9,362 research outputs found
Redefining βChineseβ L1 in SLP: Considerations for the assessment of Chinese bilingual/bidialectal language skills
This is the peer reviewed version made available following 12 month embargo from the date of publication (4 December 2015) in accordance with publisher policy. It has been published in final form at
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/17549507.2015.1081285.'Purpose: Language assessment of bilingual/bidialectal children can be complex. This is particularly true for speakers from China, who are likely to be bilingual and bidialectal at the same time. There has been, however, a lack of understanding of the diversity of Chinese languages as well as data on bidialectal childrenβs L1 syntactic development and the development of L1 bidialectal childrenβs L2 acquisition.
Method: This paper provides information on the complexity of the language system for people from China. It will present illustrative examples of the expressive language outputs of bilingual and bidialectal children from the perspective of bilingual, bidialectal linguists and speech-language pathologists. Then it will outline why appropriate assessment tools and practices for identification of language impairment in bilingual Chinese children need to be developed.
Result: Considerations include that Chinese bilingual children may differ in L2 performance because of lack of exposure in the target language or because of their varied L1 dialectal backgrounds, but not necessarily because of language impairment.
Conclusion: When evaluating morphosyntactic performance of bilingual children, a series of reliable threshold indicators for possible language impairment is urgently needed for SLPs to facilitate accurate diagnosis of language impairment
Computational Sociolinguistics: A Survey
Language is a social phenomenon and variation is inherent to its social
nature. Recently, there has been a surge of interest within the computational
linguistics (CL) community in the social dimension of language. In this article
we present a survey of the emerging field of "Computational Sociolinguistics"
that reflects this increased interest. We aim to provide a comprehensive
overview of CL research on sociolinguistic themes, featuring topics such as the
relation between language and social identity, language use in social
interaction and multilingual communication. Moreover, we demonstrate the
potential for synergy between the research communities involved, by showing how
the large-scale data-driven methods that are widely used in CL can complement
existing sociolinguistic studies, and how sociolinguistics can inform and
challenge the methods and assumptions employed in CL studies. We hope to convey
the possible benefits of a closer collaboration between the two communities and
conclude with a discussion of open challenges.Comment: To appear in Computational Linguistics. Accepted for publication:
18th February, 201
Π€Π΅Π½ΠΎΠΌΠ΅Π½ ΡΠΈΠ½ΠΊΡΠ΅ΡΠΈΠ·ΠΌΠ° Π² ΡΠΊΡΠ°ΠΈΠ½ΡΠΊΠΎΠΉ Π»ΠΈΠ½Π³Π²ΠΈΡΡΠΈΠΊΠ΅
Π£ ΡΡΡΠ°ΡΠ½ΡΠΉ Π»ΡΠ½Π³Π²ΡΡΡΠΈΡΡ Π²ΠΈΠ²ΡΠ΅Π½Π½Ρ ΡΠΊΠ»Π°Π΄Π½ΠΈΡ
ΡΠΈΡΡΠ΅ΠΌΠ½ΠΈΡ
Π·Π²βΡΠ·ΠΊΡΠ² ΡΠ° Π΄ΠΈΠ½Π°ΠΌΡΠ·ΠΌΡ ΠΌΠΎΠ²ΠΈ Π½Π°Π²ΡΡΠ΄ ΡΠΈ Π±ΡΠ΄Π΅ Π·Π°Π²Π΅ΡΡΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠΌ Π±Π΅Π· ΡΡΠ°Ρ
ΡΠ²Π°Π½Π½Ρ ΡΠΈΠ½ΠΊΡΠ΅ΡΠΈΠ·ΠΌΡ. Π’ΡΠ°Π΄ΠΈΡΡΠΉΠ½ΠΎ ΡΠ²ΠΈΡΠ° ΡΡΠ°Π½Π·ΠΈΡΠΈΠ²Π½ΠΎΡΡΡ ΡΡΠ°ΠΊΡΡΡΡΡΡΡ ΡΠΊ ΠΏΠΎΡΠ΄Π½Π°Π½Π½Ρ ΡΡΠ·Π½ΠΈΡ
ΡΠΈΠΏΡΠ² ΡΡΠ²ΠΎΡΠ΅Π½Ρ ΡΠΊ ΡΠ΅Π·ΡΠ»ΡΡΠ°Ρ ΠΏΡΠΎΡΠ΅ΡΡΠ² ΡΡΠ°Π½ΡΡΠΎΡΠΌΠ°ΡΡΡ Π°Π±ΠΎ Π²ΡΠ΄ΠΎΠ±ΡΠ°ΠΆΠ΅Π½Π½Ρ ΠΏΡΠΎΠΌΡΠΆΠ½ΠΈΡ
, ΡΠΈΠ½ΠΊΡΠ΅ΡΠΈΡΠ½ΠΈΡ
ΡΠ°ΠΊΡΡΠ², ΡΠΎ Ρ
