférences avec tâches d‘apprentissage par jumelage de l‘anglais langue étrangère et de l‘espagnol langue étrangère; 2. l‘effet produit ultérieurement sur l‘apprentissage langagier quand l‘apprenant remarque lesdites lacunes épisodiquement; 3. les caractéristiques des EVF permettant le mieux de prédire l‘évolution de l‘apprentissage d‘une langue seconde dans le contexte de l‘utilisation des vidéoconférences; 4. les sources d‘appui auxquelles les sujets ont eu recours pour tirer le meilleur parti des possibilités d‘apprentissage qui se présentent dans une vidéoconférence d‘apprentissage jumelé. Cinq étudiants hispanophones d‘une université mexicaine apprenant l‘anglais langue seconde au niveau intermédiaire ont été jumelés avec cinq étudiants anglophones d‘une université américaine apprenant l‘espagnol au niveau intermédiaire. Les séances d‘apprentissage par jumelage sur vidéoconférence avaient pour point de départ sept tâches sur des thèmes susceptibles d‘intéresser les sujets, à effectuer en conversation libre. Les données recueillies sur dix semaines émanent de trois sources principales: la transcription des vidéoconférences (570 pages), des tests effectués après les séances, soit immédiatement ou avec intervalle d‘attente, et un questionnaire. Grâce à l‘analyse des transcriptions effectuées dans le cadre élaboré par Loewen (2005) pour l‘analyse des EVF, il a été possible de constater que dans les rencontres d‘apprentissage jumelées les étudiants produisaient une quantité importante de tels épisodes, autant du côté espagnol qu‘anglais langue étrangère (915 en tout). Les résultats pour tous les objets linguistiques de type EVF faisant l‘objet de tests effectués après les rencontres ont été réunis afin de permettre la réalisation d‘une analyse Équations d‘estimation généralisées (EEG). L‘analyse des tests effectués immédiatement après les rencontres d‘apprentissage jumelés et de ceux effectués avec un intervalle d‘attente révèle que dans les deux cas, les sujets se rappelaient plus de la moitié des objets linguistiques visés, soient des EVF. Bien que la quantité de tels objets dont les sujets se rappelaient aux tests effectués avec un intervalle d‘attente était moindre, cette différence n‘était pas statistiquement significative. À la différence d‘études réalisées antérieurement (Loewen, 2005; Shekary & Tahririan, 2006) pour lesquelles la prise (uptake) réussie constitue un prédicteur valide de l‘évolution de l‘apprentissage d‘une langue seconde, les analyses de la présente étude portent à croire que l‘unique facteur d‘importance pouvant servir à faire de telles prédictions serait plutôt la correction reportée (deferred timing). L‘analyse des sources d‘appui (Chapelle, 2001) dans lesquelles ont puisé les sujets pendant les rencontres jumelées pour rehausser les possibilités d‘apprentissage pendant les vidéoconférences se sont avérées être de trois types principaux: le clavardage, les images et le tableau blanc. Plus généralement, la présente étude permet d‘affirmer que les rencontres jumelées en vidéoconférence constituent une activité utile pour l‘apprentissage et l‘acquisition d‘une langue seconde. Les incidences de cette étude sur l‘enseignement de même que les pistes de recherches futures qu‘elle suggère sont traitées.The present study analyzed videoconferencing tandem language learning exchanges between university students of English as a foreign language (EFL) and Spanish as a foreign language (SFL). Based on an interactionist perspective (Ellis et al., 2001a; Loewen, 2005; Long, 1980; Varonis & Gass, 1985), it sought to explore: 1. participants noticing of the gap in their interlanguage (i.e., production of focus-on-form episodes/FFEs) during the negotiation of meaning in the context of tandem language learning tasks for EFL and SFL, 2. the effect of incidental noticing on subsequent language learning, 3. the characteristics of FFEs that best predict L2 learning in a videoconferencing context, and 4. the support used by participants to enhance language learning opportunities during the exchanges. Five intermediate level Spanish-speaking EFL students from a Mexican university were paired up with five intermediate level Englishspeaking SFL students from an American university. Seven free conversation type tasks on topics of interest to the participants were the basis for the videoconferencing tandem sessions. Data collected over a ten-week period were gathered from three main sources: videoconferencing session transcripts (570 pages), immediate and delayed posttests, and a background questionnaire. Drawing on Loewen‘s (2005) framework for the analysis of FFEs, the transcripts revealed that students generated a substantive number of FFEs in both the EFL and SFL parts of the tandem exchange (915 in total). Results from the immediate and delayed posttests indicated that participants recalled over half of the targeted FFE linguistic items on immediate and delayed posttests. Although fewer items were recalled on the delayed posttests, this difference was not significant. Results from the FFE linguistic items targeted for the posttests were combined in order to carry out a Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) analysis. In contrast to previous studies (Loewen, 2005; Shekary & Tahririan, 2006), where successful uptake was a valid predictor for L2 learning, the analysis of the present study revealed that the only significant predictor for L2 learning was deferred timing. Analysis of the support (Chapelle, 2001) used by participants to enhance L2 language learning opportunities during videoconferencing revealed three major types: chat, pictures, and use of the whiteboard. More generally, the present study supports the claim that tandem language learning through videoconferencing is a useful activity for promoting L2 learning/acquisition. Implications for teaching and suggestions for future research are discussed

