The listening talker: A review of human and algorithmic context-induced modifications of speech

International audienceSpeech output technology is finding widespread application, including in scenarios where intelligibility might be compromised - at least for some listeners - by adverse conditions. Unlike most current algorithms, talkers continually adapt their speech patterns as a response to the immediate context of spoken communication, where the type of interlocutor and the environment are the dominant situational factors influencing speech production. Observations of talker behaviour can motivate the design of more robust speech output algorithms. Starting with a listener-oriented categorisation of possible goals for speech modification, this review article summarises the extensive set of behavioural findings related to human speech modification, identifies which factors appear to be beneficial, and goes on to examine previous computational attempts to improve intelligibility in noise. The review concludes by tabulating 46 speech modifications, many of which have yet to be perceptually or algorithmically evaluated. Consequently, the review provides a roadmap for future work in improving the robustness of speech output

Trends and Challenges of Text-to-Image Generation: Sustainability Perspective

Text-to-image generation is a rapidly growing field that aims to generate images from textual descriptions. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the latest trends and developments, highlighting their importance and relevance in various domains, such as art, photography, marketing, and learning. The paper describes and compares various text-to-image models and discusses the challenges and limitations of this field. The findings of this paper demonstrate that recent advancements in deep learning and computer vision have led to significant progress in text-to-image models, enabling them to generate high-quality images from textual descriptions. However, challenges such as ensuring the legality and ethical implications of the final products generated by these models need to be addressed. This paper provides insights into these challenges and suggests future directions for this field. In addition, this study emphasises the need for a sustainability-oriented approach in the text-to-image domain. As text-to-image models advance, it is crucial to conscientiously assess their impact on ecological, cultural, and societal dimensions. Prioritising ethical model use while being mindful of their carbon footprint and potential effects on human creativity becomes crucial for sustainable progress

Resonances: The sound of performance

It is a hot summer night in August 2013, as the audience gathers near the entrance of the large Gray Hall at the south side of the former coal mine Göttelborn (Germany). The sun has set, and there is only the gray light of dusk in the performance space inside, streaming through the large glass façade, falling onto a small array of stones laid out on the floor. Additional light from a video projector streams over the stones, and a tiny figure of a dancer is seen crawling over rocks, moving in the strange, a-syncopated rhythm of jump cuts. Slowly the sound of rocks scratching against a stone surface begins to be heard, it will remain the only sound for a while, then Japanese instrumentalist Emi Watanabe steps into the empty space with her flute

Semiotika “treće snage”: MOST i performativna i vizualna dimenzija političkog života u postizbornom razdoblju u Hrvatskoj 2015. godine

The present paper analyzes the media representation of the idea of the “third force” in politics. The research focuses on how the notion is being staged and visualized in order to create the impression of a new and fresh agent in the race for power. The case of MOST, a political coalition which gained importance in the 2015 Croatian parliamentary election, seems particularly important and adequate for the purpose. I do not discuss programs, political aims or visions of the main political parties. Rather, I propose a semiotic analysis of public communication. Attention will be paid to performative aspects of television broadcasts, organization of the space where negotiations were held, visual relations between political actors. The broadcasts, and the broadly taken space of public contact, will be treated as a stage, and actions taking place on such a stage as a political drama, with a screenplay which may be, but is not necessarily, conscious and planned. When seen from this perspective, the focus of interest does not lie on the purposeful layout of seating in a meeting or a public communique, but on unconscious cultural patterns which have a great impact on our decisions, choices, and perceptions. Ultimately, the electoral success of MOST was related not only to its program, but also–or maybe mostly – to its performative policy and its consistent positioning as a new actor in the political field.U ovom se članku analizira medijski prikaz pojma “treće snage” u području politike. Rad se bavi načinom na koji se pojam “treće snage” uprizoruje i vizualizira s ciljem stvaranja dojma o novosti i svježini agensa u utrci za moći. Slučaj Mosta, političke koalicije koja je dobila na važnosti na parlamentarnim izborima u Hrvatskoj 2015. godine, čini se posebno važnim i adekvatnim za navedenu analizu. U radu ne raspravljam o programima, političkim ciljevima ili vizijama glavnih političkih stranaka, nego dajem semiotičku analizu javne komunikacije. Posebno se bavim performativnim aspektima televizijskih emisija, organizacijom prostora gdje su se održavali pregovori i vizualnim odnosima među političkim dionicima. Televizijske emisije i čitav širi prostor javnog kontakta sagledat ću kao pozornicu, a djelovanja na tako shvaćenoj pozornici kao političku predstavu utemeljenu na scenariju koji može biti, ali nije nužno, svjestan i planiran. Iz navedene perspektive najzanimljivijim se ne čine planirani rasporedi prostora na sastanku ili u javnom obraćanju, nego nesvjesni kulturni obrasci koji imaju velik utjecaj na naše odluke, izbore i percepciju. Zaključno tvrdim da izborni uspjeh Mosta nije bio vezan isključivo uz njegov program nego i uz – ili ponajviše uz – njegovu performativnu politiku i konzistentno pozicioniranje kao novog igrača u političkom prostoru

Papers published in ARIPUC 1-20, 1966-1986

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Lessons to be Learned from Bimodal Bilingualism

This article presents a selective overview of topics related to the language experience of early bimodal bilinguals - individuals who are raised from an early age using two languages from two different modalities, typically spoken (or written) and signed. We show that deaf and hearing bimodal bilinguals may display patterns of bilingualism that are similar to unimodal bilinguals in some ways, such as the use of both languages in a single situation or even a single utterance. Nevertheless, there are also differences between bimodal and unimodal bilinguals, and differences among different subgroups of bimodal bilinguals, given large variation in relative access to the dominant and minority language(s) in their environment and their differential experiences in schooling and interactions with potential interlocutors. Moreover, we review studies discussing potential advantages of the sign modality and advantages of bilingualism in this population. We hope to highlight the importance of considering children’s overall language experience, including the age(s) at which they are exposed to each of their languages, the richness of their experiences with each of the languages, and the ways that the language-learning experience may contribute to the child’s linguistic and cognitive development