Phonetic study and text mining of Spanish for English to Spanish translation system

Projecte realitzat en col.laboració amb el centre University of Southern Californi

Magnifying English Language Learners\u27 Success Through Culturally Relevant Teaching and Learning Frameworks: Acknowledging the Multidimensional Implications on Language, Literacy, and Learning

There is a need to amplify the voices of English language learners through authentic language and literacy learning using a multifaceted culturally relevant and responsive teaching and learning framework that encompasses social justice. Specifically, framing the chapter through the lens of the sociocultural theory to better recognize, acknowledge, and understand the influence of culturally relevant learning. Culture plays a crucial role in forming identity and agency, so we must rethink the effect of culturally relevant pedagogy by linking principles of learning to the cultural realities of children, families, and communities on literacy. English language learners require more empowering and engaging pedagogy that actively involves them in learning experiences while developing self-efficacy through varied opportunities for academic and linguistic proficiency development to further support them as global scholars. As such, parallels exist in literacy development across diverse people and cultures, specifically the Mexican American culture and the Native Hawaiian culture

A CLINICAL CASE STUDY EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF BILINGUAL SUPPORT IN SPEECH-LANGUAGE INTERVENTION FOR A CHILD WITH AUTISM

Managing language choice in speech-language intervention is increasingly an issue for speech-pathologists treating bilingual children. Frequently L2 approaches only are implemented, resulting in negative effects on L1 acquisition, familial ties, and cultural transmission. This study examined the impact of a bilingual intervention on a school-aged child and her family. Providing intervention and therapy activities in the L1 resulted in increased parental engagement, increased L1 use by the child, and increased awareness of strategies for treating bilingual children among SLPs at the study site

Women in Artificial intelligence (AI)

This Special Issue, entitled "Women in Artificial Intelligence" includes 17 papers from leading women scientists. The papers cover a broad scope of research areas within Artificial Intelligence, including machine learning, perception, reasoning or planning, among others. The papers have applications to relevant fields, such as human health, finance, or education. It is worth noting that the Issue includes three papers that deal with different aspects of gender bias in Artificial Intelligence. All the papers have a woman as the first author. We can proudly say that these women are from countries worldwide, such as France, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Australia, Bangladesh, Yemen, Romania, India, Cuba, Bangladesh and Spain. In conclusion, apart from its intrinsic scientific value as a Special Issue, combining interesting research works, this Special Issue intends to increase the invisibility of women in AI, showing where they are, what they do, and how they contribute to developments in Artificial Intelligence from their different places, positions, research branches and application fields. We planned to issue this book on the on Ada Lovelace Day (11/10/2022), a date internationally dedicated to the first computer programmer, a woman who had to fight the gender difficulties of her times, in the XIX century. We also thank the publisher for making this possible, thus allowing for this book to become a part of the international activities dedicated to celebrating the value of women in ICT all over the world. With this book, we want to pay homage to all the women that contributed over the years to the field of AI

Phonetic study and text mining of Spanish for English to Spanish translation system

Projecte realitzat en col.laboració amb el centre University of Southern Californi

The impact of video series to teach english pronunciation to spanish speakers living in United State

En este artículo se analiza la situación de los inmigrantes hispanohablantes en Estados Unidos, estudiando las implicaciones de su bajo nivel de inglés incidencia en sus condiciones laborales, sociales y de integración dentro de las comunidades, el análisis se enmarca en la presentación de algunas realidades que sufren este tipo de pobladores por no tener el dominio de la lengua. Como alternativa se propone utilizar los vídeos de YouTube para mejorar su pronunciación, entonación, y los procesos comunicativos que constituyen la fluidez verbal. Se concluye que es necesario tener en cuenta unas consideraciones frente al uso de los vídeos ubicados en YouTube, para generar autoconfianza y autonomía en quienes están aprendiendo la lengua inglesa. El objetivo de este artículo es discutir sobre las restricciones sufridas por los inmigrantes hispanohablantes, en el contexto americano por no tener el dominio de la lengua inglesa. Se presenta una reflexión sobre el papel que cumple el dominio de la lengua estableciendo como alternativa el uso de vídeos en YouTube que le permiten mejorar el conocimiento de este idioma, afianzando su autonomía y motivando aquí mejore su competencia de lengua de forma autodirigida. Se concluye, que es necesario tener en cuenta unos lineamientos frente al uso de los vídeos que se encuentran en YouTube por permitir mejorar la pronunciación, la entonación, evitando así la ininteligibilidad del discurso.This article analyzes the situation of Spanish-speaking immigrants in the United States, studying the implications of their low level of English incidence in their labor, social and integration conditions within the communities, the analysis is framed in the presentation of some realities suffered by this type of settlers for not having the command of the language. As an alternative, it is proposed to use YouTube videos to improve their pronunciation, intonation, and the communicative processes that constitute verbal fluency. It is concluded that it is necessary to take into account some considerations regarding the use of YouTube videos in order to generate self-confidence and autonomy in English language learners. The objective of this article is to discuss the restrictions suffered by Spanish-speaking immigrants in the American context due to their lack of English language proficiency. A reflection on the role of language proficiency is presented, establishing as an alternative the use of YouTube videos that allow them to improve their knowledge of this language, strengthening their autonomy and motivation to improve their English language proficiency in a self-directed way. It is concluded that it is necessary to take into account some guidelines regarding the use of videos found on YouTube to improve pronunciation and intonation, thus avoiding the unintelligibility of the speech

