44 research outputs found
A Computational Approach to Poetic Structure, Rhythm and Rhyme
Get PDFIn this paper we present SPARSAR, a system for the automatic analysis of English and Italian poetry. The system can work on any type of poem and produces a set of parameters that are then used to compare poems with one another, of the same author or of different authors. In this paper, we will concentrate on the second module, which is a rule-based system to represent and analyze poetic devices. Evaluation of the system on the basis of a manually created dataset - including poets from Shakespeare's time down to T.S.Eliot and Sylvia Plath - has shown its high precision and accuracy approximating 90%
Exploring Speech Technologies for Language Learning
Get PDFThe teaching of the pronunciation of any foreign language must encompass both segmental and suprasegmental aspects
of speech. In computational terms, the two levels of language learning activities can be decomposed at least into
phonemic aspects, which include the correct pronunciation of single phonemes and the co-articulation of phonemes into
higher phonological units; as well as prosodic aspects which include
the correct position of stress at word level;
the alternation of stress and unstressed syllables in terms of compensation and vowel reduction;
the correct position of sentence accent;
the generation of the adequate rhymth from the interleaving of stress, accent, and phonological rules;
the generation of adequate intonational pattern for each utterance related to communicative functions;
As appears from above, for a student to communicate intelligibly and as close as possible to native-speaker's
pronunciation, prosody is very important [3]. We also assume that an incorrect prosody may hamper communication
from taking place and this may be regarded a strong motivation for having the teaching of Prosody as an integral part of
any language course. From our point of view it is much more important to stress the achievement of successful
communication as the main objective of a second language learner rather than the overcoming of what has been termed
“foreign accent”, which can be deemed as a secondary goal. In any case, the two goals are certainly not coincident even
though they may be overlapping in some cases. We will discuss about these matter in the following sections.
All prosodic questions related to “rhythm” will be discussed in the first section of this chapter. In [4] the author argues
in favour of prosodic aids, in particular because a strong placement of word stress may impair understanding from the
listener’s point of view of the word being pronounced. He also argues in favour of acquiring correct timing of
phonological units to overcome the impression of “foreign accent” which may ensue from an incorrect distribution of
stressed vs. unstressed stretches of linguistic units such as syllables or metric feet. Timing is not to be confused with
speaking rate which need not be increased forcefully to give the impression of a good fluency: trying to increase
speaking rate may result in lower intelligibility. The question of “foreign accent” is also discussed at length in (Jilka M.,
1999). This work is particularly relevant as far as intonational features of a learner of a second language which we will
address in the second section of this chapter. Correcting the Intonational Foreign Accent (hence IFA) is an important
component of a Prosodic Module for self-learning activities, as categorical aspects of the intonation of the two languages
in contact, L1 and L2 are far apart and thus neatly distinguishable. Choice of the two languages in contact is determined
mainly by the fact that the distance in prosodic terms between English and Italian is maximal, according to (Ramus, F.
and J. Mehler, 1999; Ramus F., et al., 1999)
Perception and logic of farms in the recovery process of watershed Mariana, in the country of Alta Floresta/MT
No full textOrientador: Sonia Maria Pessoa Pereira BergamascoTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia AgrícolaResumo: O governo brasileiro apoiou irrestritamente a ocupação da Amazônia Legal com créditos altamente subsidiados para substituir a floresta por atividades agropastoris com a justificativa de que precisava ocupar aquela região para soberania nacional. Deste modo, o governo federal investiu fortemente na região, sem nenhuma preocupação ambiental, sendo o município de Alta Floresta, no Extremo norte do Estado de Mato Grosso, produto deste projeto governamental. Esta visão antropocêntrica gerou enormes externalidades negativas aos diferentes agroecossistemas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o nível de degradação socioambiental da Microbacia Hidrográfica Mariana (MBM) localizada em Alta Floresta/MT, utilizando dados secundários (relatórios de pesquisas, artigos, teses, entre outros) e primários (entrevistas com lideranças políticas, agricultores, etc.), norteado por um aparato teórico-metodológico. Foram realizadas amostragens de solos para avaliação dos atributos físicos e químicos com dados coletados na área de preservação permanente (APP) e do entorno (ENT), entrevistas semi-estruturadas, história oral e adoção do marco MESMIS (Marco para la Evaluación de Sistemas de Manejo de Recursos Naturales) para construção de indicadores de