Introduction to Natural Language Generation

Ling 795.10, Spring '06
TR 1:30–3:18, 141 Bio Sci Bldg
Instructor: Michael White
http://www.ling.ohio-state.edu/~mwhite/

Description

In this course, you will learn how to build Natural Language Generation (NLG) systems, i.e. systems which use AI and comp. ling. techniques to automatically produce texts in English or other natural languages, starting from some non-linguistic representation of input data. Topics to be covered include content determination and structuring; sentence planning or microplanning (lexicalization, aggregation and referring expression generation); surface realization; and prosody prediction. During the course, we will examine the task of generating route directions as an ongoing case study. Homework assignments will provide you with practical experience using XML Schema, XSLT, the OpenCCG surface realizer, and the Festival speech synthesis system.

Prerequisites

Ling 684.01 or permission of the instructor. The course is open to advanced undergraduate and graduate students.

Requirements

Carmen

We'll be using the Carmen system for the schedule and for homework and reading assignments. There will also be discussion forums for posting questions and providing feedback (comments, complaints or ideas) during the course, anonymously if desired.

Readings

Readings will draw from Reiter and Dale's book, Building Natural Language Generation Systems, which has recently become available in paperback (e.g. at amazon.com).

There will also be further readings of primary sources assigned periodically, and listed below.

Generating Route Directions

Text Planning

Sentence Planning

Surface Realization

NLG and Prosody Modeling

Resources

Tutorials

W3C Specifications

Software

Students with Disabilities

Students who need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me to arrange an appointment as soon as possible to discuss the course format, to anticipate needs, and to explore potential accommodations. I rely on the Office of Disability Services for assistance in verifying the need for accommodations and developing accommodation strategies. Students who have not previously contacted the Office for Disability Services are encouraged to do so (292-3307; http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu).

Policy on Academic Misconduct

As with any class at this university, students are required to follow the Ohio State Code of Student Conduct. In particular, note that students are not allowed to, among other things, submit plagiarized (copied but unacknowledged) work for credit. If any violation occurs, I am required to report the violation to the Council on Academic Misconduct.

Disclaimer

This syllabus is subject to change. All important changes will be made in writing (email), with ample time for adjustment.