Interactive Speech Translation in the DIPLOMAT Project

Abstract

The DIPLOMAT rapid-deployment speech translation system is intended to allow naive users to communicate across a language barrier, without strong domain restrictions, despite the errorprone nature of current speech and translation technologies. Achieving this ambitious goal depends in large part on allowing the users to interactively correct recognition and translation errors. We briefly present the MultiEngine Machine Translation (MEMT) architecture, describing how it is wellsuited for such an application. We then describe our incorporation of interactive error correction throughout the system design. We have already developed a working bidirectional Serbo-Croatian / English system, and are currently developing Haitian-Creole / English and Korean / English versions.