Speech Level Research Articles

Mandarin lexical tone duration: Impact of speech style, word length, syllable position and prosodic position

This study aims to increase our knowledge of Mandarin lexical tone duration in continuous Mandarin speech. Related variation factors such as the number of syllable(s) in word, the position of syllable in word, its prosodic position and speech style were also explored. Large corpora of casual and journalistic speech (total ∼1000 hours) were used. More than 90% of the words (tokens) used in spoken Mandarin are monosyllabic and disyllabic words. In casual speech, 67% of the wordtokens are monosyllabic and 30% of the word-tokens are disyllabic. In journalistic speech, however, disyllabic words (49%) are more frequently used than monosyllabic words (45%). Tone 4 is the most frequently used tone among the four lexical tones in both casual (34%) and journalistic (36%) speech. Tone 1, Tone 2 and Tone 3 have similar occurrence frequencies in causal speech. Tone 3 appears to be the least frequently used tone in journalistic speech. With regard to tone duration, the results show that Tone 2 tends to have the shortest duration in causal speech and Tone 3 appears to have the longest duration in journalistic speech. Nonetheless, the studied variation factors (number of syllable(s) in word, position of syllable in word and prosodic position) are all found to influence the duration of Mandarin lexical tones, for both causal speech and journalistic speech. Tone durations in monosyllabic words appear to be closer to those of word-final syllables than to other syllable positions in multi-syllabic words. In terms of prosodic position, tone duration tends to increase with higher prosodic level in both casual and journalistic speech. Regardless of tone nature and speech style, the longest tone duration is in phrase-final position, followed by word-final and then word-medial position. Regional variety for tone duration is explored using casual speech productions from speakers of five major cities of North and South-East China, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Wuxi, Suzhou and Nanjing.

Remotely administered computerized cognitive test battery with older adults

AbstractBackgroundComputerized cognitive assessments are an efficient and sensitive method of identifying cognitive impairments in aging and cognitively impaired populations. The current study examines the feasibility and reliability of remote, home testing with a new tool, the California Cognitive Assessment Battery (CCAB).MethodThe CCAB runs on a remote tablet platform (Figure 1) and includes telemedical interaction with an examiner via video chat (Figure 2). Examiners administer a comprehensive set of cognitive tests, including verbal, visual, memory, and processing speed tasks, as well as psychological questionnaires (Figure 3). The tasks are scored automatically, including consensus automated speech recognition (CASR) for the transcription of responses on verbal tasks (e.g., list‐learning memory tasks, picture description, verbal fluency). For the current study, the CCAB was administered remotely to 185 healthy older military veterans (aged 60–89; 18% women) in their homes, with testing sessions under video and audio supervision and assistance. The battery was administered three times within one week to assess test‐retest reliability.ResultReaction times, word onset latency, response accuracy, error types, and speech samples were collected and analyzed. Participant experience was generally favorable: 98% of participants completed all three testing sessions, with 99% of all tests in those sessions completed successfully. Additionally, after a mid‐year software and examiner procedure reformulation of a small subset of CCAB tests, there was a 42% decrease in test failures and a 6% decrease in repeated tests. Individual test times were overall highly uniform across participants (Figure 4), with an entire CCAB battery having low daily test time variability. Also, compared to home noise levels, recorded speech levels were sufficient to support CASR transcript generation for scoring verbal tasks (Figure 5). Finally, in a subset of 50 participants, similar test battery characteristics were found when a CCAB session was repeated later under laboratory conditions.ConclusionThe CCAB shows promise as an objective, reliable automated digital assessment tool to evaluate cognitive functioning in adults both at home and in the laboratory or clinic.

Alih Kode dan Campur Kode Dialog Tutur Sepuh di Semarang Tv Edisi Januari-November 2019

The purpose of this study is to describe the types of code switching that occur in the Speech Sepuh dialogue on Semarang TV January November 2019 edition and describe the form of code mixing in the form of words, phrases, baster, word repetition, clauses obtained in the Sepuh Speech dialogue on Semarang TV January edition. November 2019. The research method is descriptive qualitative. The data source for this research is video documents from youtube, the Tutur Sepuh event on Semarang TV in January November 2019. The data collection technique was obtained by the listening method followed by the note-taking technique. The data analysis technique uses the comparative method or also called the equivalent method. The results of the study were in the form of code switching from Javanese to Indonesian, forms of code mixing in Javanese with Indonesian, Javanese with Arabic, and several factors were found behind the occurrence of code switching and code mixing, namely the limitations of the use of codes, the use of more popular terms. , variety and level of speech.
 Keywords: Code switching, Code mixing Tutur Sepuh

