Detecting vocabulary skill levels and correcting misalignments in remote interactions

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to detecting vocabulary skill levels and correcting misalignments in remote interactions. To provide effective communication, individuals participating in the communication should possess appropriately matched language proficiency. Effective communication can be provided by ensuring that contact center customers are matched with agents who possess or present communication content that utilizes language proficiency appropriate for the customer. If an agent deviates and presents communication content with a language proficiency that is misaligned with the customer, automatic corrective action can be taken to realign the language proficiency presented to the customer.

Description

[0001] Copyright Notice

[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for routing communications to selected nodes on a network, and more particularly to routing to nodes where the node-to-node communications include homogeneous communication content. Background Art

[0004] Contact centers strive to match customers with agents with the appropriate skills to both effectively communicate with the customer and resolve the purpose of the interaction. Human communication is complex and can be challenging due to many factors. Certain attributes can cause an interaction to fail completely, such as when the agent and customer don't speak a common language. Such failures are rare because contact centers have mechanisms in place to determine the customer's language and connect them only to agents with sufficient skills in that language, whether written or spoken.

[0005] Even when communicating in a common language, miscommunications and misunderstandings can still occur. Consequently, communications often include periods of determining whether a misunderstanding has occurred, recovering from an unresolved misunderstanding, and clarifying or otherwise resolving the misunderstanding. Therefore, beyond selecting a specific language to use in communications, improving communication efficiency promotes better understanding between customers and agents, reduces human, computing, and network resources for faster resolution of the issue at hand, and allows resources to be conserved for other tasks.

[0006] People are known to communicate with varying degrees of language proficiency. Language proficiency has measurable standards and benchmarks to determine an individual's specific level or score in speaking, writing, listening, and / or reading. Various standards are provided by which proficiency can be measured and scored, including but not limited to: the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages ​​(ACTFL) (https: / / www.actfl.org / ) and the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012 (available at https: / / preprod.actfl.org / resources / actfl-proficiency-guidelines-2012); the Academic and Technical Development Report, September 2014, "EF Standardized English Test" (EF SET) (available at https: / / www.efset.org / cefr / ); and the Interlingual Roundtable (ILR) (https: / / www.govtilr.org / index.htm) and the Interlingual Roundtable (ILR) Scale (Language Proficiency Assessment), which is divided into: Speaking (available at https: / / www.govtilr.org / Skills / ILRscale2.htm), Listening (available at https: / / www.govtilr.org / Skills / ILRscale3.htm), Reading (available at https: / / www.govtilr.org / Skills / ILRscale4.htm), Writing (available at https: / / www.govtilr .org / Skills / ILRscale5.htm), translation (available at https: / / www.govtilr.org / Skills / AdoptedILRTranslationGuidelines.htm), interpretation (available at https: / / www.govtilr.org / Skills / interpretationSLDsapproved.htm), and the Interlingual Roundtable (ILR) Scale (language proficiency assessment) (available at https: / / web.archive.org / web / 20190805192532 / http: / / casemed.case.edu / registrar / pdfs / Scale_ILR.pdf). Each of the above standards and methods are incorporated herein by reference for all that they teach.

[0007] As an example of a standard, the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines are descriptions of what an individual can do with language in real-world situations in speaking, writing, listening, and reading, in spontaneous and unrehearsed settings. For each skill, these guidelines identify five main proficiency levels: Outstanding, Superior, Advanced, Intermediate, and Novice. The main levels of Advanced, Intermediate, and Novice are further subdivided into High, Medium, and Low sublevels. The ACTFL Guidelines' levels describe a continuum of proficiency, ranging from the level of highly articulate, well-trained language users to a level with little or no functional ability.

[0008] These guidelines present levels of proficiency as a range and describe what individuals can and cannot do with the language at each level, regardless of where, when, or how the language was acquired. Together, these levels form a hierarchy, where each level encompasses all lower levels. The guidelines are not based on any particular theory, teaching method, or educational curriculum. They neither describe how individuals learn a language nor prescribe how individuals should learn a language, and they should not be used for that purpose. They are tools for assessing functional language proficiency.

[0009] The ACTFL Proficiency Guides were first published in 1986 as an academic adaptation of the U.S. government's Interlingual Roundtable (ILR) skill-level descriptions. This third edition marks the third edition of the ACTFL Proficiency Guides, including the first editions of the Listening and Reading sections since their original publication in 1986, and the second editions of the ACTFL Speaking and Writing sections, which were revised in 1999 and 2001, respectively, to reflect real-world assessment needs. New for the 2012 edition are the addition of distinguished master levels for the Speaking and Writing sections, the division of the Advanced level into High, Intermediate, and Low sublevels for the Listening and Reading sections, and the addition of general level descriptions of Advanced, Intermediate, and Novice for all skills.

[0010] Another new feature of the 2012 Guide is its online availability, with annotated multimedia samples and annotated terminology to support performance at each level of speaking and writing, as well as examples of oral and written texts and tasks associated with each level of speaking and writing.

[0011] The most direct application of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines is for assessing functional language ability. The Guidelines are intended for global assessment in academic and workplace settings. However, the Guidelines do have instructional implications. The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines were the foundation for the development of the ACTFL Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners (1998) and are used in conjunction with the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning (1996, 1998, 2006) to describe how well students meet content standards. Over the past 25 years, the ACTFL Guidelines have had an increasingly profound impact on foreign language teaching and learning in the United States.

[0012] ACTFL: Outstanding (Speaking)

[0013] Speakers at the Distinguished level are able to use language proficiently, with accuracy, efficiency, and effectiveness. They are educated and articulate the language's users. They can reflect on a wide range of global issues and highly abstract concepts in a culturally appropriate manner. Distinguished speakers can use persuasive and hypothetical discourse to convey purpose, allowing them to promote views that are not necessarily their own. They can adapt the language to a variety of listeners by adjusting their voice and expressions in culturally authentic ways.

[0014] Speakers at the Distinguished level produce extended discourse that is highly complex and tightly structured. At the same time, they can speak concisely, often using cultural and historical references that allow them to say less and mean more. At this level, oral discourse often resembles written discourse.

[0015] A non-native accent, lack of native-like economy of expression, limited control of deeply embedded cultural references, and / or occasional isolated language errors may still be present at this level.

[0016] ACTFL: Super (Speaking)

[0017] Speakers at the Superior level are able to communicate accurately and fluently, participating fully and effectively in conversations on a variety of topics, both concrete and abstract, in formal and informal settings. They discuss their particular areas of interest and competence, explain complex matters in detail, and provide lengthy and coherent narratives, all with ease, fluency, and accuracy. They express their opinions on a variety of issues of interest, such as social and political problems, and provide structured arguments to support these opinions. They are able to construct and develop hypotheses to explore alternative possibilities.

[0018] When appropriate, these speakers use extended talk, even when engaging in abstract elaboration, to achieve their points without unnaturally lengthy hesitations. This talk, while coherent, may still be influenced by language patterns other than those of the target language. Advanced-level speakers employ a variety of interactional and conversational strategies, such as turn-taking and separating main ideas from supporting information through the use of syntactic, lexical, and phonetic devices.

[0019] Super speakers showed no pattern of errors in their use of basic structures, although they might make sporadic errors, particularly in low-frequency structures and complex high-frequency structures. If such errors occurred, they did not distract the native interlocutor or disrupt communication.

[0020] ACTFL: Advanced (Speaking)

[0021] Advanced-level speakers engage in conversation in a clear and engaging manner, conveying information on autobiographical topics as well as topics of community, national, or international interest. Topics are addressed concretely through narrative and description within the primary time frames of past, present, and future. These speakers can also handle social situations with unexpected complexities. Advanced-level speakers' language is rich, with spoken paragraphs being the measure of Advanced-level length and conversation. Advanced-level speakers have sufficient control of basic structures and common vocabulary to be understood by native speakers of the language, including those unaccustomed to non-native speech.

[0022] Advanced High:

[0023] Speakers at the Advanced High sublevel perform all Advanced-level tasks with linguistic ease, confidence, and competence. They are consistently able to fully and accurately explain and narrate in detail across all timeframes. Furthermore, Advanced High speakers handle tasks associated with the Super-level but are unable to maintain this level of performance across a wide range of topics. They can provide structured speech to support their opinions and construct hypotheses, but they make a pattern of errors. They can discuss some topics abstractly, especially those related to their specific interests and areas of expertise, but generally find it easier to discuss various topics concretely.

[0024] Speakers with a high level of sophistication may demonstrate a well-developed ability to compensate for some forms of incomplete mastery or vocabulary limitations by confidently using communication strategies such as paraphrasing, connotation, and explanation. They use precise vocabulary and intonation to convey meaning and often speak with great fluency and ease. However, when asked to perform complex tasks associated with the Super Level on a variety of topics, their language sometimes breaks down or proves inadequate, or they may avoid the task altogether, for example, resorting to simplification by using description or narrative instead of argument or hypothesis.

[0025] Advanced Intermediate:

[0026] Speakers at the Advanced Intermediate level can handle a wide range of communication tasks with ease and confidence. They actively participate in most informal and some formal communications on a variety of specific topics related to work, school, family, and leisure activities, as well as on topics related to current events of public and personal interest or personal relevance.

[0027] Speakers in the Advanced Level demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe in the major time frames of past, present, and future by providing complete accounts with good control of aspect. Narration and description tend to be combined and interwoven to cover related and supporting facts in connected, paragraph-length conversations.

[0028] Speakers in the Advanced level can successfully and relatively easily handle the linguistic challenges presented by complex or unexpected turns of events within the context of otherwise familiar routine situations or communicative tasks. To this end, they often employ communicative strategies such as wrapping around or rephrasing. The speech of speakers in the Advanced level performing Advanced-level tasks is marked by a significant amount of flow. Their vocabulary is quite extensive, though primarily general in nature, except in cases of specialization or specific areas of interest. Their conversation can still reflect their own language rather than the spoken paragraph structure of the target language.

[0029] Speakers at the Advanced level handle conversations on a variety of familiar topics with high accuracy, clarity, and precision, conveying their intended message without misinterpretation or confusion. They are easily understood by native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with non-native languages. However, the quality and / or quantity of their speech will typically decline when asked to perform functions or address topics associated with the Super level.

[0030] High-level low:

[0031] Speakers in the Advanced Low sublevel are able to handle a variety of communication tasks. They can participate in most informal and some formal conversations on topics related to school, family, and leisure activities. They can also speak on some topics related to their professions, current events, and topics of public and community interest.

[0032] Low-Advanced speakers demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe with some control in paragraph-length discourse within the primary time frames of past, present, and future. In these narrations and descriptions, Low-Advanced speakers combine and link sentences into coherent, paragraph-length discourse, although these narrations and descriptions are often treated separately rather than interwoven. They can appropriately handle the basic linguistic challenges posed by complex events or unexpected turns of events.

[0033] Responses produced by speakers of low-level proficiency are typically no longer than a single paragraph. The speaker's dominant language may be evident in the use of pseudo-cognates, literal translations, or verbal paragraph structures from that language. Their speech may sometimes be minimal for this level, marked by irregular flow, and contain significant self-correction. More generally, the performance of speakers of low-level proficiency tends to be uneven.

[0034] Low-level speech is often marked by some grammatical roughness (e.g., inconsistent control of verb endings), but overall performance on high-level tasks is maintained, albeit minimally. Low-level speakers' vocabularies often lack specificity. However, low-level speakers are able to use communication strategies such as paraphrasing and wrapping.

[0035] Low-level speakers contribute to conversations with sufficient accuracy, clarity, and precision to convey their intended message without misinterpretation or confusion. Their speech can be understood by native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with non-native languages, even though this may require some repetition or restatement. When attempting to perform functions or address topics associated with the Super-level, the linguistic quality and quantity of their speech deteriorate significantly.

[0036] ACTFL: Intermediate (Speaking)

[0037] Intermediate-level speakers are distinguished primarily by their ability to create with language when discussing familiar topics relevant to their daily lives. They are able to reconstruct acquired material to express personal meaning. Intermediate-level speakers can ask simple questions and handle straightforward survival situations. They produce sentence-level language, ranging from discrete sentences to strings of sentences, typically in the present moment. Intermediate-level speakers are understood by interlocutors who are accustomed to handling non-native learners of the language.

[0038] Intermediate-High:

[0039] High Intermediate speakers can converse easily and confidently when handling routine tasks and social situations at the Intermediate level. They can successfully handle uncomplicated tasks and social situations that require the exchange of basic information related to their work, school, recreation, specific interests, and areas of competence.

[0040] High Intermediate speakers can handle a wide range of tasks associated with the Advanced level, but they cannot sustain performance of all of these tasks at all times. High Intermediate speakers can narrate and describe using paragraph-length connected discourse in all major time frames, but not all the time. Typically, when High Intermediate speakers attempt to perform Advanced level tasks, their speech exhibits one or more subdivisions, such as an inability to fully narrate or describe within the appropriate major time frames, an inability to sustain paragraph-length conversation, or a reduction in the breadth and appropriateness of their vocabulary.