Make American Great for Mexicans? The Effects of Donald Trump\u27s Political Campaign on Public Opinion of Mexican Immigrants

ABSTRACT: The present study examines the effects that U.S. President Donald Trump’s political campaign has had on public opinion of Mexican immigrants. By examining the long history of oppression of Mexicans on U.S. soil and even prior to the establishment of the U.S., the study creates a base and then employs a discourse analysis that proves that Trump’s rhetoric is perpetuating some of the same stereotypes that have followed Mexicans since Europeans began settling in the Americas. Public opinion was gauged using a carefully constructed survey and the results show that overall, Trump’s harsh stereotypical rhetoric has spurred a narrative of defiance in U.S. citizens. They are hearing Trump’s harsh words and outwardly opposing them, choosing inclusivity and love as a response to exclusivity and hatred. Among the more negative responses there were a few stereotypical themes that did come up including language discrimination, allusion to various stereotypes and assumed difference. Though there were some participants that clearly took a dominant decoding of Trump’s rhetoric and are indeed perpetuating his negative stereotypical ideals, the vast majority of participants in the present study showed a great defiance and acceptance for difference, a trend that has clearly arisen in the U.S. as a result of Trump’s campaign and now presidency

Managing Workers Who Are Deaf: A Phenomenological Investigation of Hearing Supervisors

This study examines the experience of hearing managers of Deaf employees in the restaurant sector, specifically as it relates to accommodation and social integration. Deaf workers who use American Sign Language differ from their hearing peers with regard to communication style, language choice, and need for accommodation. Responsibility for social integration and logistical accommodation falls largely on managers, who may be unfamiliar with the needs and capabilities of Deaf workers. The aim of this study is to generate knowledge about the accommodation and social integration experiences of managers with Deaf workers that can benefit those unfamiliar with these phenomena. The literature on employment issues for Deaf populations rarely includes the perspectives of hearing managers who supervise them. Managers are rarely equipped with the tools to help hearing and Deaf team members perform and integrate with others in optimal ways. Research on their experience is thus needed to inform the creation of such tools. Using a phenomenological approach, this study applies stigma theory to frame issues of workplace accommodation and social integration. Hearing managers of various high-volume restaurants (N=6) and their Deaf employees (N=6), participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews. Site observation was also conducted at two of the restaurant locations from which data was collected. Data was analyzed through a systematic coding process, which both identified and compared themes in the experiences of managers and workers. Managers displayed lack of knowledge about accommodation but did make concrete strides to facilitate social integration of Deaf workers. Managers often felt satisfaction with the performance of Deaf workers, though at times managers under-estimated worker abilities. While minimal accommodation did occur regularly at restaurant sites, said accommodations were not considered optimal by Deaf employee participants. Regarding social integration and personal attitudes toward Deaf people, hearing managers reported almost no reluctance or interpersonal tension. Despite minimal access to American Sign Language, Deaf workers expressed positive feelings toward both their managers and their places of employment, echoing, to some degree, the positive nature of the experience articulated by managers. Several expressed preference for different or more frequent accommodations (namely, American Sign Language interpretation), but results indicated few problems with social interaction or personal animosity. Knowledge gained in this study has implications for current and prospective hearing managers, Deaf workers, and social workers/advocates who work in employment support. Managers can learn about accommodation needs and socialization patterns of Deaf workers through the experiences of managers who have been through the process. Deaf workers can gain a better understanding of the perspectives of managers as stakeholders, and service professionals can use information to design educational and supportive resources to help managers make changes and improvements in accommodation and social integration

