Phoneme Segmentation Research Articles

Dynamic assessment of phonological awareness in monolingual and bilingual French-speaking children

ABSTRACT Dynamic assessment (DA) is a tool used to assess children’s learning potential. Research on English-speaking children indicates that DA effectively diagnoses language disorders in monolingual and bilingual children. However, few DAs have been developed for French-speaking children. This study aimed to examine the validity of a dynamic phonological awareness task for differentiating French-speaking monolingual and bilingual children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD). Thirty-eight monolingual and bilingual children, aged 4–8 years, 23 with typical development (TD) and 15 with DLD, participated in the study. They performed a dynamic phoneme segmentation task, in which graduated cues were provided. Children were also administered a nonword repetition (NWR) task, and a modifiability scale, in which the examiner rated the child’s responsivity during the task. Statistical analyses examined what factors influenced dynamic task performance, and calculated the sensitivity and specificity of the tests. Results indicated that four factors emerged as significant in a mixed-effects logistic regression model: age, diagnostic group (TD vs. DLD), modifiability, and the number of phonemes in the target word. Older children who had TD and higher modifiability scores had better segmentation skills than other children. Words with fewer phonemes were also easier to segment than words with greater numbers of phonemes. The dynamic task had good sensitivity in the identification of DLD but less good specificity. Our findings indicate that a dynamic task of phonological awareness has the potential to be used as a diagnostic tool to differentiate TD and DLD.

The Online Intergenerational Tutoring Program: Older Adults Using Technology to Improve Children’s Early Literacy Skills

ABSTRACT Intergenerational tutoring programs can leverage technology to address the instructional needs of students. This study describes a novel online intergenerational tutoring program designed to target kindergarten students’ literacy skills. Older adult volunteers delivered evidence-based instructional strategies via Zoom. The study used a two-group, quasi-experimental design with students assigned to an intervention (n = 23) or waitlist control (n = 18) group. Five early literacy fluency skills were measured (letter naming, letter sound, phoneme segmentation, nonsense word, and real word). Tutors implemented the program with high fidelity. At posttest, the intervention group scored higher than the control group on each of the five skills and the group differences were statistically significant with a medium effect size for letter sound fluency and nonsense word fluency. Both tutors and parents reported high program acceptability. This study demonstrated how older adults can use online technology to disseminate evidence-based instructional interventions to children.

Influence of Mother Tongue on Phoneme Pronunciation in Speaking Mandarin for IX Grade Students of SMP Tunas Bangsa Makassar

This research is a qualitative descriptive study that aims to obtain data on the influence of mother tongue on the pronunciation of phonemes in speaking Mandarin for class IX students of SMP Tunas Bangsa Makassar. The data of this research is the pronunciation of segmental phonemes including consonants and vowels in Mandarin. The research data was obtained through audio recordings related to the oral test activities carried out by students. The data that has been obtained is then analyzed using an assessment table, conversion table and Foreign Service Institute table. From the results of data analysis, it is known that there is an influence of mother tongue on the pronunciation of phonemes in speaking Mandarin for class IX students of SMP Tunas Bangsa Makassar by obtaining FSI 1+ level, namely in the category of students being able to initiate and follow conversations and socialize on a limited basis.

Exploring phonological awareness skills in Arabic-speaking children with borderline intellectual functioning and poor reading

BackgroundPhonological awareness (PA) is the awareness of speech sounds and the ability to reflect on and manipulate the phonemic segments of speech. Research on PA skills in children with borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) is scarce. The objective of this study was to explore PA skills in Arabic-speaking children with BIF and poor reading in comparison to dyslexic children using a modified version of the Arabic PA test.MethodsA sample of 98 Egyptian children in the age range 6 years and 6 months to 11 years and 5 months was subjected to assessment by the modified Arabic PA test. The sample included 50 typically developing children, 24 dyslexic children, and 24 children with BIF and poor reading.Results and conclusionChildren with BIF and poor reading demonstrated poor PA skills. Their performance on the modified Arabic PA test was significantly lower than the performance of normal as well as dyslexic children in younger age groups (6 years and 6 months to 8 years). However, in the older age group (8 years and 1 month to 11 years and 5 months), the performance of BIF and dyslexic children was comparable and significantly lower than normal children. The modified Arabic PA test shows evidence for its validity and reliability and can be used for the assessment of PA skills of children with average intelligence as well as children with intellectual dysfunction.

