Developing an Annotation Platform for the Creation of a Portuguese Sign Language Dictionary

05/27/2025

Língua Gestual Portuguesa (LGP), the natural language of the Portuguese Deaf community, remains underrepresented in digital linguistic resources, particularly in accessible, pedagogically aligned dictionaries. Developing a digital LGP dictionary requires structured elicitation and annotation of a sign language corpus, a process limited by the lack of practical, collaborative tools for diverse user profiles. This dissertation presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of a web-based annotation platform, developed through a human-centred approach in collaboration with LGP linguists, technical experts, and educators of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. The platform supports annotation of video-recorded signs using five visual-gestural parameters: configuration, orientation, location, movement, and facial expression. We evaluated its usability and annotation accuracy through expert review and a study involving 30 signers and non-signers, comparing their annotations to expert references. While both groups engaged effectively, agreement with the expert was low, particularly for complex parameters, and no significant difference was found between groups. These results demonstrate the platform’s potential for inclusive, community-driven resource development, while highlighting areas for refinement in annotation consistency and interface design.

Authors in the community:

• 

  F

  Francisca Pinto Coelho D'Ordaz Gonçalves

  ist193710

Supervisors of this institution:

• 

  H

  Hugo Nicolau

  ist153934

electrical-engineering-electronic-engineering-information-engineering - Electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering

eng - English

Instituto Superior Técnico