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DEVELOPMENT OF VISUAL, LINGUISTICALLY CONTROLLED TEACHING MATERIALS IN THE AREA OF ENGLISH SYNTAX TO FACILITATE ACQUISITION OF ENGLISH COMMUNICATION BY DEAF AND HARD-OF- HEARING STUDENTS

Award Information
Agency: Department of Education
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 14616
Amount: $202,463.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1992
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
540 Edgewater Dr
Wakefield, MA 01880
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Dr Mark Stell
 Project Engineer
 () -
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS THE REQUIREMENT OF VISUAL, LINGUISTICALLY CONTROLLED TEACHING MATERIALS FOR THE PURPOSEOF TEACHING ENGLISH COMMUNICATION TO DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING STUDENTS. TWO ISSUES ADDRESSED ARE THE LABOR-INTENSIVE NATURE OF THIS TEACHING TASK, AND THE LACK OF IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK TO THE STUDENT CAUSED BY THE INABILITYTO HEAR HIS/HER OWN SPEECH. SYNETICS PROPOSED SOLUTION IS THE TALK TO ME COMPUTER WHICH WOULD COMBINE THE TECHNOLOGIES OF AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION AND ADVANCED GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACES (GUI). THE PROPOSED SYSTEM WOULD PRESENT THE USER WITH A MULTI-COLOR SCREEN AND PROMPT FOR THE USER TO SPEAK A PHONEME, WORD, OR PHRASE. THE SPEECH RECOGNITION HARDWARE ANALYZES AND SCORES THE UTTERANCE. THE USER IS GIVEN VISUALFEEDBACK AS TO HOW WELL THE UTTERANCE WAS SPOKEN AND HOW TO CORRECT THE UTTERANCE BY PROPER PLACEMENT OF THE TONGUE AND LIPS. FUTURE EXTENSIONS OF THE USER FEEDBACK MIGHT ALSOINCLUDE PITCH, LOUDNESS, SPEECH TIMING, AND WAVEFORM IMAGES OF THE SPOKEN PHRASE. THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS THE REQUIREMENT OF VISUAL, LINGUISTICALLY CONTROLLED TEACHING MATERIALS FOR THE PURPOSEOF TEACHING ENGLISH COMMUNICATION TO DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING STUDENTS. TWO ISSUES ADDRESSED ARE THE LABOR-INTENSIVE NATURE OF THIS TEACHING TASK, AND THE LACK OF IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK TO THE STUDENT CAUSED BY THE INABILITYTO HEAR HIS/HER OWN SPEECH. SYNETICS PROPOSED SOLUTION IS THE TALK TO ME COMPUTER WHICH WOULD COMBINE THE TECHNOLOGIES OF AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION AND ADVANCED GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACES (GUI). THE PROPOSED SYSTEM WOULD PRESENT THE USER WITH A MULTI-COLOR SCREEN AND PROMPT FOR THE USER TO SPEAK A PHONEME, WORD, OR PHRASE. THE SPEECH RECOGNITION HARDWARE ANALYZES AND SCORES THE UTTERANCE. THE USER IS GIVEN VISUALFEEDBACK AS TO HOW WELL THE UTTERANCE WAS SPOKEN AND HOW TO CORRECT THE UTTERANCE BY PROPER PLACEMENT OF THE TONGUE AND LIPS. FUTURE EXTENSIONS OF THE USER FEEDBACK MIGHT ALSOINCLUDE PITCH, LOUDNESS, SPEECH TIMING, AND WAVEFORM IMAGES OF THE SPOKEN PHRASE.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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