Overview

This module introduces students to a series of applied, theoretical and practical aspects of language technologies, which will help them to gain an advanced level of understanding of the complex skills required to develop automated handling of natural language data. Classes involve practical components with a strong Information Technology element, project-based exercises, group work and discussions. Students will also acquire the skills and knowledge necessary across different areas of language technologies, including the development of certain techniques and resources for background research, terminology management, text analysis and professional skills. The module will also make students familiar with aspects of the developments of language technology in Wales.

Representative topics will include: 1. Introduction to NLP methods 2. Principles of Machine Translation 3. Speech technology: text to speech 4. Speech technology: speech recognition 5. Conversational AI and deep learning

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -50%>Student has achieved the minimum acceptable standard of understanding and/or knowledge in all the learning outcomes. Student can demonstrate aminimum level of understanding of the basic concepts and be able to apply them to data with some degree of accuracy. The answer must show evidenceof some background study. -good -60%>Student has achieved a better-than-average standard of understanding and/or knowledge in all learning outcomes, and has a clear and accurate understanding of concepts; ability to apply concepts to data critically and thoughtfully; evidence of wide reading and clear and accurate reference to source materials, including primary sources from current literature; mostly free from misunderstanding and errors of content and from irrelevant material. -excellent -70%>Student has achieved a thorough standard of understanding and/or knowledge in all learning outcomes; or student has demonstrated an exceptional level of achievement in one or more learning outcomes together with a good overall standard: student has achieved a thorough understanding of the subject, both in terms of content and theory; student is able to apply concepts clearly and accurately; substantial evidence of critical and original thought and analysis; clear, logical argument; evidence of an ability to make new links between topics and/or a new approach to a problem; high level of communicative competence; free from misunderstandings, oversimplifications and irrelevant material; evidence of extensive reading and engagement with various primary sources, with clear and accurate references to source material.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will able to integrate a range of linguistic and computational topics in analysing examples of language technologies in various monolingual and multilingual settings to an advanced standard.

• Students will be able to present concepts and clearly and coherently, critically evaluate ideas and plan and conduct a research project to an advanced level on a topic of choice in this area.

• Students will be able to write up research papers on cutting edge topics in the area, bringing together information from different fields of enquiry in order to address various topics in language technology to an advanced level.

• Students will develop a sophisticated understanding of the main issues, outcomes, and advances in various language technologies for diverse languages.