The effect of speech rhythm and speaking rate on assessment of pronunciation in a second language

Published online: 24 April 2019The study explores the effect of deviations from native speech rhythm and rate norms on the assessement of pronunciation mastery of a second language (L2) when the native language of the learner is either rhythmically similar to or different from the target language. Using the concatenative speech synthesis technique, different versions of the same sentence were created in order to produce segmentally and intonationally identical utterances that differed only in rhythmic patterns and/or speaking rate. Speech rhythm and tempo patterns modeled those from the speech of French or German native learners of English at different proficiency levels. Native British English speakers rated the original sentences and the synthesized utterances for accentedness. The analysis shows that (a) differences in speech rhythm and speaking tempo influence the perception of accentedness; (b) idiosyncratic differences in speech rhythm and speech rate are sufficient to differentiate between the proficiency levels of L2 learners; (c) the relative salience of rhythm and rate on perceived accentedness in L2 speech is modulated by the native language of the learners; and (d) intonation facilitates the perception of finer differences in speech rhythm between otherwise identical utterances. These results emphasize the importance of prosodic timing patterns for the perception of speech delivered by L2 learners.L.P. was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) via Juan de la Cierva fellowship. M.O. was supported by the IKERBASQUE–Basque Foundation for Science. The research institution was supported through the “Severo Ochoa” Programme for Centres/Units of Excellence in R&D (SEV-2015-490)

Recognizing Emotions in a Foreign Language

Expressions of basic emotions (joy, sadness, anger, fear, disgust) can be recognized pan-culturally from the face and it is assumed that these emotions can be recognized from a speaker's voice, regardless of an individual's culture or linguistic ability. Here, we compared how monolingual speakers of Argentine Spanish recognize basic emotions from pseudo-utterances ("nonsense speech") produced in their native language and in three foreign languages (English, German, Arabic). Results indicated that vocal expressions of basic emotions could be decoded in each language condition at accuracy levels exceeding chance, although Spanish listeners performed significantly better overall in their native language ("in-group advantage"). Our findings argue that the ability to understand vocally-expressed emotions in speech is partly independent of linguistic ability and involves universal principles, although this ability is also shaped by linguistic and cultural variables

Jaw Rotation in Dysarthria Measured With a Single Electromagnetic Articulography Sensor

Purpose This study evaluated a novel method for characterizing jaw rotation using orientation data from a single electromagnetic articulography sensor. This method was optimized for clinical application, and a preliminary examination of clinical feasibility and value was undertaken. Method The computational adequacy of the single-sensor orientation method was evaluated through comparisons of jaw-rotation histories calculated from dual-sensor positional data for 16 typical talkers. The clinical feasibility and potential value of single-sensor jaw rotation were assessed through comparisons of 7 talkers with dysarthria and 19 typical talkers in connected speech. Results The single-sensor orientation method allowed faster and safer participant preparation, required lower data-acquisition costs, and generated less high-frequency artifact than the dual-sensor positional approach. All talkers with dysarthria, regardless of severity, demonstrated jaw-rotation histories with more numerous changes in movement direction and reduced smoothness compared with typical talkers. Conclusions Results suggest that the single-sensor orientation method for calculating jaw rotation during speech is clinically feasible. Given the preliminary nature of this study and the small participant pool, the clinical value of such measures remains an open question. Further work must address the potential confound of reduced speaking rate on movement smoothness

Auditory communication in domestic dogs: vocal signalling in the extended social environment of a companion animal

Domestic dogs produce a range of vocalisations, including barks, growls, and whimpers, which are shared with other canid species. The source–filter model of vocal production can be used as a theoretical and applied framework to explain how and why the acoustic properties of some vocalisations are constrained by physical characteristics of the caller, whereas others are more dynamic, influenced by transient states such as arousal or motivation. This chapter thus reviews how and why particular call types are produced to transmit specific types of information, and how such information may be perceived by receivers. As domestication is thought to have caused a divergence in the vocal behaviour of dogs as compared to the ancestral wolf, evidence of both dog–human and human–dog communication is considered. Overall, it is clear that domestic dogs have the potential to acoustically broadcast a range of information, which is available to conspecific and human receivers. Moreover, dogs are highly attentive to human speech and are able to extract speaker identity, emotional state, and even some types of semantic information

