• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.49-54
• /
• 2012

Recent studies on acoustic correlates of stress in English compounds and English phrases have revealed the difference of changes in acoustic manifestation between English compounds and English phrases with different intonation patterns. However, little effort has been made to compare Korean compounds and Korean phrases in different intonational environments. Therefore, this study focuses on the analysis of acoustic characteristics of Korean compounds and Korean phrases produced in different intonational sentence patterns (Subject, Question, Clause-Final, and Statement-Final). Measurements of vowel duration, intensity (dB) and pitch (in semitones) were compared. The results of the experiment in which 30 native speakers of Korean pronounced Korean compounds and Korean phrases (obtained from $8{\times}30$ sentences) in controlled prosodic and intonational environments reveal clear patterns that distinguish Korean compounds from Korean phrases and support the evidence of acoustic salience for phrases. Duration differences turned out to be a significant cue to distinguish Korean compounds and Korean phrases in all but the Clause Final position. According to the size effect, duration ratio is the most reliable cue to distinguish Korean compounds and Korean phrases followed by the pitch differences between the first syllable and the second syllable and the intensity ratio. Implications for Korean and English intonation training were also discussed.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.1430-1437
• /
• 1996

A low delay code excited linear predictive speech coder(LD-CELP) at bit rates under 8kbps is considered. We try to improve the perfomance of speech coder with frame type dependent modification of synthesis filter. We first classify frames into 3 groups: voiced, unvoiced and onset. For voicedand unvoiced frame, the spectral envelope of the synthesis filter is adapted to the phonetic characteristics. For transition frame from unvoiced to voiced, the synthesis filter which has been interpolated with the bias filter is used. The proposed vocoder produced more clear sound with similar delay level than other pre-existing LD-CELP vocoders.

• Speech Sciences
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.171-184
• /
• 2001

American English vowels and Korean vowels were compared by the plotformant method. For American English vowels, six General American English speakers pronounced English words in the b_t environment. For Korean vowels eight Kyongsang dialect speakers and eight Seoul dialect speakers pronounced Korean words in the environments of k_t, p_t and t_t. The formant plots were obtained by plotting F1/F2 tokens of 13 American English vowels on the F1xF2 plane. In spite of personal variations the 13 vowel spaces of all six American English speakers maintained their relative positions with some overlaps. Clear distinctions were made between i-I, e-$\varepsilon$, u-$\sigma$, and o-c. The domain of c and $\alpha$ overlapped for three American English speakers, but it did not for three other speakers. The 8 Korean vowel spaces of Kyongsang dialect speakers and Seoul dialect speakers were very similar and maintained their relative positions. No distinction was made between e and $\varepsilon$. In contrast with American English e which is a neutral vowel, Korean e was a back vowel. The comparison of 13 American English vowel positions and 8 Korean Vowel positions is expected to shed some light on the errors of English vowel pronunciation of Korean learners.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.49-55
• /
• 2020

Evaluating the patient's voice before thyroidectomy is useful for the purpose of identifying patients with vocal cord paralysis without symptoms, identifying other patient's voice abnormalities, and whether it is related to voice disorders that may occur after surgery. Also voice evaluation after thyroid surgery is helpful in diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation and follow-up of voice disorders that occur without clear nerve damage after thyroidectomy. And it is helpful for rapid recovery through active early rehabilitation treatment for patients who complain of speech impairment without paralysis. In particular, neck exercise can improve the adhesion of the surgical site and increase the range of motion of the neck as well as improve subjective neck discomfort. In addition, hearing, voice and breathing functions should be improved, and voice hygiene education and counseling should be provided. Vocal cord injection is the first treatment option for unilateral vocal cord palsy. By establishing a protocol for voice disorders before and after thyroid surgery and providing appropriate treatment, the quality of life of patients can be improved.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
• /
• 2015.07a
• /
• pp.272-274
• /
• 2015

Success of communication at sea is directly linked with clear and complete delivery and receipt of the target message between interlocutors. It can be said that speakers' effective delivery of their intended message and listeners' precise decoding and accurate understanding are the keys to successful maritime communication. From this perspective, the scope of maritime English education and training needs to be reconceptualized and expanded into the area of communication itself, beyond the simple acquisition of, and familiarization with, IMO Standard Maritime Communication Phrases (SMCP). Therefore, in order to make learners' acquisition of marine communication knowledge more feasible, and the knowledge learned more practically applicable, training on effective and clear oral delivery should be also considered within the frame of maritime English education. Thus, critical training elements to realize this goal need to be suggested as guidelines. In this presentation, the theoretical background on this will be introduced in terms of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and Lingua Franca Core (LFC), which are the current mainstream forms of English communication in the international business context. Based on this, six key training elements will be discussed; that is, speech rate, word groups, pauses, nuclear stresses, consonants (including consonant clusters), and vowels (specifically long and short vowels). Finally, the practical pedagogical methods of each element, and its actual application into a real ESP classroom, will be suggested.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
• /
• 2007.06a
• /
• pp.743-749
• /
• 2007