[0041] High Intermediate speakers can usually be understood by native speakers who are not accustomed to dealing with non-native speakers, although interference from the other language may be evident (e.g., use of code-switching, incorrect cognates, literal translations), and gapping patterns in communication may occur.

[0042] Intermediate:

[0043] Speakers at the Intermediate Sub-level are able to successfully handle a variety of uncomplex communication tasks in straightforward social situations. Conversation is typically limited to those predictable and specific communications necessary for survival in the target culture. These include personal information related to oneself, family, home, daily activities, interests, and preferences, as well as physical and social needs such as food, shopping, travel, and accommodation.

[0044] Speakers at the intermediate level tend to act reactively, for example, by responding to direct questions or requests for information. However, they are able to ask a variety of questions when necessary to obtain simple information to meet basic needs, such as directions, prices, and services. When asked to perform functions or address advanced-level topics, they provide some information but have difficulty linking ideas, manipulating time and aspect, and using communication strategies such as situational awareness.

[0045] Speakers at the Intermediate level are able to express personal meaning by creating with the language, in part by combining and recombining known elements and conversational input to produce responses, typically consisting of sentences and sentence strings. Their speech may contain pauses, reformulations, and self-corrections as they search for sufficient vocabulary and appropriate language forms to express themselves. Despite limitations in their vocabulary and / or pronunciation and / or grammar and / or syntax, speakers at the Intermediate level are generally understood by interlocutors accustomed to dealing with non-native speakers.

[0046] Overall, speakers at the Intermediate level readily use a large amount of Intermediate-level language and high-quality Intermediate-level language when performing Intermediate-level tasks.

[0047] Intermediate Low:

[0048] Speakers at the Low Intermediate level are able to successfully handle a limited number of uncomplicated communication tasks by creating with language in direct social situations. Conversation is limited to a few concrete exchanges and predictable topics necessary for survival in the target language culture. These topics involve basic personal information, such as oneself and family, some daily activities and personal preferences, and some immediate needs, such as ordering food and simple purchases. At the Low Intermediate level, speakers are primarily reactive and strive to answer direct questions or requests for information. They are also able to ask some appropriate questions. Low Intermediate speakers manage to maintain Intermediate-level functions, although only minimally.

[0049] Low Intermediate speakers express personal meaning by combining and recombining what they know and what they hear from their interlocutors into short statements and discrete sentences. Their responses are often filled with hesitations and inaccuracies as they search for appropriate linguistic forms and vocabulary while trying to give form to their messages. Their speech is characterized by frequent pauses, ineffective reconstructions, and self-corrections. Their pronunciation, vocabulary, and syntax are strongly influenced by their first language. Although frequent misunderstandings may require repetition or paraphrase, Low Intermediate speakers can usually be understood by empathetic interlocutors, especially those accustomed to dealing with non-native speakers.

[0050] ACTFL: Novice (Speaking)

[0051] Novice-level speakers can deliver short messages on highly predictable, everyday topics that directly affect them. They do this primarily by using isolated words and phrases that they have already encountered, memorized, and recalled. Novice-level speakers can be difficult to understand even the most empathetic interlocutors who are accustomed to non-native speech.

[0052] Novice High:

[0053] Speakers at the High Novice sublevel are able to handle a variety of tasks associated with the Intermediate level but are unable to sustain performance at that level. They are able to successfully manage multiple, uncomplicated communicative tasks in simple social situations. Conversation is restricted to a few predictable topics necessary for survival in the target language culture, such as basic personal information, basic objects, and a limited number of activities, preferences, and immediate needs. Novice High speakers respond to simple, direct questions or requests for information. They are also able to ask formulaic questions.

[0054] High Novice speakers are able to express personal meaning by relying heavily on learned phrases or rearrangements of these phrases and what they hear from their interlocutors. Their language consists primarily of short and sometimes incomplete sentences, and may be hesitant or inaccurate. On the other hand, because their language often includes expansions of learned material and stock phrases, they may sometimes sound surprisingly fluent and accurate. Pronunciation, vocabulary, and syntax may be strongly influenced by their first language. Misunderstandings often occur, but with repetition or paraphrase, empathetic interlocutors used to non-native speakers can usually understand High Novice speakers. When asked to address a variety of topics and perform functions related to the Intermediate level, High Novice speakers can sometimes respond in understandable sentences but will be unable to sustain a sentence-level conversation.

[0055] Newbies:

[0056] Speakers at the Novice Intermediate level communicate minimally, using a number of isolated words and memorized phrases confined to the specific context in which the language has been learned. When responding to direct questions, they may speak only two or three words at a time or give occasional stock responses. They pause frequently as they search for simple vocabulary or attempt to reuse their own and their interlocutor's words. Even empathetic interlocutors accustomed to dealing with non-native speakers can make Novice speakers difficult to understand. When asked to address topics and perform functions associated with the Intermediate level, they often resort to repetition, words from their native language, or silence.

[0057] Novice Low:

[0058] Speakers at the Novice Low sublevel have no real functional abilities and can be difficult to understand due to their pronunciation. Given sufficient time and familiar cues, they may be able to exchange greetings, identify themselves, and name several familiar objects from their immediate environment. They cannot perform functions or address topics related to the Intermediate level and therefore cannot participate in true conversational communication.

[0059] ACTFL: Outstanding (Writing)

[0060] Distinguished-level writers can handle formal writing assignments, such as official correspondence, position papers, and journal articles. They can write analytically about professional, academic, and social issues. Furthermore, Distinguished-level writers are able to address world issues in a highly conceptual manner.

[0061] These writers can use persuasion and hypothetical argument as representative techniques, allowing them to advocate for viewpoints that are not necessarily their own. They are also able to convey nuance and nuance. Distinguished-level writing is complex and targeted at sophisticated readers. Writers at this level write for their audience; they tailor their language to their readers.

[0062] Distinguished-level writing is dense and complex; however, it is characterized by an economy of expression. The writing is skillful and organized in a way that reflects the mindset of the target culture. At the Distinguished level, length is not a determining factor. Distinguished-level texts can be as short as a poem or as long as an essay.

[0063] Writers at the Distinguished level demonstrate control over the complex vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and stylistic features of the language. They strategically use stylistic structures and punctuation not only to organize but also to enhance meaning. Conventions are generally appropriate to the text modality and target culture.

[0064] ACTFL: Super (Writing):

[0065] Super writers are able to produce most formal and informal correspondence, in-depth summaries, reports, and research papers on a variety of social, academic, and professional topics. Their treatment of these topics moves beyond the specifics to the abstract.

[0066] Superior writers demonstrate the ability to explain complex issues and present and support opinions by developing persuasive arguments and hypotheses. Their treatment of the subject is enhanced by the effective use of structure, vocabulary, and writing protocols. They organize and prioritize the important ideas to convey to the reader. The relationships between ideas are consistently clear thanks to the principles of organization and development (e.g., cause and effect, comparison, chronology). These writers are able to provide extended treatments of topics that typically require at least a series of paragraphs but can extend to many pages.

[0067] Writers at the Advanced level demonstrate a high degree of control over grammar and syntax, grammar and syntax of general and specialized / vocational vocabulary, spelling or symbol production, cohesive devices, and punctuation. Their vocabulary is precise and varied. Writers at this level direct their writing to their audience; their writing flows smoothly, easing the reader's workload.

[0068] Writers at the Super level typically do not control the target language's cultural, organizational, or stylistic patterns. At the Super level, writers exhibit no pattern of errors; however, occasional errors may occur, particularly in low-frequency structures. When present, these errors do not interfere with comprehension, and they rarely distract native readers.

[0069] ACTFL: Advanced (Writing)

[0070] Advanced-level writers are characterized by the ability to produce routine informal and some formal correspondence, as well as narratives, descriptions, and summaries of a factual nature. They can use paraphrasing and elaboration to provide clarity in narratives and descriptions within the major time frames of past, present, and future. Advanced-level writers produce connected arguments of paragraph length and structure. At this level, writers demonstrate good control of the most frequently used structures and common vocabulary, allowing them to be understood by those unfamiliar with non-native writing.

[0071] Advanced High:

[0072] Writers at the Advanced High sublevel are able to write on a variety of topics with remarkable precision and detail. They can handle both informal and formal correspondence according to appropriate conventions. They can produce summaries and reports of a factual nature. They can also write broadly on topics related to specific areas of interest and special ability, although their writing tends to emphasize specific aspects of these topics. Advanced High writers can narrate and describe within a major timeframe, with a firm grasp of the subject matter. In addition, they can demonstrate the ability to handle writing tasks associated with the Super level, such as developing arguments and constructing hypotheses, but cannot do so consistently; they cannot consistently produce Advanced-level writing on a variety of topics treated abstractly or generally. They have good control of a range of grammatical structures and a fairly extensive general vocabulary. When writing at the Advanced level, they typically demonstrate remarkable ease of expression, but patterns of errors emerge under the demands of Super-level writing tasks. The linguistic limitations of Advanced High writing may occasionally distract native readers from the message.

[0073] Advanced Intermediate:

[0074] Writers at the Advanced Intermediate level are able to meet a range of work and / or academic writing demands. They demonstrate narrative ability and detailed description across all major timeframes, with good control of aspect. They are able to produce straightforward summaries on topics of general interest. Their writing displays multiple cohesive devices within the text, which is up to several paragraphs in length. They have good control over the most frequently used target language syntactic structures and a range of common vocabulary. Ideas are most often clearly expressed and supported by some detailed description. This writing combines organizational features of the target language and the writer's first language and may at times resemble oral conversation. Writing at the Advanced Intermediate level is easily understood by native speakers who are not used to writing for non-native speakers. When asked to address questions or perform functions at the Superior level, writers at the Advanced Intermediate level will demonstrate a decline in the quality and / or quantity of their writing.

[0075] High-level low:

[0076] Writers at the Advanced Low sublevel are able to meet basic work and / or academic writing demands. They demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe within a major timeframe with some control. They are able to compose simple summaries on familiar topics. Advanced Low writers are able to combine and link sentences into paragraph-length and structured text. Their writing, while adequate to meet Advanced-level standards, may not be substantial. Advanced Low writers demonstrate the ability to incorporate a limited number of cohesive devices and may resort to some redundancy and clumsy repetition. They rely on patterns of oral conversation and the writing style of their first language. These writers demonstrate minimal control of the common structures and vocabulary associated with the Advanced level. Their writing is understandable to native speakers unaccustomed to non-native writing, although some additional effort may be required when reading the text. Their writing deteriorates significantly when attempting to perform Super-level functions.

[0077] ACTFL: Intermediate (Writing):

[0078] Writers at the Intermediate level are characterized by their ability to meet practical writing needs, such as simple messages and letters, requests for information, and notes. Furthermore, they can ask and answer simple questions in their writing. These writers can create with language and convey simple facts and ideas in a series of loosely connected sentences on topics of personal interest and social need. They write primarily in the present moment. At this level, writers use basic vocabulary and structures to convey meaning that is understandable to non-native writers.

[0079] Intermediate-High:

[0080] Writers at the Upper Intermediate level are able to meet all the practical writing demands of the Intermediate level. In addition, they can produce essays and simple summaries related to work and / or school experiences. When writing about everyday events and situations, they can narrate and describe in varying time frames. These narrations and descriptions are often, but not always, paragraph length, and they often contain some evidence of segmentation of one or more characteristics of the Advanced level. For example, these writers may be inconsistent in their use of appropriate major time markers, resulting in a loss of clarity. The vocabulary, grammar, and style of Upper Intermediate writers generally correspond to that of spoken language. Upper Intermediate writing, even with numerous and possibly significant errors, is generally understandable to native speakers who are not used to writing in a non-native language, but gaps in comprehension may exist.

[0081] Intermediate:

[0082] Writers at the Intermediate Sub-level are able to meet many practical writing demands. They can produce short, simple correspondence, essays, and requests for information in loosely connected texts about personal preferences, daily life, public events, and other personal topics. Their writing is framed in the present time but may include references to other timeframes. The writing style closely resembles oral conversation. Intermediate Sub-level writers demonstrate evidence of control over basic sentence structure and verb forms. This writing is best defined as a collection of discrete sentences and / or questions loosely strung together. There is little evidence of carefully prepared organization. Intermediate writers can be easily understood by native speakers of non-native languages. When Intermediate writers attempt Advanced-level writing tasks, the quality and / or quantity of their writing declines, and the message may be unclear.

[0083] Intermediate Low:

[0084] Writers at the Lower Intermediate level are able to meet some limited practical writing needs. They can create statements and formulate questions based on familiar material. Most sentences are recombinations of learned vocabulary and structure. These are short, simple, conversational sentences with basic word order. They are written almost exclusively in the present moment. Writing tends to consist of a few simple sentences, often with a repetitive structure. Topics are related to highly predictable content areas and personal information. Vocabulary is sufficient to express basic needs. Basic errors may be present in grammar, word choice, punctuation, spelling, and the formation and use of non-alphabetic symbols. Their writing is understood by native speakers of non-native languages, although additional effort may be required. When Lower Intermediate writers attempt to perform advanced-level writing tasks, their writing deteriorates significantly, and their messages may be incomplete.

