SignWriting Software
SignWriting Shop Search Forums Library Lessons About
SignWriting Site


Presentation 58
0058
 

Symposium
Presentation
0057


1
ABSTRACT

2
VIDEO

3
SLIDES

4
PAPER

5
AUTHORS

SignWriting in Software

"A Web Tool for Building
Parallel Corpora of
Spoken and Sign Languages"

by
Alex Malmann Becker
Fabio N. Kepler
Sara Candeias


1 ABSTRACT

"A Web Tool for Building
Parallel Corpora of
Spoken and Sign Languages"


by
Alex Malmann Becker

Porthal Sistemas CEO
Engenheiro de Software, Soledade
Universidade Federal do Pampa
UNIPAMPA, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
alex@porthal.com.br

and
Fabio N. Kepler
Visiting researcher,
L2F/INESC-ID, Lisbon, Portugal
Professor,
Federal University of Pampa
Alegrete, Brazil
fabio@kepler.pro.br

and
Sara Candeias
Business Development Manager
Microsoft, Lisbon, Portugal
INESC-ID, Instituto de Telecomunicações,
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT),
University of Aveiro, Portuga
t-sacand@microsoft.com

The main objective of this work is to build an online tool for manually annotating texts in any spoken language with SignWriting in any sign language. The existence of such tool will allow the creation of parallel corpora between spoken and sign languages that can be used to bootstrap the creation of efficient tools for the Deaf community. As an example, a parallel corpus between English and American Sign Language could be used for training Machine Learning models for automatic translation between the two languages. Clearly, this kind of tool must be designed in a way that it eases the task of human annotators, not only by being easy to use, but also by giving smart suggestions as the annotation progresses, in order to save time and effort. The tool was implemented in the Java Web platform using the JSF framework (Java Server Faces) and an MVC architecture (Model-View-Controller). Figure 1 shows the application domain diagram. Figure 2 shows the process of creating and annotating a document. It starts with the user selecting or creating a corpus. After that, the user creates a raw document (in Portuguese, for example) and runs the document preparation process, in which the system segments the document into sentences and then into tokens. Raw documents may be either manually uploaded as text or automatically fetched from Wikipedia given their URL. The user can then start selecting sentences to annotate. The system searches for candidate signs for each word (or phrase) and ranks them according to similarity, usage frequency, and in the near future by context. The user then combines or separates words and selects the best sign for each entry. As it is common in sign languages, some words in spoken languages have no sign. These are just left empty by the user. Once every sentence is annotated, the document itself is marked as annotated. Figure 3 shows a screenshot of the sentence annotation interface (with a sentence in Portuguese). User selected signs are shadowed and highlighted in green, and different operations are available both for words and signs, like concatenating/splitting and adding a new FSW, respectively. To add a new FSW (Slevinski, 2015) the user can just write or paste its string, but to ease the task, she can also draw the sign using the SignMaker tool (Jr, 2015), which was embedded in the system as shown in Figure 4. This tool allows the user to draw a sign by selecting its composing symbols, which are organized by the sets mentioned earlier: handshapes, facial expressions, body locations, orientation, contact, and movement. It automatically generates the corresponding FSW, which can then be used in the sentence annotation. Finally, an important functionality and the tool’s main reason to be is that, at any moment, the user is able to export a corpus or a collection of documents in order to generate a parallel corpus in a simple file format, which can then be used in other tools. By building a collaborative, online, easy to use annotation tool for building parallel corpora between spoken and sign languages we aim at helping the development of proper resources for sign languages that can then be used in state-of-the-art models currently used in tools for spoken languages. There are several issues and difficulties in creating this kind of resource, and our presented tool already deals with some of them, like adequate text representation of a sign and many to many alignments between words and signs. Our next step is to improve the searching and ranking of candidate signs by considering word inflections and by building language models for sign sentences. Reporting the current usage status, we are starting arrangements with professors and researchers at UNIPAMPA for an initial effort in annotating a Portuguese-LIBRAS corpus. Finally, and more importantly, help from the community in developing or using the tool would be very well welcomed.

This work was partially supported by national funds through Fundac¸ ˜ao para a Ciˆencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) with reference UID/CEC/50021/2013.

Keywords: Sign language recognition, corpora creation, crowd-sourcing

1. References
Jr, S. E. S. (2015). SignMaker tool.
Slevinski, S. (2015). The SignPuddle standard for SignWriting
Text.



Figure 1




Figure 2



Figure 3



Figure 4



...download Abstract in PDF...