Unsupervised phoneme segmentation of continuous Arabic speech

Unsupervised phoneme segmentation of continuous Arabic speech

Effects of Screen Time and Phonemic Segmentation in School Going Children

Background: The rapid proliferation of digital devices has significantly altered children's exposure to screen time, raising questions about its impact on their cognitive and language development. Previous research has indicated both potential benefits and drawbacks of screen time, particularly concerning phonological awareness and language skills in young children. This study seeks to explore the relationship between screen time and phonemic segmentation abilities, a critical component of phonological awareness, in school-going children. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between the amount of screen time and phonemic segmentation abilities in children aged 4 to 7 years, accounting for variables such as age, gender, and parental education levels. Methods: Conducted at the Department of Speech and Language Pathology, PSRD College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Lahore, this study utilized a cross-sectional design with a sample size of 253 children from various schools. The inclusion criteria were children with normal speech and language development who had exposure to digital devices, excluding those with phonological disorders or developmental delays. The YOPP-Singer Test of Phonemic Segmentation was employed to assess phonemic awareness. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 25, with ANOVA and Pearson Correlation tests to examine the relationship between screen time and phonemic awareness. Results: Among the participants, 56.1% were in kindergarten, with a gender distribution of 40.3% male and 59.7% female. Parental education varied, with 34.8% holding bachelor's degrees and 24.5% having M.Phil. qualifications. The majority of children (51.8%) reported 1 hour of screen time daily. The ANOVA test revealed no significant difference in phonemic segmentation abilities across different screen time durations (F=.526, p=.665). However, a Pearson Correlation analysis indicated a slight, non-significant positive correlation between screen time and phonemic segmentation abilities (r=.110, p=.080). Conclusion: The study suggests that the amount of screen time, within certain limits, is not significantly associated with phonemic segmentation abilities in children aged 4 to 7 years. These findings highlight the complexity of screen time's impact on language development, suggesting that factors beyond the duration of screen exposure, such as content quality and parental involvement, may play critical roles.

INVENTARISASI FONEM BAHASA SERAM TIMUR DI MANOKWARI, PAPUA BARAT

This research aims to describe the inventory and distribution of phonemes in the East Seram language in Manokwari, West Papua. The data consists of 850 Swadesh core vocabularies obtained in the East Seram language from people from Seram Island who now live in Manokwari. Data sources were obtained from informants' responses or answers to questions asked by researchers both orally and in writing and summarized in a Swadesh list. The method used is descriptive qualitative. Data was collected in depth through direct interaction with informant subjects through observation, interviews, and audio recordings. The process of analyzing the data encompasses transcribing the data, creating a phoneme inventory, and categorizing sounds according to different features, such as articulation and distribution, to recognize vowel and consonant phonemes in the language of East Seram in Manokwari, West Papua. This process includes analyzing phoneme usage patterns in words in initial, middle, and final positions. The results of the data analysis concluded that the East Seram language in Manokwari, West Papua, has 23 segmental phonemes consisting of 18 consonants and five vowels (monophthongs). These phonemes are: p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /c/, /j/, /k/, /g/, /f/, /s/, /h/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /r/, /l/, /w/, /y/, a/, /i/, /u/, /e/ and /o/.

Improving Automatic Forced Alignment for Phoneme Segmentation in Quranic Recitation

Improving Automatic Forced Alignment for Phoneme Segmentation in Quranic Recitation

초등영어 리터러시 격차 및 보정체계 연구

This study diagnosed the basic literacy skills and analyzed the competency gaps of 91 second graders across four classes of a public elementary school in Metropolitan City B in South Korea. Second graders were selected because they have not begun formally studying EFL (English as a foreign language) in school. Based on Acadience Reading K-6, the test used in this study consisted of 30 multiple-choice questions specifically developed for Korean students encompassing eight diagnostic areas (Alphabetics, Letter Naming, Fluency, First Sound Fluency, Phoneme Segment Fluency, Non-Sense Word Fluency, Word Decoding, and Maze). The study found a wide gap among the participants in basic literacy skills, and a key variable was the starting age of English study. Multi-level analysis showed that the participants’ abilities grew systematically and disproportionately. Explicit instruction for the deficit areas was found to be required, and systematic phonics education was deemed essential. The study attempted to derive the implications of systematic intervention in the future, based on the revealed areas of deficit in the detailed literacy capabilities.