[0085] ACTFL: Novice (Writing):

[0086] Novice writers are characterized by the ability to produce lists and notes primarily by writing words and phrases. They can provide limited, formulaic information on simple tables and documents. These writers can reproduce practiced material to convey the simplest messages. In addition, they can transcribe familiar words or phrases, copy letters of the alphabet or syllables, or reproduce basic characters with some accuracy.

[0087] Novice High:

[0088] Writers at the High Novice sublevel are able to meet limited, basic practical writing needs using lists, short messages, postcards, and simple notes. They are able to express themselves in the context of the language they are learning, relying primarily on practice materials. Their writing focuses on common elements of daily life. High Novice writers are able to recombine learned vocabulary and structures to create simple sentences on very familiar topics but are unable to consistently maintain sentence-level writing. Writing at this level may only partially convey the writer's intentions due to deficiencies in vocabulary and / or grammar. High Novice writers are often intelligible to native speakers of their non-native language, but gaps in comprehension may occur.

[0089] Newbies:

[0090] Novice writers can reproduce from memory an appropriate number of words and phrases in context. They can provide limited information on simple tables and documents, as well as other basic biographical information such as names, numbers, and nationality. Novice writers demonstrate a high degree of accuracy when writing on well-practiced, familiar topics using limited, formulaic language. Accuracy decreases significantly on less familiar topics. Errors in spelling or symbolic representation may be frequent. There is little evidence of functional writing skills. At this level, even those accustomed to non-native writers may have difficulty understanding the writing.

[0091] Novice Low:

[0092] Novice low-subset writers are able to copy or transcribe familiar words or phrases in languages ​​that use syllables or characters, form letters in an alphabetic system, and copy and produce isolated basic strokes. Given sufficient time and familiar cues, they can reproduce a very limited number of isolated words or familiar phrases from memory, but errors are expected.

[0093] ACTFL: Outstanding (Listening):

[0094] At the Distinguished level, listeners can understand a variety of formats, styles, and languages ​​recorded on highly specialized topics in language appropriate for diverse audiences. Distinguished listeners can understand language such as that found in classical theater, art films, professional seminars, academic debates, public policy statements, literary readings, and most jokes and jokes. They can understand implicit and inferred messages, tones, and viewpoints, and can follow highly persuasive arguments. They can understand the unpredictable shifts in thinking associated with complex topics. Furthermore, their listening abilities are enhanced by a broad and deep understanding of cultural references and allusions. Listeners at the Distinguished level are able to appreciate the richness of spoken language.

[0095] Listeners at the Distinguished level understand speech that can be highly abstract, highly technical, or both, and that contains very precise, often low-frequency vocabulary and complex rhetorical structures. At this level, listeners comprehend lengthy, dense, complexly structured, and rich in cultural references, idiomatic, and colloquial speech. Furthermore, listeners at this level can understand subtle or highly specialized information, as well as the full cultural significance of very short texts with little or no linguistic redundancy.

[0096] Distinguished listeners understand language within a cultural framework and can appreciate a speaker's use of nuance and sophistication. However, they may still have difficulty fully understanding certain dialects and nonstandard language varieties.

[0097] ACTFL: Super (Listening):

[0098] At the Advanced level, listeners are able to understand speech in the standard dialect on a wide range of familiar and less familiar topics. They can follow linguistically complex, extended conversations, such as those found in academic and professional settings, speeches, and presentations. Comprehension is no longer limited to the listener's familiarity with the subject matter but also stems from a command of the language supported by a broad vocabulary, language experience within the target culture, and an understanding of more complex structures. Advanced listeners are able to understand not only what is said but also, at times, what is not said; that is, they can make inferences.

[0099] Listeners at the Advanced level understand speech that typically uses precise, specialized vocabulary and complex grammatical structures. This speech often treats subject matter abstractly in a manner appropriate for academic and professional audiences. It can be inferred and may include cultural references.

[0100] ACTFL: Advanced (Listening):

[0101] At the advanced level, listeners can understand the main ideas and most supporting details in connected conversations about a variety of general topics of interest, such as news stories, explanations, instructions, events, or travel descriptions. Listeners are able to compensate for limitations in their vocabulary and control of language structure by using real-world knowledge and contextual clues. If listeners have significant familiarity with the subject matter or context, they can also derive some meaning from higher-level spoken texts.

[0102] At the Advanced level, listeners understand authentic, connected speech. This speech is not lexically or structurally complex. Conversation is direct and generally organized in a clear and predictable manner.

[0103] Advanced-level listeners demonstrate the ability to understand language on a range of topics of general interest. They have sufficient knowledge of language structure to understand basic time frame references. However, their understanding is most often limited to specific, routine conversations.

[0104] Advanced High:

[0105] At the Advanced High sub-level, listeners can easily and confidently understand conventional narrative and descriptive texts of any length, as well as complex factual material such as summaries or reports. They are usually able to follow the basic points of more complex or argumentative speech in a particular area of ​​interest or knowledge. Furthermore, they are able to derive some meaning from spoken texts dealing with unfamiliar topics or situations. At the Advanced High sub-level, listeners can understand the facts presented in oral conversation and are usually able to recognize the speaker's intended inferences. However, there may be gaps in understanding complex texts dealing with issues treated abstractly, which are typically understood by Superior listeners.

[0106] Advanced Intermediate:

[0107] At the Advanced Intermediate level, listeners are able to understand traditional narrative and descriptive texts, such as extended descriptions of people, places, and things, as well as narratives about past, present, and future events. Speech is primarily familiar target language patterns. Listeners understand the main facts and many supporting details. Comprehension stems not only from contextual and subject matter knowledge but also from an increasing overall command of the language itself.

[0108] High-level low:

[0109] At the Advanced Low sub-level, listeners can understand short, traditional narrative and descriptive texts with a clear basic structure, although their understanding may be uneven. Listeners understand the main facts and some supporting details. Comprehension usually stems primarily from knowledge of the situation and subject matter.

[0110] ACTFL: Intermediate (Listening):

[0111] At the Intermediate level, listeners can understand information conveyed in simple, sentence-length speech on familiar or everyday topics. They are typically able to comprehend one utterance at a time while participating in face-to-face conversations or routine listening tasks, such as understanding highly contextualized messages, direct announcements, or simple instructions and directions. Listeners rely heavily on redundancy, restatements, paraphrases, and contextual clues.

[0112] At the Intermediate level, listeners understand speech that conveys basic information. The speech is simple, minimally connected, and contains high-frequency vocabulary.

[0113] Intermediate listeners are most accurate in their understanding when deriving meaning from simple, direct speech. They are able to comprehend messages found in very familiar, everyday contexts. Intermediate listeners require a controlled listening environment where they hear what they might expect to hear.

[0114] Intermediate-High:

[0115] At the Upper Intermediate level, listeners can easily and confidently understand simple sentence-length speech in basic personal and social contexts. They can derive substantial meaning from some connected text typically understood by Advanced-level listeners, although gaps in understanding will often exist due to limited knowledge of spoken vocabulary and structure.

[0116] Intermediate:

[0117] At the Intermediate-Sub-level, listeners are able to understand simple, sentence-length speech, one utterance at a time, in a variety of basic personal and social contexts. Although some misunderstandings may occur, comprehension is generally accurate for very familiar and predictable topics. Intermediate-Sub-level listeners can derive some meaning from spoken texts that are typically understood by Advanced-level listeners.

[0118] Intermediate Low:

[0119] At the Low Intermediate level, listeners are able to understand some information from sentence-length speech, one utterance at a time, in basic personal and social contexts, although understanding is often uneven. At the Low Intermediate level, listeners have little or no understanding of spoken text typically understood by Advanced level listeners.

[0120] ACTFL: Outstanding (Reading):

[0121] At the Distinguished level, readers can comprehend a wide variety of texts from many genres, including professional, technical, academic, and literary. These texts are characterized by one or more of the following: high abstractness, precision, or uniqueness of vocabulary; information density; cultural references; or structural complexity. Readers can understand implicit and inferred information, tone, and point of view, and can follow highly persuasive arguments. They can understand the unpredictable shifts in thinking associated with complex topics.

[0122] Readers at the Distinguished level understand writing tailored to specific audiences and the many historical, regional, and colloquial variations of a language. These readers appreciate the richness of written language. Distinguished readers understand and comprehend texts that use highly precise, low-frequency vocabulary and complex rhetorical structures to convey subtle or highly specialized information. Such texts are typically short passages but can be excerpts from longer texts.

[0123] Distinguished readers understand language within a cultural framework and can appreciate a writer's use of nuance and sophistication. However, they may still have difficulty fully understanding some nonstandard varieties of written language.

[0124] ACTFL: Novice (Listening):

[0125] At the Novice level, listeners can understand highly contextualized and highly predictable keywords, authentic auditory perceptions, and formulaic expressions, such as those found in introductions and basic etiquette.

[0126] Novice listeners understand words and phrases from simple questions, statements, and high-frequency commands. They often require repetition, rephrasing, and / or a slower rate of speech for comprehension. They rely heavily on extralinguistic support to derive meaning.

[0127] Novice listeners are most accurate when they can recognize speech they expect. Thus, these listeners tend to recognize rather than truly understand. Their listening ability depends largely on factors other than the message itself.

[0128] Novice High:

[0129] At the Novice High sublevel, listeners are usually, but not always, able to understand information from sentence-length speech, one utterance at a time, in basic personal and social contexts with contextual or extralinguistic support, although understanding may often be very uneven. If vocabulary has been learned, they are able to understand speech in areas of practical need, such as highly standardized messages, phrases, or instructions.

[0130] Newbies:

[0131] At the Novice-Intermediate level, listeners can recognize and begin to understand multiple high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases, including auditory recognition and loanwords. Typically, they understand only one phrase at a time and may need repetition.

[0132] Novice Low:

[0133] At the Novice Low sublevel, listeners were able to occasionally recognize isolated words or very high-frequency phrases when these were strongly supported by the context. These listeners did not comprehend virtually any type of spoken message, even in the most basic personal and social contexts.

[0134] ACTFL: Outstanding (Reading):

[0135] At the Distinguished level, readers can comprehend a wide variety of texts from many genres, including professional, technical, academic, and literary. These texts are characterized by one or more of the following: high abstractness, precision, or uniqueness of vocabulary; information density; cultural references; or structural complexity. Readers can understand implicit and inferred information, tone, and point of view, and can follow highly persuasive arguments. They can understand the unpredictable shifts in thinking associated with complex topics.

[0136] Readers at the Distinguished level understand writing tailored to specific audiences and the many historical, regional, and colloquial variations of a language. These readers appreciate the richness of written language. Distinguished readers understand and comprehend texts that use highly precise, low-frequency vocabulary and complex rhetorical structures to convey subtle or highly specialized information. Such texts are typically short passages but can be excerpts from longer texts.

[0137] Distinguished readers understand language within a cultural framework and appreciate writers' use of nuance and

[0138] ACTFL: Super (Reading):

[0139] At the super level, readers are able to comprehend texts from many types of texts, both familiar and unfamiliar, that deal with a wide range of topics. Comprehension is no longer limited to the reader's familiarity with the subject matter but also stems from a command of the language supported by a broad vocabulary, knowledge of the target culture, and an understanding of complex structures. Super readers can draw inferences from both textual and extralinguistic clues.

[0140] Advanced readers understand texts that use precise, often technical vocabulary and complex grammatical structures. These texts feature arguments, supported opinions, and hypotheses, and are expressed using abstract language such as that encountered in academic and professional reading. Such texts are often inferential and / or analytical and may often contain cultural references.

[0141] Super readers are able to comprehend lengthy texts of a professional, academic, or literary nature. Additionally, super readers are typically aware of the aesthetic qualities of language and its literary style, but may not fully understand texts that are deeply embedded with cultural references and assumptions.

[0142] ACTFL: Advanced (Reading):

[0143] At the Advanced level, readers can understand the main ideas and supporting details of authentic narrative and descriptive texts. Readers are able to compensate for limitations in their vocabulary and structural knowledge by using contextual clues. Comprehension is also supported by knowledge of the conventions of the language (e.g., noun / adjective agreement, verb placement, etc.). When familiar with the subject matter, Advanced readers are also able to derive some meaning from straightforward argumentative texts (e.g., recognize the main argument).

[0144] Advanced readers can comprehend texts that have a clear and predictable structure. For the most part, the poetry is uncomplicated, and the subject matter deals with real-world topics of general interest.

[0145] Advanced readers demonstrate independence in their ability to read about topics that are new to them. They have sufficient control over standard language conventions to understand sequencing, time frames, and chronology. However, these readers may be challenged by texts in which issues are treated abstractly.

[0146] Advanced High:

[0147] At the Advanced High sublevel, readers are able to fully and easily comprehend conventional narrative and descriptive texts of any length, as well as more complex factual material. They are able to follow the basic points of argumentative texts in areas of particular interest or knowledge. Furthermore, they are able to understand sections of text that deal with unfamiliar topics or situations. These readers are able to go beyond understanding the facts in a text and begin to discern the writer's intended inferences. An emerging awareness of the aesthetic qualities of language and its literary style allows for comprehension of a wide variety of texts. Misunderstandings may occur when reading more structurally and / or conceptually complex texts.