Related Links

Presentation 11
“SignPuddle Standard For SignWriting Text ”
by Stephen E. Slevinski Jr

Presentation 31
“Digital collaboration with machine-readable
sign language text in the SignWriting script”
by Stephen E. Slevinski Jr

Presentation 43
“The SignWriting Stack”
by Stephen E. Slevinski Jr

Presentation 48
"Interface em Escrita de Sinais
para um Sistema de Revistas"
“SignWriting Interface for a Journal System”
by Ronnie Fagundes de Brito & Team, Brazil

Presentation 49
“SignMaker 2015”
by Stephen E. Slevinski Jr

2 VIDEOS
 
3 SLIDES


4 PAPERS

Paper

PAPER in PDF:

"A Web Tool for Building
Parallel Corpora of
Spoken and Sign Languages"


by
Alex Malmann Becker


 
Poster POSTER in PDF:

"A Web Tool for Building
Parallel Corpora of
Spoken and Sign Languages"


by
Alex Malmann Becker
 
5 AUTHOR

Alex Malmann Becker
Porthal Sistemas CEO - Software Engineer
Soledade, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Education:
Universidade Federal do Pampa - UNIPAMPA
Biography

 

Fabio N. Kepler
Visiting researcher
L2F/INESC-ID, Lisbon, Portugal
Professor
Federal University of Pampa, Alegrete, Brazil
Biography

 
Sara Candeias
Business Development Manager at Microsoft
Lisbon, Portugal
Previously:
INESC-ID, Instituto de Telecomunicações, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), University of Aveiro
Biography
 
 
SIGNWRITING SYMPOSIUM

Co-Directors

Valerie Sutton
and
Steve Slevinski
 
SignWriting Symposium 2015
SignWriting
Symposium
Home
 
SignWriting on YouTube
SignWriting
Symposium
on YouTube
 
Google Plus
SignWriting
Symposium
on Google+
 

Facebook
SignWriting
Symposium
on Facebook



 





Presentation 58
0058

 

 

Search Google


Google
Web www.SignWriting.org
www.SignBank.org www.MovementWriting.org

Webmaster: Valerie Sutton
Sutton@SignWriting.org




SignBank Site
SignPuddle Online
Sutton's SymbolBank
DanceWriting Site
Sutton Movement Writing Site
Argentina
Bolivia
Great Britain
Canada
Czech Republic
Ethiopia
Flanders
Germany
Italy
Ireland
Japan
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Nicaragua
Norway
Paraguay
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tunisia
Uruguay
Venezuela
SignWriting Symposium
Videos
Norway
Paraguay
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tunisia
Uruguay
Venezuela
SignWriting Symposium
Videos
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SignWriting Symposium 2015
SignWriting
Symposium
Home
SignWriting on YouTube
SignWriting
Symposium
on YouTube
Search by Authors
Search by
Authors

Search by Categories
Search by
Categories


Search by Presentation List
Search by
List of
Presentations

View 68
Presentation
Web Pages

including
papers, slides,
bios & videos
.
See below:
2014
2014
Presentations
2014
Presentation 1

SWORD Project
Research
Italy & France
Bianchini & Borgia
2014
Presentation 2
Wöhrmann's
SpeechWriting
Education, Germany
Stefan Wöhrmann
2014
Presentation 3
SW Handwriting
Write SW by Hand
Education, USA
Adam Frost
2014
Presentation 4
SWift Digital
Editor, Software,
Italy & France
Borgia, Bianchini
& Marsico
2014
Presentation 5
Deaf Child Literacy
Research, Brazil
Marianne Stumpf
2014
Presentation 6
Deaf Literacy
with SignWriting
Education, Paraguay
Mirta Barreto
2014
Presentation 7
New Testament
in Written ASL
Literature, USA
Nancy Romero
2014
Presentation 8
Writing 48 Articles
in ASL Wikipedia
Literature, USA
Nancy Romero
2014
Presentation 9
A Decade of
Teaching ASL
using SignWriting
Education, USA
Natasha Westland
2014
Presentation 10
Ordering Signs
in Dictionaries
Education, USA
Charles Butler Neto
2014
Presentation 11
SignPuddle
Standard
Software, USA
Steve Slevinski
2014
Presentation 12
DELEGS-Editor
in Classroom
Education,
Germany
Stefan Wöhrmann
2014
Presentation 13
SignWriter Studio
Software, Honduras
Jonathan Duncan
2014
Presentation 14
Alternative
ISWA 2010 Fonts
Software, Honduras
Jonathan Duncan
2014
Presentation 15
SignWriting in Deaf
Education, Tunisia
Balti, Bahri & Laajili
2014
Presentation 16
Deaf Communication
Education, Brazil
Faulstich, Júnior
& Patrícia Santos
2014
Presentation 17
SignWriting Teachers
Education, Brazil
Barreto, Souza,
Nascimento & Coelho
2014
Presentation 18
Deaf Perspectives
Education, Brazil
Barreto, Souza,
Nascimento & Coelho