Voice onset time and formant onset frequencies in Arabic stuttered speech

Neuromuscular models of stuttering consider that making transitions between phones results in inappropriate temporal arrangements of articulators in people who stutter (PWS). Using this framework, the current study examined the acoustic productions of two fine-grained phonetic features: voice onset time (VOT) and second formant (F2). The hypotheses were that PWS should differ from fluent persons (FP) in VOT duration and F2 onset frequency as a result of the transition deficit for environments with complex phonetic features such as Arabic emphatics. Ten adolescent PWS and 10 adolescent FPs participated in the study. They read and memorized four monosyllabic plain-emphatic words silently. Data were analyzed by Repeated Measures ANOVAs. The positive and negative VOT durations of/t/vs./tˁ/and/d/vs./dˁ/and F2 onset frequency were measured acoustically. Results showed that stuttering was significantly affected by emphatic consonants. PWS had atypical VOT durations and F2 values. Findings are consistent with the atypicality of VOT and F2 reported for English-speaking PWS. This atypicality is realized differently in Arabic depending on the articulatory complexity and cognitive load of the sound

A speech envelope landmark for syllable encoding in human superior temporal gyrus.

The most salient acoustic features in speech are the modulations in its intensity, captured by the amplitude envelope. Perceptually, the envelope is necessary for speech comprehension. Yet, the neural computations that represent the envelope and their linguistic implications are heavily debated. We used high-density intracranial recordings, while participants listened to speech, to determine how the envelope is represented in human speech cortical areas on the superior temporal gyrus (STG). We found that a well-defined zone in middle STG detects acoustic onset edges (local maxima in the envelope rate of change). Acoustic analyses demonstrated that timing of acoustic onset edges cues syllabic nucleus onsets, while their slope cues syllabic stress. Synthesized amplitude-modulated tone stimuli showed that steeper slopes elicited greater responses, confirming cortical encoding of amplitude change, not absolute amplitude. Overall, STG encoding of the timing and magnitude of acoustic onset edges underlies the perception of speech temporal structure

Intrinsic vowel F0, the size of vowel inventories and second language acquisition

The phenomenon of intrinsic vowel F0 (IF0), in which high vowels exhibit higher F0 than low vowels, has been widely attested in languages of the world. Most often, IF0 is regarded as an automatic, physiologically determined phenomenon, whereas some claim that IF0 is a controlled feature, introduced to enhance vowel contrasts. This paper presents new evidence on this issue by means of a cross-linguistic investigation of the influence of vowel inventory size on IF0 and a study of IF0 in second language (L2) acquisition. IF0 was measured in three language varieties: Arabic (a language with 3 vowels), Dutch (a 12-vowel system), and Dutch spoken by native Arabic-speaking learners. IF0 was significantly larger in Dutch than Arabic, but did not differ significantly between Arabic and Dutch produced by L2 learners. No spectral differences between the corresponding vowels of the three language varieties were found. While confirming the universality of IF0, these results also suggest that the size of IF0 may be language-specific, depending on the need to enhance vowel contrasts. Thus, these results agree well with a mixed physiological-enhancement account, which assumes that IF0 is physiologically determined, but also at least in part the effect of an interacting, controlled mechanism

Communicative participation improves following motor speech program treatment in apraxia of speech

