Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
568942 Speech Communication 2007 18 Pages PDF
Abstract

Attempting to understand the fundamental mechanisms underlying spoken language processing, whether it is viewed as behaviour exhibited by human beings or as a faculty simulated by machines, is one of the greatest scientific challenges of our age. Despite tremendous achievements over the past 50 or so years, there is still a long way to go before we reach a comprehensive explanation of human spoken language behaviour and can create a technology with performance approaching or exceeding that of a human being. It is argued that progress is hampered by the fragmentation of the field across many different disciplines, coupled with a failure to create an integrated view of the fundamental mechanisms that underpin one organism’s ability to communicate with another. This paper weaves together accounts from a wide variety of different disciplines concerned with the behaviour of living systems – many of them outside the normal realms of spoken language – and compiles them into a new model: PRESENCE (PREdictive SENsorimotor Control and Emulation). It is hoped that the results of this research will provide a sufficient glimpse into the future to give breath to a new generation of research into spoken language processing by mind or machine.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Computer Science Signal Processing
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