Articles tagged with Speech
Researchers at Lancaster University have observed the hidden tongue movements accompanying a centuries-old change in English speech using ultrasound imaging. The study found that older speakers produce strong tongue gestures associated with the distinct R sound, while younger speakers show systematically weaker articulations.
Researchers at Binghamton University used personal narratives to inform what people who stutter want from clinical care, highlighting the need for a paradigm shift toward living effectively with stuttering. The study uncovered six core themes that prioritize empowerment, authenticity, and connection over fluency.
Pioneering linguist Lorenzo Dow Turner's 1935 field recordings of Louisiana Creole have been analysed, shedding light on a uniquely American language at risk of extinction. The recordings contain linguistic diversity and provide insight into the language's development over time.
Researchers at McGill University found universal vocal patterns in hundreds of bird species and compared them to human song and speech from cultures around the world. The study reveals that these patterns include small pitch intervals, regular rhythms, and phrase-final elongation, suggesting common vocal production mechanisms or biases.
Researchers found significant variations in vocal tracts and articulatory differences among speakers, contributing to language diversification. The study's biocultural model proposes that individual variation in pronunciation feeds into language differences between groups.
A study analyzing 2,928 Spanish-speaking participants found that machine-learning clocks based on speech can estimate chronological age and brain aging. The speech clock was associated with biological aging, cognitive health, cumulative burden, and dementia.
Researchers found that participants with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) outperformed those without CAS when trained in the morning, suggesting a potential optimal timing for speech intervention. This discovery could lead to more effective treatment strategies for individuals with long-standing CAS.
The Military and Veteran Community Rehearsed Reading (MVCRR) program at George Mason University supports military-connected community members through collaborative storytelling and rehearsed readings. The six-week series fosters well-being, communication skills, and camaraderie, culminating in public performances.
A new University of Pittsburgh study found that low-frequency deep brain stimulation improves control of facial and tongue muscles involved in speaking and swallowing after traumatic brain injury. The treatment showed small but significant improvements in word intelligibility for one participant with TBI.
Dr. Danesh, a professor at FAU's College of Education, has made exemplary contributions to audiology through research, education, and mentorship. His work has advanced the profession and demonstrated a sustained commitment to advancing audiology.
Researchers from Duksung Women's University and University of Zurich found that adults increase formant frequencies when speaking with aegyo, suggesting a shorter vocal tract. This phenomenon may signal childlike qualities and elicit a protective response from others.
Researchers used natural language processing models to analyze interviews of over 200 children aged 9-13, who discussed stressful events. The study found that the style of their speech was more predictive of future mental health issues than its content.
A Taiwan-led study shows that Mandarin-speaking learners' sounds are deeply shaped by their prior language experience, offering insights into human language learning. The findings highlight how language experience influences both speech perception and production, and demonstrate a selective connection between hearing and speaking.
Researchers discovered the brain's brief 'dual tracking' ability to process two conversations simultaneously, potentially explaining why some individuals excel in busy social situations. This finding may help improve hearing technologies and provide insight into why certain people struggle with multitasking.
Researchers found that infants use spatial cues to track speakers, despite having immature brains, and exhibit more confined activity in the cortex compared to adults. This ability emerges early in life, suggesting a key finding for understanding infant cognition.
A new study by Lancaster University found that the final vowel in words like 'happy' varies clearly by social class across Manchester. Middle-class speakers tend to use a more closed 'ee' sound, while working-class speakers use a more open 'eh' sound.
A new study at McGill University found that a listener's desire to extend a conversation depends mainly on their interest in the topic, not the speaker's oratorical style. The researchers also discovered that engaging vocal styling is marked by higher loudness and pitch, but this has no impact on conversation length.
Researchers study vocal fry and find low pitch is the key marker for creaky voice, contradicting popular belief that it's a hallmark of young women's speech. The study reveals social biases, not biological differences, are driving the perception of vocal fry.
Physical exertion impacts breathing coordination with speaking, altering vocal characteristics like pitch, intensity and pause structure. This changes induce measurable effects on speech recognition systems used by emergency responders and wearable devices.
Research highlights sex-dependent auditory variability, with men showing an earlier decline and women experiencing regular monthly changes. The study aims to improve diagnosis and care for hearing loss by recognizing biological differences between the sexes.
