• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.15-21
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• 2019

Korean and English are both known to show on-focus pitch range expansion and post-focus pitch range compression (PFC). But it is not clear if this prosodic similarity would make it easy for Korean speakers to learn English focus prosody. In the present study, we conducted a production experiment using phone number strings to examine whether Korean learners of English produce a native-like focus prosody. Korean learners of English were classified into three groups (advanced, intermediate and low) according to their English proficiency and were compared to native speakers. Results show that intermediate and low groups of speakers did not increase duration, intensity, and pitch in the focus positions, nor did they compress those cues in the post-focus positions. Advanced speakers noticeably increased the acoustic cues in the focus positions to a similar extent as native speakers. However, their performance in post-focus positions was quite far from that of native speakers in terms of pitch and excursion size. These results thus demonstrate a lack of positive transfer of focus prosody from Korean to English in L2 learning, and learners may have to relearn it from scratch, which is consistent with a previous finding. More importantly, the results provide further support for the view proposed in other works that acoustic properties of PFC were not easily transferred from one language to another.

• Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1994.06a
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• pp.977-983
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• 1994

In this paper we have evaluated the synthetic speech quality by the proposed TD-PCULI speech synthesis method. For the synthesis we have extracted parameters from the Korean monosyllables through the analysis of speech waveforms in the time domain. We have constructed the Korean data format dictionary for the synthesis-by-rule depending upon the frequencies of the Korean pronunciation large vocabulary dictionary, in which V type syllables are 19, CV type's are 80, VC type's are 30 and CVC type's are 100. And using them we have synthesized various Korean monosyllables, words and sentences. We have tested each 10 syllables selected according to the 4 Korean syllable types with the objective MOS(Mean Opinion Score) evluation method about the 4 items i.e., intelligibility, clearness, loudness, and naturality after selecting random group without the knowledge of them. And also we have tested the possibility to modify a duration and F0 into another forms with changing a duration (i.e., 150msec, 300msec, 500msec, 700msec and 1sec) and a central fundamental frequency(i.e., 80Hz, 118Hz, 140Hz, 170Hz, and 200Hz). As the results of experiments the noises occurred in the course of synthesizing the speech by the rules are removed to be a very clear level and we can find that the prosodic elements can be controled as a good condition.

• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.191-196
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• 1996

This paper presents an experimental study of the relationship between sound parameters of synthesized voice warning and perceived(psychoacoustic) urgency. Eighteen subjects participated in two experimental sessions to evaluate and quqntify the effects of the voice parameters. Experiments showed that speech rate, fundamental frequency and voice types have clear and consistent effect on perceived urgency. The results of these experiments can be applied to the improvement of existing auditory warning systems and the design of new systems.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 2000

Hypokalemic periodic paralysis(HypoPP) is characterized by an abrupt onset of flaccid paralysis with a clear mentality, but muscles of speech and swallowing are usually spared. We report on three patients who suffered attacks of acute paralysis. After exclusion of central nervous system involvement, the patients showing hypokalemia was diagnosed as hypokalemic periodic paralysis, which was completely reversible on parenteral potassium substitution.

• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.339-345
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• 1997

This paper presents an experimental study of te relationship between sound parameters of synthesized voice warning and perceived (psychoacoustic) urgency. Twenty four subjcts participated in two experimental sessions to evaluate and quantify the effects of te voice parameters. Experiments showed that speech rate, fundamental frequency, fundamental frequency contour types and voice types have clear and consistent effect on perceived urgency. The results of these experiments can be applied to the improvement of existing auditory warning systems and the design of new systems.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.59-67
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• 2006

There exist patients complaining speech problem due to dysesthesia or anesthesia following dental surgical procedure accompanied by local anesthesia in clinical setting. However, it is not clear whether sensory problems in orofacial region may have an influence on motor speech abilities. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether transitory sensory impairment of mandibular nerve by local anesthesia may influence on the motor speech abilities and thus to evaluate possibility of distorted motor speech abilities due to dysesthesia of mandibular nerve. The subjects in this study consisted of 7 men and 3 women, whose right inferior alveolar nerve, lingual nerve and long buccal nerve was anesthetized by 1.8 mL lidocaine containing 1:100,000 epinephrine. All the subjects were instructed to self estimate degree of anesthesia on the affected region and speech discomfort with VAS before anesthesia, 30 seconds, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 minutes after anesthesia. In order to evaluate speech problems objectively, the words and sentences suggested to be read for testing speech speed, diadochokinetic rate, intonation, tremor and articulation were recorded according to the time and evaluated using a Computerized Speech $Lab^{(R)}$. Articulation was evaluated by a speech language clinician. The results of this study indicated that subjective discomfort of speech and depth of anesthesia was increased with time until 60 minutes after anesthesia and then decreased. Degree of subjective speech discomfort was correlated with depth of anesthesia self estimated by each subject. On the while, there was no significant difference in objective assessment item including speech speed, diadochokinetic rate, intonation and tremor. There was no change in articulation related with anesthesia. Based on the results of this study, it is not thought that sensory impairment of unilateral mandibular nerve deteriorates motor speech abilities in spite of individual's complaint of speech discomfort.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.131-138
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• 2015