Π°ΡΠ°ΠΊΡΠ΅ΡΠΈΠ·ΡΡΡΡ ΠΌΠΎΠ²Π½Ρ ΡΠΈΡΡΠ΅ΠΌΡ Π² ΡΠΈΠ½Ρ
ΡΠΎΠ½Π½ΠΎΠΌΡ Π°ΡΠΏΠ΅ΠΊΡΡ.In modern linguistics, the study of complex systemic relations and language dynamism is unlikely to be complete without considering the transitivity. Traditionally, transitivity phenomena are treated as a combination of different types of entities, formed as a result of the transformation processes or the reflection of the intermediate, syncretic facts that characterize the language system in the synchronous aspect.Π ΡΠΎΠ²ΡΠ΅ΠΌΠ΅Π½Π½ΠΎΠΉ Π»ΠΈΠ½Π³Π²ΠΈΡΡΠΈΠΊΠ΅ ΠΈΠ·ΡΡΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΡΠ»ΠΎΠΆΠ½ΡΡ
ΡΠΈΡΡΠ΅ΠΌΠ½ΡΡ
ΠΎΡΠ½ΠΎΡΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠΉ ΠΈ ΡΠ·ΡΠΊΠΎΠ²ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ Π΄ΠΈΠ½Π°ΠΌΠΈΠ·ΠΌΠ° Π²ΡΡΠ΄ Π»ΠΈ Π±ΡΠ΄Π΅Ρ ΠΏΠΎΠ»Π½ΡΠΌ Π±Π΅Π· ΡΡΠ΅ΡΠ° ΡΠΈΠ½ΠΊΡΠ΅ΡΠΈΠ·ΠΌΠ°. Π’ΡΠ°Π΄ΠΈΡΠΈΠΎΠ½Π½ΠΎ ΡΠ²Π»Π΅Π½ΠΈΡ ΡΡΠ°Π½Π·ΠΈΡΠΈΠ²Π½ΠΎΡΡΠΈ ΡΡΠ°ΠΊΡΡΡΡΡΡ ΠΊΠ°ΠΊ ΡΠΎΠ²ΠΎΠΊΡΠΏΠ½ΠΎΡΡΡ ΡΠ°Π·Π»ΠΈΡΠ½ΡΡ
ΡΠΈΠΏΠΎΠ² ΡΡΡΠ½ΠΎΡΡΠ΅ΠΉ, ΡΡΠΎΡΠΌΠΈΡΠΎΠ²Π°Π½Π½ΡΡ
Π² ΡΠ΅Π·ΡΠ»ΡΡΠ°ΡΠ΅ ΠΏΡΠΎΡΠ΅ΡΡΠΎΠ² ΠΏΡΠ΅ΠΎΠ±ΡΠ°Π·ΠΎΠ²Π°Π½ΠΈΡ ΠΈΠ»ΠΈ ΠΎΡΡΠ°ΠΆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡ ΠΏΡΠΎΠΌΠ΅ΠΆΡΡΠΎΡΠ½ΡΡ
ΡΠΈΠ½ΠΊΡΠ΅ΡΠΈΡΠ΅ΡΠΊΠΈΡ
ΡΠ°ΠΊΡΠΎΠ², ΠΊΠΎΡΠΎΡΡΠ΅ Ρ
Π°ΡΠ°ΠΊΡΠ΅ΡΠΈΠ·ΡΡΡ ΡΠ·ΡΠΊΠΎΠ²ΡΡ ΡΠΈΡΡΠ΅ΠΌΡ Π² ΡΠΈΠ½Ρ
ΡΠΎΠ½Π½ΠΎΠΌ Π°ΡΠΏΠ΅ΠΊΡΠ΅
Relative contributions of vowels and consonants in recognizing isolated Mandarin words
This study investigated the relative contributions of vowels and consonants in recognizing isolated Mandarin words. Nineteen normal-hearing native speakers of Mandarin were recruited and were asked to recognize isolated Mandarin words with different proportions of consonant or vowel segment preserved. The accuracy in recognizing the isolated Mandarin words, phonemes, and tones were scored. It is found that there is a greater contribution of vowels than consonants to isolated word recognition in Mandarin, which is different from previous outcomes in English. Possible reasons for this language difference in isolated word recognition were discussed. Contribution of consonant-vowel transitional boundary to isolated word recognition in Mandarin was also examined. It is found that the word recognition performance improves with increased amount of consonant-vowel boundary information presented.published_or_final_versionSpeech and Hearing SciencesBachelorBachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science
Non-native listeners' recognition of high-variability speech using PRESTO
BACKGROUND:
Natural variability in speech is a significant challenge to robust successful spoken word recognition. In everyday listening environments, listeners must quickly adapt and adjust to multiple sources of variability in both the signal and listening environments. High-variability speech may be particularly difficult to understand for non-native listeners, who have less experience with the second language (L2) phonological system and less detailed knowledge of sociolinguistic variation of the L2.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of high-variability sentences on non-native speech recognition and to explore the underlying sources of individual differences in speech recognition abilities of non-native listeners.
RESEARCH DESIGN:
Participants completed two sentence recognition tasks involving high-variability and low-variability sentences. They also completed a battery of behavioral tasks and self-report questionnaires designed to assess their indexical processing skills, vocabulary knowledge, and several core neurocognitive abilities.
