Audiometry, Speech

Background: Speech sound disorders (SSD) refer to difficulties in perceiving, mentally representing, and/or articulating speech sounds. In 2018, the Tagalog Sentence Repetition Test (SRT) was developed due to the lack of a commercially available local assessment tool for children with suspected SSDs. The SRT had not been validated or piloted yet. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the SRT’s content validity (comprehensiveness, relevance, comprehensibility), ability to successfully elicit the target sounds, and logistical feasibility and flaws. Methodology: All procedures were conducted online. Three linguists evaluated the comprehensiveness of the sounds covered, while 31 Manila Tagalog-speaking children (7 to 21 years old) participated in pilot testing. Post-testing, the children answered a questionnaire to evaluate their familiarity with the sentences’ words (relevance) and the comprehensibility of the test instructions. Content validity was assessed by computing the Content Validity Index (CVI). To see how well the test elicits the target sounds, the number of participants who produced each sound were computed. Results: A CVI of 1.0 was obtained for all aspects of content validity. All targets were produced by almost all the participants, except for the final glottal stop (18/31, 58%). The test administration seemed feasible as participants from all age groups successfully executed the task. Conclusion Although the SRT exhibited good content validity, some sentences need to be revised to address sound production issues noted during the pilot. This new version should be re-piloted to 7 to 11-year-olds in-person and via teleconferencing. A manual should also be created to facilitate administration.
Speech Disorders ; Speech Production Measurement

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Korean phonetically balanced (PB) word list (Ham's Korean PB Word List) is currently the most commonly used word list for speech discrimination test. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency characteristics of the Ham's Korean PB word list and to compare frequency characteristics of the Ham's Korean PB word list with that of the 21st Century Sejong words, which represent characteristics of the contemporary spoken Korean language. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The 300 syllables most commonly used were collected from the words in 21st Century Sejong project. The 21st Century Sejong words were weighted according to the frequency of usage. The 21st Century Sejong words and words from the Ham's Korean PB word list were analyzed using an acoustic analysis program that has the MATLAB function. RESULTS: Syllables with frequencies above 2,000 Hz comprise 34% of the 21st Century Sejong words and 16% of the Ham's Korean PB word list. The Ham's Korean PB word list does not represent the high frequency characteristics of the contemporary spoken Korean language. The 21st Century Sejong words have more 'eu', 'i' and open syllables than the Ham's Korean PB word list. CONCLUSION: The Ham's Korean PB word list does not reflect the high frequency characteristics of the contemporary spoken Korean language included in the 21st Century Sejong words. Therefore, a new PB word list that incorporates a greater number of syllables with high frequency characteristics is required.
Acoustics* ; Audiometry, Speech ; Speech Acoustics ; Speech Discrimination Tests

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 long-term 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.
Acoustics ; Rehabilitation ; Speech Acoustics ; Speech Intelligibility ; Speech Perception ; Voice

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There can be 3, 192 syllables in Korean language but the frequencies of each syllables are variable. This study was aimed to investigate the frequencies of each Korean syllable in the everyday dialogue and to compare the result with the existing Korean phonetically balanced (PB) word list, which can provide the basic data for the standardization of Korean PB word list. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Using 33 materials (total 537, 245 syllables) collected from TV drama (MBC Best Theater), the author calculated the frequencies of each Korean syllables composed of initial consonant and vowel and compared with existing PB word list by computer program. RESULTS: Each syllable appeared in the different frequency pattern. The 138 of 399 syllables represented the 95% of everyday dialogue. CONCLUSION: This study showed that established PB word list was made relatively well but needs somewhat modification to reflect the actual frequencies of syllable in colloquialism.
Audiometry, Speech ; Drama ; Speech Discrimination Tests

Audiometry, Speech ; Congresses as Topic

Audiometry, Speech ; Humans ; Language

No abstract available.
Laryngectomy* ; Speech, Esophageal*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recent advances in the computer technology and the explosive increase in the internet contents have made it possible for us to calculate the exact frequencies of phonemes in the everyday dialogue of the Korean language, which can provide the basic data for the standardization of Korean phonetically balanced (PB) word lists. This study was aimed to investigate the frequencies of Korean phonemes and to compare the results with the existing Korean PB words lists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The author has developed a computer program that can convert words into written sentences as they are pronounced, and calculate the frequencies of the Korean phonemes. This study used 10 materials (total 171,824 syllables) collected from several TV dramas and news shows. RESULTS: All materials showed a similar trend in the frequency pattern. According to the results, the existing PB words lists had too many /m/,/b/,/o/,/u/'s and too few /n/,/d/,/r/,/e/,/eu/,/i/'s. The most prominent discrepancy existed in the final consonants. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that the existing PB words lists need to be modified to reflect actual frequencies of phonemes.
Audiometry, Speech ; Drama ; Internet

“Following the child’s lead” and “collaborative consultation with parents” are solidly grounded in the best practice of early language intervention. However, the success of these two practices are based on assumptions that they are valued by families and that they can be feasibly implemented by the attending speech-language pathologist (SLP). Such assumptions can be unjustified in cultures that value the use of “adult-guided instructions” over following the child’s lead and when the work setting of the SLP does not readily accommodate those practices. This article takes the form of a position paper. Through review of the literature, the paper (1) identifies the research-cultural practice gap in early language intervention in Malaysia; (2) positions the two research-informed practices – following the child’s lead and collaborative consultation with parents, on the continuum of intrusiveness in early language intervention; and (3) proposes the techniques of Milieu Teaching as an approach to bridge the research-cultural practice gap in Malaysia.
Speech-Language Pathology