Why Jeff Allen cares about Haitian Creole and other Creole languages Thread poster: Jeff Allen
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Jeff Allen 
France
Local time: 20:53
Multiplelanguages
+ ...
21 Feb 2010
1) Background
- 1-page interview in 2006 of my background
http://linguistlist.org/donation/fund-drive2006/linguists/jallen.cfm
- List of my articles/papers/conf talks (from 1992 - 2004) on Creole languages and Creole language technologies (updated 10Feb2010)
... See more 21 Feb 2010
1) Background
- 1-page interview in 2006 of my background
http://linguistlist.org/donation/fund-drive2006/linguists/jallen.cfm
- List of my articles/papers/conf talks (from 1992 - 2004) on Creole languages and Creole language technologies (updated 10Feb2010)
https://www.box.net/shared/lcb2qj40ag (this is MS Word doc with embedded links)
or
http://jeffallen.chez.aliceadsl.fr/jeffallen-creole-publications-list-10Feb2010.htm
3 periods of time covered in that list of publications:
- 1990-1995 in which I did Masters and doctoral degrees in Creole linguistics
- 1997 & 1998 (following 2 years of experience in Machine Translation (MT) implementation in industry), I was hired to help develop a bi-directional, speech-to-speech machine English-Haitian Creole translation system on a wearable platform for the purpose of peace-keeping and humanitarian relief operations. Spent 2 full years, and we finished with a fully functional prototype system. That system has since sat in a box (for nearly 12 years)
- 1999-2001 (outside of my dayjob), 2-3 years of free time promoting the creation of an organization to support development of software applications for minority languages (focusing first on Creole languages). 120-page complete business plan was completed. Everyone said there was no market for Creole languages. All interest from 911 onward focused on other specific languages. The dotcom crash in 2000 + 911 in 2001 ended all possibilities for funding. So, that business plan and all the ideas were put in a box and have also sat there for nearly 10 years.
In parallel, during 1998 - 2000, my full-time job was working on the needs analysis, technical production, marketing, and commercial distribution of language databases for training text-based and speech-based language processing systems, for research and commercial products.
Several of my conference talks on ethnical and legal issues of using term and phrase-level databases (like TMs and glossaries) for training such systems.
https://www.box.net/shared/r917m42p18 (this is MS Word doc with embedded links)
or
http://jeffallen.chez.aliceadsl.fr/jeffallen-langresource-publications-English-16Jan2010.htm
2001- today: many more years of experience in software industry on MT, TM, Translation management systems, terminology systems, and business intelligence reporting software.
2) Three videos from 1998
(transcriptions nearly finished for parts 1 and 2): These are a series of videos done during a week in March 1998 to explain Haitian Creole language technologies for Beginners
* need help to insert text into the multilingual subtitling platform where they are made available. * Also need help with transcription of section of 10min in Haitian Creole
* also need help to transcribe the 5 minute television interview that is in French
Jeff Allen - Part 1 of seminar on Haitian Creole Language Technologies - Haiti 1998 (1 hour 6 min video; first 10 min is in Haitian Creole; the rest in French)
http://dotsub.com/view/3ac3c04f-d292-44b1-a180-7ab538304bb9
Jeff Allen - Part 2 of seminar on Haitian Creole Language Technologies - Haiti 1998 (22 min video in French)
http://dotsub.com/view/9cdd4c2b-ecf1-4df3-b6c1-2836777ea320
and
Jeff Allen & Jocelyne Trouillot-Levy – Television broadcast interview (TeleHaiti) on Haitian Creole Language Technologies - 27-28 March 1998
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-7AfKZNTS0
3) Recent Haiti Disaster Relief activities:
You can imagine my emotions as I sat watching the TV after the earthquake. Everyone I had done to promote and support Creole languages for 10 years had been sitting on shelves for nearly 10 years. Even a couple of years ago, I had seriously considered giving away my personal library on Creole languages and linguistics to some institute, just so the information would not rot away on shelves. Gee, am I glad today that I never did that.
I recontacted Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) immediately after the earthquake, and we quickly coordinated efforts and delivered very large amounts of text and speech language data (similar to TMs and Terminology lists for the texts) CMUs Haitian Creole project (called DIPLOMAT) from over a decade ago.
http://linguistlist.org/issues/21/21-383.html
Also released with CMU language data nearly 1600 medical treatment phrases translated by a translation company in 1-2 days:
Eriksen Translations Provides Urgent Medical Translations for Public Use in Haitian Relief Efforts
http://www.eriksen.com/PressRoom/PressReleases/ctl/Details/mid/489/ItemID/34.aspx
And then within days of release of the CMU data (and by using the data):
Microsoft (MSN) Research lab put Haitian Creole in place in Bing online translator:
http://blogs.msdn.com/translation/archive/2010/01/24/announcement-haitian-creole-support-in-bing-translator-and-other-microsoft-translator-powered-services.aspx
Haitian Creole added to online Google Translate :
http://www.google.com/relief/haitiearthquake/
See 1-page interview (with 4 min recording of several interviewees) with Voice of America (VOA) about Haitian Creole language project (last week):
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/american-life/usnews/-Shelved-Machine-Translator-Gets-New-Life-in-Haiti-Relief-Effort-83816002.html
4) Currently working with all who are interested in making their TMs, glossaries and other publications available to help train language and speech based technologies for Haitian Creole. I have the background in the licensing agreements to help make that possible. One key issue is to protect the data from piracy.
