Chapter 1

Question 1

Definition Linguistic Dictionary

Answer 1

„Natural human language is a phenomenon typically human and at the same time a social phenomenon; it is the primary system of signs, a tool for thought and action and the most important means of communication.“ (translated from German)

Question 2

What is speech?

Answer 2

Spoken language (speech)

Question 3

What is language?

Answer 3

Written language (language)

Question 4

Semiotic triangle:

Answer 4

Triade with three correlates:
▪ Sign vehicle (repräsentamen, symbol)
▪ Meaning (interpretant, thought or reference)
▪ Object of reference (object, referent)

Question 5

Information vs. Meaning

Answer 5

▪ Information: Conventionalized and institutionalized code

▪ Meaning: Evoked concepts, terms and notions

Question 6

System vs. Realization:

Answer 6

▪ Speech as a system (langue)

▪ Realization of speech acts (parole)

Question 7

Forms of representation:

Answer 7

▪ Spoken language (speech)

▪ Written language (language)

Question 8

Speech signals vs. speech sounds:

Answer 8

▪ Speech signals: variation of an electrical or acoustic variable over time
▪ Speech sounds: Auditory events provoked by speech

Question 9

Linguistic units:

Answer 9

▪ Sound: Segment (or class of similar segments) into which an utterance can be decomposed auditorily (Lewandowski, 1994)
▪ Phoneme: Smallest distinctive (with respect to meaning) unit of a language, does not carry meaning in itself, e.g. /b/ in bit and /p/ in pit.
▪ Morpheme: Smallest unit carrying meaning in a language

Question 10

Relation between linguistic units:

Answer 10

▪ Syntax: Relationship between the signs themselves
▪ Semantics: Relationship between the signs and the item thus signified ▪ Pragmatics: Relationship between the sign and its “user”

Question 11

Prosody:

Answer 11

Aspects:
	▪ Quantity
	▪ Intensity or accentuation
	▪ Intonation
Acoustic correlates:
	▪ Duration
	▪ Amplitude
	▪ Fundamental frequency

Question 12

Applications 2

Answer 12

1 Interpersonal speech communication mediated by technology

2 Human-machine interaction via the telephone channel

Question 13

Speech signal processing in a terminal device:

Answer 13

Speech ( ← Noise) → A/D → (* Echo comensation ) → Noise Reduction → Speechcoding
Speechdecoding → Signal Enhancement → A/D

Question 14

Speech used in human-machine communication:

Answer 14

▪ The most important medium of human communication
▪ Intuitive and natural
▪ Does not require special knowledge or learning efforts
▪ Applicable in hands-busy-eyes-busy situations
▪ Especially eligible for the visually handicapped or users who are not sufficiently mobile
▪ Employable independent from location (i.e. per telephone)

Question 15

Sprachdialogsystem:

Answer 15

Speech Recognition → Speechunderstanding → Dialogue Management → Answer Generation → Speech Synthesis

Question 16

Communication Modell following Shannon and Weaver (1949):

Answer 16

information Source → Sender -Signal→ Channel (← Noise Source)
-Signal→ Receiver → information sink

Question 17

Extended model following Heute (1990):

Answer 17

Brain -Information→ Vocal Tract -Composure of vocal tract Spatial code→ 1. Modulation: Articulation( ← Air current as carrier ) -Soundwave→ 2. Modulation: Microphone -Electrical signal→ 3. Modulation: Transmission ( ← Noise ) → Demodulatiom: Loudspeaker -Soundwave→ Ear → Nerve pulse → Brain

Question 18

Influence factors:

Answer 18

▪ (Speaking) behaviour of the human interlocutor
▪ (Speaking) behaviour of the machine interlocutor
▪ Characteristics of the transmission channel
▪ Communication situation, goal ot the interaction, motivation,
experiences, etc.

Question 19

Possible disturbances:

Answer 19

▪ Transmission channel, e.g. background noise, circuit noise, echoes, packet loss, delays, etc.
▪ Speech production
▪ Speech reception
▪ No common system of signs