[0148] Advanced Intermediate:

[0149] At the Advanced Intermediate level, readers can comprehend conventional narrative and descriptive texts, such as accounts of past, present, and future events, and extended descriptions of people, places, and things. These texts reflect the standard linguistic conventions of the written form of the language, allowing readers to predict what they are about to read. Readers understand the main idea, facts, and many supporting details. This understanding stems not only from knowledge of the context and subject matter but also from knowledge of the language itself. Readers at this level can derive some meaning from more structurally and / or conceptually complex texts.

[0150] High-level low:

[0151] At the Advanced Low sublevel, readers can comprehend traditional narrative and descriptive texts with a clear basic structure, although their comprehension may be uneven. These texts primarily contain high-frequency vocabulary and structures. Readers understand the main idea and some supporting details. Comprehension often stems primarily from situational and subject matter knowledge. Readers at this level will face challenges comprehending more complex texts.

[0152] ACTFL: Intermediate (Reading):

[0153] At the intermediate level, readers can understand information conveyed in simple, predictable, loosely connected text. Readers rely heavily on contextual clues. They understand information most easily if the format of the text is familiar, such as in a weather forecast or social announcement.

[0154] Intermediate readers can understand texts that convey basic information, such as those found in announcements, notices, and online bulletin boards and forums. These texts are not complex and have predictable presentation patterns. The discourse is minimally connected and organized primarily in separate sentences and sentence strings containing primarily high-frequency vocabulary.

[0155] Intermediate readers are most accurate when deriving meaning from simple, straightforward texts. They are able to understand messages found in very familiar, everyday contexts. At this level, readers may not fully comprehend detailed texts or those that require an understanding of language structure in order to understand sequencing, time frames, and chronology.

[0156] Intermediate-High:

[0157] At the Upper Intermediate sublevel, readers fully and easily comprehend short, uncomplex texts that convey basic information and address personal and social topics of personal interest or knowledge to the reader. These readers are also able to comprehend some connected texts characterized by description and narrative, although occasional gaps in comprehension may exist due to limited knowledge of vocabulary, structure, and the writing conventions of the language.

[0158] Intermediate:

[0159] At the Intermediate Sub-Sub ...

[0160] Intermediate Low:

[0161] At the Lower Intermediate level, readers can understand some information from the simplest connected texts that address a limited number of personal and social needs, although frequent misunderstandings may be present. Readers at this level will be challenged to derive meaning from connected texts of any length.

[0162] ACTFL: Newbie (Reading):

[0163] At the novice level, readers can understand key words and cognates, as well as highly contextualized formulaic phrases.

[0164] Novice readers are able to derive a limited amount of information from highly predictable texts whose subject matter or context is very familiar (e.g., a hotel bill, a credit card receipt, or a weather map). Novice readers may rely heavily on their own background knowledge and extralinguistic support (e.g., images on a weather map or the format of a credit card bill) to derive meaning.

[0165] Novice readers are best able to comprehend a text when they can anticipate its messages. At the novice level, recognition of key words, cognates, and formulaic phrases makes comprehension possible.

[0166] Novice High:

[0167] At the Novice High sublevel, readers can fully and relatively easily understand key words and cognates, as well as formulaic phrases across a range of highly contextualized texts. Having learned vocabulary, they can understand predictable language and messages, such as those found on train timetables, route maps, and street signs. Novice High readers are generally able to derive meaning from short, uncomplicated texts that convey basic information, for which there is contextual or extralinguistic support.

[0168] Newbies:

[0169] At the Novice-Sub level, readers are able to recognize letters or symbols in alphabetic or syllabic writing systems or a limited number of characters in character-based languages. They can recognize many highly contextualized words and phrases, including cognates and loanwords, but rarely understand material beyond a single phrase. Rereading is often necessary.

[0170] Novice Low:

[0171] At the Novice Low sublevel, readers are able to recognize a limited number of letters, symbols, or characters. They are occasionally able to recognize high-frequency words and / or phrases when strongly supported by context.

[0172] In another example, the EF SET is a standardized, objectively scored test of listening and reading skills. It is designed to classify a test-taker's reading and listening performance on the test into one of six levels established by the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). A set of common guidelines outlining the expected proficiency of language learners at six different levels is indicated in the table below. In addition, the EF SET PLUS test-taker's combined reading and listening scores are classified using an internal EF scale from 1 to 100.

[0173] Categories and levels from the EF SET include (see Table 1):

[0174] Table 1: Categories and levels from the EF SET

[0175]

[0176]

[0177] In another example of a standardized model, the Interlingual Roundtable (ILR) scale is a set of descriptions of ability to communicate in a language. It was originally developed by the United States Foreign Service Association and is still widely referred to as the FSI scale. It includes descriptions of five levels of language proficiency.

[0178] ILR: What is Primary Proficiency (S-1)?

[0179] Definition: Elementary proficiency is the first of five levels on the Interlingual Roundtable (ILR) scale of language proficiency (formerly known as the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) scale). This level is sometimes referred to as S-1 or Level 1. People at this level are described as follows:

[0180] -Able to meet daily travel needs and minimum courtesy requirements;

[0181] -Can ask and answer questions about very familiar topics; within a very limited range of language experience;

[0182] -Able to understand simple questions and statements, allowing for slowed speech, repetition or paraphrase;

[0183] - have a speaking vocabulary that is insufficient to express anything beyond the most basic needs; make frequent errors in pronunciation and grammar, but can be understood by native speakers dealing with foreigners trying to speak the language;

[0184] -While the topics of "very familiarity" and basic needs vary considerably between individuals, anyone at S-1 level should be able to order simple meals, request shelter or lodging, request and give simple directions, make purchases, and tell the time.

[0185] ILR: What is Restricted Work Proficiency? (S-2)

[0186] Definition: Restricted Work Proficiency is the second of five levels on the Interlingual Roundtable (ILR) scale of language proficiency (formerly known as the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) scale). This level is sometimes referred to as S-2 or Level 2. People at this level are described as follows:

[0187] -Able to meet daily social needs and limited work requirements

[0188] -Able to confidently but not readily handle most social situations, including introductions and casual conversation about current events, as well as work, family, and autobiographical information

[0189] -Able to handle limited work requirements and require assistance in handling any complications or difficulties; can get talking points on most non-technical topics (i.e., topics that do not require specialized knowledge) and has a vocabulary sufficient to respond briefly to certain out-of-the-box situations

[0190] - has an accent that is understandable, though often quite flawed

[0191] -Can usually handle basic sentence construction with great precision but does not possess thorough or confident control of grammar.

[0192] ILR: "What is professional proficiency? (S-3)"

[0193] Definition: Specialized Work Proficiency is the fourth of five levels on the Interlingual Roundtable (ILR) scale of language proficiency (formerly known as the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) scale). This level is sometimes referred to as S-3 or Level 3. People at this level are described as follows:

[0194] -Ability to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in the most formal and informal conversations on practical, social and professional topics

[0195] -Can discuss specific interests and areas of special ability with reasonable ease

[0196] - Have a fairly complete understanding of normal speech speed

[0197] -Have a general vocabulary broad enough so that he or she rarely has to fumble for words

[0198] - has an accent that is clearly likely to be foreign; has good grammatical control; and has errors that virtually never interfere with comprehension and rarely bother native speakers.

[0199] ILR: "What is Full Professional Proficiency? (S-4)":

[0200] Definition: Full Professional Proficiency is the fourth of five levels on the Interlingual Roundtable (ILR) scale of language proficiency (formerly known as the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) scale). This level is sometimes referred to as S-4 or Level 4. People at this level are described as follows:

[0201] - Ability to use the language fluently and accurately at all levels typically associated with professional needs;

[0202] - Can understand and participate in any conversation within the context of their personal and professional experience with a high degree of vocabulary fluency and accuracy

[0203] -Will rarely be considered a native speaker, but can respond appropriately even in unfamiliar situations

[0204] - Causes only very rare and patternless pronunciation and grammatical errors

[0205] - Can handle informal interpretations to and from the language.

[0206] ILR: "What is native or bilingual proficiency? (S-5)":

[0207] Definition: Native or bilingual proficiency is the fifth of five levels on the Interlingual Roundtable (ILR) scale of language proficiency (formerly known as the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) scale). This level is sometimes referred to as S-5 or Level 5. People at this level are described as follows:

[0208] - have a speaking proficiency comparable to that of educated native speakers

[0209] - Complete fluency in the language so that all levels of speech are fully acceptable to educated native speakers in all its characteristics, including breadth of vocabulary and idioms, colloquialisms and relevant cultural references.

[0210] Each of the above standards and methods are incorporated herein by reference for their entirety. Summary of the Invention

[0211] When a customer initiates a call with a contact center agent, a routing decision process is executed to match the customer with the agent. The routing process takes into account the selection of one or more languages. In addition, information can be obtained that serves as a hint about the specific issue or topic and the agent's skills, which may be necessary or at least helpful for the purpose of resolving the call. However, if the customer's language proficiency skill level is not at the correct level compared to the agent, such as in terms of vocabulary choice, fluency, pronunciation, grammar and / or speed, the call may result in a negative customer experience or even fail to successfully end the call. As disclosed herein, it can be determined that content provided from the agent includes the correct language proficiency level to best match the customer's content and / or conduct the call to successfully resolve the issue that triggered the call. Here, the correct level can be the same level, or the agent's language skills relative to the customer's expected range (e.g., must be able to speak 10-20% better than the customer to project an air of authority and confidence).

[0212] Once a customer is routed and connected to an agent, and a conversation begins, the agent typically begins using vocabulary and grammar at a comfortable level while communicating with the customer. Agents typically have a higher level of command over language, especially for a specific domain related to the reason for the communication (e.g., subject matter, topic, business scope, etc.). Compared to the customer, the agent's use of vocabulary, fluency, accent, speed, etc. may be too advanced to effectively communicate with the customer. In other cases, such as when trying to understand, the agent may oversimplify their use of language. In particular, the agent may oversimplify their vocabulary or grammar, thereby appearing to the customer as untrained or unskilled in providing service.

[0213] Similarly, agents may connect with customers who have higher vocabulary, fluency, good accent, speed, etc. If agents fail to upgrade or downgrade their language skills to specific customers, conversation time, computing, network, and agent resources may be consumed. Mismatched language skills may result in a poor customer experience or negative attitude towards the contact center, the associated business, and / or the business's products or services.

[0214] In any of the above situations, the agent may or may not be aware of the mismatch and therefore is unaware of the need to modify their vocabulary or the benefit (or harm) to be gained (or avoided) by transferring the call to another agent who is more able to match the customer's vocabulary. By providing cues to the agent to adjust their vocabulary or transfer the customer to a more compatible agent, communication can be improved and credibility can be increased. Specific improvements can be provided by benefiting from artificial intelligence and / or machine learning algorithms trained on past conversations and their successes and failures due to specific modifications to the agent's vocabulary and / or specific word substitutions from the agent's natural speech.

[0215] These and other needs are addressed by various embodiments and configurations of the present invention. The present invention can provide numerous advantages depending on the specific configuration. These and other advantages will become apparent from the disclosure of the invention contained herein.

[0216] In one embodiment, systems and methods are provided in which an estimated language skill level (e.g., vocabulary, grammar, pacing, etc.) of a customer or agent can be determined and analyzed. In a further embodiment, once the agent and customer are on a call, the interaction between them can be analyzed to determine the optimal relationship between the customer's skill level and a "target agent level." In another embodiment, means are provided to guide or prompt the agent to change their skill level (as presented to the customer). If the agent cannot change their skill level, or if it is assessed as not possible (or not completed by the agent even though past history indicates it was possible), the call can be escalated to another party (such as a supervisor) or transferred to another agent based on a language mismatch. As a result, if it is determined that a mismatch exists, specific recommendations can be provided to allow the agent to upgrade / downgrade their language level to better deliver the target level for the interaction.

[0217] The customer's language proficiency is determined and matched to an appropriate agent, or the match is based on other criteria (e.g., subject matter expertise, authority, availability, etc.) and based on the customer's proficiency, the agent's proficiency is selected to be commensurate with the customer's proficiency. Inputs to the analysis may include, but are not limited to: a) a customer's language rating stored in history (e.g., customer resource management (CRM)), ratings made by previous agents during previous calls with the customer, automated language analysis from previous live calls; b) a language rating as determined from real-time analysis of one or more calls / interactions from a call recording / workforce optimization (WFO) platform; c) an estimated language skill derived from a chat interaction or from the text of an email leading to a voice interaction; d) an estimated language skill level from the customer's public postings on social media channels; and / or e) an estimated language skill level from an interaction with a natural language voice bot (or chatbot) prior to routing / escalating to a voice agent.

[0218] After the customer's language proficiency skill level is rated for one or more attributes, the rating(s) are used as selection criteria in a routing algorithm to match skills to agents, or to select agents with the ability to speak within a desired skill range, which may be greater than, similar to, or simpler than the customer rating.