sustentabilidade socioambiental dentro do enfoque sistêmico, envolvendo diferentes atores sociais (agricultores e urbanos). Empregou-se quatro técnicas da estatística multivariada (Análise Fatorial por Correspondências Múltiplas, Análise de Componentes Principais Não Lineares, Análise de Variância multivariada e Classificação Hierárquica Ascendente) que identificou dois sistemas de manejos da MBM com os quais foram construídos indicadores para comparar a sustentabilidade entre eles. Pelos resultados obtidos, detectou-se que os solos da MBM estão degradados posto que: 74,5% das áreas dos estabelecimentos (APP e ENT) apresentaram macroporosidade menor que 10%; 78% dos solos da APP na camada de 0 - 0,20 m apresentaram densidade superior a 1,5 Mg m-3; 64,8% das áreas estudadas estão com a resistência mecânica do solo à penetração variando entre 2,5 e 5 MPa; a saturação por bases identificou que a maior parte dos solos necessita corrigir a acidez devido aos resultados médios que acusarem 46% (APP) e 44% (ENT) deste indicador; e 29,4% dos agroecossistemas apresentou teor de matéria orgânica menor ou igual a 20 g dm-3. O marco MESMIS identificou que aquele espaço rural encontra-se muito longe do ideal de sustentabilidade tendo em vista o baixo índice agregado obtido no cluster 1 (35%) e no cluster 2 (35,2%), corroborado pela visão dos atores sociais urbanos que atingiu 40,2%, gerando o índice geral médio de 36,8%, indicando que a MBM encontra-se na condição "não sustentável ou crítica". Conclui-se que a recuperação socioambiental daquele território requer adoção imediata de políticas públicas, construídas com os agricultores, através da implementação de um projeto de microbacia hidrográfica para recuperação e a conservação dos solos, bem como a aplicabilidade do serviço de extensão rural, dentro de uma visão agroecológica, para que juntos com os agricultores, como protagonistas, sejam construídos caminhos na busca do desenvolvimento rural sustentávelAbstract: The brazilian government unreservedly supported the occupation of the Amazon with highly subsidized credits to replace the forest for agropastoral activities with the justification that needed to occupy that region to national sovereignty. Thus, the federal government has invested heavily in the region, without any environmental concern, and the country of Alta Floresta in the Far North of the Mato Grosso State, product of this government project. This anthropocentric view generated huge negative externalities to different agroecosystems. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of environmental degradation Watershed Mariana located in Alta Floresta/MT, using secondary data (research reports, articles, theses, etc.) and primary (interviews with political leaders, farmers, etc.), guided by a theoretical - methodological apparatus. Soil samples for evaluation of physical and chemical attributes with data collected in the area of permanent preservation (APP) and the environment (ENT), semi-structured interviews, oral history and adoption of landmark Evaluation of Natural Resource Management Systems (MESMIS, its Spanish acronym) for construction of indicators of environmental sustainability within the systemic approach, involving different social actors (farmers and urban). We applied four techniques of multivariate statistics were (Factor Analysis for Multiple Correspondence, Principal Components Analysis Nonlinear, Multivariate Analysis of Variance and Ascendant Hierarchical Classification) which identified two management systems of MBM with which indicators were constructed to compare the sustainability of them. From the results obtained, it was found that the soils wathersed Mariana are degraded in which: 74.5% of the areas of establishments (APP and ENT) macroporosity showed less than 10%, 78% of soils in the APP in the 0-0,20 m showed a density higher of 1.5 Mg m-3, 64.8% of the studied areas are with the soil resistance to penetration ranging from 2.5 to 5 MPa, the base saturation identified that most soils need to correct acidity due to average results that accuse 46% (APP) and 44% (ENT) of this indicator, and 29.4% of agroecosystems showed content of organic matter lower or equal to 20 g dm-3. The methodology MESMIS identified that rural areas that lies far from the ideal of sustainability in view of the low aggregate index obtained in cluster 1 (35%) and cluster 2 (35.2%), supported by the vision of urban social actors which reached 40.2%, generating the overall average rate of 36.8%, indicating that the watersed Mariana is in "not sustainable or critical" condition. It is concluded that the environmental recovery of that territory requires immediate adoption of public policies, built with farmers through the implementation of a project for watershed rehabilitation and soil conservation as well as the applicability of the agricultural extension service, within a agroecological vision, so that together with the farmers, as protagonists, paths are constructed in the pursuit of sustainable rural developmentDoutoradoPlanejamento e Desenvolvimento Rural SustentávelDoutor em Engenharia Agrícol
Construção de um ambiente protegido para produção de olerícolas no Lar Santa Isabel, Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso
No full textRecuperação Socioambiental de Agroecossistemas: Questões e Desafios para sua Viabilização
