IMAGACT

Ontology of action trough images for language acquisition in a multilingual environment

Type of project: Regional  |  Start date: 01/03/2011  |  End date: 31/08/2013

The final aim of the IMAGACT project is the implementation of a language infrastructure prototype for the acquisition of Italian (and also of other languages) through an innovative method based on image recognition.

The infrastructure will allow to approach the linguistic information concerning the target language by indicating emblematic scenes interesting for the learners, without necessarily having to refer to their language of origin which, in particular in high immigration contexts, is supported neither by basic resources (dictionaries and grammars) nor by the most elementary levels of mediation with the teachers.

In particular, the infrastructure is dedicated to the lexical information necessary to express action concepts presenting minor interlinguistic translatability and very high frequency in everyday use, and therefore are useful to the learner in situations of remarkable uncertainty especially in the early phases of acquisition.

The infrastructure will derive from vast basic search developing knowledges and methodologies of high specialization in the fields of natural language semantics, treatment of the image and of the language and will exploit the linguistic infrastructures present in the partnership for practical reasons.

The prototype will be validated in the real world by leaders at a regional level in the field of linguistic education and especially for the exploitation of new technologies at an educational level.

A sample of the IMAGACT-WordNet mapping

Acronym:
IMAGACT

Funding programme:
Avviso Pubblico per il Sostegno a Progetti di Ricerca in materia di Scienze Socio-Economiche e Umane

Funding body:
Regione Toscana (PAR FAS 2007-2013 - Linea di Azione 1.1.a.3)

Grant agreement:
B11J1000055002

Status:
Ended

CNR-ILC role:
Beneficiary

Staff:
Paola Baroni
Nicoletta Calzolari Zamorani
Claudia Soria
Irene Russo
Valeria Quochi
Anas Fahad Khan
Francesca Frontini
Francesco Rubino

Website/s:
http://lablita.dit.unifi.it/projects/IMAGACT/