An Investigation of the Differences in Phonological Awareness Performance Based on Cognitive Style

Purpose: Research in cognitive style has shown its relevance in predicting reading ability. However, its effect on phonological awareness, which plays a central role in reading acquisition, remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in phonological awareness based on cognitive style. Method: Twenty-nine monolingual English speaking African American and Caucasian 6-year-old 1st grade students from the Washington DC metropolitan area participated in the study. Participants were distributed as follows: 11 females, 18 males, 21 African Americans, and 8 Caucasians. Participants were of middle-class socioeconomic background with no evidence of cognitive, language, phonological, articulation or hearing deficits. Testing occurred over two sessions scheduled on different days. During the first session, participants were individually administered the Cognitive Style Assessment Protocol (CSAP) to measure cognitive style and assigned to either the wholistic or analytic cognitive style group. In the second session, the Phonological Awareness Assessment Protocol (PAAP) was administered to measure the main components of phonological awareness. Raw data consisted of participant scores on the CSAP and PAAP. Data were analyzed using two-tailed t-tests to determine if there were significant group differences between the analytic and wholistic groups in phonological awareness and its components. Results: Results showed that students with an analytic cognitive style performed better than those with a wholistic cognitive style on overall phonological awareness and on the following phonological awareness components: syllable segmentation, phoneme substitution, and phoneme blending. No significant group differences were found on rhyming, phoneme isolation, phoneme deletion, and phoneme segmentation tasks. Conclusion: Findings showed some differences in phonological awareness between analytic and wholistic students with analytic students performing better than wholistic students. These differences in aspects of phonological awareness seem to implicate cognitive style in reading acquisition given the central role that phonological awareness pays in reading development and suggest that wholistic students may experience reading difficulties that stem from their cognitive orientation.

Efficacy of a Supplemental Small-Group Early Literacy Intervention Implemented by Early Childhood Educators.

Phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge are fundamental building blocks for literacy development. We identified preschoolers with persistent delays in these skills and evaluated the efficacy of a supplemental curriculum to remediate deficits in early literacy skills. Using a cluster design, 21 classrooms were randomly assigned to early literacy versus language intervention conditions. Sixty children identified through fall semester assessments of phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge were enrolled in small-group instruction. Teachers completed eLearning modules, used a digital platform to enter data and facilitate data-based decision making, received practice-based coaching, and delivered 12 weekly units of an early literacy curriculum. Comparison teachers delivered similarly administered small-group language instruction. Large effects were evident for letter sounds, phoneme segmentation, first sound, and first sound fluency measures (d = 0.92, 4.77, 1.15, and 1.50, respectively), and nonsignificant, small effects for letter naming and blending measures (d = 0.26 and 0.27). This early literacy intervention package had practical benefits, with 90% of experimental group preschoolers exceeding the phonemic awareness benchmark for beginning kindergarten compared to 45% in the comparison group, for example. Providing preschool teachers with tools and support for implementing a tiered approach to early literacy intervention holds promise for producing impressive gains in skills required for children to succeed in later schooling.

Lexical data for the historical comparison of Rgyalrongic languages

As one of the most morphologically conservative branches of the Sino-Tibetan language family, most of the Rgyalrongic languages are still understudied and poorly understood, not to mention their vulnerable or endangered status. It is therefore important for available data of these languages to be made accessible. The lexical data sets the authors have assembled provide comparative word lists of 20 modern and medieval Rgyalrongic languages, consisting of word lists from fieldwork carried out by the first author and other colleagues as well as published word lists by other authors. In particular, data of the two Khroskyabs varieties were collected by the first author from 2011 to 2016. Cognate identification is based on the authors' expertise in Rgyalrong historical linguistics through application of the comparative method. We curated the data by conducting phonemic segmentation and partial cognate annotation. The data sets can be used by historical linguists interested in the etymology and the phylogeny of the languages in question, and they can use them to answer questions regarding individual word histories or the subgrouping of languages in this important branch of Sino-Tibetan.

Phonemic segmentation of narrative speech in human cerebral cortex

Speech processing requires extracting meaning from acoustic patterns using a set of intermediate representations based on a dynamic segmentation of the speech stream. Using whole brain mapping obtained in fMRI, we investigate the locus of cortical phonemic processing not only for single phonemes but also for short combinations made of diphones and triphones. We find that phonemic processing areas are much larger than previously described: they include not only the classical areas in the dorsal superior temporal gyrus but also a larger region in the lateral temporal cortex where diphone features are best represented. These identified phonemic regions overlap with the lexical retrieval region, but we show that short word retrieval is not sufficient to explain the observed responses to diphones. Behavioral studies have shown that phonemic processing and lexical retrieval are intertwined. Here, we also have identified candidate regions within the speech cortical network where this joint processing occurs.

