Memorias de investigación
Ponencias en congresos:
Generating segmental foreign accent
Año:2014
Áreas de investigación
  • Tecnología electrónica y de las comunicaciones,
  • Ingeniería eléctrica, electrónica y automática
Datos
Descripción
For most of us, speaking in a non-native language involves deviating to some extent from native pronunciation norms. However, the detailed basis for foreign accent (FA) remains elusive, in part due to methodological challenges in isolating segmental from suprasegmental factors. The current study examines the role of segmental features in conveying FA through the use of a generative approach in which accent is localised to single consonantal segments. Three techniques are evaluated: the first requires a highly-proficiency bilingual to produce words with isolated accented segments; the second uses cross-splicing of context-dependent consonants from the non-native language into native words; the third employs hidden Markov model synthesis to blend voice models for both languages. Using English and Spanish as the native/non-native languages respectively, listener cohorts from both languages identified words and rated their degree of FA. All techniques were capable of generating accented words, but to differing degrees. Naturally-produced speech led to the strongest FA ratings and synthetic speech the weakest, which we interpret as the outcome of over-smoothing. Nevertheless, the flexibility offered by synthesising localised accent encourages further development of the method.
Internacional
Si
Nombre congreso
15th Annual Conference of the International Speech Communication Association. Interspeech 2014
Tipo de participación
960
Lugar del congreso
Singapore
Revisores
Si
ISBN o ISSN
978-1-63439-435-2
DOI
Fecha inicio congreso
14/09/2014
Fecha fin congreso
18/09/2014
Desde la página
1302
Hasta la página
1306
Título de las actas
Proceedings Interspeech 2014
Esta actividad pertenece a memorias de investigación
Participantes
  • Autor: María Luisa García Lecumberri Language and Speech Laboratory, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain
  • Autor: Roberto Barra Chicote UPM
  • Autor: Rubén Pérez Ramon Language and Speech Laboratory, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain
  • Autor: Junichi Yamagishi Center for Speech Technology Research, University of Edinburgh, UK and National Institute of Informatics, Japan
  • Autor: Martin Cooke Ikerbasque (Basque Foundation for Science), Bilbao, Spain and Language and Speech Laboratory, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain
Grupos de investigación, Departamentos, Centros e Institutos de I+D+i relacionados
  • Creador: Grupo de Investigación: Grupo de Tecnología del Habla
  • Departamento: Ingeniería Electrónica