All being done in my volunteer free time for Haiti and the Haitian people. It's now or never to make it happen in a very short time window.
Any volunteers to help with the following?
- the video transcription and review tasks
- translating the subtitles/captions into all possible languages
- inserting the captions into the videos (videos are hosted on a platform designed for this)
All of these tasks are volunteer work. All of the platforms used are being donated for free to promote this initiative for supporting Haitian Creole. All contributors will be acknowledged/credited.
I went to my 7-year old son's school a week ago to present to them a short presentation about Haiti, about the young Haitian child that my wife supported for several years until he finished school, about Creole languages and where they are all spoken, some practical exercises of writing all of the kids' names in Haitian Creole up on the chalkboard, and a demo of the Haitian Creole translation systems that I have currently based on all of the work that has been done over the past month. Those kids (and their teacher) were very excited about the session. Very interactive with tons of questions. And hopefully it is just another opportunity to touch a few children to have an interest in supporting the many less-privileged languages in the world today.
Jeff
[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2010-02-22 19:17 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Jeff Allen
France
Local time: 20:53
Multiplelanguages
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | additional bit of info about Haitian Creole background | Feb 28, 2010 |
I've added to the story the following extra bit of info too.
- 1994- 2000 (or even possibly longer. Not all letters were dated): My wife and I supported a young Haitian child through Compassion International for several years until he finished school. I have a collection of the dozens of correspondence between us and him over the years, all in Haitian Creole. All of his letters told of his daily life, of his school activities. We were personally interested in helping Haiti all t... See more I've added to the story the following extra bit of info too.
- 1994- 2000 (or even possibly longer. Not all letters were dated): My wife and I supported a young Haitian child through Compassion International for several years until he finished school. I have a collection of the dozens of correspondence between us and him over the years, all in Haitian Creole. All of his letters told of his daily life, of his school activities. We were personally interested in helping Haiti all those years ago, and did it a concrete way to put 1 child all the way through school. And his favorite subject was “reading and writing in Creole”
Updated summary statement with the extra info is now at:
why Jeff Allen cares about Creole languages
https://www.box.net/shared/s0l4xaqju1
why-JeffAllen-cares-Creole-languages-gen-23Feb2010.doc
Jeff Allen wrote:
21 Feb 2010
1) Background
2) Three videos from 1998
3) Recent Haiti Disaster Relief activities:
I went to my 7-year old son's school a week ago to present to them a short presentation about Haiti, about the young Haitian child that my wife supported for several years until he finished school, about Creole languages and where they are all spoken, some practical exercises of writing all of the kids' names in Haitian Creole up on the chalkboard, and a demo of the Haitian Creole translation systems that I have currently based on all of the work that has been done over the past month. Those kids (and their teacher) were very excited about the session. Very interactive with tons of questions. And hopefully it is just another opportunity to touch a few children to have an interest in supporting the many less-privileged languages in the world today.
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| | | | Jeff Allen
France
Local time: 20:53
Multiplelanguages
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | new article: Haiti relief in the language industry | Mar 9, 2010 |
New article highlighting how our industry is helping Haiti
Haiti relief in the language industry
In MultiLingual magazine, Number 110, March 2010, pp 50-52
http://multilingual.texterity.com/multilingual/201003?folio=50
use the arrows or page number function at top to read all 3 pages.
Need translators of all languages to tr... See more New article highlighting how our industry is helping Haiti
Haiti relief in the language industry
In MultiLingual magazine, Number 110, March 2010, pp 50-52
http://multilingual.texterity.com/multilingual/201003?folio=50
use the arrows or page number function at top to read all 3 pages.
Need translators of all languages to translate this article into their languages. Contact me.
