Binaural Speech Intelligibility in a Real Elementary Classroom

Abstract

Since the fundamental phases of the learning process take place in elementary classrooms, it is necessary to guarantee a proper acoustic environment for the listening activity to children immersed in them. In this framework, speech intelligibility is especially important. In order to better understand and objectively quantify the effect of background noise and reverberation on speech intelligibility various models have been developed. Here, a binaural speech intelligibility model (BSIM) is investigated for speech intelligibility predictions in a real classroom considering the effect of talker-to-listener distance and binaural unmasking due to the spatial separation of noise and speech source. BSIM predictions are compared to the well-established room acoustic measures as reverberation time (T30), clarity or definition. Objective acoustical measurements were carried out in one Italian primary school classroom before (T30= 1.43s±0.03 s) and after (T30= 0.45±0.02 s) the acoustical treatment. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) corresponding to signal-to-noise ratio yielding 80% of speech intelligibility will be obtained through the BSIM simulations using the measured binaural room impulse responses (BRIRs). A focus on the effect of different speech and noise source spatial positions on the SRT values will aim to show the importance of a model able to deal with the binaural aspects of the auditory system. In particular, it will be observed how the position of the noise source influences speech intelligibility when the target speech source lies always in the same position.