Automatic prediction of emotions from text in Spanish for expressive speech synthesis in the chat domain

This paper describes a module for the prediction of emotions in text chats in Spanish, oriented to its use in specific-domain text-to-speech systems. A general overview of the system is given, and the results of some evaluations carried out with two corpora of real chat messages are described. These results seem to indicate that this system offers a performance similar to other systems described in the literature, for a more complex task than other systems (identification of emotions and emotional intensity in the chat domain).

Diversity for Texts Builds in Language L(MT) II: Indexes Based in Abundances

One saw previously that indications of diversity IT and the one of Shannon permits to characterize globally by only one number one fundamental aspects of the text structure. However a more precise knowledge of this structure requires specific abundance distributions and the use, to represent this one, of a suitable mathematical model. Among the numerous models that would be either susceptible to be proposed, the only one that present a real convenient interest are simplest. One will limit itself to study applied three of it to the language L(MT): the log-linear, the log-normal and Mac Arthur's models very used for the calculation of the diversity of the species of ecosystems, and used, we believe that for the first time, in the calculation of the diversity of a text written in a certain language, in our case L(MT). One will show advantages and inconveniences of each of these model types, methods permitting to adjust them to text data and in short tests that permit to decide if this adjustment is acceptable.

Processos metafóricos no desenvolvimento da escrita em aprendentes chineses de PLE

Esta é uma investigação em linguística aplicada que, ao procurar perceber melhor o modo como o processo de aprendizagem do aprendente chinês de português como língua estrangeira(PLE)pode ser afetado pela aquisição do significado metafórico, assume um pendor linguístico, não deixando de se situar no âmago do ato pedagógico. Admitindo a hipótese da existência de uma correlação positiva entre a frequência do uso da metáfora gramatical e o nível de proficiência dos aprendentes na expressão escrita, esta dissertação pretende aprofundar a compreensão dos mecanismos de aquisição do Português por aprendentes (PLE/PL2) que têm como língua materna o Chinês, designadamente os que se prendem com a aquisição de processos metafóricos. Neste estudo, teremos como referência a teorização sobre o significado metafórico proposto por Halliday (1985, 1994, 2004). A ocorrência de metáforas gramaticais foi escrutinada emdois manuais de ensino de PLE concebidos para os níveis A2 e B1 do QECR, de forma a poder identificar, qualitativa e quantitativamente, os padrões textuais metafóricos com que os aprendentes têm que lidar nestes momentos específicos do processo de aprendizagem. Para compreender a produção escrita de pendor metafórico dos aprendentes, é realizada análise sistemática de amostras da expressão escrita de alunos de PLE chineses dos mesmos dois níveis, constantes no Corpus de Português Língua Estrangeira/Língua Segunda, COPLE2. Do confronto dos dados dos dois planos de análise, foi possível confirmar que a transição entre os dois níveis subsequentes escolhidos (A2 e B1) representa uma mudança crucial no padrão metafórico, quer dos textos propostos aos aprendentes, quer dos textos por estes produzidos, mudança esta que pode explicar alguns dos bloqueios de aprendizagem associados ao nível B1 e seguintes. Foi possível, entre outros aspetos, identificar a primazia da metáfora ideacional na acomodação da expressão metafórica, compreender como o aprendente evita o recurso metafórico, tornando a sua escrita menos abstrata e densa, como o aprendente aborda a metáfora interpessoal, restringindo o seu uso a géneros discursivos muito específicos. Sendo, embora, um estudo exploratório, permite confirmar que esta linha de investigação oferece dados inestimáveis aos professores de PLE e agentes de ensino, em geral.

Comparative Analysis of Existing Guidelines for Gender-Fair Language within the ITN LCG Network. ITN-LCG, Workpackage B: Report on Milestone 1

Guidelines for a gender-fair use of the languages represented in the ITN LCG network were analyzed comparatively for specific criteria. All institutional or governmental guidelines aim at attenuating male-biased representations that are brought about by certain grammatical structures of the respective language. These guidelines primarily focus on the use of masculine forms as generics because they reduce the visibility of women in language. The comparison shows that guidelines for English, a language without grammatical gender, emphasize neutralization as a means of referring to both sexes. This differs from grammatical gender languages, such as German and Italian, in which feminine-masculine word-pairs are recommended in order to avoid the masculine bias. The guidelines all aim to promote the formulation of comprehensive and readable texts that are free of discrimination.