The Language Learning Activity of Individual Learners Using Online Tasks

This study combines an initial interest in private speech (Flavell 1966; Vygostky 1987; Ohta 2001; Ellis 2003), that is, self-addressed speech, used by individual language learners as they interact with online tasks, with a practice-based concern with the introduction of technology in a new self-access centre at the University of Guanajuato, Mexico. This had been done with little concern for the state of preparedness of learners and practitioners, as is often the case elsewhere (Benson 2001; Donaldson and Haggstrom 2006; Levy 2007; Winke and Goertler 2008). Literature on CALL, autonomy and task-based pedagogy revealed the need for an integrated, broad approach beyond technology itself with a special emphasis on the learning context, sociocultural issues and learner background. Often unexplored, the gap between what teachers plan and what learners do with tasks (Nunan 1989; Coughlan and Duff 1994; Roebuck 2000) began to focus the research efforts on investigating the nature of the language learning activity (Beetham 2007) of individual learners. Following suggestions from various authors from different traditions (e.g., Arnold and Ducate 2011; Lantolf and Poehner 2004; Chapelle 2001; Scanlon and Issroff 2005; Kaptelinin and Nardi 2006), activity theory (Vygotsky 1987; Leontiev 1978; Engeström 1987) was chosen as the most suitable theoretical framework and some of its key concepts, such as disturbances (Engeström and Sannino 2011; see also Montoro and Hampel 2011) and contradictions (Engeström 1987), were used to conduct a two-tiered analysis of empirical data gathered electronically during an online experiment followed by stimulated recall (SR) sessions. Findings include the widespread dependence of learners on private speech, memory and oral instruction and their underuse of learning tools (especially text-based ones such as dictionaries and notes), signalling links to literacy issues to be further explored and the prevalence of orality locally. Future research should explore these literacy issues and practical ways to improve the provision of language learning opportunities

Audiovisual Translation and multimodality: Character (re)design from source to target multimodal text. The Chicano gangster stereotype as a case study

The present work aims to expand the scope of research on audiovisual language and translation by taking into consideration the relationship between the audiovisual text and other modes characterising the audiovisual product. The complexity of this kind of product calls for an analytical framework that makes it possible to deal with multiple modes simultaneously. Although intuitively applicable to qualitative research, this kind of analysis has so far been difficult to achieve in larger corpora. In particular, the main focus of this thesis is character design in movies. A character is a recognizable, stereotyped diegetic device, composed of audiovisual as well as textual elements. Movies rely heavily on stereotyped characters to convey messages to the audience and fulfil a specific communicative function based on a set of shared assumptions. The analysis will take as a case study a selection of American movies released between 1988 and 1993 and dubbed into Italian, featuring the stereotypical character of the Chicano gangster. The methodology is informed by descriptive translation studies and multimodality, as well as corpus-based analysis and translation of fictional nonstandard varieties. A linguistic and historical profiling of the chosen character will serve as a toolkit in the final step, the analysis of the movies. First, the analysis will focus on identifying the linguistic variety spoken by the character, with particular attention to its prestige, with the purpose of understanding the way in which the variety of the source text was re-presented in the target text. This will allow the inference of the type of strategies used by the translators. Subsequently, the relationship between linguistic elements and non-textual elements will be analysed to understand the way that intermodal relationships are built in both texts. This will shed light on the communicative meaning conveyed by the character in the multimodal text, and the way it is preserved or transformed through the audiovisual translation process.The analysis will have an initially quantitative approach, so as to outline a general trend in the character design and re-design within the analysed corpus. The data will then be reviewed and interpreted, in order to understand how specific linguistic choices in a multimodal environment are linked to the linguacultural context that generated them

Quantification and scales in change

This volume contains thematic papers on semantic change which emerged from the second edition of Formal Diachronic Semantics held at Saarland University. Its authorship ranges from established scholars in the field of language change to advanced PhD students whose contributions have equally qualified and have been selected after a two-step peer-review process. The key foci are variablity and diachronic trajectories in scale structures and quantification, but readers will also find a variety of further (and clearly non-disjoint) issues covered including reference, modality, givenness, presuppositions, alternatives in language change, temporality, epistemic indefiniteness, as well as - in more general terms - the interfaces of semantics with syntax, pragmatics and morphology. Given the nature of the field, the contributions are primarily based on original corpus studies (in one case also on synchronic experimental data) and present a series of new findings and theoretical analyses of several languages, first and foremost from the Germanic and Romance subbranches of Indo-European (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish) and from Semitic (with an analysis of universal quantification in Biblical Hebrew)