Contrastive Analysis of Errors Analysis in the Use of Japanese and Sundanese Speech Level Categories for Themselves (Kenjougo and Lemes Keur Sorangan)

This study aims to describe some of the errors in the use of Japanese speech levels in the Kenjougo form by Japanese language learners and the smooth form of Sundanese language for themselves by some Sundanese people. What kinds of errors are found in the use of the two languages, the answers will be presented in this study.The data in this study for the use of the Japanese language were obtained from questionnaires addressed to students of the Japanese Literature Study Program, Faculty of Humanities, Gadjah Mada University semester III, V, and VII. While the data for the use of the Sundanese language consisted of two groups, the first group was obtained from the distribution of questionnaires addressed to Japanese language lecturers who spoke Sundanese and the second group was obtained from housewives, civil servants, retired civil servants, and others. It was concluded that the errors in using Kenjougo in the third semester were 36.36%, the fifth semester errors were 21.27%, and the seventh semester errors were 33.33%. Meanwhile, errors in the use of the lemes keur sorangan form among Japanese language lecturers who speak Sundanese as much as 22% and the public as much as 15%.

First Language Acquisition Case of a Dabawenyo Bisaya Three-Year-Old Child

This research intends to track the first language acquisition descriptions of a three-year-old child speaking the Cebuano (Dabawenyo Bisaya) language in the Philippines. This research used naturalistic observations and interviews to gather data. The descriptive qualitative approach is the methodology employed in this study. Some important characteristics of the child’s language development were revealed. The child acquired the language through the principle of language innateness coupled with socio-factors. The exhibition of linguistic and communicative inputs of the child was derived from the representation of environmental sounds and speech intelligibility from the adult speeches. Primarily, the child used modeling and imitation to acquire language inputs used in household-level interactions. Cognitive, affective, competence, and performance factors were demonstrated to be enablers of the first language development of the child. However, there were also factors that inhibited the child from forming comprehensible language inputs such as phonological errors, and incorrect utterances, among others. The child also showed features of comprehension through the framework of sentential levels of adult speech. Clearly, a child’s earliest years are greatly influenced by nature and the surroundings. Language learning development is crucial in the earliest years so parents and early childhood educators ought to have crucial roles as vehicles in the formation of speech and comprehension of the children.

COMMENTS ON ALON BEN‐MEIR'S “THE CASE FOR AN ISRAELI‐PALESTINIAN‐JORDANIAN CONFEDERATION, WHY NOW AND HOW”

This essay draws attention to some of the current conditions in Palestine as these relate to, and potentially affect, the arguments contained in Alon Ben‐Meir's (2022) recent proposal for an Israeli‐Palestinian‐Jordanian Confederation. In contrast to the level of free speech in Israel, the situation in Palestine is significantly more guarded and less understood abroad. I argue that this should be taken into account in any and all proposals for conflict resolution between the two peoples. My aim is to highlight some important aspects of the proposal and encourage Israelis and Palestinians alike to investigate more deeply what is happening in Palestine in order to assist in generating policy solutions that consider the concerns and the goals of both peoples in the context of a permanent solution to their conflict.

VARIASI PEMAKAIAN BAHASA JAWA DIALEK REMBANG PADA MASYARAKAT PEDESAAN: KAJIAN SOSIODIALEKTOLOGI

The focus of this research is on variations in the use of the Javanese dialect of Rembang by rural communities. Research data in the form of written data and oral data. Case study in Tuyuhan Village, Pancur District, Rembang Regency. The objectives of this research are (1) to reveal vocabulary variations and (2) to describe variations in speech level usage. In collecting data, the researcher used the listening method and the speaking method. The results of the study include: (1) there are variations in vocabulary in 11 fields of meaning, namely greeting words/pronouns, animals, plants, clothes, body parts, kinship patterns, work, household equipment, diseases, activities/activities, and natural conditions. (2) there is an influence of Indonesian into Javanese, both Krama and Ngoko