[0219] The likely range of an agent's language skills is assessed a priori for call handling using attributes including, but not limited to: a) the agent's language rating by previous customers in surveys, by supervisors, or by peer agents / workers; b) ratings on current live calls by automated language analyzers; c) language ratings based on on-demand analysis of one or more calls / interactions from call recordings / WFO platforms; d) language skills estimated from chat interactions or from the text of emails leading to voice interactions; e) language skill level estimated from the agent's public postings on social media channels; f) language skill level estimated from interactions with a natural language voice bot (or chatbot) prior to routing / escalation to a voice agent; and / or g) results of one or more standardized tests of vocabulary, grammar, etc.

[0220] In another embodiment, as part of the routing process, a hierarchy of first preference for agents, followed by second best, and so on may be established.

[0221] While the embodiments herein are generally directed to spoken vocabulary, such as may be exchanged during an audio-only call or an audio-video call, it should be understood that the embodiments herein also contemplate other forms of communication that include language and, therefore, vocabulary selection. More specifically, the embodiments may include text-based communication (e.g., text messaging (e.g., SMS, chat) and email).

[0222] Exemplary aspects relate to:

[0223] A system comprising:

[0224] Network interface to the network;

[0225] Memory;

[0226] a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being programmed with executable instructions; and

[0227] Among them, the processor executing the executable instructions performs:

[0228] receiving a communication including an automated resource maintaining the communication and a client communication device utilized by a client;

[0229] access to the customer's language proficiency rating of said customer;

[0230] accessing a pool of language proficiency ratings associated with each agent in the agent pool;

[0231] selecting an agent from the agent pool having an associated language proficiency rating that best matches the customer's language proficiency rating; and

[0232] The communication is connected to include an agent communication device associated with the selected agent.

[0233] A system comprising:

[0234] Network interface to the network;

[0235] Memory;

[0236] a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being programmed with executable instructions; and

[0237] Among them, the processor executing the executable instructions performs:

[0238] receiving a communication comprising client content from a client utilizing a client communication device and agent content from an agent utilizing an agent communication device;

[0239] access to the customer's language proficiency rating of said customer;

[0240] Monitor proxy content;

[0241] Determine the agent's language proficiency based on the agent's content;

[0242] Determine whether the agent's language proficiency differs from the client's language proficiency; and

[0243] When it is determined that dissimilarity exists, the proxy communication device is caused to present an indicia of dissimilarity.

[0244] A computer-implemented method for training a neural network for language proficiency, comprising:

[0245] Gather a collection of first words with first language proficiency and meaning;

[0246] Modifying the word set into a different word set having the same meaning;

[0247] Creating a first training set, the first training set including the first word set, the different word set, and the word set with different meanings;

[0248] training the neural network in a first state using the first training set;

[0249] creating a second training set for a second phase of training, the second training set comprising the first training set and a different set of words that were incorrectly identified as being synonymous with the first set of words; and

[0250] The neural network is trained in a second phase using the second training set.

[0251] Any of the above aspects, wherein the processor executing the executable instructions performs accessing the customer's language proficiency rating of the customer further comprises:

[0252] Any of the above aspects, wherein determining a customer language proficiency rating of the customer comprises:

[0253] Access the scoring model with the scored words;

[0254] prior to a communication, accessing a previous communication having content provided by the client;

[0255] scoring the previous communication using the scoring model to determine a proficiency score for the communication; and

[0256] The proficiency score of the communication is made accessible as a customer language proficiency rating for the customer.

[0257] Any of the above aspects, wherein the previous communication comprises one or more of a social media posting, an email, a text message, a voice message, a voice call, a message transcription, or a voice call transcription.

[0258] Any of the above aspects, wherein the processor executing the executable instructions performs:

[0259] Access a pool of language proficiency ratings associated with each agent in the agent pool, including:

[0260] Access scoring models;

[0261] For each agent in the agent pool:

[0262] Prior to the communication, accessing a previous communication having content provided by an agent in the agent pool;

[0263] scoring words in the previous communication against the scoring model;

[0264] Determine the total score; and

[0265] The total score is made accessible to each agent in the agent pool as an entry in a language proficiency rating pool.

[0266] Any of the above aspects, wherein the customer language proficiency rating or at least one of the language proficiency ratings in the pool of language proficiency ratings associated with each agent in the agent pool includes one or more of a vocabulary rating, a technical complexity rating, a fluency rating, a pronunciation rating, a grammar rating, or a speed rating.

[0267] Any of the above aspects, wherein selecting an agent from the agent pool having an associated language proficiency rating that best matches the customer language proficiency rating further comprises a processor executing executable instructions to perform:

[0268] Access acceptable ranges relative to the client's language proficiency rating; and

[0269] An agent is selected from the agent pool having an associated language proficiency rating within the acceptable range.

[0270] Any of the above aspects, wherein the match is determined to exist when an agent from the agent pool has an associated language proficiency that is equal to the customer's language proficiency rating within a previously determined range.

[0271] Any of the above aspects, wherein selecting an agent from the agent pool having an associated language proficiency rating that best matches the customer language proficiency rating further comprises a processor executing executable instructions to perform:

[0272] Access expected changes relative to clients' language proficiency ratings; and

[0273] An agent is selected from the agent pool having an associated language proficiency rating having the desired change relative to the customer's language proficiency rating.

[0274] Any of the above aspects, wherein the processor executing the executable instructions performs accessing the customer's language proficiency, comprising:

[0275] Determine the client's language proficiency, including:

[0276] Access scoring models;

[0277] Prior to a communication, accessing a previous communication having content provided by the client; and

[0278] The previous communications are scored using the scoring model to generate a customer language proficiency score.

[0279] Any of the above aspects, wherein the previous communication comprises one or more of a social media posting, an email, a text message, a voice message, a voice call, a message transcription, or a voice call transcription.

[0280] In any of the above aspects, wherein the processor executing the executable instructions further comprises:

[0281] Access scoring models; and

[0282] The agent content is scored using the scoring model to generate agent language proficiency

[0283] Any of the above aspects, wherein at least one of the customer language proficiency or the agent language proficiency comprises one or more of a vocabulary rating, a technical complexity rating, a fluency rating, a pronunciation rating, a grammar rating, or a speed rating.

[0284] Any of the above aspects, wherein determining whether the agent language proficiency differs from the client language proficiency comprises determining whether at least one of the words provided by the agent as part of the communication has an agent language proficiency rating outside of an acceptable range.

[0285] Any of the above aspects, wherein determining whether the agent language proficiency differs from the customer language proficiency comprises determining that an agent language proficiency score for at least one of the words provided by the agent as part of the communication differs from a customer language proficiency score for at least one word from at least one previous customer communication.

[0286] Any of the above aspects, further comprising:

[0287] determining, using the neural network, after the second training phase, whether at least one of the words provided by the agent as part of a communication with the customer has a language proficiency that is different from the customer's language proficiency, wherein the customer's language proficiency is determined by utilizing prior communications of the customer as a source of the first set of words; and

[0288] Dissimilarity is caused to appear in real time on the proxy communication device during the communication.

[0289] Any of the above aspects, further comprising presenting at least one replacement word selected from the second training set on the agent communication device in real time.

[0290] Any of the above aspects, wherein the previous communication comprises one or more of a social media posting, an email, a text message, a voice message, a voice call, a message transcription, or a voice call transcription.

[0291] Any of the above aspects, wherein the first set of words having language proficiency includes at least one word having a language proficiency determined by a scoring model.

[0292] A system on chip (SoC) includes any one or more of the above aspects.

[0293] One or more means for performing any one or more of the above aspects.

[0294] Any one or more of the aspects substantially as herein described.

[0295] Any of the above aspects, wherein the data storage device includes a non-volatile storage device, which includes at least one of the following: on-chip memory within the processor, registers of the processor, on-board memory located on a processing board with the processor, memory accessible to the processor via a bus, magnetic media, optical media, solid-state media, input-output buffers, memory of input-output components that communicate with the processor, network communication buffers, and networking components that communicate with the processor via a network interface.

[0296] The phrases "at least one," "one or more," "or," and "and / or" are open-ended expressions that are conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions "at least one of A, B, and C," "at least one of A, B, or C," "one or more of A, B, and C," "one or more of A, B, or C," "A, B, and / or C," and "A, B, or C" means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together.

[0297] The term "a" or "an" entity refers to one or more of that entity. Thus, the terms "a" (or "an"), "one or more," and "at least one" are used interchangeably herein. It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are used interchangeably.

[0298] As used herein, the term "automatic" and variations thereof refer to any process or operation, typically continuous or semi-continuous, that is performed without substantial human input. However, a process or operation may be automatic even if the performance of the process or operation uses substantial or immaterial human input if input is received prior to the performance of the process or operation. Human input is considered substantial if it affects how the process or operation will be performed. Human input that consents to the performance of the process or operation is not considered "substantial."

[0299] Aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of entirely hardware embodiments, entirely software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) embodiments, or embodiments combining software and hardware aspects, which may all be collectively referred to herein as "circuits," "modules," or "systems." Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be utilized. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium.

[0300] A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more conductors, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible, non-transitory medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0301] A computer-readable signal medium may include, for example, a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, wherein the propagated data signal has computer-readable program code embodied therein. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium may be any computer-readable medium that is not a computer-readable storage medium and that can convey, propagate, or transmit a program used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The program code embodied on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, fiber optic cable, RF, or the like, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0302] As used herein, the terms "determine," "calculate," "calculate," and variations thereof are used interchangeably and include any type of methodology, process, mathematical operation, or technique.

[0303] As used herein, the term "component" is to be given its broadest possible interpretation pursuant to 35 U.S.C. Section 112(f) and / or Section 112, paragraph 6, and thus, claims containing the term "component" are to cover all structures, materials, or acts described herein and all equivalents thereof. Furthermore, structures, materials, or acts and their equivalents are to include all those described in the Summary, Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description, Abstract, and the claims themselves.

[0304] The foregoing is a simplified overview of the present invention to provide an understanding of some aspects of the present invention. This overview is neither a broad overview of the present invention and its various embodiments, nor an exhaustive overview. It is neither intended to identify the key or important elements of the present invention nor to describe the scope of the present invention, but rather to present the selected concepts of the present invention in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description presented below. As will be understood, other embodiments of the present invention may utilize one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below, alone or in combination. In addition, although the present disclosure is presented in terms of exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that various aspects of the present disclosure may be claimed separately. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0305] The present disclosure is described with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0306] Figure 1 A first system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is depicted;

[0307] Figure 2 A second system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is depicted;

[0308] Figure 3 depicts a third system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0309] Figure 4 depicts a data structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0310] Figure 5 A first process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is depicted;

[0311] Figure 6 A second process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is depicted; and

[0312] Figure 7 A fourth system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0313] The following description provides only embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claims. Instead, the following description will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing the embodiments. It should be understood that various changes may be made to the function and arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0314] When a sub-element identifier is present in a figure, any reference in the specification that includes an element number without the sub-element identifier, when used in the plural, refers to any two or more elements having a similar element number. When such a reference is made in the singular without identification of a sub-element identifier, it refers to one of the elements having a similar element number, and is not limited to a specific one of the elements. Any explicit use to the contrary herein or providing further identification or recognition will take precedence.

[0315] The exemplary systems and methods of the present disclosure will also be described with respect to analysis software, modules, and associated analysis hardware. However, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure, the following description omits well-known structures, components, and devices, which may be omitted from the drawings or shown in simplified form or otherwise summarized.

[0316] For purposes of explanation, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be practiced in various ways beyond the specific details set forth herein.

[0317] Now refer to Figure 1 , a communication system 100 is discussed in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication system 100 may be a distributed system and, in some embodiments, includes a communication network 104 connecting one or more communication devices 108 to a work distribution mechanism 116, which may be owned and operated by an enterprise managing a contact center 102 in which a plurality of resources 112 are distributed to handle incoming work items (in the form of contacts) from client communication devices 108.

[0318] Contact center 102 is variously implemented to receive and / or send messages associated with work items and the processing and management of work items by one or more resources 112 (e.g., scheduling, assigning, routing, generating, billing, receiving, monitoring, reviewing, etc.). A work item is typically a request for generation and / or receipt by a processing resource 112, implemented as an electronically and / or electromagnetically transmitted message or component thereof. Contact center 102 may include more or fewer components and / or provide more or fewer services than shown. Boundaries representing contact center 102 may be physical boundaries (e.g., a building, a campus, etc.), legal boundaries (e.g., a company, an enterprise, etc.), and / or logical boundaries (e.g., resources 112 used to provide services to clients of contact center 102).

[0319] Furthermore, the boundaries of the contact center 102 shown may be as shown, or in other embodiments, include more and / or fewer components and / or alternatives than shown. For example, in other embodiments, one or more of the resources 112, customer database 118, and / or other components may be connected to the routing engine 132 via the communication network 104, such as when such components are connected via a public network (e.g., the Internet). In another embodiment, the communication network 104 may be a private utilization of a public network (e.g., a VPN); a private network located at least partially within the contact center 102; or a hybrid of private and public networks that can be used to provide electronic communication for the components described herein. Furthermore, it should be understood that components shown as external, such as the social media server 130 and / or other external data sources 134, may be physically and / or logically within the contact center 102, but still be considered external for other purposes. For example, the contact center 102 may operate a social media server 130 (e.g., a website operable to receive user messages from customers and / or resources 112) as a means of interacting with customers via their customer communication devices 108.

