How noise and language proficiency influence speech recognition by individual non-native listeners

Area of Science:

• Auditory Neuroscience
• Speech Perception
• Second Language Acquisition

Background:

• Understanding speech in noise is crucial for effective communication.
• Non-native speakers often exhibit challenges in speech recognition, particularly in noisy conditions.
• The interplay between language proficiency and auditory processing in noise remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between language proficiency and speech recognition in noise for non-native English speakers.
• To determine if individual language proficiency correlates with performance in varying signal-to-noise ratios (SNR).
• To differentiate the contributions of language proficiency and auditory processing to speech-in-noise recognition.

Main Methods:

• Sixty native Chinese speakers with no prior English-speaking environment experience participated.
• Speech recognition of English and Chinese sentences was assessed.
• Performance was measured across a range of signal-to-noise ratios (SNR).
• The speech recognition threshold (SRT) was calculated as the SNR for 50% correct recognition.

Main Results:

• Speech recognition in quiet varied significantly among participants (15%-92%).
• The speech recognition score in quiet was uncorrelated with the speech recognition threshold (SRT).
• This indicates that factors other than quiet performance influence noise robustness.

Conclusions:

• Language proficiency and auditory processing capabilities contribute separately to speech recognition in noise.
• Individual differences in auditory processing, not just language knowledge, are critical for understanding speech in challenging acoustic environments.
• Future research should explore specific auditory and cognitive factors influencing non-native speech-in-noise perception.