[A12n-forum] Re: voice output for diverse languages

["pam.mclean" <pam.mclean@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ref
"Actually my real focus is on functional  illiterate computer users."

Wallace. I would be interested to know more about your work, its location,
the information you are trying to share, etc. - or are you wanting to teach
literacy?

I'm based in the UK and support an InfoCentre in Ago-Are in rural Nigeria.
Many people there are illiterate and/or do not speak English.

In order to share information we are currently trying to get funding to pay
for an Information Champion to work with the InfoCentre and Ago-Are
community for six months. His task would be to work with community groups -
teachers, health workers, farmers, women and youths. He would help them to
understand the potential of the digital library at the InfoCentre (and of
its indirect links to the connected community). He would identify and train
infomediaries. Infomediaries in this context are people who can act as
communication channels between their peer groups and the InfoCentre
resources.

The Information Champion would be David Mutua,our current project manager,
who is handing the InfoCentre that he set up over to local management before
his time with VSO ends and he is due to return to the job market. If we can
start to pay him a salary he will stay on to do this next phase of the work.
We don't yet know if our bid for funding will be successful.

I have a personal interest in adult literacy too, but that is not such a
priority for us at present.

Pam

Pamela McLean

CAWD volunteer -supporting Community Action for Welfare and Development

(CAWD volunteers use home Internet connectivity on behalf of rural
development projects - new volunteers welcome)

For OOCD 2000+ updates subscribe to the newsletter
http://lists.kabissa.org/mailman/listinfo/oocd2000plus


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "wallace Chigona" <mankhwala@xxxxxx>
To: <A12n-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, March 05, 2004 2:17 PM
Subject: [A12n-forum] Re: voice output for diverse languages


Actually my real focus is on functional  illiterate computer users.  I
am based in South Africa where the problem is illiteracy is
significant.  I want to think that providing verbal information would be
of great use.  However, I imagine that this would be a big challenge for
a country with lots and lots of  local languages.  This is where I
imagine that TTS software would come in.

Do you guys have case studies where TTS software have been used to
address this kind of problem?

Don Osborn wrote:

>Wallace, I think what you're talking about is text-to-speech (TTS)
software.
>This has been used for other languages.  A friend (who I cc) actually was
>working on TTS for Bambara not too long ago.
>
>I'm sending around the question and we'll get back to you on this.
>
>Don Osborn
>Bisharat.net
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "wallace Chigona" <mankhwala@xxxxxx>
>To: <A12n-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Sunday, February 29, 2004 2:55 PM
>Subject: [A12n-forum] voice output for diverse languages
>
>
>Hi,
>You know the software which converts written text into audio output?  I
have
>seen one demonstration for English.  Does anybody know if there have been
>any work for other languages as well?  I would appreciate any links and
>references on this topic
>
>
>Wallace
>
>_______________________________________________
>A12n-forum mailing list
>A12n-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>http://lists.kabissa.org/mailman/listinfo/a12n-forum
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>A12n-forum mailing list
>A12n-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>http://lists.kabissa.org/mailman/listinfo/a12n-forum
>
>
>
>

_______________________________________________
A12n-forum mailing list
A12n-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.kabissa.org/mailman/listinfo/a12n-forum


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.577 / Virus Database: 366 - Release Date: 03/02/2004