The Effect of Speech Elicitation Method on Second Language Phonemic Accuracy

The present study, a One-Group Posttest-Only Repeated-Measures Design, examined the effect of speech elicitation method on second language (L2) phonemic accuracy of high functional load initial phonemes found in frequently occurring nouns in American English. This effect was further analyzed by including the variable of first language (L1) to determine if L1 moderated any effects found. The data consisted of audio recordings of 61 adult English learners (ELs) enrolled in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses at a large, public, post-secondary institution in the United States. Phonemic accuracy was judged by two independent raters as either approximating a standard American English (SAE) pronunciation of the intended phoneme or not, thus a dichotomous scale, and scores were assigned to each participant in terms of the three speech elicitation methods of word reading, word repetition, and picture naming. Results from a repeated measures ANOVA test revealed a statistically significant difference in phonemic accuracy (F(1.47, 87.93) = 25.94, p = .000) based on speech elicitation method, while the two-factor mixed design ANOVA test indicated no statistically significant differences for the moderator variable of native language. However, post-hoc analyses revealed that mean scores of picture naming tasks differed significantly from the other two elicitation methods of word reading and word repetition. Moreover, the results of this study should heighten attention to the role that various speech elicitation methods, or input modalities, might play on L2 productive accuracy. Implications for practical application suggest that caution should be used when utilizing pictures to elicit specific vocabulary words–even high-frequency words–as they might result in erroneous productions or no utterance at all. These methods could inform pronunciation instructors about best teaching practices when pronunciation accuracy is the objective. Finally, the impact of L1 on L2 pronunciation accuracy might not be as important as once thought

Construct validation of a language inventory

Language is the all-encompassing term used in many places and having various denotations. For this reason language has uses, too. Oral language is used as a principal factor to determine cultural disadvantage and is the primary medium of instruction in the school setting. Language operates as the intangible aspect in measurements of intelligence. The term \u27language development\u27 is used whenever one refers to the merits of federally funded preschool projects and is accepted without definition while the counter term \u27linguistics\u27 brings confusion in the mind of many classroom teachers and administrators. Commercial materials carry the label linguistic method or a language development program for a specific population. For educators \u27language\u27 is a loose, all powerful term which needs to be limited in meaning to a specific set of principles

Effects of Narrative Video Script Advance Organizer Strategies Used to Introduce Video in the Foreign Language Classroom

This study compared participant comprehension of content in foreign language videos using 2 different advance organizer (AO) strategies. The students were 50 college students enrolled in 3 sections of an intermediate-level Spanish course at the United States Air Force Academy. In the collaborative group reading condition (AOg), students read a target language narrative video script aloud in small groups. Students then watched the video corresponding to the script they had read and took a 10-question English only multiple choice test. In the quiet individual reading condition (AOq), students read the same narrative video script quietly before watching the same video and taking the same test. In the control group condition, students did not have access to the narrative video script AO before watching the same video and taking the same test. Over the 3 day study, all students participated in each of the 3 conditions. Results indicated that student scores were slightly better in the AOg condition than in the AOq condition. Student scores were significantly higher in the AOg and AOq conditions, when compared to control group scores. The researcher concluded that the narrative video script AO strategies utilized in this study increased target language video comprehension in participants, particularly when used in a collaborative group reading environment

Early and Late Spanish-English Bilingual Adults' Perception of American English Vowels

Increasing numbers of Hispanic immigrants are entering the US (US Census Bureau, 2011) and are learning American English (AE) as a second language (L2). Many may experience difficulty in understanding AE. Accurate perception of AE vowels is important because vowels carry a large part of the speech signal (Kewley-Port, Burkle, & Lee, 2007). The relationship between native language and L2 vowel inventories causes some vowels to be more difficult to perceive accurately than others (Best & Tyler, 2007). The present study examined the patterns with which early and late Spanish-English bilingual adults assimilate AE vowels to their native vowel inventory and the accuracy with which they discriminate and identify the vowels. Early bilingual listeners demonstrated similar perceptual assimilation patterns to late bilingual listeners, but judged AE vowels as less Spanish sounding than did late learners. Additionally, discrimination and identification accuracy of L2 vowels improved with early age of L2 acquisition. However, early bilingual listeners’ vowel perception was not native-like. Certain AE vowels (/ʌ/, /ɑ/ and /æ/) were difficult to discriminate and identify. Perceptual assimilation patterns predicted categorial discrimination accuracy, an outcome posited by the Perceptual Assimilation Model-L2 (Best & Tyler, 1997)