When MOOD rhymes with ROAD

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin van Leerdam ◽  
Anna M.T. Bosman ◽  
Annette M.B. de Groot
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
English Word ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Phonological Coding ◽  
Speech Segment ◽  
Inconsistent Word ◽  
Speech Segments ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
Selective Process

Three experiments investigated whether perception of a spelling-to-sound inconsistent word such as MOOD involves coding of inappropriate phonology caused by knowledge of enemy neighbors (e.g., BLOOD) in non-native speakers. In a new bimodal matching task, Dutch-English bilinguals judged the correspondence between a printed English word and a speech segment that was or was not the printed word’s rime. Evidence for coding of inappropriate phonology was obtained with trials in which the speech segment was derived from an English enemy neighbor. In such trials, error rates increased significantly relative to control trials. This effect was also found when speech segments were derived from Dutch enemy neighbors, which suggests inappropriate coding of cross-language phonology. These findings are consistent with a strong phonological theory of word perception (Frost, 1998), in which phonological coding is essentially a language non-selective process.

A Study on the Robustness of Pitch-Range Estimation from Brief Speech Segments

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (01) ◽  
pp. 2050003
Author(s):  
Wenjie Peng ◽  
Kaiqi Fu ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Yanlu Xie ◽  
Jinsong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Speaker Recognition ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Percentage Error ◽  
Range Estimation ◽  
Pitch Range ◽  
Speech Segment ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Speech Segments

Pitch-range estimation from brief speech segments could bring benefits to many tasks like automatic speech recognition and speaker recognition. To estimate pitch range, previous studies have proposed to utilize deep-learning-based models with spectrum information as input. They demonstrated that such method works and could still achieve reliable estimation results when the speech segment is as brief as 300 ms. In this study, we evaluated the robustness of this method. We take the following scenarios into account: (1) a large number of training speakers; (2) different language backgrounds; and (3) monosyllabic utterances with different tones. Experimental results showed that: (1) The use of a large number of training speakers improved the estimation accuracies. (2) The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) rate evaluated on the L2 speakers is similar to that on the native speakers. (3) Different tonal information will affect the LSTM-based model, but this influence is limited compared to the baseline method which calculates pitch-range targets from the distribution of [Formula: see text]0 values. These experimental results verified the efficiency of the LSTM-based pitch-range estimation method.

Cross-Language Effects in a Picture-Word Matching Task: An ERP Investigation

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Massol ◽  
Elena Berdasco ◽  
Nicola Molinaro ◽  
Jon Andoni Dunabeitia ◽  
Manuel Carreiras
Keyword(s):  
Matching Task ◽  
Language Effects ◽  
Cross Language

Current Task Activation Predicts General Effects of Advance Preparation in Task Switching

2006 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 260-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edita Poljac ◽  
Ab de Haan ◽  
Gerard P. van Galen
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
Task Switching ◽  
Shape Matching ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Task Switch ◽  
Current Task ◽  
Within Subjects ◽  
And Task

Two experiments investigated the way that beforehand preparation influences general task execution in reaction-time matching tasks. Response times (RTs) and error rates were measured for switching and nonswitching conditions in a color- and shape-matching task. The task blocks could repeat (task repetition) or alternate (task switch), and the preparation interval (PI) was manipulated within-subjects (Experiment 1) and between-subjects (Experiment 2). The study illustrated a comparable general task performance after a long PI for both experiments, within and between PI manipulations. After a short PI, however, the general task performance increased significantly for the between-subjects manipulation of the PI. Furthermore, both experiments demonstrated an analogous preparation effect for both task switching and task repetitions. Next, a consistent switch cost throughout the whole run of trials and a within-run slowing effect were observed in both experiments. Altogether, the present study implies that the effects of the advance preparation go beyond the first trials and confirms different points of the activation approach ( Altmann, 2002) to task switching.

