Ian Mutamiri

Data used to train the MaryTTS Transcription Tool</p

A Phonetic Transcription System for the Shona Languge

Text to speech (TTS) is a form of speech synthesis that converts text into spoken voice output. S... more Text to speech (TTS) is a form of speech synthesis that converts text into spoken voice output. Some of the uses of TTS are to aid the visually impaired, read out text to a multi-tasking person, language preservation. TTS voices can also be embedded in software applications to aide in usage, as well as in educational applications depending on naturalness. Very little work has been done to create TTS for native African languages, even though the technology has been in existence since the 1980s. Creating a speech synthesizer is a cumbersome task. Technologies are now available that aide in the creation of TTS voices. Currently, there is very little contribution towards the creation of native African TTS voices. This paper focuses on one of the major tasks involved in creating a TTS voice – creating a phonetic transcription tool – a tool that is able to break down any Shona word into certain features (acoustic parameters, allophones, syllables etc.). The transcription tool will then be subjected to a number of tests using random Shona words, and its accuracy is analysed and discussed.

The Role of ICT and the Mother Tongue in Education

This paper discusses native languages, their importance and the relevance of Information Communic... more This paper discusses native languages, their importance and the relevance of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in learning them and in education as a whole. It explores the significance of the mother tongue on the results of globalization and second language learning. The phenomena of dying languages and methods of language preservation with an inclination towards ICT are discussed. Special attention is on NatiV, an Android Application that teaches early learners how to read (thus providing the foundation of actual language learning) a language native to Zimbabwe, chiShona. The interface provided to language education through NatiV is described, noting that it indeed realizes the declarations made in the Universal declaration of Linguistic Rights. The NatiV project’s contribution to the current national socio-economic blueprint, Zim Asset is well annotated. The projections surfacing from the conclusions lean towards diversifying m-learning (mobile learning) to other languages and lexicography in general.

Text-To-Speech Voice Creation for the Shona Language (Part Solution: Language Analysis)

Phonotactics deals with freedoms and restrictions in a language on the permissible combinations o... more Phonotactics deals with freedoms and restrictions in a language on the permissible combinations of phonemes. To help in the study of Shona phonotactics for deployment on e-infrastructure, an exhaustive phone set (list of all phones) for the standard Shona dialect must exist. Some researchers have come up with different phone sets for Shona. Simple phonotactic constraints for Shona are defined based on language patterns. Latest work on corpus analysis will also be summarized.

Data used to train the MaryTTS Transcription Tool</p

A Phonetic Transcription System for the Shona Languge

The Role of ICT and the Mother Tongue in Education

Text-To-Speech Voice Creation for the Shona Language (Part Solution: Language Analysis)