Services

LOID - Linguistic Origin IDentification

LOID focuses on profiling a dialectal background. It identifies a number of phonological, morphological and syntactic features of a person's speech and groups them in patterns. These patterns are supported with references in academic research which makes LOID reports transparent and easily cross-checked. The patterns create the basis for conclusion about the probability that the person's speech can be attributed to the claimed area of origin.

Active Competence

Verified offers Active Competence analyses either as an independent service, or in combination with LOID. An Active Competence analysis requires neither native speakers, nor dialect information. Instead, the interviewee is asked to produce phrases belonging to the basic vocabulary of the language that he/she claims to speak. Active Competence is particularly valuable in those cases in which the person claims to speak a local language which is only found in a specific area (region, country, etc.) of interest, and is especially useful for cases regarding Africa.

Passive Competence

Passive Competence tests a person's comprehension of a language as opposed to his/her active use of it. In environments with several languages as means of communication speakers often have profound active knowledge of one language (i.e. they can freely speak and understand it), while being able only to comprehend the other language(s). The Passive Competence test examines the speaker's level of comprehension of the other language using statistical probability models.

Assessment of Language Analysis

Verified performs an assessment of an existing language analysis report previously carried out by a third party. The existing report is checked against a number of criteria, such as the method used, transparency of the arguments, references, consistency of conclusions, qualifications of the specialists involved, etc. Such services are of great importance for end-users of language analysis reports because they provide feedback on the general validity of the report.

Assessment of Interpreting Performance

While assessment of interpreting performance may be a common quality assurance practice, there are relatively few actors on the market that provide such services. Experts at Verified that specialise in language and text analysis have designed a service for assessment of interpreting performance to provide feedback on the quality of an interpreting session. This is of special interest for users of interpreting services in the legal context where high precision of interpreting is essential.

Interview Technique

Verified provides tailor made training in behavioral communication and analysis through 3 main packages, ranging from basic information to interview skills and techniques for future instructors. These specifically address Interview technique and much more. Every package combines a theoretical course with applied exercises and drills. During the 3 to 10 days of training, clients will learn about non-verbal communication, the psychology of lies, interview techniques, persuasion techniques and more.

Transcription

The purpose of the service is to allow the client to see the exact account of what had been said in the original language on the recording, be it a monologue or a dialogue, in the written form. If required, it may also be accompanied by a translation.

Indication

The purpose of this service is, based on a cursory examination of a speech sample, to give an indication of which country, if any, out of a given set, the speaker most likely is socialized in. The service is carried out primarily through an analyst, a trained native speaker of the dialect under investigation, listening to a speech sample. Indication is a practical instrument to guide further investigation and provide a provisional assessment as to potential conformity with a certain hypothesis. Through its lack of transparency, this service is not suited for use as evidence in court.

Screening

Screening allows the customer to optimize the outcome of efforts spent. By screening potential cases for the full service, those who at a first impression seem to clearly support the hypothesis concerning the speakers linguistic background can be weeded out and only those requiring a more in-depth analysis or those likely to provide ground for refuting the hypothesis will be subjected to the full-fledged service. Through its lack of transparency, Screening is not suited for use as evidence in court.

Knowledge Assessment

Knowledge Assessment service is a way of displaying any factual information that may be included or requested in a recording used for language analysis purposes. This information ranges from knowledge of location and landmarks to customs and traditions to day-to-day life descriptions. The structure of the service is based on a list of the statements uttered by the applicant during the recording that have to do with knowledge that would validate the person's claim to a certain location or origin. Statements will, where the analyst deems himself/herself capable of such judgment, be annotated as correct or incorrect, and where not, as unevaluated.

Spectrographic analysis

Spectrographic Analysis is valuable when the identity of a speech sound cannot be auditorily determined with accuracy. In these cases, an acoustic analysis will often provide sufficient data for identification of the speech sound. Spectrographic analysis is especially suitable for vowels, but in many cases, consonants can be analyzed as well. Knowing the identity of individual speech sounds can also aid in determining what word is spoken.