An English pronunciation learning system for Japanese students based on diagnosis of critical pronunciation errors

ReCALL ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
YASUSHI TSUBOTA ◽  
MASATAKE DANTSUJI ◽  
TATSUYA KAWAHARA
Keyword(s):  
Error Rate ◽  
Error Detection ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Acoustic Model ◽  
Japanese Students ◽  
Speech Data ◽  
English Pronunciation

We have developed an English pronunciation learning system which estimates the intelligibility of Japanese learners' speech and ranks their errors from the viewpoint of improving their intelligibility to native speakers. Error diagnosis is particularly important in self-study since students tend to spend time on aspects of pronunciation that do not noticeably affect intelligibility. As a preliminary experiment, the speech of seven Japanese students was scored from 1 (hardly intelligible) to 5 (perfectly intelligible) by a linguistic expert. We also computed their error rates for each skill. We found that each intelligibility level is characterized by its distribution of error rates. Thus, we modeled each intelligibility level in accordance with its error rate. Error priority was calculated by comparing students' error rate distributions with that of the corresponding model for each intelligibility level. As non-native speech is acoustically broader than the speech of native speakers, we developed an acoustic model to perform automatic error detection using speech data obtained from Japanese students. As for supra-segmental error detection, we categorized errors frequently made by Japanese students and developed a separate acoustic model for that type of error detection. Pronunciation learning using this system involves two phases. In the first phase, students experience virtual conversation through video clips. They receive an error profile based on pronunciation errors detected during the conversation. Using the profile, students are able to grasp characteristic tendencies in their pronunciation errors which in effect lower their intelligibility. In the second phase, students practise correcting their individual errors using words and short phrases. They then receive information regarding the errors detected during this round of practice and instructions for correcting the errors. We have begun using this system in a CALL class at Kyoto University. We have evaluated system performance through the use of questionnaires and analysis of speech data logged in the server, and will present our findings in this paper.

scholarly journals ASSOCIATIVE FIELD AS A MODEL FOR WORD MEANING ANALYSIS

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 589-603
Author(s):  
Tatyana Yurievna Kasatkina
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Common Knowledge ◽  
Word Meaning ◽  
Collective Consciousness ◽  
Mass Survey ◽  
Main Method ◽  
Field Approach ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Meaning Analysis

Based on the material of the Udmurt language, the article considers a field approach to the study of a word meaning from psycholinguistic positions. The relevance of addressing the study of word semantics in this perspective is determined by the fact that such studies with native speakers of the Udmurt language have not been conducted before. Also, the material of this study will provide an opportunity for further cross-language comparative work. The main method of research is the free associative experiment (FAE), which allows a researcher to identify the most relevant lexical and semantic variants of a word for the experimental group of the Udmurt language speakers. The task of this type of work is to study the collective consciousness, which makes it necessary to conduct a mass survey in order to obtain a representative sample. The associative field obtained during the experiment is represents a model and tool for analyzing the semantics of a word. The composition of the associative field, the nature and ratio of reactions in it can significantly change the idea of the meaning of the word as a communicative unit. In order to communicate successfully, it is necessary to have not only a common code, but also a common knowledge about the associative environment of the word, i.e. its associative-verbal network. Associative field of any word has a core with the most frequent reactions and a periphery and is manifested in a variety of semantic, thematic-situational and evaluative-pragmatic relationships. This article presents an analysis of the associative fields of the Udmurt lexemes KORKA/HOUSE, ADYAMI /HUMAN and ULON/LIFE in order to identify the most relevant components of the word meaning for spea-kers of the Udmurt language. The experimental data obtained were consistently compared with the data from lexicographic sources in order to establish the psychologically relevant meaning of the studied words and their designated concepts.

scholarly journals Agrammatic Comprehension of Simple Active Sentences With Moved Constituents

2003 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 288-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naama Friedmann ◽  
Lewis P. Shapiro
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
The Other ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Movement Strategy ◽  
Conduction Aphasia ◽  
Basic Order ◽  
Active Sentence