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder characterized by increase in segment and intersegment durations (segmentation), equal stress over words and/or sentences, dysprosody, and speech sound distortions. With decreased intelligibility, limited or lack communicative participation arises from an inability to be understood or lack of confidence in their speech. Establishing communicative participation measurements is integral to generalizing and establishing efficacy of treatment program progress to a child’s everyday life. This study observes the communicative participation change of a group of children (n=6) with idiopathic CAS, receiving a new four-week, 16-hour treatment called Treatment for Establishing Motor Programming Organization (TEMPO). Clinically significant changes were seen in communicative participation post TEMPO treatment using the FOCUS-34© parental questionnaire with an average change of 50 points. Specifically, sub-scales of intelligibility, social/play, independence, and coping/emotional skills were seen as driving components of this change

Towards a clinical assessment of acquired speech dyspraxia.

No standardised assessment exists for the recognition and quantification of acquired speech dyspraxia (also called apraxia of speech, AS). This thesis aims to work towards development of such an assessment based on perceptual features. Review of previous features claimed to characterise AS and differentiate it from other acquired pronunciation problems (dysarthrias; phonemic paraphasia - PP) has proved negative. Reasons for this have been explored. A reconceptualisation of AS is attempted based on physical studies of AS, PP and the dysarthrias; their position and relationship within coalitional models of speech production; by comparison with normal action control and other dyspraxias. Contrary to the view of many it is concluded that AS and PP are dyspraxias (albeit different types). However, due to the interactive nature of speech-language production and behaviour of the vocal tract as a functional whole AS is unlikely to be distinguishable in an absolute fashion based on single speech characteristics. Rather it is predicted that pronunciation disordered groups will differ relatively on total error profiles and susceptibility to associated effects (variability; propositionality; struggle; length-complexity; latency-utterance times). Using a prototype battery and refined error transcription and analysis procedures a series of studies test predictions on three groups: spastic dysarthrics (n = 6) AS and PP without (n = 12) and with (n = 12) dysphasia. The main conclusions do not support the error profile hypotheses in any straightforward manner. Length-complexity effects and latency-utterance times fail to consistently separate groups. Variability, propositionality and struggle proved the most reliable indicators. Error profiles remain the closest indicators of speakers' intelligibility and therapeutic goals. The thesis argues for a single case approach to differential diagnosis and alternative statistical analyses to capture individual and group differences. Suggestions for changes to the prototype clinical battery and data management to effect optimal speaker differentiation conclude the work

Kinematic and correlational analyses on labial and lingual functions during syllable repetitions in Cantonese dysarthric speakers with Parkinson's disease of varying severity using electromagnetic articulography (EMA)

Articulatory imprecision in Parkinson patients with hypokinetic dysarthria has been attributed to articulatory undershooting. However, contradictory results in terms of acoustics and instrumental investigation has been reported in the literature throughout the years. The present study aimed to investigate labial and lingual kinematics in dysarthric Cantonese speakers with Parkinson’s disease (PD) of different severity (in terms of dysarthria) during rapid syllable repetitions and compared the measures with that of healthy age-matched controls using a 3-dimensional Electromagnetic Articulography (EMA). Dysarthria severity was also correlated with labial and lingual kinematics. Tongue tip, tongue back, upper and lower lips and jaw motion in five PD and six normal participants during repetitions of /pa/, /ta/ and /ka/ were recorded. Participants were also rated perceptually on their dysarthria severity. When compared to the normal group, the PD group showed reduced velocity in lingual movement and reduced distance travelled and velocity in labial movements. Correlational analysis between dysarthria severity and kinematic data revealed positive correlation for duration of lingual movement. Negative correlation was identified for the velocity and rate of lingual movement, and for distance travelled and velocity of labial movement. The present results supported the hypothesis of articulatory undershooting as a contributing factor of articulatory imprecision in hypokinetic dysarthria, while tongue and lip tremor might also cause such consonant imprecision. Possible differential effect of dopamine deficiency on the different cranial nerves has been hypothesized. Keywords:published_or_final_versionSpeech and Hearing SciencesBachelorBachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science