Adopting StudyIntonation CAPT Tools to Tonal Languages Through the Example of Vietnamese

Nhi Nguyen Van,Iurii Lezhenin,Son Luu Xuan,Evgeny Pyshkin,Natalia Bogach,D Roy,H.A Cantu Campos,G Fragulis

doi:10.1051/shsconf/202110201007

Nhi Nguyen Van, Iurii Lezhenin + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202110201007

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Abstract

In tonal languages, tones are associated with both and phonological and lexical domains. Accurate tone articulation is required in order to convey the correct meaning. Learning tones at both word and phrase levels is often challenging for L2 learners with non-tonal language background, because of possible subtle difference between the close tones. In this paper, we discuss an adoption of StudyIntonation CAPT tools to the case of Vietnamese language being a good example of register tonal language with a complex system of tones comprising such features as tone pitch, its length, contour melody, intensity and phonation. The particular focus of this contribution is to assess the adoption of StudyIntonation course toolkit and its pitch processing and visualization algorithms in order to evaluate how the combined use of audio and visual perception mechanisms supported by StudyIntonation may help learners to improve the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation with respect to tonal languages.

Highlights

According to linguists, a language is a synergistic system consisting of individual domains identified as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics [1]
Language intonation may be considered as an associated component of phonology, but at the same type – a component of other domains as well
Language intonation mostly refers to pitch variations at the level of utterance, while language tones are usually discussed within the context of smaller units such as words and morphemes

Summary

Introduction

A language is a synergistic system consisting of individual (but not completely independent) domains identified as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics [1]. In scope of Pike’s classification of musical tones in their application to linguistics, Vietnamese may be considered as an example of register languages, where tones do not rely solely on pitches and on length, contour melody, intensity and phonation as the constituent elements of language register complex [6]. Mastering tones in tonal languages can become a big obstacle for learners with non-tonal language background, because of the learner’s unfamiliarity to such subtle differences of tones, their pitches, contours and intensity. Interference with their native language’s pitch pattern may cause significant tonal perception errors. According to Yip, many languages have occasional uses of pitch to change the meaning, in the overwhelming majority of cases, difference in pitches does not lead to the changes in the core meaning of words, unlike the highly tonal languages [2, 7, 8]

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