This study examines agrammatic comprehension of object-subject-verb (OSV) and object-verb-subject (OVS) structures in Hebrew. These structures are syntactically identical to the basic order subject-verb-object (SVO) sentence except for the movement of the object to the beginning of the sentence, and thus enable empirical examination of syntactic movement in agrammatic comprehension. Seven individuals with agrammatism, 7 individuals with conduction aphasia, and 7 individuals without language impairment, all native speakers of Hebrew, performed a sentence-picture matching task. The task compared OSV and OVS sentences to SVO sentences and to subject and object relatives. Individuals with agrammatism performed more poorly than those in either of the other groups. Their comprehension of SVO sentences was significantly above chance, but comprehension of OSV and OVS sentences was at chance and was poorer than comprehension of SVO sentences. These results show that agrammatic comprehension of structures that involve movement of a noun phrase is impaired even when the structure is a simple active sentence, in line with the Trace Deletion Hypothesis (TDH; Y. Grodzinsky, 1990, 1995a, 2000). A modification is suggested to accommodate the TDH with the VP Internal Subject Hypothesis, according to which individuals with agrammatism use an "Avoid Movement" strategy in comprehension.

Voicing and devoicing in similar German and English word pairs by native speakers of German

2007 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 3032
Author(s):  
Bruce L. Smith ◽  
Michael Bruss ◽  
Rachel Hayes-Harb ◽  
Amy Hamilton
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
English Word

Processing of inflected nouns in late bilinguals

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARJA PORTIN ◽  
MINNA LEHTONEN ◽  
MATTI LAINE
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Full Form ◽  
Late Exposure ◽  
Complex Words

This study investigated the recognition of Swedish inflected nouns in two participant groups. Both groups were Finnish-speaking late learners of Swedish, but the groups differed in regard to their Swedish language proficiency. In a visual lexical decision task, inflected Swedish nouns from three frequency ranges were contrasted with corresponding monomorphemic nouns. The reaction times and error rates suggested morphological decomposition for low-frequency inflected words. Yet, both medium- and high-frequency inflected words appeared to possess full-form representations. Despite an overall advantage for the more proficient participants, this pattern was present in both groups. The results indicate that even late exposure to a language can yield such input representations for morphologically complex words that are typical of native speakers.

On the perceptual origin of loanword adaptations: experimental evidence from Japanese

Phonology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Peperkamp ◽  
Inga Vendelin ◽  
Kimihiro Nakamura
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
English Word ◽  
French Word ◽  
Nasal Consonant ◽  
Epenthetic Vowel ◽  
The Way

Japanese shows an asymmetry in the treatment of word-final [n] in loanwords from English and French: while it is adapted as a moraic nasal consonant in loanwords from English, it is adapted with a following epenthetic vowel in loanwords from French. We provide experimental evidence that this asymmetry is due to phonetic differences in the realisation of word-final [n] in English and French, and, consequently, to the way in which English and French word-final [n] are perceived by native speakers of Japanese. Specifically, French but not English word-final [n] has a strong vocalic release that Japanese listeners perceive as their native vowel [ɯ]. We propose a psycholinguistic model in which most loanword adaptations originate in perceptual assimilation, a process which takes place during perception and which maps non-native sounds and sound structures onto the phonetically closest native ones. We compare our model to alternatives couched within phonological theory.

FORM–MEANING MAPPING IN VOCABULARY ACQUISITION IN A SECOND LANGUAGE

2002 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 617-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Vocabulary Acquisition ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
First Language ◽  
Nonnative Speakers ◽  
Semantic Relatedness ◽  
Semantic Content ◽  
English Word ◽  
Nonnative English Speakers ◽  
Semantic Judgment

The mapping of lexical form to meaning is an important part of vocabulary acquisition in a second language (L2). This study examines the proposition that L2 lexical forms are often mapped to the existing semantic content of their first language (L1) translations rather than to new semantic specifications of their own. Native and nonnative English speakers were asked to perform two semantic judgment tasks in which they had to determine the degree of semantic relatedness of English word pairs (experiment 1) or to decide whether two English words were related in meaning (experiment 2). The nonnative speakers, but not the native speakers, were found to provide higher rating scores on or responded faster to L2 word pairs sharing the same L1 translations than to L2 word pairs that do not. The finding is interpreted as strong evidence in support of the presence of L1 semantic content in L2 lexical entries.

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