Stratégies discursives d'utilisation des expressions numérologiques et parémies

Modern sciences widely use comparative methods in the study of phraseological and paremiological backgrounds based on different systems of languages. Studies identify what is common and characteristic of the analyzed linguistic units and highlight what is characteristic only of a certain language. The universal category of quantity and the concept of number closely related to it arose from the earliest stages of the development of human thought. In addition to a logical and rational way of knowing the surrounding reality, they reflect people's faith in the mystical essence of numbers and their magical power. This irrational belief is inherent in all cultural traditions, without exception. The two ways of perceiving and knowing the surrounding reality coexist and are realized in human language. The linguistic expression of the numerical models accompanying a person in his historical development is based on cognitive knowledge, which has many universal characteristics. The purpose of the work is to study the pragmatics of numerological units in language and the reflection of speech in speech due to many components of the lexico-semantic level and the level of speech acts. Achieving this goal is facilitated by solving the following tasks: 1) study of the characteristics and functioning of the number in various linguistic images of the world; 2) the study of the numerological aspect in phraseological units and paroemias to identify their national and cultural specificities; 3) consideration of the meaning of number symbolism and identification of cultural codes in phraseological units and paroemias of various cultures. The perspectives of this study are presented in another comparative analysis of the lexical (direct) and connotative meanings of linguistic units with a numerological component in other languages, as well as linguistic units that do not have a direct quantitative meaning but realize the quantitative significance in a pragmatic-discursive aspect. Such studies will contribute to a complete description of the world of numbers.

Acoustic Characteristics of Cantonese Speech Through Protective Facial Coverings

ObjectivesProtective facial coverings (PFCs) such as surgical masks attenuate speech transmission and affect speech intelligibility, which is reported in languages such as English and German. The present study intended to verify the detrimental impacts on production of tonal languages such as Cantonese, by examining realization of speech correlates in Cantonese under PFCs including facial masks and shields. MethodsWe recorded scripted speech in Hong Kong Cantonese produced by three adult speakers who wore various PFCs, including surgical masks, KF94 masks, and face shields (with and without surgical masks). Spectral and temporal parameters were measured, including mean intensity, speaking rate, long-term amplitude spectrum, formant frequencies of vowels, and duration and fundamental frequency (F0) of tone-bearing parts. ResultsSignificant changes were observed in all acoustic correlates of Cantonese speech under PFCs. Sound pressure levels were attenuated more intensely at ranges of higher frequencies in speech through face masks, whereas sound transmission was affected more at ranges of lower frequencies in speech under face shields. Vowel spaces derived from formant frequencies shrank under all PFCs, with the vowel /aa/ demonstrating largest changes in the first two formants. All tone-bearing parts were shortened and showed increments of F0 means in speech through PFCs. The decrease of tone duration was statistically significant in High-level and Low-level tones, while the increment of F0 means was significant in High-level tone only. ConclusionsGeneral filtering effect of PFCs is observed in Cantonese speech data, confirming language-universal patterns in acoustic attenuation by PFCs. The various coverings lower overall intensity levels of speech and degrade speech signal in higher frequency regions. Modification patterns specific to Hong Kong Cantonese are also identified. Vowel space area is reduced and found associated with increased speaking rates. Tones are produced with higher F0s under PFCs, which may be attributed to vocal tension caused by tightened vocal tract during speaking through facial coverings.

Corpus-based analysis of honorifics in Korean and its pedagogical implication

Abstract This study explores the speech level shifts from non-honorific to honorific situation by analyzing Korean spoken corpora of conversations between native speakers of Korean through a discourse-analytic framework. Although non-honorific styles (e.g., panmal) are used as frequently as honorific ones (e.g., contaysmal), little attention has been paid to non-honorific expressions in Korean, let alone to the speech level shift between non-honorific and honorific. Analyzing interactions between native speakers of Korean revealed that, depending on the change of their stance in response to the interlocutor’s utterance, speakers dynamically switched their speech levels not only within the boundary of non-honorifics or honorifics, but also across the dichotomous categories, that is, they changed from non-honorific to honorific speech styles. In general, speakers employed the speech level elevation from non-honorific to honorific when indexing a confrontational stance toward a topic and an object, or when upgrading an epistemic stance in naturally occurring interactions. The findings of this study encourage researchers to actively construct and use corpora of authentic/naturalistic conversations to explore the dynamicity of the speech level shift and its functions, which in turn contributes to developing instruction materials that reflect the dynamicity of the Korean honorific system.

