• Journal of Korean language education
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.105-126
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• 2017

Intelligibility has been widely regarded as an appropriate goal for second language pronunciation teaching. Yet there are few empirical studies that focus on the intelligibility of Korean learners' pronunciation. Therefore, this mixed-methods study examined the relationship among native-like pronunciation, intelligible pronunciation, phonological fluency and comprehensibility. Furthermore, this study investigated how native-like pronunciation and intelligible pronunciation are measured differently in terms of actual pronunciation skills. In addition, this study examined how these two pronunciation styles mutually influence each other. The results of this study show that achieving native-like pronunciation is a much more difficult goal than achieving intelligible pronunciation. It further shows that foreign accented pronunciation has little to do with comprehensibility while better intelligibility is needed for clearer comprehensibility. To achieve better intelligibility, this study recommends pronunciation teaching based on segments, suprasegmentals and fluency as the focus on suprasegmentals and fluency teaching are more important to achieve a native-like pronunciation. Besides the focus on phonology, there are other social factors which could influence the evaluation of native-like pronunciation, but are not part of this study. These findings are expected to contribute not only to a better understanding of pronunciation, but also to a more comprehensive reevaluation and informed direction of pronunciation teaching and research.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.13-20
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• 2023

This study explores the potential of automated speech recognition (ASR) in assessing English learners' pronunciation. We employed ASR technology, acknowledged for its impartiality and consistent results, to analyze speech audio files, including synthesized speech, both native-like English and Korean-accented English, and speech recordings from a native English speaker. Through this analysis, we establish baseline values for the word error rate (WER). These were then compared with those obtained for human raters in perception experiments that assessed the speech productions of 30 first-year college students before and after taking a pronunciation course. Our sub-group analyses revealed positive training effects for Whisper, an ASR tool, and human raters, and identified distinct human rater strategies in different assessment aspects, such as proficiency, intelligibility, accuracy, and comprehensibility, that were not observed in ASR. Despite such challenges as recognizing accented speech traits, our findings suggest that digital tools such as ASR can streamline the pronunciation assessment process. With ongoing advancements in ASR technology, its potential as not only an assessment aid but also a self-directed learning tool for pronunciation feedback merits further exploration.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.19-28
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• 2022

The current study was designed to explore whether taking English pronunciation classes could improve the realization of English rhythm by Korean learners of English. Specifically, this study used various rhythm metrics to examine the extent to which the learners' speech became rhythmically similar to the target language after taking classes that focused on English pronunciation. Sixteen learners who took a 15-week English pronunciation course at a university read an English passage twice (at the beginning and the end of the semester). The rhythm metrics such as Deltas, Varcos, and Pairwise Variability Indices were calculated for the learners' speech, as well as that of 8 native speakers of English. The results demonstrated that the learners' speech was slower, and they put more frequent within-sentence pauses than the native speakers even after the classes. The analyses also indicated that the speech recorded at the beginning of the semester was rhythmically much more different from the target language than at the end of the semester. After the classes, however, the learners' consonantal intervals became much more target-like, while the vocalic intervals were rhythmically even further from those in the target language. Overall, the findings suggested that the pronunciation classes helped the learners to produce English speech that was rhythmically similar to the native speakers.

• Journal of Korean language education
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.37-60
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• 2017

This research has its basis with focus on the way Korean native speakers recognize Chinese Korean-learners' pronunciation. The objective of the study is to lay the cornerstone for establishing effective teaching-learning strategies for the education of the Korean phonetic system. In this study, the results of the experiment are presented which shows how native speakers of Korean identify Chinese Korean-learners' pronunciation of consonants. In the first place, stimulation tones were created from the original utterances of Chinese Korean-learners and seven scripts were made through the Pratt program. In addition, the subjects were asked to choose what the phonetic materials sounded like. The results of the research are represented as the ratio of frequency of Korean native speakers' response to each utterance to the total frequency. In addition, the paired t-test was taken in order to explore any relatedness to the changes in the level of proficiency of the Korean phonetic system, ranging from beginners to advanced learners. The outcome shows that the mistakes which Chinese Korean-learners make in pronouncing the consonants of Korean are relatively well-reflected in Korean native speakers' auditory cognitive reactions. To put it concretely, there is some difficulty in differentiating lax consonants from aspirates in the cases of plosives and affricates, but relatively little trouble with fortes. However, it is revealed that there is also a slight difference in relation to articulatory positions in detailed aspects. To provide an effective teaching method for the Korean phonetic system, it is essential to comprehend learners' phonetic mistakes through the precise analysis of data in terms of 'production.' Also, a more meticulous observation of 'phenomena' must be made through verification from the view of 'reception,' as attempted in this study. A more thorough diagnosis by applying methodology makes it possible to lay the foundation for developing effective teaching-learning strategies for the instruction of the Korean phonetic system. This study has its significance in making such attempts.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.99-114
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• 2007

This study attempted to acoustically analyze the diphthongs of native Jeju speakers in their 70s, 50s, and 20s to observe their diphthong inventories 96 subjects participated in the recording using a set of picture cards. Results show that Jeju dialect speakers in their 70s distinguish /we/ and $/w{\varepsilon}/$, /yo/ and /yc/, but have difficulty pronouncing /ye/, $/y{\varepsilon}/$, and /iy/ correctly. It is interesting to find that the diphthong inventory of Jeju dialect speakers in their 50s are in transitional stage. They share the diphthong inventories of those people in their 70's containing /we/ and $/w{\varepsilon}/$, and /yo/ and /yc/, but they do not produce them as clearly as the latter age group. The former age group also share the common feature with those people in their 20's because both age groups show the same pronunciation of /iy/. The youngest group seldom pronounce /we/ and $/w{\varepsilon}/$, /yo/ and /yc/ correctly unlike native Jeju speakers in their 70s, but they can easily pronounce the diphthong /iy/ like standard Korean speakers.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.4E
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• pp.3-16
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• 2001