Get PDFThe Government of Brazil has provided extensive support to the process of land occupation in the Legal Amazon through subsidized credits for the conversion of forest lands to agropastoral activities. The Federal Government has offered many incentives to the State of Mato Grosso especially for the region of Alta Floresta. However, this process has generated negative environmental externalities causing negative impact on agroecosystems due to the prevalent anthropocentric vision at the time. This paper is aimed at increasing social awareness about environmental issues including the restoration of the Mariana Hydrographic Basin, which is a cooperative conservation partnership initiative to engage farmers in sustainable farming management, a project seeking to restore the ecological health of the basin. The research methods used included semi-structured interviews and literature review, attempting to answer the questions such as: (i) who will pay for the environmental restoration?; (ii) who should pay for the environmental water services?; (iii) is the "Marco para la Evaluación de Sistemas de Manejo de Recursos Naturales (MESMIS)" a goodparticipatory tool for the construction of environmental indicators of agroecosystems? This survey has shown that farmers noted the importanceof the work for the conservation and restoration of degraded areas includingsoil and water that can be prioritized with the implementation of the paymentfor environmental services through the provision of services to support themin this process of restoration, and likewise, it can also be inferred that the"MESMIS" methodology is an important technique for the construction of environmental and social indicators of agroecosystems.Keywords: Agroecosystems; Sustainability; Payment for EnvironmentalServices; Family Farm; Public Policy.O governo brasileiro apoiou irrestritamente a ocupação da Amazônia Legal com créditos subsidiados para substituir a floresta por atividades agropastoris. O Estado de Mato Grosso recebeu vários incentivos, com destaque para a regiãode Alta Floresta. No entanto, essa substituição gerou externalidades negativas aos diferentes agroecossistemas devido à visão antropocêntrica predominante à época. Esse trabalho visa defender a recuperação socioambiental da MicrobaciaHidrográfica Mariana construída com os agricultores na busca de torna-la umambiente sustentável. Como metodologia utilizou-se entrevistas semi-estruturadas e revisão bibliográfica para responder as seguintes indagações: i) Quem vai pagar pela restauração ambiental?; ii) Quem deve pagar pelos serviços ambientais da água?; iii) O Marco para la Evaluación de Sistemas de Manejo de Recursos Naturales" (MESMIS) consiste uma boa ferramenta participativa para construção de indicadores de sustentabilidade dos agroecossistemas? Pelos dados coletados e trabalhos pesquisados conclui-se que os agricultores percebem a importância da recuperação dos solos e água degradados que pode ser agilizada com a implementação do pagamento por serviços ambientais através da prestação de serviços para apoiá-los na sua restauração, como também pode-se inferir que a metodologia "MESMIS" constitui-se um método importante para construção de indicadores de sustentabilidade socioambiental de agroecossistemas
The agroecosystems diagnosis of the Mariana Hydrographic Microbasin in the Amazonia Portal Territory, Mato Grosso State, Brazil
Get PDFThe opening of new agricultural frontiers in the 70s, as it happened in Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, was stimulated by the federal government and took place without any concern for the preservation of forests, thus contributing to the generation of strong negative externalities. This work aims to carry out a socioenvironmental diagnosis of the Mariana Hydrographic Microbasin of the municipality of Alta Floresta, in the Mato Grosso State of Brazil. The systemic approach employed for this research included the use of semi-structured interviews and the soil physical analysis.. Results indicate that 78.6% of respondents had bought their properties in the 80/90s. Of that percentage, 84% respondents reported that they had not received any orientation regarding the preservation of riparian forests, and 93% answered that while they did had an interest in recovering degraded areas, they lacked the necessary financial resources to implement such a recovery. The study also points out the social and environmental degradation of the territory, showing, among other indicators, that 74.5% of the soils of the researched agroecosystems presented macroporosity of less than 10%; a marked lack of social participation, and a strong flow of rural migration that compromises the possibility of social reproduction
A agricultura familiar no estado de Mato Grosso: um olhar a partir do Censo Agropecuário 2017
