• ETRI Journal
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.48-58
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• 2024

This paper presents the development of language tutoring systems for nonnative speakers by leveraging advanced end-to-end automatic speech recognition (ASR) and proficiency evaluation. Given the frequent errors in non-native speech, high-performance spontaneous speech recognition must be applied. Our systems accurately evaluate pronunciation and speaking fluency and provide feedback on errors by relying on precise transcriptions. End-to-end ASR is implemented and enhanced by using diverse non-native speaker speech data for model training. For performance enhancement, we combine semisupervised and transfer learning techniques using labeled and unlabeled speech data. Automatic proficiency evaluation is performed by a model trained to maximize the statistical correlation between the fluency score manually determined by a human expert and a calculated fluency score. We developed an English tutoring system for Korean elementary students called EBS AI Peng-Talk and a Korean tutoring system for foreigners called KSI Korean AI Tutor. Both systems were deployed by South Korean government agencies.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.21-32
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• 2014

Recently, the number of Koreans who use smartphones has increased drastically; many use smartphones to learn English. In this study, one hundred Korean adult ELT (English language teaching) learners were surveyed to investigate their use of smartphones and factors influencing such use. For comparison, sixty-two students of a Korean cyber university were surveyed; these students were able to study using their smartphones in a smart campus environment. The research results showed that both groups positively used smartphones frequently, and that many intended to continue using them. With regard to ELT, both groups intended to learn English using their smartphones. Furthermore, they preferred certain types of ELT content: thirty-minute or less learning sessions, receptive English skills that focused on listening and reading, and short units of framed language items such as pronunciation and vocabulary. However, few of the respondents in both groups installed ELT apps on their smartphones, and few of the ELT apps satisfied them. The cyber university students responded similarly about smartphone use, although their responses regarding smartphone use for ELT purposes were less positive. These results indicate that the goal of cyber universities in achieving optimum learning outcomes through smart learning and the smart campus has not yet been realized.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.13
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• pp.97-114
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• 2008

This study aims to study mouth shapes suitable to the shapes of Korean consonants and vowels for Korean animations by analyzing the process of English-speaking animation lip-sync based on pre-recording in the United States. A research was conducted to help character animators understand the concept of Korean lip-sync which is done after recording and to introduce minimum, basic mouth shapes required for Korean expressions which can be applied to various characters. In the introduction, this study mentioned the necessity of Korean lip-sync in local animations and introduced the research methods of Korean lip-sync data based on English lip-sync data by laking an American production as an example. In the main subject, this study demonstrated the characteristics and roles of 8 basic mouth shapes required for English pronunciation expressions, left out mouth shapes that are required for English expressions but not for Korean expressions, and in contrast, added mouth shapes required for Korean expressions but not for English expressions. Based on these results, this study made a diagram for the mouth shapes of Korean expressions by laking various examples and made a research on how mouth shapes vary when they are used as consonants, vowels and batchim. In audition, the case study proposed a method to transfer lines to the exposure sheet and a method to arrange mouth shapes according to lip-sync for practical animation production. However, lines from a Korean movie were inevitably used as an example because there has not been any precedents in Korea about animation production with systematic Korean lip-sync data.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.25-33
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• 2022

This study investigates the relationships between rhythm and fluency indices and listeners' ratings of the rhythm and fluency of Korean college students' English paragraph reading. 17 university students read and recorded a passage from "The North Wind and the Sun" twice before and after three months of English pronunciation instruction. Seven in-service and pre-service English teachers in graduate school assessed the rhythm and fluency of the utterances. In addition, the values of 14 indices of rhythm and fluency were extracted from each speech and the relationships between the indices and the listeners' ratings were analyzed. The rhythm indices of the speakers in this study did not differ significantly from those of native English speakers presented in previous studies in %V, VarcoV, and nPVIV, but were higher in ΔV, ΔC, and VarcoC and lower in speech rate. The level of rhythm and fluency demonstrated by Korean college students was comparable, at least in terms of objective values for certain indices. The fluency indices, such as percentage of pauses, articulation rate, and speech rate, significantly contributed more to predicting both rhythm and fluency ratings than the rhythm indices.