[0320] The customer communication devices 108 are implemented as being external to the contact center 102 because they are under the more direct control of their respective users or customers. However, embodiments may be provided whereby one or more customer communication devices 108 are physically and / or logically located within the contact center 102 and still considered external to the contact center 102, such as when a customer utilizes the customer communication device 108 at a kiosk and is attached to the private network of the contact center 102 (e.g., a WiFi connection to the kiosk, etc.), the customer communication device 108 being within or controlled by the contact center 102.

[0321] It should be understood that the description of the contact center 102 provides at least one embodiment so that the following embodiments may be more readily understood without limiting these embodiments. Changes, additions, and / or subtractions may be made to the contact center 102, except as expressly provided, without departing from the scope of any embodiment described herein and without limiting the scope of the embodiments or claims.

[0322] In addition, the contact center 102 can integrate and / or utilize a social media server 130, and / or other external data sources 134 can be utilized to provide a means for the resources 112 to receive and / or retrieve contacts and connect to customers of the contact center 102. Other external data sources 134 can include data sources such as service bureaus, third-party data providers (e.g., credit agencies, public and / or private records, etc.). Customers can use their respective customer communication devices 108 to send / receive communications with the social media server 130.

[0323] According to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, the communication network 104 may include any type of known communication medium or collection of communication mediums and may use any type of protocol to transmit electronic messages between endpoints. The communication network 104 may include wired and / or wireless communication technologies. The Internet is an example of a communication network 104 that constitutes an Internet Protocol (IP) network, which includes numerous computers, computing networks, and other communication devices located around the world, connected by numerous telephone systems and other components. Other examples of communication networks 104 include, but are not limited to, standard plain old telephone systems (POTS), integrated services digital networks (ISDN), public switched telephone networks (PSTN), local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), session initiation protocol (SIP) networks, voice over IP (VoIP) networks, cellular networks, and any other type of packet-switched or circuit-switched network known in the art. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the communication network 104 need not be limited to any one network type, but may be comprised of a plurality of different networks and / or network types. As an example, embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to improve the efficiency of a grid-based contact center 102. An example of a grid-based contact center 102 is more fully described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010 / 0296417 to Steiner, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Furthermore, the communication network 104 can include a number of different communication media, such as coaxial cables, copper / electric cables, fiber optic cables, antennas for sending / receiving wireless messages, and combinations thereof.

[0324] Communication device 108 may correspond to a client communication device. According to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, clients may utilize their communication device 108 to initiate work items. Illustrative work items include, but are not limited to, contacts directed to and received at contact center 102, web page requests directed to and received at a server farm (e.g., a collection of servers), media requests, application requests (e.g., requests for application resource locations on remote application servers such as SIP application servers), and the like. Work items may be in the form of messages or collections of messages transmitted over communication network 104. For example, work items may be transmitted as phone calls, packets or collections of packets (e.g., IP packets transmitted over an IP network), email messages, instant messages, SMS messages, faxes, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, communications may not necessarily be directed to work assignment mechanism 116, but may instead be on some other server in communication network 104 (e.g., social media server 130), where the communications are collected by work assignment mechanism 116, which generates work items for the collected communications. Examples of such collected communications include social media communications collected by work assignment mechanism 116 from social media server 130 or a network of servers. Exemplary architectures for collecting social media communications and generating work items based thereon are described in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12 / 784,369, 12 / 706,942, and 12 / 707,277, filed on March 20, 2010, February 17, 2010, and February 17, 2010, respectively; each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0325] The format of a work item can depend on the capabilities of the communication device 108 and the format of the communication. Specifically, a work item is a logical representation within the contact center 102 of work to be performed in connection with servicing a communication received at the contact center 102 (and more specifically, the work assignment mechanism 116). The communication may be received and maintained at the work assignment mechanism 116, a switch or server connected to the work assignment mechanism 116, or the like, until a resource 112 is assigned to the work item representing the communication. At this point, the work assignment mechanism 116 passes the work item to the routing engine 132 to connect the communication device 108 that initiated the communication with the assigned resource 112.

[0326] Although routing engine 132 is depicted as separate from work assignment mechanism 116 , routing engine 132 may be incorporated into work assignment mechanism 116 , or its functionality may be performed by work assignment engine 120 .

[0327] According to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, the communication devices 108 may include any type of known communication equipment or a collection of communication equipment. Examples of suitable communication devices 108 include, but are not limited to, personal computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular phones, smart phones, telephones, or combinations thereof. Typically, each communication device 108 may be adapted to support video, audio, text, and / or data communications with other communication devices 108 and processing resources 112. The type of media that a communication device 108 uses to communicate with other communication devices 108 or processing resources 112 may depend on the communication applications available on the communication device 108.

[0328] In accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, work items are sent to a collection of processing resources 112 via the combined operation of work assignment mechanism 116 and routing engine 132. Resources 112 may be fully automated resources (e.g., interactive voice response (IVR) units, microprocessors, servers, etc.), human resources utilizing communication equipment (e.g., human agents utilizing computers, telephones, laptops, etc.), or any other resources known for use in contact center 102.

[0329] As described above, the work assignment mechanism 116 and resources 112 may be owned and operated by a common entity such as the contact center 102. In some embodiments, the work assignment mechanism 116 may be managed by multiple enterprises, each with its own dedicated resources 112 connected to the work assignment mechanism 116.

[0330] In some embodiments, the work assignment mechanism 116 includes a work assignment engine 120 that enables the work assignment mechanism 116 to make intelligent routing decisions for work items. In some embodiments, the work assignment engine 120 is configured to manage and make work assignment decisions in a queue-free contact center 102, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 882,950, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In other embodiments, the work assignment engine 120 can be configured to perform work assignment decisions in a traditional queue-based (or skills-based) contact center 102.

[0331] The work assignment engine 120 and its various components can reside in the work assignment mechanism 116 or on multiple different servers or processing devices. In some embodiments, a cloud-based computing architecture can be employed, whereby one or more hardware components of the work assignment mechanism 116 are made available in the cloud or network, such that they can be shared resources among multiple different users. The work assignment mechanism 116 can access a customer database 118, for example, to retrieve records, profiles, purchase histories, previous work projects, and / or other aspects of customers known to the contact center 102. The customer database 118 can be updated in response to work projects and / or input from the resources 112 processing the work projects.

[0332] It should be understood that, in addition to fully on-site embodiments, one or more components of the contact center 102 can be implemented in a cloud-based architecture, either in its entirety or as components thereof (e.g., a hybrid). In one embodiment, the client communication device 108 is connected to one of the resources 112 via components that are fully hosted by a cloud-based service provider, where the processing and data storage hardware components can be dedicated to the operator of the contact center 102 or shared or distributed among multiple service provider customers, one of which is the contact center 102.

[0333] In one embodiment, a message is generated by a client communication device 108 and received at a work assignment mechanism 116 via the communication network 104. Messages received by the contact center 102 (e.g., at the work assignment mechanism 116) are generally and herein referred to as "contacts." The routing engine 132 routes the contact to at least one resource 112 for processing.

[0334] Figure 2 A system 200 is depicted in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. System 200 illustrates portions of system 100. However, to avoid unnecessarily complicating the drawings and the description of the drawings, portions of system 100 have been omitted. System 200 illustrates communications occurring between a client 202 and an agent 208 via a client communication device 108 and an agent communication device 206, respectively. Communications are monitored and optionally managed by a server 212. Server 212 may be a work assignment mechanism 116, a work assignment engine 120, and / or a routing engine 132 (see Figure 1 ) and is integrated with or has one or more of the work assignment mechanism 116, the work assignment engine 120, and / or the routing engine 132. The server 212 includes (or has access to) a network interface to receive communications and / or access other networked components. Thus, the server 212 is a member of the network 104 (see Figure 1 ) on the node.

[0335] When embodied as a human agent utilizing a communication device (agent communication device 206) via network 104 (see Figure 1 ) when communicating with the proxy 208 and the proxy communication device 206, a resource 112 is shown. The server 212 may include one or more processors, or utilize a processing component having a processor (e.g., a blade, a server, etc.). The server 212 may be implemented as a virtual machine or a distributed computing platform (e.g., an array, a grid, a "cloud," etc.), wherein the network appearance of the server 212 may be virtualized by underlying hardware (e.g., computing devices, networking devices, data storage devices, etc.), which may be aggregated with other hardware or separated across multiple underlying hardware components. The server 212 and its associated processor are configured with machine-readable instructions maintained in a non-transitory storage device, such as a memory, to cause the processor(s) to perform the operations described herein.

[0336] As shown in system 200, client 202 communicates with agent 208, and the communication is monitored by server 212. More specifically, the content of the communication provided by agent 208 and, optionally, client 202 is monitored. Here, the content of the communication includes verbal input provided by agent 208 and / or client 202, including but not limited to words, word combinations, pitch, speed of speech, other utterances, etc., which is captured by a microphone of agent communication device 206, encoded for transmission, sent to a receiving device (client communication device 108), decoded, and presented as sound by client communication device 108. Alternatively, the reverse scenario can be provided, where sound is provided by client 202 and similarly encoded, transmitted, received, decoded, and presented as sound to agent 208.

[0337] While the embodiments herein generally relate to audio-based communications, particularly voice communications with a human agent (agent 208), in other embodiments, communications may include text communications (e.g., text chat, Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), Converged Communications Service (RCS), email, etc.), audio and video communications, and / or communications with an automated agent (resource 112 when implemented as a computer-based agent). For example, the computer-based agent may utilize a prepared script to present to the customer 202, but select or adjust the script to present different communication content determined by the language proficiency of the customer 202, wherein the different content includes the same meaning as the original script, but is presented at a different language proficiency.

[0338] In another embodiment, the communication content is presented to the client 202 more effectively (e.g., easier to understand, less likely to misunderstand, etc.) when presented at the language proficiency level of the client 202. Alternatively, a change can be determined to be more effective, such as within a previously determined range of higher or lower, or within a previously determined range in one particular direction (e.g., only higher or only lower), such as to convey authority or to solicit empathy.

[0339] Determining the language proficiency of customer 202 can be accomplished in various ways. If customer 202 is known, for example, by providing an identity (e.g., providing a name, account number, etc. to the automated agent before connecting to agent 208) by associating the phone number with a known customer's CallerID maintained in customer database 118, the identification information can be used to access other repositories of customer 202's prior communications. For example, server 212 can access social media server 130 to obtain text posts, recorded speech, or other communications from customer 202. The speech can be transcribed into text before analysis. The content can then be analyzed, for example, using proprietary and / or standard language proficiency models (e.g., ACTFL, EF SET, ILR, etc.). Similarly, other external data sources 134 can include other communications from customer 202. Additionally or alternatively, customer database 118 can include communications or previously determined language proficiency scores for customer 202. Server 212 can combine all communications obtained from all sources into the analysis, or apply any necessary weighting or modification. For example, if it is determined that a particular social media server 130 maintains communications with a user who has a low rating for the user's speaking proficiency, the necessary modifications may be provided to convert the text content from the social media server 130 to a high level of speaking proficiency.

[0340] The client language proficiency 204 is determined based on one or more sources of previous communication content. The client language proficiency 204 can be an overall score or related to a specific communication type (e.g., speaking, listening, etc.). Thus, the client language proficiency 204 can be a single value or an array of values ​​for each of multiple communication types. Similarly, the agent language proficiency 210 of the agent 208 is determined based on explicit testing and / or by observing the agent's 208's previous communications, and can also be assessed using proprietary and / or standard proficiency models.

[0341] During a communication between a client 202 and an agent 208, the server 212 may determine that the communication content provided by the agent 208 has a language proficiency that is substantially different from the expected language proficiency for the communication content provided to the client 202. In one embodiment, a prompt 216 may provide a discrepancy marker, such as prompting the agent 208 to stop speaking a particular word or word combination and / or to utilize a different word or word combination. The content of the prompt 216 may be selected to bring the language proficiency of the agent presented to the client 202 closer to the expected language proficiency that is desired to be presented to the client 202. The prompt 216 may be presented by the agent communication device 206 as a visual prompt (e.g., a screen pop-up) and / or an audio prompt (e.g., presenting only "whisper" mode communications to the agent 208).

[0342] Data storage device 214 can maintain data records for access by server 212. For example, communication portion 218, communication portion 224, and communication portion 230 include communication portions in which words or word combinations have been identified as influencing the language proficiency score for the associated communication portion. For example, word 220 with a first language proficiency score and word 222 with a first language proficiency score can be used to provide communication portion 218 with a first language proficiency score. If server 212 determines that a different language proficiency score is more appropriate, a different word or word combination can be selected. Thus, communication portion 224 with word 226 with a second language proficiency score can be selected. As can be appreciated, substitution of a word or word combination may be sufficient to provide the desired language proficiency. However, different wording, such as word 232 with a third language proficiency score, can be utilized to provide different language proficiency levels.

