LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 15:5 May 2015
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Acoustic Characteristics of Clear and Conversational Speech in Malayalam Speaking Children with
Mental Retardation with Age Matched Norms

Faseeha. M. & Satish. K.

Abstract

Acoustic phonetic features that characterize clear to conversational speech transformation may vary across languages and different context i.e., acoustic properties and advantages of clear speech vary with languages. To understand the advantages of clear speech, it is important to know the acoustic properties of clear and conversational speech. Present study aimed at studying and comparing acoustic parameters of clear and conversational speech in Malayalam in mentally retarded children and age matched norms. A group of 10 verbal mentally Retarded children and 10 typically developed children on age range 4 to 7 years selected randomly. 50 simple written sentences and 5 pictures were selected. Each sentences contained 5 to 6 words. The sentences were prepared based on familiar words in Malayalam. Target vowels taken were |a|, |i| &|u| in initial, medial and final positions. Vowels in the common words were taken for measuring the acoustic parameters as well as comparing between clear and conversational speech. Specific acoustic analysis of vowels |a|, |i|, |u| in different positions in different acoustic parameters like F1, F2, F3, SNR, HNR, JITTER, SHIMMER and MEAN PITCH were observed. Results show that there is variation in acoustic parameters of vowels in both speaking styles within group as well as across group (between clear and conversational as well as between normals and MR). This information may be important in improving speech processing strategies in hearing aids, speech synthesis evaluation of effects of style of articulation and variability in speech production and on speech reception and evaluating the effects of articulation of speech signal on intelligibility.

Key words: Acoustic parameters, Mental Retardation, Typically Developing, PRAAT.

Introduction

Speech is the expression of ideas and thoughts by means of articulate vocal sounds, or the faculty of thus expressing ideas and thoughts. Humans express thoughts, feelings, and ideas orally to one another through a series of complex movements that alter and mold the basic tone created by voice into specific, decodable sounds. Speech is produced by precisely coordinated muscle actions in the head, neck, chest, and abdomen.

Voice (or vocalization) is the sound produced by humans and other vertebrates using the lungs and the vocal folds in the larynx, or voice box. Voice is not always produced as speech, however. Infants babble and coo; animals bark, moo, whinny, growl, and meow; and adult humans laugh, sing, and cry. Voice is generated by airflow from the lungs as the vocal folds are brought close together. When air is pushed past the vocal folds with sufficient pressure, the vocal folds vibrate. If the vocal folds in the larynx did not vibrate normally, speech could only be produced as a whisper. Our voice is as unique as our fingerprint. It helps define our personality, mood, and health.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Faseeha, M. Second Year Post Graduate Student
Dr. M.V. Shetty College of Speech and Hearing
Maladi Court, Kavoor
Mangalore - 575015
Karnataka, India
fasi.faseeha123@gmail.com

Satish Kumaraswamy
Principal
Dr. M.V. Shetty College of Speech and Hearing
Maladi Court, Kavoor
Mangalore - 575015
Karnataka, India
sat8378@yahoo.com
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