STUDY SAMPLE:
Native speakers of Mandarin (n = 25) living in the United States recruited from the Indiana University community participated in the current study. A native comparison group consisted of scores obtained from native speakers of English (n = 21) in the Indiana University community taken from an earlier study.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS:
Speech recognition in high-variability listening conditions was assessed with a sentence recognition task using sentences from PRESTO (Perceptually Robust English Sentence Test Open-Set) mixed in 6-talker multitalker babble. Speech recognition in low-variability listening conditions was assessed using sentences from HINT (Hearing In Noise Test) mixed in 6-talker multitalker babble. Indexical processing skills were measured using a talker discrimination task, a gender discrimination task, and a forced-choice regional dialect categorization task. Vocabulary knowledge was assessed with the WordFam word familiarity test, and executive functioning was assessed with the BRIEF-A (Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult Version) self-report questionnaire. Scores from the non-native listeners on behavioral tasks and self-report questionnaires were compared with scores obtained from native listeners tested in a previous study and were examined for individual differences.
RESULTS:
Non-native keyword recognition scores were significantly lower on PRESTO sentences than on HINT sentences. Non-native listeners' keyword recognition scores were also lower than native listeners' scores on both sentence recognition tasks. Differences in performance on the sentence recognition tasks between non-native and native listeners were larger on PRESTO than on HINT, although group differences varied by signal-to-noise ratio. The non-native and native groups also differed in the ability to categorize talkers by region of origin and in vocabulary knowledge. Individual non-native word recognition accuracy on PRESTO sentences in multitalker babble at more favorable signal-to-noise ratios was found to be related to several BRIEF-A subscales and composite scores. However, non-native performance on PRESTO was not related to regional dialect categorization, talker and gender discrimination, or vocabulary knowledge.
CONCLUSIONS:
High-variability sentences in multitalker babble were particularly challenging for non-native listeners. Difficulty under high-variability testing conditions was related to lack of experience with the L2, especially L2 sociolinguistic information, compared with native listeners. Individual differences among the non-native listeners were related to weaknesses in core neurocognitive abilities affecting behavioral control in everyday life
Research to Establish the Validity, Reliability, and Clinical Utility of a Comprehensive Language Assessment of Mandarin
Purpose
With no existing gold standard for comparison, challenges arise for establishing the validity of a new standardized Mandarin language assessment normed in mainland China.
Method
A new assessment, Diagnostic Receptive and Expressive Assessment of Mandarin (DREAM), was normed with a stratified sample of 969 children ages 2;6 (years;months) to 7;11 in multiple urban and nonurban regions in northern and southern China. In this study of 230 children, the sensitivity and specificity of DREAM were examined against an a priori judgment of disorders. External validity was assessed using 2 indices of language production for different age groups.
Results
External validity was assessed against spontaneous language indices (correlation range: r = .6β.7; all ps \u3c .01) and narrative indices (overall: r = .45, p \u3c .01). Sensitivity (.73) and specificity (.82) of DREAM are moderate to good using a priori judgment as the standard. The values improved to .95 and .82 when spontaneous language and narratives were added to a priori judgment to define typicality. Divergent validity was moderate with nonlinguistic indices.
Conclusion
DREAM holds promise as a diagnostic test of Mandarin language impairment for children aged 2;6 to 7;11
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Neutral Tone in Mandarin: Representation and Interaction with Utterance-level Prosody
In Standard Mandarin, there are syllables that do not carry any of the four citation tones (T1: High-level tone, T2: Mid-rising tone, T3: Low-convex tone and T4: High-falling tone), and they are said to have a neutral tone (NT). These syllables are usually shorter, lighter, prosodically grouped with the preceding CT-bearing syllables. These characteristics of NT have led to a prevailing view that it has no underlying phonological specification. However, research has focused more on how the surface pitch variations of NT are realized rather than the underlying representation of NT.
In contrast, morphological, sociolinguistic and diachronic work on NT has suggested that NT may not be a homogeneous entity. In this thesis, I provide acoustic and psycholinguistic evidence that there are two types of NT, Intrinsic NT and Derived NT. Intrinsic NT refers to morphemes that were lexicalized as tone-deleted, unstressed syllables even before the formation of the four CTs of modern Mandarin. Derived NT refers to morphemes derived from the CTs via stress-related tone-deletion.
In Part A, the phonological representation of Intrinsic and Derived NT is explored through two production and two processing experiments. The results show that Intrinsic NT is likely to have an underspecified tonal target while Derived NTs are underlyingly CTs. In addition, both subtypes of NT are metrically light, unlike heavy CTs.
Part B explores the interaction between NTs and utterance-level prosody in production and perception experiments. NT-bearing syllables have lengthening patterns under focus similar to CT-bearing syllables, in contrast to the realization of unstressed syllables in English. In perception, the identification of intonation (Statement vs. Question) on Intrinsic NT was similar to Derived NT. When compared to CTs, the NTs elicit less bias towards question than T4, and higher accuracy than T2, which may result from their simpler surface representations.CHINA Scholarship COUNCIL (CSC) and Cambridge Trus
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