W3C Workshop on Internationalizing the Speech Synthesis Markup Language

W3C is organizing a workshop on internationalizing the speech synthesis markup language (SSML) 2-3 November 2005 in Beijing, China. The main objective of this workshop is to identify and prioritize extensions and additions to SSML that will improve its use for rendering non-English languages.

Widely used, SSML is designed to provide a rich, XML-based markup language for assisting the generation of synthetic speech in Web and other applications. The essential role of the markup language is to provide authors of synthesizable content with a standard way to control aspects of speech such as pronunciation, volume, pitch, or rate across different synthesis-capable platforms.

To make SSML more useful in current and emerging markets, W3C's Voice Browser Working Group is considering enhancements for non-English languages. Suggestions relevant for multiple languages are most welcome, as the scope of the workshop is not limited to Asian languages.

Link:
Workshop agenda: http://www.w3.org/2005/08/SSML/ssml-workshop-agenda