2014
Presentation 19
TrueType in Graphite
Software, USA
Steve Slevinski

2014
Presentation 20
Sign Animating
Education, Canada
André Lemyre
2014
Presentation 21
SignWriting App
Software, USA
Jake Chasan
2014
Presentation 22
Children's Books
Literature, Portugal
Rafa Cota Silva
2014
Presentation 23
TuniSigner Avatar
Software, Tunisia
Bouzid & Jemni
2014
Presentation 24
Deaf Ed in Brazil
Education, Brazil
Stumpf & Barreto
2014
Presentation 25
Reading SignWriting
Education, Brazil
Débora Wanderley
2014
Presentation 26
SW Online Course
Education, Brazil
Barreto, Pereira
& Barbosa
2014
Presentation 27
Film Online Course
Education, Brazil
Barreto & Goulart
2014
Presentation 28
Language Analysis
Research USA
Erika Hoffmann
2014
Presentation 29
SW in Deaf Schools
Education, USA
Denny Voreck
2014
Presentation 30
SignWriting App
Education, USA
Elena Eroshkin
2014
Presentation 31
Digital SW Texts
Software, USA
Steve Slevinski
2014
Presentation 32
SW & Phonology
Research, Brazil
Costa & Barreto
2014
Presentation 33
SW-OGR
Software, Italy
Borgia & Marsico
2014
Presentation 34
SignWriting in
Catholic Liturgy
Education, Slovenia
Edi Strouhal
2014
Presentation 35
Escrita de Sinais
Education, Brazil
Barreto & Barreto

2014
Presentation 36

SW Terminolgy
Research, Brazil
Lima & Barreto

2014
Presentation 37
SW Translation
Research, Brazil
Barreto & Oliveira
2014
Presentation 38
SignWriting in
Music Scores
Literature, USA
Ron Shalom
2014
Presentation 39
Writing Maltese
Sign Language
Research, Malta
Maria Galea
2014
Presentation 40
40 Years Writing
Sign Languages:
1974-2014
Research, USA
Valerie Sutton
2015
2015
Presentations
2015
Presentation 41
Javascript Keyboard
Software, Canada
Yair Rand
2015
Presentation 42
Teacher's Attitudes
SW in Education
Saudi Arabia
AbuShaira, Mahfooz
2015
Presentation 43
SignWriting Stack
Software, USA
Steve Slevinski
2015
Presentation 44
DELEGS-Editor
Education, Germany
Stefan Wöhrmann
2015
Presentation 45
SignWriting
Electronic
Flashcards
Education, Canada
André Lemyre
2015
Presentation 46
Reading SignWriting
Research, Brazil
Marcos Klüber Kogut
2015
Presentation 47
SignWriting in Classroom
Education, Portugal
Rafa Cota Silva
2015
Presentation 48
SignWriting
Journal System
Software, Brazil 
Brito, Shintaku,
Ramos & Nascimento
2015
Presentation 49
SignMaker 2015
Software, USA
Steve Slevinski
2015
Presentation 50
Nicaraguan
Sign Language
Grammar
Education,Nicaragua
James Shepard-Kegl
2015
Presentation 51
SignWriting Font
Research, Germany
Lentföhr, Nitschke
& Rutrecht
2015
Presentation 52
MemoSign Game
Software, Tunisia
Bouzid, Khenissi
2016
2016
Presentations
2016
Presentation 53
Home For
Deaf Children
Education, Peru
Kristina Tworek
2016
Presentation 54
SignTyp Database
Research, USA
Rachel Channon
2016
Presentation 55
FSW Formal
SignWriting
Software, USA
Steve Slevinski
2016
Presentation 56
SignWriting in
Tunisian Deaf
Education, Tunisia
Laajili & Balti
2016
Presentation 57
Parallel Corpora
Software, Brazil
Alex M. Becker
2016
Presentation 58
Deaf Writing Skills
Education, Portugal
Jorge Manuel Pinto
2016
Presentation 59
Bilingual Deaf
Education, Brazil
Almeida & Júnior
2016
Presentation 60
Bilingual Deaf
Education, Brazil
Daniele Bózoli
2016
Presentation 61
SignWriting
in Unicode
Software, USA
Steve Slevinski
2016
Presentation 62
SignPuddle 3.0
Software, USA
Steve Slevinski
2016
Presentation 63
Peru Sign Dict
Research, Peru
Miguel Mondoñedo
2016
Presentation 64
Sign Wikipedias
Literature, USA
Valerie Sutton
ASL Presentation by
Adam Frost, Jason
Nesmith, Holly Sharer
& the CODA Brothers
Plus special video on
Tunisian Sign Wikipedia
by Mohamed Ali Balti
2017
2017
Presentations
2017
Presentation 65
SignÉcriture: A
Decade of Writing
French-Swiss
Sign Language
Education,
French-Switzerland
by Anne-Claude
Prélaz Girod
2017
Presentation 66
The Sutton
SignWriting
Standard of 2017 Software, USA
by Steve Slevinski
2017
Presentation 67
The Writing of Grammatical
Non-Manual Expressions
in Sentences
in LIBRAS
Using SignWriting
Research, Brazil
by Joao Paulo
Ampessan
2017
Presentation 68
Sign Language Writing:
SignWriting as a
Tool in
Deaf Literacy
Education, Brazil
Fernando Carneiro Priscila Bartoletti
2017
Presentation 69
SignWriting Presentations
at the ICONIL in
Bacabal,Brazil
August 2017
by Adam Frost & Marianne Stumpf
2017
Presentation 70
2 Brazilian
TV Programs
on SignWriting
on TV INES,
Brazil, 2017
 
2014
Live Streaming
40 Presentations

2014 Live Streaming
2015
Live Streaming
12 Presentations

2015 Live Streaming
2016
Live Streaming
12 Presentations

2016 Live Streaming