The initial syllables of a pair of Sino-Korean words are generally differentiated in their meaning by either short or long durations. They are realized differently by the dialect and generation of speakers. Recent research has reported that the temporal distinction has gradually faded away. The aim of this study is to examine whether college students with Kyungsang dialect made the distinction temporally using a statistical method of Mixed Effects Model. Thirty students participated in the recording of five pairs of Korean words in clear or casual speaking styles. Then, the author measured the durations of the initial syllables of the words and made a descriptive analysis of the data followed by applying Mixed Effects Models to the data by setting gender, length, and style as fixed effects, and subject and syllable as random effects, and tested their effects on the initial syllable durations. Results showed that college students with Kyungsang dialect did not produce the long and short syllables distinctively with any statistically significant difference between them. Secondly, there was a significant difference in the duration of the initial syllables between male and female students. Thirdly, there was also a significant difference in the duration of the initial syllables produced in the clear or casual styles. The author concluded that college students with Kyungsang dialect do not produce long and short Sino-Korean syllables distinctively, and any statistical analysis on the temporal aspect should be carefully made considering both fixed and random effects. Further studies would be desirable to examine production and perception of the initial syllables by speakers with various dialect, generation, and age groups.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.170-179
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• 2013

There is a correct way to avoid any sequale in the central motor area during neurosurgery procedures. A clear way to find the circumference of the central sulcus, central motor, and sensory areas by giving cortical electrical stimulation to the central motor area immediate after surgery is proposed. Looking at patients who underwent brain surgery September 2009 to July 2013, the central sulcus and speech areas around the central area of the brain was investigated, using the practices of either a localized brain map check or a direct cortical electrical stimulation test. Brain maps localized around the surgical site through functional movement or speech areas were identified. Accurate tests done during surgery without damage to motor neurons or after surgery were conducted smoothly. Although successful brain map test localization can be accomplished, there are some factors that can interfere. The following phenomena can reverse the phase: (1) the first sensory / motor in the case of patients severe nerve damage; (2) placement of the electrode on top of the vessel; (3) presence of a brain tumor near the brain cortex; (4) use of anesthesia if patient cooperation is difficult; and (5) location of the electrode position and stimulus is inappropriate.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.340-343
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• 2011

To distinguish between a group of speech signals and nonspeech signals, you can use several features in domains like frequency, quefrency and time. It is very important to use features that differentiate two signal groups. As a feature to separate two signal groups, autocorrelation method was proposed and the variances between groups were studied. Autocovariances were just calculated for the time domain signal. Signals were divided into segments which consist of 128 data to be transformed to the frequency and quefrency domains. Autocovariances between each coefficient of segments in FFTs and quefrencies were found and they were averaged over wide spectrum. It is clear that the autocovariances in frequency domain show great differences between groups of signals.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.81-89
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• 2014

Korean English learners tend to have difficulty perceiving and producing English vowels. The purpose of this study is to examine a link between perceived and produced vowel spaces of Korean learners of English. Sixteen Korean male and female participants perceived two sets of English synthetic vowels on a computer monitor and rated their naturalness. The same participants produced English vowels in a carrier sentence with high and low pitch variation in a clear speaking mode. The author compared the perceived and produced vowel spaces in terms of the pitch and gender variables. Results showed that the perceived vowel spaces were not significantly different in either variables. Korean learners perceived the vowels similarly. They did not differentiate the tense-lax vowel pairs nor the low vowels. Secondly, the produced vowel spaces of the male and female groups showed a 25% difference which may have come from their physiological differences in the vocal tract length. Thirdly, the comparison of the perceived and produced vowel spaces revealed that although the vowel space patterns of the Korean male and female learners appeared similar, which may lead to a relative link between perception and production, statistical differences existed in some vowels because of the acoustical properties of the synthetic vowels, which may lead to an independent link. The author concluded that any comparison between the perceived and produced vowel space of nonnative speakers should be made cautiously. Further studies would be desirable to examine how Koreans would perceive different sets of synthetic vowels.