Researchers found that caregivers play a significant role in helping infants learn complex vocalizations, similar to how zebra finches use social feedback to teach their young. The study suggests that both humans and zebra finches rely on social environment to guide low-level temporal foundations of their vocal communication.
A recent study from Lancaster University reveals that AI systems like ChatGPT can learn to mirror human impoliteness, potentially escalating into verbal violence. The research tested ChatGPT's ability to respond to real-life impolite interactions, finding it often produces more impolite behavior than humans.
Researchers found that brains consider grammatical constituents when anticipating next words, unlike AI systems which rely on predictive context. The study used magnetoencephalography and behavioral tasks to measure brain activity and word prediction accuracy.
Researchers found that men with a 'country' identity showed distinct vowel patterns in their pronunciations, different from those living in neighboring areas. Country identity was more robustly linked to language patterns than travel patterns.
Researchers developed a tool to identify children with red flags for speech disorders, guiding therapy referrals. The study found that developmental speech errors are common in young children, but resolve by seven years, and that some errors take longer to outgrow.
Researchers found that brain synchrony between mothers and children is equally strong when playing in the native language or an acquired second language. This suggests that multilingualism can support healthy communication and learning without disrupting the brain-to-brain connection.
A new study using Victorian recordings from Lancaster University's archive found strong links between industrial growth and accent evolution in northern England. The Barrow-in-Furness accent developed due to intense population change and mixing, leading to distinct social histories and settlement patterns.
Researchers have found that babies can detect verb inconsistencies as early as 10 months old, using brain imaging technology. This finding suggests that infants begin to develop an understanding of verbs before they even say their first words.
A study by University of Connecticut researchers found that missionaries consistently draw on the same language toolkit to describe their experiences abroad and difficulties returning home. They used metaphors, personification of God, and biblical vernacular to make sense of their transitions.
Researchers compared brains of stroke patients with healthy controls to reveal differences in language processing mechanisms. People with verbal speech processing issues from stroke have weaker processing of speech sounds than healthy participants.
A new study from the University of East Anglia finds that AI tools excel at speed and clarity, but human translators remain crucial for tone, cultural nuance, and natural sound. Generative AI can handle parts of video translation, but consumers still notice when something feels off.
A new study by Waseda University researchers explores the role of morphological processing in L2 French ambiguity, finding that it plays a significant role in causing speech errors. The study suggests that educators should integrate pronunciation and vocabulary exercises more holistically to help learners overcome hidden ambiguities.
The verb kikoyu, originally meaning 'to hear', came to represent approximate understanding, then general understanding, and finally conviction. This process reflects cognitive simulation and mental representation transformation.
A new training program equips bilingual staff with medical interpretation skills, increasing qualified interpreter status to 72% among participants. The innovative approach leverages heritage-speaking staff's linguistic and cultural strengths to address the high need for qualified medical interpreters in primary care.
A Baycrest study found that subtle features of speech timing, such as pauses and fillers, are linked to executive function and predict cognitive decline. The research uses artificial intelligence to analyze natural speech patterns for early detection of dementia.
McGill researchers developed a new hydrogel that resisted breakdown for weeks, giving vocal cords a better chance to heal and potentially reducing the need for repeat procedures. The gel is made from natural tissue proteins processed into a powder and converted into a gel using click chemistry.
A study of individuals with autism, fetal alcohol syndrome, and typical hearing found that cognitive ability significantly impacted successful speech perception in noisy environments. The researchers discovered a highly significant relationship between intellectual ability and multitalker listening challenge scores.
A team of researchers analyzed Taylor Swift's recorded interviews to study her dialect changes across different eras of her career. They found that she adopted features of the Southern accent when living in Nashville and lowered her voice pitch when moving to New York City, which may have been a strategic move to project authority.
The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) has been recognized for its successful initiatives promoting cultural humility and community connections. The First 5 Minutes: Cultural Humility training modules equip healthcare providers with tools to foster respect and empathy in patient interactions.
A recent study found dramatic differences in how large language models classify hate speech, with significant variations for specific demographic groups. The analysis of seven models revealed that content moderation systems have inconsistent detection accuracy, which can erode trust and create perceptions of bias.