Today, we can use radio communication device anywhere-anytime. Sometimes, we use the device in acoustic noise environment. The acoustic noise makes many problems in communication system. In acoustic noise environment, speaker cannot send clear information to receiver, because the received signal includes both speech signal and noise signal. A digital filter is useful to remove noise to get desired signal. One of methods is the adaptive digital filter using the adaptive noise canceller that automatically adjust filter parameters. This thesis addresses articulation algorithms against actual acoustic noises by means of two adaptive filtering methods. One is the adaptive noise canceller with two input channels and another is the spectral subtraction filter with one input channel. The experimental result from the proposed filter shows that the adaptive noise canceller is useful to reduce the non-stationary noises, while the spectral amplitude filter is effective for stationary noises.

• Proceedings of the KSPS conference
• /
• 2007.05a
• /
• pp.71-73
• /
• 2007

The Purpose of the study is to give Korean-English leaners better knowledge on vowel sounds in their learning English. The traditional description of the cardinal vowel system developed by Daniel Johns in 1917 is not enough to provide English learners with clear ideas in producing native like vowel sounds. For the reason, three Korean-native subjects, one male, one female and one child are chosen to produce 7 cardinal vowels and compare them with native English and American speaker's vowel sounds. The difference of produced vowels sounds is quantified and visualized by employing Sona-match program. The results have been fairly remarkable. Firstly, Korean-English learner's vowel sounds are articulated differently from their intention of vowel production. Secondly, the tongue positions of Koreans are placed slightly more down and forward to the lips than those of English and Americans. However, the front vowel /i/ sound is quite close to English and Americans. Lastly the mid-vowel /${\partial}$/ sound is not produced in any articulations of Korean-native speakers. It is thought that the mid vowel, /${\partial}$/ is a type of a weak sound regarded as 'schwa' which needs a great deal of exposure to the language to acquire a physical skill of articulation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
• /
• 2017.05a
• /
• pp.727-729
• /
• 2017

According to the National Statistical Office and the Ministry of Health and Welfare Family Department, Korea has already estimated that the proportion of the elderly population aged 65 or over is estimated to be higher than the global average, and has already entered the "Aging Society". Moreover, it is estimated that the quality of life of the people improved by reaching the information society earlier than expected. However, unlike young people, elderly people show clear differences in access and use of information that is difficult to access new machines easily and cause intergenerational digital divide phenomenon. In order to solve such a phenomenon, we implemented a speech recognition based smart mirror system for elderly people. The installed system can provide lighting control, weather forecast and subway time information search service of the using voice recognition. Through the implemented system, it is expected that the elderly will have accessibility to new machines, information that gives a feeling of participating in the change of the new era will be obtained and the effect of living convenience will be expected.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
• /
• v.11 no.5
• /
• pp.961-968
• /
• 2007

Today, we can use radio communication device anywhere-anytime. Sometimes, we use the device in acoustic noise environment. The acoustic noise makes many problems in communication system. In acoustic noise environment, speaker cannot send clear information to receiver, because the received signal includes both speech signal and noise signal. A digital filter is useful to remove noise to get desired signal. One of methods is the adaptive digital filter using the adaptive noise canceller that automatically adjust filter parameters. This thesis addresses articulation algorithms against actual acoustic noises by means of two adaptive filtering methods. One is the adaptive noise canceller with two input channels and another is the spectral subtraction filter with one input channel. The experimental result from the proposed filter shows that the adaptive noise canceller is useful to reduce the non-stationary noises, while the spectral amplitude filter is effective for stationary noises.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.19-24
• /
• 2023

This study investigated acoustic (VOT) and articulatory characteristics of Korean velar stops in monosyllabic CV structures to examine how the three-way distinction is realized in the laryngeal and supralaryngeal domains and how the distinction is manifested in male versus female speakers' speech production. EMA data were collected from 22 speakers. In line with previous studies, male speakers preserved the three-way differentiation of velar stops (/k^*/</k/</k^h/) in terms of VOT while female speakers showed only a two-way distinction (/k^*/</k/=/k^h/). As for the kinematic characteristics, a clear three-way distinction was found only in male speakers' peak velocity measure in the C-to-V opening movement (/k^h/</k/</k^*/). For the other kinematic measures (i.e., articulatory closure duration, deceleration duration of the opening movement and the entire opening movement duration), male speakers showed only a two-way distinction between fortis and the other two stops. Female speakers did not show a three-way contrast in any kinematic measure. They showed a two-way distinction between lenis and the other two stops in C-to-V deceleration duration (/k^*/=/k^h/</k/), and a two-way distinction between fortis and lenis stops in the opening movement duration. An overall comparison of VOT and articulatory analyses revealed that the lenis-aspirated kinematic distinction is diminishing, driven by female speakers, in line with the loss of the lenis-aspirated distinction in VOT that could influence supralaryngeal articulation.