Lab experiment using physical models of the human vocal tract for high-school students

Abstract

Recently, the development of educational tools for acoustics has become popular in Japan. We believe that physical models of the human vocal tract are particularly useful for teaching acoustics. Formerly we proposed three models of the vocal tract corresponding to the Japanese vowels, /i/, /e/, /a/, /o/, and /u/. We presented cylindrical, nasalized, and plate type models. The models were made of transparent acrylic resin, enabling the configurations of the oral cavity to be seen from the outside of the model. In this presentation, we will discuss the results of a lab experiment in which we used these tools to teach the mechanism of vowel production to high-school students who had just finished studying basic acoustics. By manipulating the plates in the plate type model, students were able to simulate constrictions at nodes and antinodes, and they were able to hear the shift in formant frequencies. The exercise helped students to understand vowel production. We received positive feedback from those who participated in the experiment.