A Predictive Blissymbolic to English Translation System Annalu Waller and Kris Jack Department of Applied Computing University of Dundee

Outline Background Method Results Discussion and Future Work

Background (1) Blissymbolics … a semantic written language based on Semantography (C.K. Bliss, 1965) first used for augmentative and alternative (AAC) in Canada in 1971 written language comprising characters and words...

Background (2) Gloss-to-Speech Translation boy (to) go home Translation: boy to go home

Background (3) Rule-Based Translation boy (to) go home Translation: boy goes home

Background (4) A solution? Stochastic Translation boy (to) go home Translation: The/A boy goes home The/A boy is going home

Method Bliss Dictionary Source Text Files Bliss Translator Word Association Dictionary

Method Bliss Dictionary Source Text Files Bliss Translator E.g. Gutenberg Texts Word Association Dictionary

Method Bliss Dictionary Source Text Files ISO Number Gloss(es) Bitmap File Bliss Translator Word Association Dictionary

Method Bliss Dictionary Source Text Files Bliss Translator Word Association Dictionary Words Frequencies…

Method Word Association Dictionary Start 24 6 2 . the boy 1 3 girl 13 a a . . 7 an .

Method Bliss Dictionary Source Text Files Bliss Translator The Algorithm… Word Association Dictionary

Translation Algorithm Step 1:. Construct possible phrases using Translation Algorithm Step 1: Construct possible phrases using tri-grams and gloss synonyms. Example input: A B C where each letter represents a Bliss word e.g. boy (to) go home

Translation Algorithm Step 1:. Construct possible phrases using Translation Algorithm Step 1: Construct possible phrases using tri-grams and gloss synonyms. Example input: A B C where each letter represents a Bliss word e.g. boy (to) go home A B C e.g. boy go home A B1 C e.g. boy goes home A B2 C e.g. boy going home

Translation Algorithm Step 1:. Construct possible phrases using Translation Algorithm Step 1: Construct possible phrases using tri-grams and gloss synonyms. Example input: A B C where each letter represents a Bliss word e.g. boy (to) go home A B C e.g. boy go home A B1 C e.g. boy goes home A B2 C e.g. boy going home A D B C e.g. boy does go home

Translation Algorithm Step 1:. Construct possible phrases using Translation Algorithm Step 1: Construct possible phrases using tri-grams and gloss synonyms. Example input: A B C where each letter represents a Bliss word e.g. boy (to) go home A B C e.g. boy go home A B1 C e.g. boy goes home A B2 C e.g. boy going home A D B C e.g. boy does go home A B E C e.g. boy go to home

Translation Algorithm Step 1:. Construct possible phrases using Translation Algorithm Step 1: Construct possible phrases using tri-grams and gloss synonyms. Example input: A B C where each letter represents a Bliss word e.g. boy (to) go home A B C e.g. boy go home A B1 C e.g. boy goes home A B2 C e.g. boy going home A D B C e.g. boy does go home A B E C e.g. boy go to home A D B E C e.g. boy will go at home

Translation Algorithm Step 2: Find probability of phrases P(B, A) = frequency of B / frequency of A P(C, AB) = frequency of C / frequency of A P(D, ABC) = frequency of D / frequency of A Repeat process until all Bliss words have been used Include period at the beginning of each translation

Results Time taken to build a word association dictionary Accuracy of translation Time taken to translate a sentence

Accuracy of Translation (1) Gloss Sequence 50,000 Word Source 1 boy Boy 2 (to) run Run 3 green Green 4 no No 5 I/me + (to) walk I walks 6 us + (to) eat when we eat 7 JOHN + (to) play john play 8 that + right all that right 9 I/me + (to) want + (to) see I wants sees 10 my + picture + best my picture best 11 I/me + (to) go + bed I goes bed 12 what? + his + name what his name 13 I/me + (to) want + (to) go + zoo I wants goes zoo 14 (to) meet + me + at + cabin meet I at cabin 15 I/me + (to) like + (to) eat + cake I likes eats cake 16 my + favourite + colour + orange my favourite colour orange 17 (to) push + chair + on + far + right push chair on far right 18 I/me + not + enough + time + today when I have not enough time today 19 girl + (to) laugh + when + he/she + (to) play girl laugh when he plays 20 my + brother + outside + (to) wait + I/me my brother outside waiting I

Accuracy of Translation (2) Gloss Sequence 1,000,000 Word Source 1 boy the boy 2 (to) run Run 3 green Green 4 no No 5 I/me + (to) walk and I walks 6 us + (to) eat if we eat 7 JOHN + (to) play King john play 8 that + right that the right 9 I/me + (to) want + (to) see and I wants sees 10 my + picture + best at my picture best 11 I/me + (to) go + bed I am going to bed 12 what? + his + name do what her own name 13 I/me + (to) want + (to) go + zoo and I wants goes zoo 14 (to) meet + me + at + cabin the meeting I must at cabin 15 I/me + (to) like + (to) eat + cake and I likes eat cake 16 my + favourite + colour + orange my favourite colour orange 17 (to) push + chair + on + far + right push chair on with far right 18 I/me + not + enough + time + today I know not force enough time today 19 girl + (to) laugh + when + he/she + (to) play the girl laugh when she plays 20 my + brother + outside + (to) wait + I/me my brother outside waits I

Accuracy of Translation (3) Gloss Sequence 10,000,000 Word Source 1 boy the boy 2 (to) run Run 3 green Green 4 no No 5 I/me + (to) walk I am walking 6 us + (to) eat we eat 7 JOHN + (to) play this john play 8 that + right that right 9 I/me + (to) want + (to) see I want to see 10 my + picture + best in my picture best 11 I/me + (to) go + bed I am going to bed 12 what? + his + name What is his name 13 I/me + (to) want + (to) go + zoo I want going zoo 14 (to) meet + me + at + cabin they meet me at the cabin 15 I/me + (to) like + (to) eat + cake I like eating cake 16 my + favourite + colour + orange my favourite colour orange 17 (to) push + chair + on + far + right her push chair on as far right 18 I/me + not + enough + time + today I am not good enough time today 19 girl + (to) laugh + when + he/she + (to) play this girl laugh when suddenly she plays 20 my + brother + outside + (to) wait + I/me my brother outside is waiting I

Accuracy of Translation (4) 50,000 Word Source 1,000,000 Word Source 10,000,000 Word Source Correct 4 5 11 Incorrect No Confidence 12

Time taken to translate a sentence

Discussion & Future work Stochastic method has possibilities Improvements to algorithm using Bliss semantic information Integration of user interface Development of Bliss font