Researchers found that humans across cultures and languages break their speech into Intonation Units, which follow a low-frequency rhythm of 1.6 seconds. This universal structure plays a critical role in helping listeners follow conversations and absorb information.
Researchers used AI tools to analyze posts from 54 Reddit communities, finding similarities in speech patterns between hate speech groups and communities for certain psychiatric disorders. The study suggests that exposing oneself to hate speech online may lead to decreased empathy and traits similar to Cluster B personality disorders.
Researchers found that twangy female voices were understood more than neutral voices when surrounded by noise. This is due to the higher-pitched nature of twangy speech, which gives it a perceived loudness and reduces masking by low-frequency sounds.
A systematic review identified 112 studies on implantable brain-computer interfaces, which decode brain signals to control devices. The analysis found that iBCI technologies are being used to control robotic prosthetic limbs and digital technologies, but clinical outcomes were highly mixed.
A new study by Waseda University researchers suggests that learners need to automatize word meanings in context to achieve fluent speech. By assessing automatized vocabulary knowledge (AVK) and declarative vocabulary knowledge (DVK), the team found AVK to be a stronger predictor of L2 speaking fluency.
Researchers analyzed over 4,000 examples of Russian spoken by bilinguals, finding that non-standard numeral constructions are influenced by native languages and frequency of use. Less familiar expressions involving numbers two to four were used in non-standard forms more frequently.
Researchers used nonsense words to test ChatGPT's language processing capabilities, finding it excelled at discovering relationships and providing definitions for extinct words. However, the AI also generated incorrect or made-up answers in some cases, highlighting its limitations.
Researchers at UC Davis developed a brain-computer interface that translates neural activity into speech in real time. The technology allows individuals with ALS to communicate more naturally and inclusively, with 60% of synthesized words intelligible to listeners.
Researchers built a data pipeline to train AI tools for childhood speech screening, addressing the lack of representative datasets. The resulting high-quality dataset enables faster and more accurate diagnoses, especially in areas with limited access to specialists.
A Carnegie Mellon University researcher critiques an article on large language models' ability to analyze sensitive discourse, including hate speech. The commentary highlights the need for a nuanced approach to human-AI collaboration in critical discourse analysis.
Researchers at the University of Calgary investigate the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with intensive speech therapy for treating poststroke aphasia. The study found significant improvements in speech, confidence, and mood among participants, offering new hope for those affected by stroke.
A new eNeuro study explores how competing sounds affect subcortical brain activity, revealing increasingly smaller responses as multiple speech streams are introduced. This finding has implications for understanding hearing loss and difficulties with auditory processing in noisy environments.
Researchers identified three key principles in language recovery after stroke: rapid reinforcement of damaged areas by unaffected network regions, activation of homologous mirror-image areas, and increased communication between affected areas.
A study analyzed over 14,000 voice samples from adults to evaluate an AI-based machine learning biomarker tool detecting depression through speech cadence and acoustic features. The tool demonstrated a sensitivity of 71%, correctly identifying depression in 71% of people who had it.
Researchers from Lancaster University found a significant link between hearing impairment and an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. The study analyzed data from the UK Biobank, revealing a 57% higher risk for every 10-decibel increase in baseline hearing loss.
A new study by Lancaster University reveals that language in job ads can unintentionally reinforce or disrupt labour force gender/racial composition. Workforces with more women tend to use family-friendly policies in ads, while racial minority workers' ads lack impact, the research shows.
The study analyzes the impact of enunciation on speech-to-text accuracy in medical situations, highlighting challenges with medical terms and noisy environments. A new audio dataset was created to improve the technology's usefulness for healthcare professionals.
A new study found that speech sounds have texture and shape to them, with R sounds associated with roughness and L sounds with smoothness. The research showed strong tendencies for matching trilled R sounds with jagged lines and L sounds with straight lines across cultures.
A Cambridge study suggests that people from Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Ireland are better at detecting fake accents than those from London and the Southeast. The study found that participants were able to detect fake accents with an accuracy of around 60%, varying by region and cultural homogeneity.
Researchers compared vowels in pain, disgust, and joy interjections to nonlinguistic vocalizations across 131 languages. They found consistent vowel signatures for pain and disgust, but not for joyful emotions.