Jeff ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jeff Allen
France
Local time: 20:53
Multiplelanguages
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | CrisisCamp Paris (for Haiti) 24 April 2010 - sign-up and come | Mar 25, 2010 |
CrisisCamp Paris for Haiti 24 April 2010
http://barcamp.org/CrisisCamp-Paris
I've signed up to participate in areas related to:
* different Machine Translation approaches
* Speech recognition and text-to-speech applications
* language data collection, cleansing, harmonization
Please sign up to come participate and make a major difference for Ha... See more CrisisCamp Paris for Haiti 24 April 2010
http://barcamp.org/CrisisCamp-Paris
I've signed up to participate in areas related to:
* different Machine Translation approaches
* Speech recognition and text-to-speech applications
* language data collection, cleansing, harmonization
Please sign up to come participate and make a major difference for Haitian Creole technologies
Jeff ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jeff Allen
France
Local time: 20:53
Multiplelanguages
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Haitian Creole translation projects mentioned in the New York Times | Mar 29, 2010 |
Haitian Creole data and translation system projects mentioned in the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/opinion/21bellos.html
By DAVID BELLOS
Published: March 20, 2010
A version of this article appeared in print on March 21, 2010, on page WK11 of the New York edition.
I contacted David Bellos. He said that he was not all... See more Haitian Creole data and translation system projects mentioned in the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/opinion/21bellos.html
By DAVID BELLOS
Published: March 20, 2010
A version of this article appeared in print on March 21, 2010, on page WK11 of the New York edition.
I contacted David Bellos. He said that he was not allowed to publish the link to the MultiLingual Computing magazine article where he got the story.
Jeff ▲ Collapse
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Jeff Allen
France
Local time: 20:53
Multiplelanguages
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Updated version of Jeff's story on Creole lang technologies (18Apr2010) | Apr 23, 2010 |
All,
Now download this new web page
JeffAllen-cares-Creole-languages-18Apr2010.html
https://www.box.net/shared/raqv0x3c1g
This is an updated version of the webpage with lots of clickable icons and embedded videos. And an even better version with additional clickable buttons to access online social networks via buttons is coming tomorrow.
This is als... See more All,
Now download this new web page
JeffAllen-cares-Creole-languages-18Apr2010.html
https://www.box.net/shared/raqv0x3c1g
This is an updated version of the webpage with lots of clickable icons and embedded videos. And an even better version with additional clickable buttons to access online social networks via buttons is coming tomorrow.
This is also all expected to be ported to a Wordpress blog in coming days too.
Jeff ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jeff Allen
France
Local time: 20:53
Multiplelanguages
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | last call - CrisisCamp Paris- Sat 24 April 2010 - sign-up and come | Apr 23, 2010 |
this is the last call to translators, language technology experts, and journalists to come and participate at CrisisCamp Paris on Saturday 24 April 2010
English version (suivi de la traduction en français)
What: Free sessions on current up-to-date status of available systems, resources and data to quickly develop speech and translation technologies for Haitian Creole led by Jeff ALLEN - expert in translation systems, ASR, TTS, and Haitian Creole) during day of session... See more this is the last call to translators, language technology experts, and journalists to come and participate at CrisisCamp Paris on Saturday 24 April 2010
English version (suivi de la traduction en français)
What: Free sessions on current up-to-date status of available systems, resources and data to quickly develop speech and translation technologies for Haitian Creole led by Jeff ALLEN - expert in translation systems, ASR, TTS, and Haitian Creole) during day of sessions on various topics
(also for other languages, I know the overall status for speech and translation technologies for most languages)
Who: all Haitian Creole linguists, translators, computational linguists, technology journalists, developers and researchers in speech recognition (ASR), text-to-speech (TTS), translation technologies, mobile device developers (telephone, pocketPC, ipod/pad/phone, palm, etc).
When: Saturday, 24 April 2010, 1 to 7 pm
NOTE: this is a full day of sessions related to all kinds of topics about technologies needed to propose and use during a moment of crisis.
There is no set schedule, because the principle of this type of set-up is to build upon who is present to come and participate.
HOWEVER, about 1/5 of the already 50+ participants already registered have stated in their online wiki registration their interest in translation and communication related technologies, so there is a strong level of interest in this topic.
I will be present during the entire event to be able to lead discussions, propose projects and ideas, and show all that is currently available today for this topic about Creole languages (and other languages too)
So just come, look and ask for me, and I will be ready to discuss and show what is available. I'm coming equipped with my own computer and video projector equipment.
Where: Silicon Sentier / La Cantine
151, rue Montmartre, Passage des Panoramas,
12 Galerie Montmartre, 75002 Paris France
Métro: Bourse
Sign up: http://barcamp.org/CrisisCamp-Paris
It's a wiki page:
* Create an account
* Click on Edit page
If problems registering on wiki, send your registration request to the two email contact addresss at that page:
Sign up for the session(s) on:
--> Les outils de communication sur place; la traduction; traitement automatique de la parole (reconnaissance vocale, text-to-speech)
Come prepared to:
* participate
* prepare projet ideas and plans
* prioritize
* promise
* provide a practical way to help on Haitian Creole communication needs
* propagate the news
* pragmatically propel Haitian Creole technology projects forward
* pave the way for Haiti Disaster Reconstruction
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version française (désolé pour les différences mineures d'infos entre l'orginal et la traduction. je diffuse ces infos sur un grand nombre de canaux avec les auditoires cible différents et c'est difficile à tout personnaliser parfaitement avec les contraintes de temps. L'essentiel est là).