[0343] While data storage device 214 illustrates portions of a communication with varying levels of language proficiency determined by the words or word combinations therein, and provides variations in vocabulary ratings for these words or word combinations, in other embodiments, other factors may be determined and varied to influence the language proficiency score of a communication or portion of a communication provided by agent 208. In one embodiment, the agent's speaking speed may be too high or too low, resulting in a misalignment with the language proficiency of client 202. Accordingly, server 212 may enable prompts 216 to prompt agent 208 to adjust their speaking speed to present communication content with the desired language proficiency. In another embodiment, fluency may be determined, for example, by stops and starts, pauses, non-word utterances (e.g., "um," "uh huh," etc.), filler words (e.g., "you know," etc.). In another embodiment, correct pronunciation of words (or variations thereof) is utilized. In yet another embodiment, correct grammar (or variations thereof) is utilized. In yet another embodiment, technical complexity may be utilized. For example, a router may be described as having "a flashing light on the letters POE" versus "the Power over Ethernet LED is blinking." In other embodiments, language proficiency may be determined through appropriate and / or accurate use of variation, such as through idioms, colloquialisms, or famous sayings, when such use avoids over-interpreting understood terms or concepts (e.g., "Let me know when 'box' starts over").

[0344] In addition to or as an alternative to prompting the agent 208 to change its communication to align with the desired language proficiency, other actions may be taken. For example, the supervisor's communication device may be automatically connected to the communication so that the supervisor can provide direct communication only to the agent 208 (i.e., "whisper" mode) or to both the agent 208 and the customer 202. As a further option, a different agent may be selected to continue the communication and automatically connected to the customer communication device 108 to communicate with the customer 202, and optionally, the agent communication device 206 may be disconnected.

[0345] Figure 3 A system 300 is depicted according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, a customer language proficiency 204 having customer language proficiency 204 is about to engage in a communication with one of agents 308A-C via a respective one of a customer communication device 108 and an agent communication device 306A-C. The communication can be initiated by the customer language proficiency 204 (i.e., an "inbound call") or by a component of the contact center 102 (i.e., an "outbound call").

[0346] A processor, such as a portion of or providing routing engine 132, executes machine-readable instructions to perform routing decisions. The client's language proficiency 204 and / or aspects of one or more agents 308A-C that are critical to communication (e.g., sufficient fluency in a common language) have previously been determined and addressed. Matching the client 202 with a particular one of the agents 308A-C now depends on the associated agent language proficiency 310A-C, which can be a score, ranking, or other indicia of a single value (e.g., a language proficiency value) or a structure having multiple values ​​(e.g., a value for reading language proficiency, a value for speaking language proficiency, etc.).

[0347] The routing engine 132 can access the data store 214, which serves as a data source for language proficiency data for agents 308A-C and / or customers 202. After determining the best match between the customer language proficiency 204 and one of the agent language proficiencies 310A-C (e.g., agent language proficiency 310B), the customer communication device 108 automatically connects to the agent communication device 306B to enable communication between the customer 202 and the agent 308B. The connection can be immediate or queued, e.g., waiting until the agent communication device 306B becomes available.

[0348] Figure 4 A data structure 400 is depicted according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, data storage 214 and / or other data storage (e.g., customer database 118) maintains all or a portion of data structure 400. Data structure 400 can be populated with entries, for example, through the processes described herein, wherein values ​​associated with general and / or specific language proficiency can be maintained for customers (e.g., customer 202) and / or agents (e.g., agent 208, agents 308A-C). Thus, data structure 400 or one or more fields therein can be accessed and used to make routing decisions (e.g., selecting a particular agent from agents 308A-C) and / or monitor communications for compliance with a customer's language proficiency (e.g., customer language proficiency 204) or the target language proficiency to be presented to a customer (e.g., customer 202). If monitoring indicates a discrepancy, or a discrepancy exceeding a previously determined value, corrective action can be implemented.

[0349] In one embodiment, field 402 maintains an overall language proficiency score. In another embodiment, language proficiency scores are provided for multiple language attributes. For example, vocabulary accuracy 404 maintains a value associated with how accurately a particular term is used to describe a particular use of vocabulary (e.g., "connector" versus "RJ45"); vocabulary grammar errors 406 maintains the frequency, pattern, and / or extent of vocabulary errors in a communication; word choice errors 408 maintains the frequency, pattern, and / or extent of incorrect word usage; topic understanding 410 maintains the level of understanding of the specific topic of the communication and / or domain; vocabulary completeness 412 maintains the accuracy of maintaining a vocabulary for a specific topic; speaking speed 414 maintains speech speed; repetition 416 maintains the frequency, pattern, and / or extent to which words are repeated and / or need to be repeated for the individual; accent 418 maintains the presence or extent to which the individual speaks with an accent or the extent to which the accent affects effective communication; formality 420 maintains an indication of the formal / informal nature of previous communications; and paraphrase / idiom understanding 422 maintains the extent to which the individual can accurately use and / or understand the use of paraphrases, idioms, or colloquialisms. It should be understood that more, fewer, and / or alternative metrics may be used. Additionally or alternatively, two or more fields of the data structure 400 may be combined and / or any one or more fields may be separated into substructures having multiple values.

[0350] Figure 5 Process 500 is depicted in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Process 500 may be embodied as machine-executable instructions maintained in a non-transitory data store for execution by one or more processors, such as a processor of server 212, routing engine 132, work assignment mechanism 116, work assignment engine 120, or other processing components, or a combination thereof.

[0351] In one embodiment, process 500 can be implemented to monitor communications between a customer 202 (via a client communication device 108) and an agent 208 (via an agent communication device 206) over a network 104. Step 502 accesses agent language proficiency 210 for the ongoing communication. Step 504 accesses the customer's language proficiency 204. The customer's language proficiency 204 can be determined based on the ongoing communication and / or based on one or more previous communications, such as can be maintained as part of the communication in a social media server 130, other external data source 134, customer database 118, etc., or maintained as a data record or field, such as a field of a data structure 400.

[0352] Next, a test 506 determines whether there is a dissimilarity between the agent's language proficiency 210 and the client's language proficiency 204. Additionally or alternatively, the test 506 determines whether there is a difference between the agent's language proficiency 210 presented to the client 202 and the client's language proficiency 204. If the test 506 is determined to be negative, the process 500 may end or repeat in a loop until such time as the communication ends.

[0353] If the test 506 is determined to be positive, then step 508 presents an indicia of dissimilarity. Optionally, step 510 may incorporate a more specific prompt for suspending (or reducing the frequency of) the action and / or for initiating (or increasing the frequency of) the action, such as by prompt 216 (see Figure 2 ) provides for using more and / or fewer words in order to change the agent's language proficiency 210 presented to the client 202, such as alternatives maintained in the data store 214. As a further option, step 512 can change the network topology, including adding the supervisor's communication device to communicate with the agent 208 alone, adding the supervisor's communication device to communicate with the agent 208 and the client 202, adding another agent to the communication, adding another agent, and removing the current agent 208 from the communication—connected via the network to their respective communication devices.

[0354] Figure 6 Depicted is a process 600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Process 600 may be embodied as machine-executable instructions maintained in a non-transitory data store for execution by one or more processors, such as a processor of server 212, routing engine 132, work assignment mechanism 116, work assignment engine 120, or other processing components, or a combination thereof.

[0355] In one embodiment, process 600 may be used to select a particular one of agents 308A-C to engage in communications with a customer 202. Step 602 accesses the agent language proficiency 310A-C of the associated agents 308A-C. Step 604 accesses the customer language proficiency 204 of the associated customer 202. Step 606 selects one of the agents 308 to communicate with the customer 202. Then, step 608 connects the selected one of the agents 308 to the customer by connecting the customer communication device 108 to the particular agent communication device 306 associated with the selected agent.

[0356] Figure 7Device 702 is depicted in system 700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, server 212, proxy communication device 206, and / or proxy communication device 306 can be implemented in whole or in part as device 702 including various components and connections to other components and / or systems. These components are implemented in various ways and can include a processor 704. Processor 704 can be implemented as a single electronic microprocessor or a multi-processor device (e.g., multi-core) having components such as a control unit, input / output units, arithmetic logic units, registers, main memory, and / or other components that access information (e.g., data, instructions, etc.) received, such as via bus 714, execute the instructions, and output data again, such as via bus 714. In other embodiments, processor 704 can include a shared processing device that can be used by other processes and / or process owners, such as in a processing array or distributed processing system (e.g., a "cloud," a farm, etc.). It should be understood that processor 704 is a non-transitory computing device (e.g., an electronic machine including circuitry and connections to communicate with other components and devices). Processor 704 may operate a virtual processor, such as to process machine instructions that are not native to the processor (e.g., convert 9xx chipset code to emulate a different processor chipset or non-native operating system, such as the VAX operating system on a Mac), however, such a virtual processor is an application executed by the underlying processor (e.g., processor 704) and its hardware and other circuitry.

[0357] In addition to the components of the processor 704, the device 702 may utilize a memory 706 and / or a data storage device 708 to store accessible data, such as instructions, values, etc. The communication interface 710 facilitates communication with components such as the processor 704 via the bus 714, as well as with components that are not accessible via the bus 714. The communication interface 710 may be implemented as a hardware device such as a network port, card, cable, or other configuration. Additionally or alternatively, a human input / output interface 712 connects to one or more interface components to receive and / or present information (e.g., instructions, data, values, etc.) to and / or from humans and / or electronic devices. Examples of input / output devices 730 that may be connected to the input / output interface include, but are not limited to, a keyboard, mouse, trackball, printer, display, sensor, switch, repeater, etc. In another embodiment, the communication interface 710 may include or be comprised of the human input / output interface 712. The communication interface 710 may be configured to communicate directly with networked components or utilize one or more networks, such as network 720 and / or network 724.

[0358] The communication network 104 may be embodied in whole or in part as a network 720. The network 720 may be a wired network (e.g., Ethernet), a wireless (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular, etc.), or a combination thereof, and enables the device 702 to communicate with (one or more) network components 722. In other embodiments, the network 720 may be embodied in whole or in part as a telephone network (e.g., a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a private branch exchange (PBX), a cellular telephone network, etc.).

[0359] Additionally or alternatively, one or more other networks may be utilized. For example, network 724 may represent a second network that may facilitate communications with components used by device 702. For example, network 724 may be an internal network of a business entity or other organization (e.g., contact center 102), whereby components are trusted (or at least more trusted) than networked components 722, which may be connected to network 720, including a public network (e.g., the Internet) that may be less trusted.

[0360] Components connected to network 724 may include memory 726, data storage 728, input / output device(s) 730, and / or other components accessible to processor 704. For example, memory 726 and / or data storage 728 may supplement or replace memory 706 and / or data storage 708, either entirely or for specific tasks or purposes. For example, memory 726 and / or data storage 728 may be an external data repository (e.g., a server farm, an array, a "cloud," etc.) and allow device 702 and / or other devices to access data thereon. Similarly, input / output device 730 may be accessed by processor 704 via human input / output interface 1012 and / or via communication interface 710, either directly, via network 724, only via network 720 (not shown), or via both networks 724 and 720. Each of memory 706, data storage 708, memory 726, and data storage 728 comprises a non-transitory data storage device that stores data including data storage devices.

[0361] It should be understood that computer-readable data can be sent, received, stored, processed, and presented by various components. It should also be understood that the components shown can control other components, whether shown here or otherwise. For example, an input / output device 730 can be a router, switch, port, or other communication component, so that a specific output of the processor 704 enables (or disables) the input / output device 730 associated with the network 720 and / or network 724 to allow (or not allow) communication between two or more nodes on the network 720 and / or network 724. For example, a specific networking component 722 and / or a specific resource 112 can be used to enable (or disable) a connection between a specific client using a specific client communication device 108. Similarly, a specific networking component 722 and / or resource 112 can be enabled (or disabled) to communicate with specific other networking components 722 and / or resources 112 (including device 702 in some embodiments), and vice versa. Those skilled in the art will understand that other communication equipment can be used in addition to or as an alternative to those described herein without departing from the scope of the embodiments.

[0362] In the above description, for the purpose of illustration, the method is described in a specific order. It should be understood that in alternative embodiments, these methods can be performed in an order different from the order described without departing from the scope of the embodiment. It should also be understood that the above method can be performed as an algorithm executed by a hardware component (e.g., a circuit), which is specially built to execute one or more algorithms described herein or parts thereof. In another embodiment, the hardware component may include a general-purpose microprocessor (e.g., a CPU, a GPU), which is first converted into a dedicated microprocessor. The dedicated microprocessor then loads a coded signal therein so that the dedicated microprocessor now maintains machine-readable instructions so that the microprocessor can read and execute a machine-readable instruction set derived from the algorithm and / or other instructions described herein. The machine-readable instructions or parts thereof for executing the algorithm are not unlimited, but utilize a limited instruction set known to the microprocessor. The machine-readable instructions can be encoded in the microprocessor as a signal or value in a signal generating component, and in one or more embodiments, include the voltage in the memory circuit, the configuration of the switching circuit, and / or the selective use of a specific logic gate circuit. Additionally or alternatively, machine-readable instructions may be accessed by a microprocessor and encoded in a medium or device as a magnetic field, a voltage value, a charge value, a reflective / non-reflective portion, and / or a physical marking.