NATIONAL AND MODERN ORTHOEPIC NORM OF THE KAZAKH LANGUAGE

The article compares phonetic and orthoepic features of modern and traditional word formation of the Kazakh language. For this purpose, a business trip was organized to the Shalkar district of the Aktobe region, the Aral district of the Kyzylorda region, the Zaisan district of the East Kazakhstan region, where a single Kazakh lived, unhurried speeches of senior Kazakhs were recorded, the speech features of Kazakh youth born in 2000 and citizens of Kazakhstan born in the 70s were analyzed. The phonetic-prosodic level of speech of the representatives of the older generation and the younger generation was considered from the point of view of the Socaptam level. As a result, since the 70s, the Kazakh oral language has mostly observed the norms of writing, both writing and pronouncing the word, and since 2000, new phenomena have appeared in the speech of the born generations, alien even to the norms of the Kazakh language. Such changes in the language do not correspond to the traditional grammatical system, word-formation skills of consumers of the language with a high level of language education, speak of a change in the traditional vocabulary of the Kazakh language, separation from the traditional, national.

Offsetting love and hate: The prosodic effects of the non-standard 1sg in tweets to Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn over four days of the UK general election

Abstract There is no punctuation in English endowed with attenuating qualities which could function as the contrary of “!”, and in a language with no speech levels, such paucity of expression can come at a cost, especially online. This paper on the non-standard 1sg in English — i — aims to demonstrate that the use of this novel form is both conscious and meaningful, indeed it is a variation carrying its own linguistic mechanisms. Using linguistics and statistics we will see: a) how the use of the lowercase variant, which in English is an aberration, can have prosodic effects on the utterance, and thus signify a feeling. And, b) how textometry allows us to reveal the use of this non-standard 1sg in a contrastive corpus of tweets addressed directly to (@) Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, over four days of the UK general elections, by testing its frequency with several collocations, among others: slurs and hate speech, hapax, and conjunctions. The results obtained tend towards the confirmation that the non-standard 1sg is used not only to signal youth, but also as a precautionary implement deployed when weighing in on divisive topics, amounting to publishing a statement with a caveat.

Automatic Assessment of Aphasic Speech Sensed by Audio Sensors for Classification into Aphasia Severity Levels to Recommend Speech Therapies.

Aphasia is a type of speech disorder that can cause speech defects in a person. Identifying the severity level of the aphasia patient is critical for the rehabilitation process. In this research, we identify ten aphasia severity levels motivated by specific speech therapies based on the presence or absence of identified characteristics in aphasic speech in order to give more specific treatment to the patient. In the aphasia severity level classification process, we experiment on different speech feature extraction techniques, lengths of input audio samples, and machine learning classifiers toward classification performance. Aphasic speech is required to be sensed by an audio sensor and then recorded and divided into audio frames and passed through an audio feature extractor before feeding into the machine learning classifier. According to the results, the mel frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) is the most suitable audio feature extraction method for the aphasic speech level classification process, as it outperformed the classification performance of all mel-spectrogram, chroma, and zero crossing rates by a large margin. Furthermore, the classification performance is higher when 20 s audio samples are used compared with 10 s chunks, even though the performance gap is narrow. Finally, the deep neural network approach resulted in the best classification performance, which was slightly better than both K-nearest neighbor (KNN) and random forest classifiers, and it was significantly better than decision tree algorithms. Therefore, the study shows that aphasia level classification can be completed with accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score values of 0.99 using MFCC for 20 s audio samples using the deep neural network approach in order to recommend corresponding speech therapy for the identified level. A web application was developed for English-speaking aphasia patients to self-diagnose the severity level and engage in speech therapies.

The effect of hearing protection worn by talker and/or target listener on speech production in quiet and noise.