An ASCII encoding of Korean has been developed for extended phonetic transcription of the Speech Assessment Methods Phonetic Alphabet (SAMPA). SAMPA is a machine-readable phonetic alphabet used for multilingual computing. It has been developed since 1987 and extended to more than twenty languages. The motivating factor for creating Korean SAMPA (K-SAMPA) is to label Korean speech for a multilingual corpus or to transcribe native language (Ll) interfered pronunciation of a second language learner for bilingual education. Korean SAMPA represents each Korean allophone with a particular SAMPA symbol. Sounds that closely resemble it are represented by the same symbol, regardless of the language they are uttered in. Each of its symbols represents a speech sound that is spectrally and temporally so distinct as to be perceptually different when the components are heard in isolation. Each type of sound has a separate IPA-like designation. Korean SAMPA is superior to other transcription systems with similar objectives. It describes better the cross-linguistic sound quality of Korean than the official Romanization system, proclaimed by the Korean government in July 2000, because it uses an internationally shared phonetic alphabet. It is also phonetically more accurate than the official Romanization in that it dispenses with orthographic adjustments. It is also more convenient for computing than the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) because it consists of the symbols on a standard keyboard. This paper demonstrates how the Korean SAMPA can express allophonic details and prosodic features by adopting the transcription conventions of the extended SAMPA (X-SAMPA) and the prosodic SAMPA(SAMPROSA).

• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.323-332
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• 2016

A robot's recognition and diagnosis of pronunciation and its speech are the most important interactions in RALL(Robot Assisted Language Learning). This study is to verify the effectiveness of robot TTS(Text to Sound) technology in assisting Korean English language learners to acquire a native-like accent by correcting the prosodic errors they commonly make. The child English language learners' F0 range and speaking rate in the 4th grade, a prosodic variable, will be measured and analyzed for any changes in accent. We compare whether robot with the currently available TTS technology appeared to be effective for the 4th graders and 1st graders who were not under the formal English learning with native speaker from the acoustic phonetic viewpoint. Two groups by repeating TTS of RALL responded to the speaking rate rather than F0 range.

• Proceedings of the KSPS conference
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• 2000.07a
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• pp.235-240
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• 2000

In the age of global communication, more human exchange is extended at the grass-roots level. In the old days, language policy and language planning was based on one nation-state with one language. But high waves of globalizaiton have allowed extended human flow of exchange beyond one's national border on a daily basis. Under such circumstances, homogeneity in Japan may not allow Japanese to speak and communicate only in Japanese and only with Japanese people. In Japan, an advisory report was made to the Ministry of Education in June 1996 about what education should be like in the 21st century. In this report, an introduction of English at public elementary schools was for the first time made. A basic policy of English instruction at the elementary school level was revealed. With this concept, English instruction is not required at the elementary school level but each school has their own choice of introducing English as their curriculum starting April 2002. As Baker, Colin (1996) indicates the age of three as being the threshold diving a child becoming bilingual naturally or by formal instruction. Threre is a movement towards making second language acquisition more naturalistic in an educational setting, developing communicative competence in a more or less formal way. From the lesson of the Canadian immersion success, Genesee (1987) stresses the importance of early language instruction. It is clear that from a psycho-linguistic perspective, most children acquire basic communication skills in their first language apparently effortlessly and without systematic and formal instruction during the first six or seven years of life. This innate capacity diminishes with age, thereby making language learning increasingly difficult. The author, being a returnee, experienced considerable difficulty acquiring L2, and especially achieving native-like competence. There will be many hurdles to conquer until Japanese students are able to reach at least a communicative level in English. It has been mentioned that English is not taught to clear the college entrance examination, but to communicate. However, Japanese college entrance examination still makes students focus more on the grammar-translation method. This is expected to shift to a more communication stressed approach. Japan does not have to aim at becoming an official bilingual country, but at least communicative English should be taught at every level in school Mito College is a small two-year co-ed college in Japan. Students at Mito College are basically notgood at English. It has only one department for business and economics, and English is required for all freshmen. It is necessary for me to make my classes enjoyable and attractive so that students can at least get motivated to learn English. My major target is communicative English so that students may be prepared to use English in various business settings. As an experiment to introduce more communicative English, the author has made the following syllabus design. This program aims at training students speak and enjoy English. 90-minute class (only 190-minute session per week is most common in Japanese colleges) is divided into two: The first half is to train students orally using Graded Direct Method. The latter half uses different materials each time so that students can learn and enjoy English culture and language simultaneously. There are no quizes or examinations in my one-academic year program. However, all students are required to make an original English poem by the end of the spring semester. 2-6 students work together in a group on one poem. Students coming to Mito College, Japan have one of the lowest English levels in all of Japan. However, an attached example of one poem made by a group shows that students can improve their creativity as long as they are kept encouraged. At the end of the fall semester, all students are then required individually to make a 3-minute original English speech. An example of that speech contest will be presented at the Convention in Seoul.