• Proceedings of the KSPS conference
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• 1997.07a
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• pp.176-178
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• 1997

To make a long story short I made up my mind to experiment with a multimedia approach to my classroom presentations two years ago because my ways of giving instructions bored the pants off me as well as my students. My favorite ways used to be sometimes referred to as classical or traditional ones, heavily dependent on the three elements: teacher's mouth, books, and chalk. Some call it the 'MBC method'. To top it off, I tried audio-visuals such as tape recorders, cassette players, VTR, pictures, and you name it, that could help improve my teaching method. And yet I have been unhappy about the results by a trial and error approach. I was determined to look for a better way that would ensure my satisfaction in the first place. What really turned me on was a multimedia CD ROM title, ELLIS (English Language Learning Instructional Systems) developed by Dr. Frank Otto. This is an integrated system of learning English based on advanced computer technology. Inspired by the utility and potential of such a multimedia system for regular classroom or lab instructions, I designed a simple but practical multimedia language learning laboratory in 1994 for the first time in Korea(perhaps for the first time in the world). It was high time that the conventional type of language laboratory(audio-passive) at Hahnnam be replaced because of wear and tear. Prior to this development, in 1991, I put a first CALL(Computer Assisted Language Learning) laboratory equipped with 35 personal computers(286), where students were encouraged to practise English typing, word processing and study English grammar, English vocabulary, and English composition. The first multimedia language learning laboratory was composed of 1) a multimedia personal computer(486DX2 then, now 586), 2) VGA multipliers that enable simultaneous viewing of the screen at control of the instructor, 3) an amplifIer, 4) loud speakers, 5)student monitors, 6) student tables to seat three students(a monitor for two students is more realistic, though), 7) student chairs, 8) an instructor table, and 9) cables. It was augmented later with an Internet hookup. The beauty of this type of multimedia language learning laboratory is the economy of furnishing and maintaining it. There is no need of darkening the facilities, which is a must when an LCD/beam projector is preferred in the laboratory. It is headset free, which proved to make students exasperated when worn more than- twenty minutes. In the previous semester I taught three different subjects: Freshman English Lab, English Phonetics, and Listening Comprehension Intermediate. I used CD ROM titles like ELLIS, Master Pronunciation, English Tripple Play Plus, English Arcade, Living Books, Q-Steps, English Discoveries, Compton's Encyclopedia. On the other hand, I managed to put all teaching materials into PowerPoint, where letters, photo, graphic, animation, audio, and video files are orderly stored in terms of slides. It takes time for me to prepare my teaching materials via PowerPoint, but it is a wonderful tool for the sake of presentations. And it is worth trying as long as I can entertain my students in such a way. Once everything is put into the computer, I feel relaxed and a bit excited watching my students enjoy my presentations. It appears to be great fun for students because they have never experienced this type of instruction. This is how I freed myself from having to manipulate a cassette tape player, VTR, and write on the board. The student monitors in front of them seem to help them concentrate on what they see, combined with what they hear. All I have to do is to simply click a mouse to give presentations and explanations, when necessary. I use a remote mouse, which prevents me from sitting at the instructor table. Instead, I can walk around in the room and enjoy freer interactions with students. Using this instrument, I can also have my students participate in the presentation. In particular, I invite my students to manipulate the computer using the remote mouse from the student's seat not from the instructor's seat. Every student appears to be fascinated with my multimedia approach to English teaching because of its unique nature as a new teaching tool as we face the 21st century. They all agree that the multimedia way is an interesting and fascinating way of learning to satisfy their needs. Above all, it helps lighten their drudgery in the classroom. They feel other subjects taught by other teachers should be treated in the same fashion. A multimedia approach to education is impossible without the advent of hi-tech computers, of which multi functions are integrated into a unified system, i.e., a personal computer. If you have computer-phobia, make quick friends with it; the sooner, the better. It can be a wonderful assistant to you. It is the Internet that I pay close attention to in conjunction with the multimedia approach to English education. Via e-mail system, I encourage my students to write to me in English. I encourage them to enjoy chatting with people all over the world. I also encourage them to visit the sites where they offer study courses in English conversation, vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, reading, and writing. I help them search any subject they want to via World Wide Web. Some day in the near future it will be the hub of learning for everybody. It will eventually free students from books, teachers, libraries, classrooms, and boredom. I will keep exploring better ways to give satisfying instructions to my students who deserve my entertainment.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.434-442
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• 2003

Software internationalization, the process of making software easier to localize for specific languages, has deep implications when applied to speech technology, where the goal of the task lies in the very essence of the particular language. A greatdeal of work and fine-tuning has gone into language processing software based on ASCII or a single language, say English, thus making a port to different languages difficult. The inherent identity of a language manifests itself in its lexicon, where its character set, phoneme set, pronunciation rules are revealed. We propose a decomposition of the lexicon building process, into four discrete and sequential steps. For preprocessing to build a lexical model, we translate from specific language code to unicode. (step 1) Transliterating code points from Unicode. (step 2) Phonetically standardizing rules. (step 3) Implementing grapheme to phoneme rules. (step 4) Implementing phonological processes.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.235-243
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• 2012