Speech production while wearing hearing protectors poses significant challenges due to their occlusion effect and disruption of the Lombard effect. An experiment was conducted with 24 individuals as they read a list of 12 sentences in open ears and while wearing an earmuff in quiet and in four different noises [pink, International Female Fluctuating Masker (IFFM), speech-spectrum noise (SSnoise), and helicopter] at two levels (70 and 85 dBA). An acoustic manikin, fitted or not with an identical protector, served as the target listener. In noise, speech levels decreased when the talkers wore the earmuff but increased when the target listener was fitted with the earmuff. When the earmuff was used by both the talkers and target listener, speech levels were lower by 3-6 dB at the higher noise level compared to when they were both open ears. Speech levels were typically lower, but extended speech intelligibility index estimates were consistently higher, in fluctuating (IFFM, helicopter) than in continuous noises (pink, SSnoise). Talkers' pitch frequency and voice spectrum measurements followed very closely the changes in speech levels, showing no evidence of compensatory voice modifications. Implications of the lower talker speech levels when wearing hearing protectors are discussed in terms of protector selection, training, and individuals with hearing loss.

A basic protocol for the acoustic characterization of small and medium-sized classrooms.

To promote a fast and effective characterization of the sound environment in small and medium-sized classrooms, a basic measurement protocol, based on a minimum number of parameters and positions, is provided. Measurements were taken in 29 occupied classrooms belonging to 13 primary schools in Turin, Italy, that differ in location and typology. The background noise level was acquired during silent and group activities, and the reverberation time, speech clarity, useful-to-detrimental ratio and speech level, were acquired along the main axis of each classroom and in one or two offset positions. To reduce the number of measured parameters that can be used to fully characterize classroom acoustics, data were divided into two groups on the basis of a cutoff value of maximum occupied reverberation time in the case of moderate and severe requirements. Given the strong correlation among the quantities, thresholds were identified for the other acoustical parameters, and their accuracy and precision were tested to assess their ability to classify the acoustic quality as compliant or non-compliant. Results suggest that more convenient parameters, like clarity in the central position of the classroom, can be used instead of reverberation time to classify classroom acoustics.

The Oticon Ponto System in Adults With Severe-to-Profound and Mixed Hearing Loss: Audiologic Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction.

ObjectiveTo measure audiologic outcomes and self-assessed satisfaction with the Ponto system in a group of patients who had severe to profound and mixed hearing loss.Study DesignRetrospective case review.SettingTertiary referral center.PatientsSixteen patients aged 21 to 74 years with severe-to-profound and mixed hearing loss (bone conduction thresholds, ≥45 dB HL).InterventionsPonto implant surgery.Main Outcome Measure(s)Pure-tone audiometry, free-field hearing thresholds, effective gain, word recognition score in quiet, and speech reception threshold (SRT) in noise were assessed. Patient-reported outcomes were collected using the Clinical Global Impression Scale, Glasgow Benefit Inventory, and Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit. Information concerning any medical complications was also gathered.ResultsBoth word recognition score and SRT were significantly better after 12 months compared with before surgery. At normal speech level (65 dB SPL), 12 of 16 users had speech discrimination ≥70%. However, at the 12-month follow-up, the average effective gain was −6.2 dB. In general, the self-report outcomes showed good satisfaction in most patients. Postoperatively, skin complications were noted in six patients, of whom two underwent reoperation. All patients were still using the Ponto after an average observation time of 2.7 years.ConclusionAlthough skin complications were not uncommon, the Ponto system seems to be an effective method of improving hearing performance and provides subjective satisfaction in real-life situations in patients with severe-to-profound and mixed hearing loss. However, considering the significantly increased bone conduction thresholds and the risk of their further deterioration, long-term follow-up is still needed.

Lirik Lagu Satru 2 Karya Denny Caknan dari Kacamata Sosiolinguistik

In this modern era, there are many songs with lyrics that use Javanese. Modern pop songs with Javanese lyrics are increasingly loved by the public. This is because the songs of the pop genre and in Javanese are considered to represent the feelings of the ambyar, the majority of whom are teenagers (aged around 12-22 years). This study was conducted with the aim of analyzing a Javanese pop song entitled Satru 2 written by Denny Caknan based on a sociolinguistic scalpel. So to achieve this goal, this research uses descriptive qualitative methods. The point of view of sociolinguistic theory is used as a reference in this study. Based on the analysis that has been done, the lyrics of the song Satru 2 are really relevant to the age of the listener who is a teenager. This was found based on the use of dialect aspects, speech levels, and the variety of languages used in the lyrics of the song, thus creating a sense of closeness to the listener. Based on these aspects, the lyrics of the song Satru 2 use the Blitar dialect with the speech level of ngoko. Keywords: Sociolinguistics, Javanese Song, Satru 2, Denny Caknan