Veneux nombreux au 1er CrisisCamps Paris
Quoi: une séance sur les systèmes, ressources et données disponibles à ce jour pour développeur rapidement des systèmes vocaux et de traduction/communication pour le créole haïtien (séance animée par Jeff ALLEN - expert en systèmes de traduction, ASR, TTS, et langue créole d'Haïti) pendant la journée d'ateliers gratuits
Qui: les experts en reconnaissance vocale (ASR), synthèse vocale (TTS), systèmes de traduction, développeurs d'applications mobile (téléphone, pocketpc, ipod/pad/phone, palm, etc), chercheurs en linguistique informatique, traducteurs, linguistes spécialisés en créole haïtien, journalistes
Quand: le samedi, 24 avril 2010, 13 à 19h
Où: Silicon Sentier / La Cantine
151, rue Montmartre, Passage des Panoramas,
12 Galerie Montmartre, 75002 Paris France
Métro: Bourse
S'inscrire: voir lien dans la version anglaise ci-dessus
c'est un wiki:
* créer d'abord un compte pour le wiki (Create an account)
* Editer la page wiki (onglet: Edit page)
En cas de problèmes pour s'inscrire sur le wiki, envoyer une demande d'inscription à l'adresse email dans la page wiki ci-dessus
Demandez de vous inscrire pour les séances concernant:
--> Les outils de communication sur place; la traduction; traitement automatique de la parole (reconnaissance vocale, text-to-speech)
Jeff Allen wrote:
CrisisCamp Paris for Haiti 24 April 2010
I've signed up to participate in areas related to:
* different Machine Translation approaches
* Speech recognition and text-to-speech applications
* language data collection, cleansing, harmonization
Please sign up to come participate and make a major difference for Haitian Creole technologies
Jeff
[Edited at 2010-04-23 00:28 GMT]
[Edited at 2010-04-23 00:31 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jeff Allen
France
Local time: 20:53
Multiplelanguages
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Jeff created new website/blog with Creole language technologies section | May 2, 2010 |
As the result of many requests for a long time, I have finally launched the following website / blog
Allen keys 2 languages :
http://www.allenkeys2languages.org
In the first instance, it focuses a bit on Haitan Creole language technologies for Haiti Disaster relief and reconstruction, and includes a lot of the information already referred to above, but in a more visual f... See more As the result of many requests for a long time, I have finally launched the following website / blog
Allen keys 2 languages :
http://www.allenkeys2languages.org
In the first instance, it focuses a bit on Haitan Creole language technologies for Haiti Disaster relief and reconstruction, and includes a lot of the information already referred to above, but in a more visual format with clickable icons and embedded videos.
Jeff ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jeff Allen
France
Local time: 20:53
Multiplelanguages
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | public seminar at Microsoft on Haitian Creole and minority language translation/speech systems | Oct 6, 2010 |
Here is the link to the video of my free, open public seminar hosted by and held at Microsoft Research in Redmond, Washington in the USA on 17 Aug 2010 on the topic of translation and speech systems for Haitian Creole and other less prevalent languages.
http://research.microsoft.com/apps/video/dl.aspx?id=136704
It might take the video a minute or so to ... See more Here is the link to the video of my free, open public seminar hosted by and held at Microsoft Research in Redmond, Washington in the USA on 17 Aug 2010 on the topic of translation and speech systems for Haitian Creole and other less prevalent languages.
http://research.microsoft.com/apps/video/dl.aspx?id=136704
It might take the video a minute or so to upload to be available, so be patient.
It is possible to download the audio file of the talk to several formats + the PDF version of the PPT presentation via the icons just under the video frame.
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Seminar summary:
The majority of development work and deployment of machine translation (MT) technologies over the past several decades have been for international languages. Only a few projects for low-data/low-density/low resource/sparse-data/less-prevalent/lesser-commonly taught/minority languages have led to successful prototypes and products. There are a certain number of technical, logistical, social, educational and other factors which influence and impact the potential success of implementing systems for such languages. This talk will cover many of the lessons learned from previous projects, and some of the pitfalls to avoid. It will also demonstrate how the recent efforts for making Haitian Creole available for Haiti Disaster Relief had a certain level of success in record time because of the ability to build upon previous work. Yet, there were also obstacles with have been problematic and remain a concern for this language and for other less-prevalent languages. Lastly, the discussion will mention some ways to enable proactive, forward thinking projects, using some bootstrapping methods, to reduce the risk of situations which can result from working in a primarily reactive mode.
This will be an interactive dialogue with the audience, allowing for questions throughout the session, and an additional question/answer time.
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Jeff ▲ Collapse
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