This paper studies characteristics and causes of sound, and many others by distinguishing passivity and activity of the cases of a dog vocalizing human's words. As a result of the previous cases of vocalization of human's words, the dog was able to understand characteristics of a host's voice and imitate the sound using his own vocal organs. This is the case of passive vocalization accompanied by temporary voice imitation without a function of communication. On the contrary, as a consequence of the recently reported case in which a dog vocalizes such words as "Um-ma" and "Nu-na-ya," it shows the vocalization pattern clearly distinguished from the prior cases. The given dog repeatedly vocalizes pertaining words in an active manner according to circumstances and plays a role of fundamental communication and interaction with its host. The reason why the dog can vocalize the man's words actively is determined to be that the dog has a high level of intelligence and intimacy with its host, that people react actively to its pertaining pronunciation, and so forth. The following results can be used for the study that investigates animals' sound with vocalization possibility and language learning feasibility.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2010

Since the ancient times, animals that can imitate the voices of human beings have been considered extremely special. There are very few such animals, and the parrot is an example of them. For a long time, there had been no reported case of a rooster being able to mimic the voice of a human being, but talking roosters were recently found in Korea and the Kyrgyz Republic, generating much talk. In this study, the vocal characteristics of such roosters were examined, and their pronunciation-related statistics and actual sound sources were analyzed. The analysis results showed that even though the roostets cannot converse with people, they can imitate the human voice, uttering the words "An-dwae," and "A-ni-ya" in Korean, which mean "No" in English, when someone tries to catch their wings. A similar situation 'occurred in the Kyrgyzstan. The results of the listening survey on these sounds made by the roosters showed that most people recognized the words uttered by the roosters and that nobody thought that the words sounded like "cock-a-doodle-doo." It can be said that such roosters can make the sounds of the human voice because of their innate vocal organ and characteristics, which are significantly different from those of the general roosters. Their vocal organ and characteristics cause the sounds that they make to change in their vocal cords due to their high tension when humans try to catch them.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.3-20
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• 2022

The origins of the world-recognized Korean gat can be traced back to Gojoseon, and the jades for the sangtu and gwanja come from Hongshan culture. This study examines the etymology of the hat, the symbolism of the gat and the jade comb, and the history of the development of the accessories for the hat. The research methods of literature review, investigation of relics and murals, and analysis of cases of pronunciation changes were used. Most of the relics excavated from the Hongshan are identical to those excavated from Korea. The Byun-Khan people wore a triangle-shaped conical hat (the byun), which was shaped to fit the protruding sangtu hairstyle, with a foldable brim that, if pulled downward, changed the hat to a gat. The Chu sangtu, a pointed top-knot hairstyle, is uniquely found among Northeast Asian peoples, and it is an ethnic symbol for Koreans. Until the modern period, many Koreans wore their hair in the sangtu style, indicating their descent from the sky. Jade combs shaped like birds and clouds from the Hongshan period emphasized the religious nature and ceremony of hair styling at that period. The word hat is widely used to refer to gat all over the world. The pronunciation of ㄱg, ㅎh. and ㅋq/kh are closely related to each other, and the ancient pronunciation ㄱg gradually evolved to ㅎh or ㅋq/kh. The English 'Hat' and Korean 'Gat' were transformed from the middle-ancient sound 'gasa > gosa > got' of the crown 'gwan, gokkal'. This creative hair style culture that started from the Hongshan culture continued to be fashionable during the Gojoseon Dangun period, and the decoration techniques for hats and accessories were inherited over time and continuously developed. Along with the method of making gat, creative hair-related parts, such as manggeons, donggot pins, gwanja buttons, and fine combs were developed over the course of a thousand years.

• Journal of Information Management
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.199-222
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• 2012

Due to the increase of international business and activities, Koreans nowadays have higher needs to present their personal identity to the foreigners. In this process, the first requirement is to exchange personal names with foreigners. Therefore, the phonetic translation of Korean names into Roman alphabetic notation is frequently required, in order to deliver Korean personal names to the people who do not understand Korean alphabet. However, some confusions have been witnessed in the way of transforming Korean names into Roman (English) alphabet notation, due to the fact that there are many different ways to put Korean pronunciation into Roman (English) alphabet. This study examines different formats of Romanization of Korean personal names to find and suggest an optimal one. It first examines structures of and differences between Korean and Western personal names and usage patterns, reviews the issues surrounding Romanization of Korean personal names, and patternizes diverse Romanization formats currently used. Based on these examinations and consequent findings, I would like to suggest a format for the Romanization of Korean personal names which is considered to be the best.