The Variety of Returning of the Statutory Nominal Sentence in The Holy Qur’an

The research reveals a textual problem related to the variety of returning of the statutory sentence to more than one place in the Holy Qur’an. Because the style of the Qur’an is miraculous and bears many meanings and faces, therefore it has the validity of the returning pronoun to various things to achieve the greatest deal of meanings, such as referring to the nearest or the farthest together, the spoken about, the non-dit, to singular referring to dual or plural, or to whatever has different semantic references, yet the context evidence is the decisive for its advantage in understanding the context and its reliability in studies. It may appear to the observer that the returning pronoun in any text is problematic, but if one contemplates and scrutinizes it; one would find that it is one of the reasons for the semantic expansion. Therefore, the study demonstrates the concept of ‘returning’ in the text, and the extent of its influence in directing the significance of the statutory sentence, then start with the Qur’anic texts to explain the secrets of the variety, and to clarify this and highlight its hidden semantic meaning, the inductive and analytical approaches should be followed. The field of study required to examine the Qur’an because it is the most eloquent text among the levels of speech; that is, via selecting verses from the Holy Qur’an to find out the semantic meanings and meanings deduced from this variety. To show these meanings, grammarians’ books and commentators’ opinions, sayings and evidences were relied to and discussed, stating the most correct saying, in addition to the books of rhetoric that deal with the returning and the statutory sentence accurately. Thus, it is hoped that this study will answer the implications and the hidden semantics of the variety of the returning of the statutory sentence.

Afiksasi Verba Bahasa Madura Dialek Pamekasan berdasarkan Perspektif Derivasi dan Infleksi

This study aims to describe the affixation of Madurese verbs in the Pamekasan dialect of low speech level based on the perspective of derivation and inflexion. The data of this research is in the form of Pamekasan dialect Madurese verbs. The data sources in this study were 10 informants who were native speakers of the Pamekasan Madura dialect, which were determined using the snowball sampling technique. Data collection is done by using the interview method with elicitation techniques. The data obtained were then analyzed through three stages: the data reduction stage, the data presentation stage, and the conclusion preparation stage. The results showed three processes of verb-forming affixation in the Pamekasan dialect of Madura, including prefixation, suffixation, and confixation. Based on the data, it was found that several affixes that make up Pamekasan dialect Madurese verbs, including prefixes ma–, a–, ta–, N–, –, pa–, pa–, nga–, and ka–, suffixes –a, – aghi, and –è, and the confixes a–aghi, N–aghi, N–è, ma–aghi, –aghi, ma–ana, –è, a–an, ma–è, and ma–an. This affixation is divided into inflectional affixation, transpositional derivational affixation, and non-transpositional derivational affixation.

The Potential of Speech as the Calibration Sound for Level Calibration of Non-Laboratory Listening Test Setups

The pandemic of COVID-19 and the resulting countermeasures have made it difficult or impossible to perform listening tests in controlled laboratory environments. This paper examines the possibility of using speech for level calibration of sound reproduction systems used in listening tests performed in non-laboratory conditions, i.e., when such tests are distributed through the means of electronic communication and performed in a home environment. Moreover, a larger pool of potential test subjects can be reached in this manner. The perception of what the “normal” level of reproduced speech should be was examined through a listening experiment by letting the listeners set the level of reproduced speech samples as they saw fit, depending on the used sound reproduction system, the (non)existence of visual stimulus, and the voice of the speaker. The results show that the perception of normal speech level is highly individual when it comes to setting that level by listening to reproduced speech. The interindividual differences between the subjects are considerably larger than the impact of the three main effects. The understanding of what the “normal” level of read speech should be was examined experimentally as well by asking the subjects to read a paragraph of text, depending on the visual stimulus. The results show that the “normal” level of read speech is reasonably consistent and averages at 55 dBA at a normal conversational distance of 1 m, in a room with room acoustics conditions typical for home environment and low background noise, and with the visual stimulus that mimics the interlocutor put within the personal space of the reader. A preliminary proposal is given of a level calibration method for non-laboratory listening experiments based on these results, and some of its aspects that require further research are discussed.