• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.67-74
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• 2017

An increase in speech intelligibility has been found in Clear Speech compared to conversational speech. Clear Speech is defined by decreased articulation rates and increased frequency and length of pauses. The objective of the present study was to investigate improvement in immediate speech intelligibility in 10 patients with Parkinson's disease (age range: 46 to 75 years) using Clear Speech. This experiment has been performed using the Phonatory Aerodynamic System 6600 after the participants read the first sentence of a Sanchaek passage and the "List for Adults 1" in the Sentence Recognition Test (SRT) using casual speech and Clear Speech. Acoustic and aerodynamic parameters that affect speech intelligibility were measured, including mean F0, F0 range, intensity, speaking rate, mean airflow rate, and respiratory rate. In the Sanchaek passage, use of Clear Speech resulted in significant differences in mean F0, F0 range, speaking rate, and respiratory rate, compared with the use of casual speech. In the SRT list, significant differences were seen in mean F0, F0 range, and speaking rate. Based on these findings, it is claimed that speech intelligibility can be affected by adjusting breathing and tone in Clear Speech. Future studies should identify the benefits of Clear Speech through auditory-perceptual studies and evaluate programs that use Clear Speech to increase intelligibility.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.125-135
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• 2017

The current study examines PCC (percentage of correct consonant), speech intelligibility, and oral motor function between the group of typically developing children and the group of children with Down's syndrome. To 15 children with Down's syndrome (mean CA: 9;7) and 15 typically developing children on receptive language age, the following tests were administered: K-WPPSI (2001), Picture Vocabulary Test (Kim et al., 1995), Oral and Speech Motor Control Protocol for total oral functional score (Robbins et al., 1987), DDK and Assessment of Phonology and Articulation for Children (APAC, Kim et al., 2007) for PCC and speech intelligibility. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed for the total oral functional score, PCC and DDK of each group. The statistical analysis showed that there is no significant difference in total functional score and DDK when IQ was controlled. There was a significant correlation between total oral functional score and PCC in the Down's syndrome group and a significant correlation between total oral functional score and intelligibility in the Down's syndrome group whether IQ was controlled or not. The findings suggest that both cognitive ability and overall oral motor function need to be considered for the intervention to enhance PCC or speech intelligibility of children with Down's syndrome.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.95-103
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• 2020

The current study aimed to identify the characteristics of speech rate and pause in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) and their relationships with speech intelligibility. In all, 26 children with CP, 4 with no speech motor involvement and age-appropriate language ability (NSMI-LCT), 6 with no speech motor involvement and impaired language ability (NSMI-LCI), 6 with speech motor involvement and age-appropriate language ability (SMI- LCT), and 10 with speech motor involvement and impaired language ability (SMI-LCI) participated in the study. Speech samples for the speech rate and pause analysis were extracted using a sentence repetition task. Acoustic analysis were made in Praat. First, it was found that regardless of the presence of language impairment, significant group differences between the NSMI and SMI groups were found in speech rate and articulation rate. Second, the SMI groups showed a higher ratio of pause time to sentence production time, more frequent pauses, and longer durations of pauses than the NSMI groups. Lastly, there were significant correlations among speech rate, articulation rate, and intelligibility. These findings suggest that slow speech rate is the main feature in SMI groups, and that both speech rate and articulation rate play important roles in the intelligibility of children with spastic CP.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.468-473
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• 2011

Speech may not be clearly understandable in the room that is highly reverberant, due to the loss of consonants intelligibility. Therefore, it is very important to obtain a high sound pressure level of direct sound in reverberant room. A properly designed sound reinforcement system can not provide the good speech intelligibility without the absorption treatments of walls. With using the highly directional speaker, we can transmit the sound energy into only the areas where people are sitting. This can be help to improve the speech intelligibility. In this paper, even in reverberant rooms, it will be shown that the good speech intelligibility can be obtained by only the directivity control of speaker without the room treatment. Also, it would be more improved by the properly room tuning using an equalizer.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.187-192
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• 2019

Background and Objectives: Clear speech is an effective communication strategy used in difficult listening situations that draws on techniques such as accurate articulation, a slow speech rate, and the inclusion of pauses. Although too slow speech and improperly amplified spectral information can deteriorate overall speech intelligibility, certain amplitude of increments of the mid-frequency bands (1 to 3 dB) and around 50% slower speech rates of clear speech, when compared to those in conversational speech, were reported as factors that can improve speech intelligibility positively. The purpose of this study was to identify whether amplitude increments of mid-frequency areas and slower speech rates were evident in Korean clear speech as they were in English clear speech. Subjects and Methods: To compare the acoustic characteristics of the two methods of speech production, the voices of 60 participants were recorded during conversational speech and then again during clear speech using a standardized sentence material. Results: The speech rate and longterm average speech spectrum (LTASS) were analyzed and compared. Speech rates for clear speech were slower than those for conversational speech. Increased amplitudes in the mid-frequency bands were evident for the LTASS of clear speech. Conclusions:The observed differences in the acoustic characteristics between the two types of speech production suggest that Korean clear speech can be an effective communication strategy to improve speech intelligibility.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.213-223
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• 2016

