Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 21, 2025
09:09
Foreign Accent and Forensic Speaker Identification in Voice Lineups: The Influence of Acoustic Features Based on Prosody
Published on: September 27, 2024
605
Fluency-related Temporal Features and Syllable Prominence as Prosodic Proficiency Predictors for Learners of English
Heini Kallio1, Antti Suni1, Juraj Šimko1
1University of Helsinki, Finland.
Language and Speech
|September 4, 2021
Summary
Temporal measures reliably predict second language (L2) prosodic proficiency, with syllable prominence offering a slight but significant enhancement. Native language (L1) background influences these L2 prosody prediction measures.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Phonetics
- Second Language Acquisition
Background:
- Prosodic features are crucial for L2 intelligibility, comprehensibility, and fluency.
- Research on L2 prosody assessment is limited, often focusing on temporal measures over syllable prominence.
- Syllable prominence, a language-dependent stress feature, offers quantifiable insights into L2 prosody.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare temporal measures and syllable prominence estimates as predictors of prosodic proficiency in L2 English speakers.
- To investigate how native language (L1) background influences the predictive power of these measures.
- To inform the development of L2 teaching and assessment methods for spoken skills.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated prosodic features of L2 English speakers from Czech, Slovak, Polish, and Hungarian L1 backgrounds using the revised CEFR scale.
- Analyzed speech samples for articulation rate and fluency measures.
- Estimated syllable-level prominence using continuous wavelet transform (CWT) analysis of F0, energy, and duration.
Main Results:
- Temporal measures effectively predict L2 prosodic proficiency.
- Syllable prominence measures provide a small but significant improvement in prediction accuracy.
- The predictive power of both temporal and prominence measures varies based on the speaker's L1 background.
Conclusions:
- Temporal measures are reliable predictors of L2 prosodic proficiency.
- Syllable prominence offers additional predictive value, enhancing assessment capabilities.
- L1 background significantly impacts L2 prosody production, necessitating further research for improved teaching and assessment.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Language Development
564
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
564
01:24Components of Language
524
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs.
524
01:27Language and Cognition
509
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
509
01:29Non-Verbal Cues
63
Non-verbal communication extends beyond gestures and facial expressions to include vocal elements known as paralanguage. Paralanguage consists of non-verbal vocal cues such as pitch, loudness, speech rate, pauses, and non-verbal vocalizations like laughter, sighs, and moans. These elements not only accompany speech but also provide critical emotional and contextual information.The Role of Paralanguage in CommunicationParalanguage adds depth to spoken language by conveying emotions and...
63
01:21Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
548
The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
548
01:27Air-entraining Agents
133
Air-entraining agents improve the durability and workability of concrete in climates with frequent freezing and thawing. These agents prevent cracks by introducing small air bubbles into the mix, creating spaces accommodating water expansion when temperatures drop. The air-entraining agents lower the surface tension of water, forming stable, small air bubbles. This method is more effective than having accidental large voids, as the intentional, smaller, and evenly distributed air voids improve...
133