Get PDF No estado de Mato Grosso, a agricultura familiar desempenha papel importante no desenvolvimento rural como produtora de alimentos, sendo responsável por grande parte da produção dos alimentos de consumo diário do mato-grossense, principalmente frutas e verduras, além de uma representação significativa na geração de empregos e renda no meio rural. Diante disso, este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar a agricultura familiar do estado de Mato Grosso, no que se refere aos aspectos inerentes ao desenvolvimento rural. A metodologia utilizada baseou-se em dados secundários obtidos a partir do Censo Agropecuário de 2017, realizado pelo Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), bem como em revisão da literatura sobre agricultura familiar, a produção agrícola e pecuária desta unidade da federação. A pesquisa apontou que, a agricultura familiar do estado de Mato Grosso representa 68,79% dos estabelecimentos agropecuários, porém ocupa apenas 9,34% da área ocupada por estes. A maioria dos agricultores familiares possui idade superior a 35 anos, com ensino fundamental incompleto e são do sexo masculino. Foi possível verificar que, ainda é insuficiente as políticas públicas existentes principalmente no que se refere ao acesso a mercados, ao crédito rural (somente em 15,91% dos estabelecimentos foi declarado o acesso), a assistência técnica e extensão rural, em que a maioria (87,49%) declara não receber orientação técnica e a realização de práticas agrícolas, que 77,00% declarou não realizar nada. Neste sentido, é necessário o fortalecimento de políticas públicas já existentes (Pronaf, PAA e Pnae, por exemplo), bem como a formulação e implementação de outras políticas públicas que considerem as especificidades da agricultura familiar nesta unidade da federação
Aggregate index of social–environmental sustainability to evaluate the social–environmental quality in a watershed in the Southern Amazon
No full textAggregate index of social-environmental sustainability to evaluate the social-environmental quality in A watershed In the Southern Amazon
No full textThe purpose of this study was to build an aggregate index of social–environmental sustainability derived from incorporation of indicators of the quality of soil, water, and vegetation, and social organization and socioeconomic variables, in order to assess the overall social–environmental quality in a micro watershed in the Southern Amazon. From a population of 105 family production units 56 were randomly selected for evaluation of indicators of the quality of soil and water as well as for conducting interviews to evaluate the farmers’ perception of soil, water, and vegetation quality and also of socioeconomic aspects of agroecosystems. The aggregate index built from social–environmental sustainability indicators shows that the selected indicators were adequate for describing social–environmental quality and confirms the hypothesis that the studied micro-watershed in the southern edge of the Amazon is in a state of collapse, and is socially and environmentally degraded.6333734
Logging student answer data in CALL exercises to gauge feedback efficacy
Get PDFAn important advantage of online assessment work is that answer data can be easily stored and later analysed with a view to establishing the efficacy of the assessment methodology. A 5-year study of the effectiveness of online grammar exercises has been carried out at the University of Kent. The exercises featured require input in the form of whole sentences (since this is a more authentic test of language skills than single word input or multiple choice). Error feedback is generic (indicating where errors have occurred) rather than specific (indicating the exact nature of the errors) because the error-diagnosis system has been designed to be completely language independent. The study aimed to gauge whether this type of feedback is effective - in terms of enabling students to:
· identify the types of mistakes in their input;
· rectify the mistakes;
· learn from the mistakes and apply that learning to subsequent problems
There was initial concern that the generic feedback might not provide enough detail to enable users to understand and correct their errors - however extensive use by the University's Spanish department has shown that this type of mark-up is very effective. Chapelle (1998) stresses that it is important for learners to be given the opportunity to correct their linguistic errors. Users of this system, having failed to answer a question correctly on their first attempt, are permitted a second attempt. It is abundantly clear from the logged data that where users make mistakes in their first attempt (and they generally do since the material is designed to be testing), there is almost always a significant improvement in attempt two. This alone would be enough to show that the feedback mode is effective. However this was not enough to prove the pedagogical efficacy of this means of exercise presentation. Therefore more detailed analysis was performed. Over several years of trials more than 100,000 answers have been logged and every answer has been analysed. It can be shown that, for well-designed exercises, as students progress through an exercise they improve in three ways:
· more questions are answered correctly on the first attempt;
· overall questions scores (i.e. the average of 1st and 2nd attempts at questions) improve;
· thinking time for formulating answers decreases
The degree of increase in accuracy and decrease in thinking time is exercise-dependent, but the overall picture shows clearly that the generic, language-independent feedback is indeed effective. Moreover, it is easy to identify poorly designed exercises since they do not exhibit the characteristics listed above