The research mainly focused on how the nasagastric tube used to solve feeding troubles developed by 30 children with CP(Cerebral Palsy) affects the post-childhood feeding development right after their birth. It tested an articulation skill of the children and surveyed their feeding ability with their care-givers from 1st in July to 30th in August, 2015. This study conducted an investigation of the way a feeding ability affects an articulation skill. It suggested that an articulation accuracy significantly depends on whether or not the nasagastric tube is used. Also, the findings showed that the post-articulation accuracy is quite related with the problems for the liquid intake, the use of special feeding methods and tools, and biting and chewing among the evaluating problems for the childhood feeding ability. The research concluded that some areas in the early childhood feeding ability have an apparent influence on the post-articulation skill for children with CP.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.180-187
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• 2002

Background and Objectives : The operation Double Opposing Z-Plasty, has been used for improving VPI function in the submucous cleft palate. However, few reports on the effects of the speech change were presented. The purpose of this study is to compare the difference of nasality and nasalance, parents satisfaction between before and after this operation and to consider how much improvement in speech. Materials and Methods : Ten submucous cleft palate children who underwent double opposing Z-plasty were analyzed. We retrospectively studied nasalance, auditory perception (nasality) with hypernasality, patients satisfaction, speech evaluation by using charts review, video tape, telephone interview. Results : In 8 patients of 10 submucous cleft palate, hypernasality reduced and speech intelligibility was higher and mean 0.35 point was increased in the velum length after operation. After operation, nasality was improved (2.0 point) and level of nasal emission decreased. Regarding satisfaction of this operation, scale was mean 2.8 (5 point-scale) : 8 parents were satisfied in the resonance, 3 parents were satisfied articulation. The reason of dissatisfaction was mostly compensatory articulation. Conclusion : To improve of speech in the submucous cleft palate, speech therapy afterthis operation as well as successful surgery should be considered.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.125-132
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• 2018

This study was to investigate the speech sound production characteristics and evaluation aspects of preschool children through word test and connected speech test. For this, the authors conducted Assessment of Phonology and Articulation for Children(APAC) to 72 normal children(24 three-, four-, and five-year-olds each) and analyzed difference in percent of correct consonant(PCC) and intelligibility according to age and sex, correlation between PCC and intelligibility, and speech sound error patterns. PCC and intelligibility increased with age but there was no difference according to sex. The correlation was statistically significant in 5-year-old group. Speech sound error patterns were different in the two tests. This study showed that children's speech sound production varied according to language unit. Therefore, both types of tests should be done to grasp their speech sound production ability properly. This suggests that current standard to identify language impairment only by PCC of word level requires review and further studies.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.187-192
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• 2019

Background and Objectives: Clear speech is an effective communication strategy used in difficult listening situations that draws on techniques such as accurate articulation, a slow speech rate, and the inclusion of pauses. Although too slow speech and improperly amplified spectral information can deteriorate overall speech intelligibility, certain amplitude of increments of the mid-frequency bands (1 to 3 dB) and around 50% slower speech rates of clear speech, when compared to those in conversational speech, were reported as factors that can improve speech intelligibility positively. The purpose of this study was to identify whether amplitude increments of mid-frequency areas and slower speech rates were evident in Korean clear speech as they were in English clear speech. Subjects and Methods: To compare the acoustic characteristics of the two methods of speech production, the voices of 60 participants were recorded during conversational speech and then again during clear speech using a standardized sentence material. Results: The speech rate and longterm average speech spectrum (LTASS) were analyzed and compared. Speech rates for clear speech were slower than those for conversational speech. Increased amplitudes in the mid-frequency bands were evident for the LTASS of clear speech. Conclusions:The observed differences in the acoustic characteristics between the two types of speech production suggest that Korean clear speech can be an effective communication strategy to improve speech intelligibility.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.237-252
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• 2002

MIT has been applied for nonfluent aphasic patients on the basis of lateralization of brain hemisphere. However, its applications for different languages have some inquiry for aphasic patients because of prosodic and rhythmic differences. The purpose of this study is to develop the Korean Melodic Intonation Therapy program using personal computer and its clinical effects for nonfluent aphasic patients. The algorithm was composed to voice analog signal, PCM, AMDF, Short-time autocorrelation function and center clipping. The main menu contains pitch, waveform, sound intensity and speech files on window. Aphasic patients' intonation patterns overlay on selected kMIT patterns. Three aphasic patients with or without kMIT training participated in this study. Four affirmative sentences and two interrogative sentences were uttered on CSL by stimulus of ST. VOT, VD, Hold and TD were measured on Spectrogram. In addition, articulation disorders and intonation patterns were evaluated objectively on spectrogram. The results indicated that nonfluent aphasic patients with kMIT training group showed some clinical effects of speech intelligibility based on VOT, TD values, articulation evaluation and prosodic pattern changes.