The volume addresses issues concerning prosody generation in speech synthesis, including prosody modeling, how we can convey para- and non-linguistic information in speech synthesis, and prosody control in speech synthesis (including prosody conversions). A high level of quality has already been achieved in speech synthesis by using selection-based methods with segments of human speech. Although the method enables synthetic speech with various voice qualities and speaking styles, it requires large speech corpora with targeted quality and style. Accordingly, speech conversion techniques are now of growing interest among researchers. HMM/GMM-based methods are widely used, but entail several major problems when viewed from the prosody perspective; prosodic features cover a wider time span than segmental features and their frame-by-frame processing is not always appropriate. The book offers a good overview of state-of-the-art studies on prosody in speech synthesis.

This book presents a collection of papers from the Spring 1995 Work shop on Computational Approaches to Processing the Prosody of Spon taneous Speech, hosted by the ATR Interpreting Telecommunications Re search Laboratories in Kyoto, Japan. The workshop brought together lead ing researchers in the fields of speech and signal processing, electrical en gineering, psychology, and linguistics, to discuss aspects of spontaneous speech prosody and to suggest approaches to its computational analysis and modelling. The book is divided into four sections. Part I gives an overview and theoretical background to the nature of spontaneous speech, differentiating it from the lab-speech that has been the focus of so many earlier analyses. Part II focuses on the prosodic features of discourse and the structure of the spoken message, Part ilIon the generation and modelling of prosody for computer speech synthesis. Part IV discusses how prosodic information can be used in the context of automatic speech recognition. Each section of the book starts with an invited overview paper to situate the chapters in the context of current research. We feel that this collection of papers offers interesting insights into the scope and nature of the problems concerned with the computational analysis and modelling of real spontaneous speech, and expect that these works will not only form the basis of further developments in each field but also merge to form an integrated computational model of prosody for a better understanding of human processing of the complex interactions of the speech chain.

An introduction to the the range of current theoretical approaches to the prosody of spoken utterances, with practical applications of those theories. Prosody is an extremely dynamic field, with a rapid pace of theoretical development and a steady expansion of its influence beyond linguistics into such areas as cognitive psychology, neuroscience, computer science, speech technology, and even the medical profession. This book provides a set of concise and accessible introductions to each major theoretical approach to prosody, describing its structure and implementation and its central goals and assumptions as well as its strengths and weaknesses. Most surveys of basic questions in prosody are written from the perspective of a single theoretical framework. This volume offers the only summary of the full range of current theoretical approaches, with practical applications of each theory and critical commentary on selected chapters. The current abundance of theoretical approaches has sometimes led to apparent conflicts that may stem more from terminological differences, or from differing notions of what theories of prosody are meant to achieve, than from actual conceptual disagreement. This volume confronts this pervasive problem head on, by having each chapter address a common set of questions on phonology, meaning, phonetics, typology, psychological status, and transcription. Commentary is added as counterpoint to some chapters, with responses by the chapter authors, giving a taste of current debate in the field. Contributors Amalia Arvaniti, Jonathan Barnes, Mara Breen, Laura C. Dilley, Grzegorz Dogil, Martine Grice, Nina Grønnum, Daniel Hirst, Sun-Ah Jun, Jelena Krivokapić, D. Robert Ladd, Fang Liu, Piet Mertens, Bernd Möbius, Gregor Möhler, Oliver Niebuhr, Francis Nolan, Janet B. Pierrehumbert, Santitham Prom-on, Antje Schweitzer, Stefanie Shattuck-Hufnagel, A. E. Turk, Yi Xu

This volume presents an interdisciplinary approach to the study of second language prosody and computer modeling. It addresses the importance of prosody’s role in communication, bridging the gap between applied linguistics and computer science. The book illustrates the growing importance of the relationship between automated speech recognition systems and language learning assessment in light of new technologies and showcases how the study of prosody in this context in particular can offer innovative insights into the computerized process of natural discourse. The book offers detailed accounts of different methods of analysis and computer models used and demonstrates how these models can be applied to L2 discourse analysis toward predicting real-world language use. Kang, Johnson, and Kermad also use these frameworks as a jumping-off point from which to propose new models of second language prosody and future directions for prosodic computer modeling more generally. Making the case for the use of naturalistic data for real-world applications in empirical research, this volume will foster interdisciplinary dialogues across students and researchers in applied linguistics, speech communication, speech science, and computer engineering.

Speech perception has been the focus of innumerable studies over the past decades. While our abilities to recognize individuals by their voice state plays a central role in our everyday social interactions, limited scientific attention has been devoted to the perceptual and cerebral mechanisms underlying nonverbal information processing in voices. The Oxford Handbook of Voice Perception takes a comprehensive look at this emerging field and presents a selection of current research in voice perception. The forty chapters summarise the most exciting research from across several disciplines covering acoustical, clinical, evolutionary, cognitive, and computational perspectives. In particular, this handbook offers an invaluable window into the development and evolution of the 'vocal brain', and considers in detail the voice processing abilities of non-human animals or human infants. By providing a full and unique perspective on the recent developments in this burgeoning area of study, this text is an important and interdisciplinary resource for students, researchers, and scientific journalists interested in voice perception.

This handbook presents detailed accounts of current research in all aspects of language prosody, written by leading experts from different disciplines. The volume's comprehensive coverage and multidisciplinary approach will make it an invaluable resource for all researchers, students, and practitioners interested in prosody.

This book presents the proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Frontier Computing, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 3–6, 2018, and provides comprehensive coverage of the latest advances and trends in information technology, science and engineering. It addresses a number of broad themes, including communication networks, business intelligence and knowledge management, web intelligence, and related fields that inspire the development of information technology. The contributions cover a wide range of topics: database and data mining, networking and communications, web and internet of things, embedded systems, soft computing, social network analysis, security and privacy, optical communication, and ubiquitous/pervasive computing. Many of the papers outline promising future research directions. The book is a valuable resource for students, researchers and professionals, and also offers a useful reference guide for newcomers to the field.