The Impact of Language Opacity and Proficiency on Reading Strategies in Bilinguals: An Eye Movement Study

Reading strategies vary across languages according to orthographic depth - the complexity of the grapheme in relation to phoneme conversion rules - notably at the level of eye movement patterns. We recently demonstrated that a group of early bilinguals, who learned both languages equally under the age of seven, presented a first fixation location (FFL) closer to the beginning of words when reading in German as compared with French. Since German is known to be orthographically more transparent than French, this suggested that different strategies were being engaged depending on the orthographic depth of the used language. Opaque languages induce a global reading strategy, and transparent languages force a local/serial strategy. Thus, pseudo-words were processed using a local strategy in both languages, suggesting that the link between word forms and their lexical representation may also play a role in selecting a specific strategy. In order to test whether corresponding effects appear in late bilinguals with low proficiency in their second language (L2), we present a new study in which we recorded eye movements while two groups of late German-French and French-German bilinguals read aloud isolated French and German words and pseudo-words. Since, a transparent reading strategy is local and serial, with a high number of fixations per stimuli, and the level of the bilingual participants' L2 is low, the impact of language opacity should be observed in L1. We therefore predicted a global reading strategy if the bilinguals' L1 was French (FFL close to the middle of the stimuli with fewer fixations per stimuli) and a local and serial reading strategy if it was German. Thus, the L2 of each group, as well as pseudo-words, should also require a local and serial reading strategy. Our results confirmed these hypotheses, suggesting that global word processing is only achieved by bilinguals with an opaque L1 when reading in an opaque language; the low level in the L2 gives way to a local and serial reading strategy. These findings stress the fact that reading behavior is influenced not only by the linguistic mode but also by top-down factors, such as readers' proficiency.

SPECTRAL DOMAIN-OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IMAGE CONTRAST AND BACKGROUND COLOR SETTINGS INFLUENCE IDENTIFICATION OF RETINAL STRUCTURES.

PURPOSE To evaluate image contrast and color setting on assessment of retinal structures and morphology in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. METHODS Two hundred and forty-eight Spectralis spectral-domain optical coherence tomography B-scans of 62 patients were analyzed by 4 readers. B-scans were extracted in 4 settings: W + N = white background with black image at normal contrast 9; W + H = white background with black image at maximum contrast 16; B + N = black background with white image at normal contrast 12; B + H = black background with white image at maximum contrast 16. Readers analyzed the images to identify morphologic features. Interreader correlation was calculated. Differences between Fleiss-kappa correlation coefficients were examined using bootstrap method. Any setting with significantly higher correlation coefficient was deemed superior for evaluating specific features. RESULTS Correlation coefficients differed among settings. No single setting was superior for all respective spectral-domain optical coherence tomography parameters (P = 0.3773). Some variables showed no differences among settings. Hard exudates and subretinal fluid were best seen with B + H (κ = 0.46, P = 0.0237 and κ = 0.78, P = 0.002). Microaneurysms were best seen with W + N (κ = 0.56, P = 0.025). Vitreomacular interface, enhanced transmission signal, and epiretinal membrane were best identified using all color/contrast settings together (κ = 0.44, P = 0.042, κ = 0.57, P = 0.01, and κ = 0.62, P ≤ 0.0001). CONCLUSION Contrast and background affect the evaluation of retinal structures on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography images. No single setting was superior for all features, though certain changes were best seen with specific settings.

Language minority, illiteracy, and voting data used in making determinations for the Voting rights act amendments of 1975 (Public law 94-73).

Item 142-C

Rear view of old museum, now Romance Language

William L. Jenney, architect. Originally University Museum, built 1880-1881. Roof replaced 1894. Museum moved in 1928. Housed Department of Romance Languages after 1928. Building razed in 1958. On verso: Photographed in 1887 by A.L. Colton of '89

Romance Language Bldg.

William L. Jenney, architect. Originally University Museum, built 1880-1881. Roof replaced 1894. Museum moved in 1928. Housed Department of Romance Languages after 1928. Building razed in 1958.

The language of flowers with illustrative poetry : to which are now first added the calendar of flowers, and the dial of flowers.

Probably based on "Le langage des fleurs" by Mme. Louise Cortambert, who wrote under the pseudonym "Charlotte de Latour."

The right of language minority students to a fair shot at a high school diploma : a legal analysis /

"September 1983."

Resources in bilingual education : a preliminary guide to government agency programs of interest to minority language groups.

"This publication was issued by the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education pursuant to a contract awarded to InterAmerica Research Associates by the National Institute of Education in cooperation with the Office of Bilingual Education, Department of Health, Education and Welfare."

Language characteristics and academic achievement : a look at Asian and Hispanic eighth graders in NELS:88 /

"NCES 92-479."

Differential educational attainment among "at-risk" youth : a case study of language minority youth of Mexican descent and low socioeconomic status /

"August 1982."

Discourse-sensitive measurement of language development in bilingual children /

Mode of access: Internet.