A study on reusing resources of speech synthesis for closely-related languages

This thesis describes research on building a text-to-speech (TTS) framework that can accommodate the lack of linguistic information of under-resource languages by using existing resources from another language. It describes the adaptation process required when such limited resource is used. The main natural languages involved in this research are Malay and Iban language. The thesis includes a study on grapheme to phoneme mapping and the substitution of phonemes. A set of substitution matrices is presented which show the phoneme confusion in term of perception among respondents. The experiments conducted study the intelligibility as well as perception based on context of utterances. The study on the phonetic prosody is then presented and compared to the Klatt duration model. This is to find the similarities of cross language duration model if one exists. Then a comparative study of Iban native speaker with an Iban polyglot TTS using Malay resources is presented. This is to confirm that the prosody of Malay can be used to generate Iban synthesised speech. The central hypothesis of this thesis is that by using a closely-related language resource, a natural sounding speech can be produced. The aim of this research was to show that by sticking to the indigenous language characteristics, it is possible to build a polyglot synthesised speech system even with insufficient speech resources

Pengembangan Model Berbasis Ordinary Least Square untuk Prediksi Pengaruh Usabilitas Aplikasi iPusnas Terhadap Loyalitas Penggunanya

iPusnas is a digital library application owned by the National Library of Indonesia that provides free e-book lending services for all Indonesian people. This application requires an evaluation to find out how useful it is for users. In addition, many sources of information can be accessed by the public; further research is needed to determine the loyalty of iPusnas users. This research is a quantitative descriptive study with a regression approach carried out on 384 users. The measurement of usability level uses indicators of Effectiveness, Efficiency, Satisfaction, and Learnability by calculating the percentage. The development of the predictor model uses Ordinary Least Square (OLS) Estimation based on Linear Regression. Based on field data analysis, the usability level of the application is 73.66%, while the level of loyalty to its use is 56.26%. This data shows a correlation coefficient of 0.038; it offers a strong influence and has a linear direction. The OLS-based estimation method produces a predictor model equation of Y = 2.833 + 0.05X with a significance level of 0.000. The coefficient confirms the field findings that the usefulness of the iPusnas application will affect user loyalty in utilizing the application as a source of information.iPusnas adalah aplikasi perpustakaan digital milik Perpustakaan Nasional RI yang menyediakan layanan peminjaman e-book gratis untuk seluruh masyarakat Indonesia. Aplikasi ini memerlukan evaluasi untuk mengetahui seberapa bermanfaatnya aplikasi bagi pengguna. Selain itu, banyak sumber informasi yang dapat diakses oleh masyarakat dan memerlukan penelitian lebih lanjut untuk mengetahui loyalitas pengguna iPusnas. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif kuantitatif dengan pendekatan regresi yang dilakukan terhadap 384 pengguna aplikasi iPusnas. Pengukuran tingkat usabilitas aplikasi menggunakan indikator efektivitas, efisiensi, kepuasan, dan learnability dengan menghitung persentase. Pengembangan model prediktor menggunakan metode Ordinary Least Square (OLS) berbasis regresi linier. Berdasarkan analisis data lapangan, tingkat usabilitas aplikasi sebesar 73,66%, sedangkan tingkat loyalitas penggunaannya sebesar 56,26%. Data ini menunjukkan nilai koefisien korelasi sebesar 0,038; nilai ini menunjukkan pengaruh yang kuat dan memiliki arah linier. Metode estimasi berbasis OLS menghasilkan persamaan model prediktor Y = 2,833 + 0,05X dengan tingkat signifikansi 0,000. Koefisien ini menegaskan temuan lapangan bahwa kegunaan aplikasi iPusnas akan mempengaruhi loyalitas pengguna dalam memanfaatkan aplikasi ini sebagai sumber informasi

Prosodic boundary phenomena

Synopsis: In spoken language comprehension, the hearer is faced with a more or less continuous stream of auditory information. Prosodic cues, such as pitch movement, pre-boundary lengthening, and pauses, incrementally help to organize the incoming stream of information into prosodic phrases, which often coincide with syntactic units. Prosody is hence central to spoken language comprehension and some models assume that the speaker produces prosody in a consistent and hierarchical fashion. While there is manifold empirical evidence that prosodic boundary cues are reliably and robustly produced and effectively guide spoken sentence comprehension across different populations and languages, the underlying mechanisms and the nature of the prosody-syntax interface still have not been identified sufficiently. This is also reflected in the fact that most models on sentence processing completely lack prosodic information. This edited book volume is grounded in a workshop that was held in 2021 at the annual conference of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sprachwissenschaft (DGfS). The five chapters cover selected topics on the production and comprehension of prosodic cues in various populations and languages, all focusing in particular on processing of prosody at structurally relevant prosodic boundaries. Specifically, the book comprises cross-linguistic evidence as well as evidence from non-native listeners, infants, adults, and elderly speakers, highlighting the important role of prosody in both language production and comprehension

Coordination and timing of speech gestures in Parkinson’s disease

Many individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience articulatory difficulties, which often have a considerable impact on their quality of life. It is currently poorly understood which mechanisms underlie these articulatory difficulties. In order to learn more about these mechanisms, this dissertation examined the coordination and timing of speech gestures in PD speech. Both these aspects are intrinsic to articulation, but at current it is unknown how they relate to the articulatory difficulties observed in PD speech. The studies in this dissertation address this issue using state-of-the-art methods. In the first study of this thesis, the effect of levodopa on vowel articulation in PD was examined. The results from this study suggest that articulation of vowels is not influenced by levodopa. In the following two studies, spatial and temporal aspects of speech gestures have been examined. The results from these studies suggest that the timing of speech gestures, and also the coupling between speech gestures is impaired in PD. In the final study of this dissertation, the prevalence and nature of tongue tremor in individuals with PD were investigated. Using a computer algorithm, we found different types of tongue tremor in our data, which we believe may affect the timing of speech gestures. Together, the studies in this dissertation show that coordination and timing are indeed impaired in the speech of (at least some) individuals with PD. We believe that this impairment may be caused by the presence of malfunctioning regulatory mechanisms in PD speech

Methods in Contemporary Linguistics

The present volume is a broad overview of methods and methodologies in linguistics, illustrated with examples from concrete research. It collects insights gained from a broad range of linguistic sub-disciplines, ranging from core disciplines to topics in cross-linguistic and language-internal diversity or to contributions towards language, space and society. Given its critical and innovative nature, the volume is a valuable source for students and researchers of a broad range of linguistic interests

Methods in Contemporary Linguistics

The present volume is a broad overview of methods and methodologies in linguistics, illustrated with examples from concrete research. It collects insights gained from a broad range of linguistic sub-disciplines, ranging from core disciplines to topics in cross-linguistic and language-internal diversity or to contributions towards language, space and society. Given its critical and innovative nature, the volume is a valuable source for students and researchers of a broad range of linguistic interests

Methods in Contemporary Linguistics

The present volume is a broad overview of methods and methodologies in linguistics, illustrated with examples from concrete research. It collects insights gained from a broad range of linguistic sub-disciplines, ranging from core disciplines to topics in cross-linguistic and language-internal diversity or to contributions towards language, space and society. Given its critical and innovative nature, the volume is a valuable source for students and researchers of a broad range of linguistic interests