[0363] In another embodiment, the microprocessor also includes one or more of a single microprocessor, a multi-core processor, a plurality of microprocessors, a distributed processing system (e.g., an array, a blade, a server farm, a "cloud", a multi-purpose processor array, a cluster, etc.), and / or may be co-located with a microprocessor that performs other processing operations. Any one or more microprocessors may be integrated into a single processing device (e.g., a computer, a server, a blade, etc.), or located in whole or in part in discrete components connected via a communication link (e.g., a bus, a network, a backplane, etc., or multiple thereof).

[0364] Examples of general-purpose microprocessors may include a central processing unit (CPU) having data values ​​encoded in an instruction register (or other circuitry for maintaining instructions) or comprising data values ​​of memory locations, which in turn comprise values ​​used as instructions. The memory locations may also include memory locations external to the CPU. Such CPU-external components may be implemented as one or more of a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a random access memory (RAM), a bus-accessible storage device, a network-accessible storage device, and the like.

[0365] These machine-executable instructions may be stored on one or more machine-readable media, such as a CD-ROM or other type of optical disk, a floppy disk, a ROM, a RAM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic or optical card, a flash memory, or other type of machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. Alternatively, the method may be performed by a combination of hardware and software.

[0366] In another embodiment, the microprocessor can be a system or collection of processing hardware components, such as a microprocessor on a client device and a microprocessor on a server, a collection of devices with their corresponding microprocessors, or a shared or remote processing service (e.g., a "cloud" based microprocessor). The system of microprocessors can include task-specific allocation of processing tasks and / or shared or distributed processing tasks. In yet another embodiment, the microprocessor can execute software to provide services to simulate a different one or more microprocessors. As a result, a first microprocessor composed of a first set of hardware components can virtually provide the services of a second microprocessor, whereby the hardware associated with the first microprocessor can operate using the instruction set associated with the second microprocessor.

[0367] While machine-executable instructions may be stored and executed locally to a particular machine (e.g., a personal computer, mobile computing device, laptop computer, etc.), it should be understood that storage of data and / or instructions and / or execution of at least a portion of the instructions may be provided via a connection to a remote data storage device and / or processing device or collection of devices (often referred to as the "cloud"), but may include public, private, dedicated, shared and / or other service bureaus, computing services and / or "server farms."

[0368] Examples of microprocessors described herein may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: a processor with 4G LTE integration and 64-bit computing. and 615, and 801, with 64-bit architecture A7 microprocessor, M7 motion co-processor, series, Core TM Microprocessor series, Microprocessor series, Atom TM Microprocessor series, Intel Microprocessor series, i5-4670K and i7-4770K 22nm Haswell, i5-3570K 22nm generation series (Ivy Bridge), FX TM Microprocessor series, FX-4300, FX-6300, and FX-8350 32nm Vishera, Kaveri microprocessor, Texas Jacinto C6000 TM Automotive infotainment processors, Texas OMAP TM Automotive mobile microprocessors, Cortex TM -M microprocessor, Cortex-A and ARM926EJ-S TM microprocessor, other industry equivalent microprocessors, and may perform computing functions using any known or future developed standard, instruction set, library and / or architecture.

[0369] Any of the steps, functions, and operations discussed herein may be performed continuously and automatically.

[0370] The exemplary systems and methods of the present invention have been described with respect to communication systems, components, and methods for monitoring, enhancing, and modifying communications and messages. However, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention, the foregoing description omits many known structures and devices. This omission should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claimed invention. Specific details have been set forth to provide an understanding of the present invention. However, it should be understood that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific details set forth herein.

[0371] Furthermore, while the exemplary embodiments illustrated herein show various components of the system being located together, certain components of the system may be located remotely, in a remote portion of a distributed network such as a LAN and / or the Internet, or within a dedicated system. Thus, it should be understood that the components of the system or portions thereof (e.g., microprocessors, memory / storage, interfaces, etc.) may be combined into one or more devices, such as a server, multiple servers, computers, computing devices, terminals, a "cloud," or other distributed processing, or configured at specific nodes of a distributed network, such as an analog and / or digital telecommunications network, a packet-switched network, or a circuit-switched network. In another embodiment, the components may be physically or logically distributed across multiple components (e.g., a microprocessor may include a first microprocessor on one component and a second microprocessor on another component, each performing a shared task and / or a portion of an assigned task). It will be understood from the foregoing description that, for computational efficiency reasons, the components of the system may be arranged anywhere within the distributed network of components without affecting the operation of the system. For example, various components may be located in switches such as PBXs and media servers, gateways, in one or more communication devices, at the premises of one or more users, or some combination thereof. Similarly, one or more functional portions of the system may be distributed between the telecommunication device(s) and associated computing devices.

[0372] Furthermore, it should be understood that the various links connecting the elements may be wired or wireless links, or any combination thereof, or any other known or later developed element capable of providing data to and / or transmitting data from the connected elements. These wired or wireless links may also be secure links and capable of transmitting encrypted information. The transmission medium used as the link may be, for example, any suitable carrier for electrical signals, including coaxial cable, copper wire, and optical fiber, and may take the form of sound or light waves, such as those generated during radio wave and infrared data communications.

[0373] Furthermore, while the flow charts have been discussed and illustrated with respect to a particular sequence of events, it should be understood that changes, additions, and omissions to this sequence can occur without materially affecting the operation of the invention.

[0374] Many variations and modifications of the invention may be used. Some features of the invention may be provided without others.

[0375] In another embodiment, the system and method of the present invention can be implemented in conjunction with a special-purpose computer, a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit components, an ASIC or other integrated circuit, a digital signal microprocessor, a hard-wired electronic or logic circuit (e.g., a discrete component circuit), a programmable logic device or gate array (e.g., a PLD, PLA, FPGA, PAL), a special-purpose computer, any similar components, etc. Generally, any device or component capable of implementing the methods described herein can be used to implement various aspects of the present invention. Exemplary hardware that can be used for the present invention includes computers, handheld devices, phones (e.g., cellular, internet-enabled, digital, analog, hybrid, etc.), and other hardware known in the art. Some of these devices include microprocessors (e.g., single or multiple microprocessors), memory, non-volatile storage devices, input devices, and output devices. In addition, alternative software implementations including, but not limited to, distributed processing or component / object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the methods described herein as provided by one or more processing components.

[0376] In another embodiment, the disclosed method can be easily implemented in conjunction with object-based software or an object-oriented software development environment that provides portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer or workstation platforms. Alternatively, the disclosed system can be implemented in part or in whole in hardware using standard logic circuits or VLSI designs. Whether software or hardware is used to implement the system according to the present invention depends on the speed and / or efficiency requirements of the system, the specific functionality, and the specific software or hardware system or microprocessor or microcomputer system used.

[0377] In yet another embodiment, the disclosed method may be partially implemented in software, which may be stored on a storage medium and executed on a programmed general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, etc. in cooperation with a controller and a memory. In these cases, the system and method of the present invention may be implemented as a program embedded in a personal computer, such as an applet, or CGI scripts, implemented as a resource resident on a server or computer workstation, implemented as a routine embedded in a dedicated measurement system, system component, etc. The system may also be implemented by physically incorporating the system and / or method into a software and / or hardware system.

[0378] The embodiments of this document including software are executed by one or more microprocessors or stored for subsequent execution and executed as executable code. The executable code is selected to execute the instructions comprising the specific embodiment. The instructions executed are a constrained instruction set selected from a discrete native instruction set understood by the microprocessor and, prior to execution, are submitted to a memory accessible to the microprocessor. In another embodiment, before being executed by one or more microprocessors, human-readable "source code" software is first converted to system software to include a platform (e.g., computer, microprocessor, database, etc.) specific instruction set selected from the platform's native instruction set.

[0379] Although the present invention has described the components and functions realized in the embodiments with reference to specific standards and protocols, the present invention is not limited to these standards and protocols. Other similar standards and protocols not mentioned here exist and are considered to be included in the present invention. In addition, the standards and protocols mentioned herein and other similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein are periodically replaced by faster or more effective equivalents with substantially the same functions. These replacement standards and protocols with identical functions are considered to be equivalents included in the present invention.

[0380] In various embodiments, configurations, and aspects, the present invention includes components, methods, processes, systems, and / or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, including various embodiments, subcombinations, and subsets thereof. Those skilled in the art will understand how to make and use the present invention after understanding this disclosure. In various embodiments, configurations, and aspects, the present invention includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and / or described herein, or in its various embodiments, configurations, or aspects, including providing devices and processes in the absence of such items that may have been used in previous devices or processes, for example, to improve performance, ease of implementation, and / or reduce implementation costs.

[0381] The foregoing discussion of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the invention to the form or forms disclosed herein. For example, in the foregoing detailed description, various features of the invention are grouped together in one or more embodiments, configurations, or aspects in order to facilitate the flow of the disclosure. Features of the embodiments, configurations, or aspects of the invention may be combined in alternative embodiments, configurations, or aspects other than those discussed above. This method of disclosure should not be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than those expressly recited in each claim. On the contrary, as reflected in the appended claims, inventive aspects lie in less than all the features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment, configuration, or aspect. Accordingly, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim independently serving as a separate preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0382] In addition, although the description of the invention has included descriptions of one or more embodiments, configurations or aspects and certain variations and modifications, other variations, combinations and modifications are within the scope of the invention, for example, as may be within the skill and knowledge of those skilled in the art after understanding the present disclosure. It is desired to obtain rights that include alternative embodiments, configurations or aspects to the extent permitted, including alternative, interchangeable and / or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternative, interchangeable and / or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and it is not desired to publicly contribute any patentable subject matter.

Claims

1. A system comprising: Network interface to the network; Memory; a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being programmed with executable instructions; as well as Among them, the processor executing the executable instructions performs: receiving a communication including an automated resource maintaining the communication and a client communication device utilized by a client; For an ongoing communication between a customer and an agent, access the customer language proficiency ratings of the customers participating in the communication and the language proficiency ratings of the agents participating in the communication; Determine whether there are disparities between client language proficiency ratings and agent language proficiency ratings; and When disparity exists, the agent's vocabulary is adjusted to match the customer language proficiency rating based on the success / failure of modifications to the agent's vocabulary and / or word substitutions from the agent's speech in past conversations.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The processor executing the executable instructions performs accessing a customer language proficiency rating of the customer, further comprising: Determine the customer's language proficiency rating for said customer, including: Access the scoring model with the scored words; prior to a communication, accessing a previous communication having content provided by the client; scoring the previous communication using the scoring model to determine a proficiency score for the communication; and The proficiency score of the communication is made accessible as a customer language proficiency rating for the customer.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein: The previous communications include one or more of a social media posting, an email, a text message, a voice message, a voice call, a message transcription, or a voice call transcription.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The processor executing the executable instructions further performs: Access a pool of language proficiency ratings associated with each agent in the agent pool, including: Access scoring models; For each agent in the agent pool: Prior to the communication, accessing a previous communication having content provided by an agent in the agent pool; scoring words in the previous communication against the scoring model; Determine the total score; and The total score is made accessible to each agent in the agent pool as an entry in a language proficiency rating pool.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the customer language proficiency rating or the agent's language proficiency rating includes one or more of a vocabulary rating, a fluency rating, a pronunciation rating, a grammar rating, or a speed rating.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The processor executing the executable instructions further performs selecting an agent from the agent pool having an associated language proficiency rating that best matches the customer's language proficiency rating, further comprising: Access acceptable ranges relative to the client's language proficiency rating; and An agent is selected from the agent pool having an associated language proficiency rating within the acceptable range.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein: The best match is determined to exist when an agent from the agent pool has an associated language proficiency that is equal to the customer's language proficiency rating within a previously determined range.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein The processor executing the executable instructions further performs selecting an agent from the agent pool having an associated language proficiency rating that best matches the customer's language proficiency rating, further comprising: Access expected changes relative to clients' language proficiency ratings; and An agent is selected from the agent pool having an associated language proficiency rating having the desired change relative to the customer's language proficiency rating.

9. A system comprising: Network interface to the network; Memory; a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being programmed with executable instructions; as well as Among them, the processor executing the executable instructions performs: receiving a communication comprising client content from a client utilizing a client communication device and agent content from an agent utilizing an agent communication device; For ongoing communications between a client and an agent, accessing the client language proficiency of the client participating in the communication and the language proficiency of the agent participating in the communication; Determine if there are disparities between the client's language proficiency and the agent's language proficiency; and When disparity exists, the agent's vocabulary is adjusted to match the customer's language proficiency based on the success / failure of modifications to the agent's vocabulary and / or word substitutions from the agent's speech in past conversations.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein The processor executing the executable instructions further performs determining the agent language proficiency based on the agent content, further comprising: Access scoring models; and scoring the agent content using the scoring model to generate an agent language proficiency score; and wherein at least one of the client language proficiency or the agent language proficiency comprises one or more of a vocabulary rating, a fluency rating, a pronunciation rating, a grammar rating, or a speed rating; and Wherein determining whether a difference between the customer language proficiency and the agent's language proficiency exceeds a predetermined value comprises determining whether at least one of the words provided by the agent as part of the communication has an agent language proficiency rating outside of an acceptable range.

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