This thesis project addresses the machine learning (ML) modelling aspects of the problem of automatically extracting typological linguistic information of natural languages spoken in South Asia from annotated descriptive grammars. Without getting stuck into the theory and methods of Natural Language Processing (NLP), the focus has been to develop and test a machine learning (ML) model dedicated to the information extraction part. Starting with the existing state-of-the-art frameworks to get labelled training data through the structured representation of the descriptive grammars, the problem has been modelled as a supervised ML classification task where the annotated text is provided as input and the objective is to classify the input to one of the pre-learned labels. The approach has been to systematically explore the data to develop understanding of the problem domain and then evaluate a set of four potential ML algorithms using predetermined performance metrics namely: accuracy, recall, precision and f-score. It turned out that the problem splits up into two independent classification tasks: binary classification task and multiclass classification task. The four selected algorithms: Decision Trees, Naïve Bayes, Support VectorMachines, and Logistic Regression belonging to both linear and non-linear families ofML models are independently trained and compared for both classification tasks. Using stratified 10-fold cross validation performance metrics are measured and the candidate algorithms  are compared. Logistic Regression provided overall best results with DecisionTree as the close follow up. Finally, the Logistic Regression model was selected for further fine tuning and used in a web demo for typological information extraction tool developed to show the usability of the ML model in the field.

Traditional botanical knowledge is the knowledge of how plants are being cultivated and used by the indigenous cultures. Modern western culture exhibits a shortage of traditional and formal botanical knowledge. In this project I took 103 common edible plants found in the grocery store and applied both traditional and formal knowledge in a formal educational format. The purpose was to introduce students to the information that is generally acquired through informal interaction in the home and the community and to address the National and State educational standards. A dichotomous key using plant morphology and anatomy is presented, and is linked to a taxonomic treatment and descriptions of ethnobotany, linguistics, and economic value. Both library citations and numerous web resources are given to supplement the materials. Although not in the scope of this project, it is expected that lesson plans for various grades can be built around this information.

Cette recherche a deux objectifs, la systématisation de la prosodie fondamentale du japonais langue commune et l’application de ce système prosodique à une méthode didactique. Pour atteindre ces objectifs, nous cernons d'abord un cadre théorique adaptable au japonais en nous fondant sur la théorie de la "Grammaire de l’intonation" de Morel et Danon-Boileau (1998). Ensuite, nous analysons deux types de corpus, les premières phrases d'informations télévisées, dont le style est proche de celui de l’écrit, et des extraits de dialogue spontané. Les résultats de l’analyse du corpus d'écrit oralisé corroborent une hypothèse selon laquelle l’unité discursive, qui est dans l’ordre fondamental des constituants tel que défini par la fonction de détermination correspondant à un marqueur syntaxique/discursif spécifique, doit être réalisée par la prosodie fondamentale conformément à la fonction de détermination. Les indices suprasegmentaux de cette prosodie sont la position et la durée de la pause et la mélodie des séquences du modifiant et du modifié. En application de ce système prosodique, nous proposons une méthode d’enseignement d’accès facile pour l’enseignant et l’apprenant sur les plans théorique et didactique, grâce au critère binaire de la fonction de détermination d'une part, et d’un indice "écrit", le marqueur syntaxique/discursif, d'autre part. L’analyse du corpus d’oral montre que dans l’oral la fonction de détermination n’est pas représentée par le marqueur spécifique ni par la pause, qui sont remplacés par un indice intonatif à la fin du constituant, tandis que la fonction énonciative est réalisée par l’intonation des particules finales. / This research has two objectives: a systematization of the fundamental prosody of Japanese as a common language, and an application of this prosodic system to teaching method. To attain these objectives, we first fix a theoretical framework adaptable to Japanese based on the theory "Grammaire de l’intonation" (Intonation Grammar) of Morel and Danon-Boileau (1998). We then analyze two types of corpus, readings of lead sentences of TV news, whose style are close to the written style, and extracts from spontaneous dialogues. The results of analysis of the corpus in uttered-written style corroborate the hypothesis that the discursive unit, which is in the fundamental constituent order defined by the function of determination corresponding to a specific syntactic/discursive marker, must be realized by the fundamental prosody conforming to the function of determination. The supra-segmental indicia of this prosody are the position and the length of pauses and the pitch pattern of sequences of modifier and modified. With application of this prosodic system, we propose a teaching method easily accessible both to the teacher and the learner in theoretical and didactical aspects through the binary criterion of the function of determination and a "written" indicium, the specific syntactic/discursive marker. The analysis of the corpus in spoken style shows that in this style, the function of determination is represented neither by the marker nor by the pause, which are replaced by the intonated indicium at the end of constituent, whereas the enunciative function is realized by intonation of the final particles.

MAAS / MER Mathivha Centre for African Languages, Arts and Culture