Reading intervention for students with intellectual disabilities without functional speech who require augmentative and alternative communication: a multiple single-case design with four randomized baselines

BackgroundLiteracy is one of the most important skills a students can achieve, as it provides access to information and communication. Unfortunately, literacy skills are not easily acquired, especially for students with intellectual disabilities who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). There are many barriers to literacy acquisition, some due to low expectations from parents and teachers and lack of evidence-based reading programs and reading materials adapted for AAC. Barriers as a result of extensive support needs is also a real factor. This trial aims to deliver reading instructions to 40 students with intellectual disabilities who require AAC and contribute in the debate on how to best support this population through reading instructions to maximizes their reading skills.MethodologyForty non-verbal or minimally verbal students (age 6–14) with intellectual disabilities who require AAC will be part of a reading intervention with a multiple single-case design with four randomized baselines. The intervention period will last for 18 months and will commence in March 2023. The students will receive the intervention in a one-to-one format, working systematically with a reading material that contains phonological awareness and decoding tasks based on the Accessible Literacy Learning (ALL) developed by Janice Light and David McNaughton. All the teachers will be trained to deliver the reading intervention.DiscussionThe reading material “Lesing for alle” (Reading for all) is based on and follow the strategies behind the research of ALL. The current trial will through a reading intervention contribute to move beyond only teaching sight words and combine several reading components such as sound blending, letter-sound correspondence, phoneme segmentation, shared reading, recognition of sight words, and decoding. The strategies and methods in use is built on the existing science of reading, especially what has been effective in teaching reading for students with intellectual disabilities who require AAC. There is limited generalizability of prior findings in reading-related phonological processing interventions to different populations of them who use AAC specially outside of the USA. More research is needed to understand how programs designed to improve reading skills across other settings understand the program’s long-term effects and to study the effectiveness when delivered by educators who are not speech language therapists or researchers.Trial registrationNCT05709405. Registered 23 January 2023.

Computational Approaches to Phonology: Advances in Speech Recognition and Synthesis

This article explores the field of computational approaches to phonology, with a particular focus on recent increases in popularity and speech synthesis. Phonology, as a department of linguistics, deals with the observation of sounds and their work in language. Recent improvements in this area have resulted in major improvements in accuracy and efficiency, towards the integration of deep recognition strategies together with recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs). the models have tested the ability to capture complex phonetic patterns and decorate the overall performance of computerized speech reputation structures. These advances have seen packages in multiple domains, such as virtual assistants, text-to-speech structures, and language acquisition tools. This article looks at the main computational procedures used in phonology, along with characteristic-based representations, rule-based modes, and statistical methods. It explores demanding situations related to phonological evaluation, which include phoneme segmentation, pronunciation variants, and language-specific problems. In addition, this paper discusses mixing phonological knowledge with device learning strategies, which enables the development of robust and correct speech recognition and synthesis systems. As usual, this research represents remarkable advances from computational methods to phonology, particularly in the geographical area of speech recognition and synthesis. the combination of technology and linguistic insights has increased the accuracy, naturalness, and efficiency in processing spoken language. These enhancements open up new opportunities to enhance human-pc interaction, language recognition, and many other packages that rely on speech-based technologies.

Profiles of learner readers and their early literacy skills and environmental predictors: a large-scale longitudinal study from preschool to grade 1

As part of the French national cohort ELFE, a two-year longitudinal study was conducted and children’s literacy skills were assessed twice (N = 2,767), namely at the end of preschool (t1) and at the end of Grade 1 (t2). At t1, letter-name knowledge (LNK), phonological skills (PhoSk) and vocabulary were assessed and at t2, phonemic segmentation, word reading, listening and reading comprehension. Latent profile analyses conducted at t2 resulted in five profiles, ranging from good readers (48.8%), to average readers above the mean (16.2%), readers with very low phonological awareness skill (8.2%), poor readers with low reading comprehension skill (19.4%), and poor readers with general difficulties (7.4%). Two early literacy skills (LNK and PhoSk) and two environmental variables (parents’ educational level and household income) constituted good predictors of membership of a profile. However, home literacy practices also predicted membership of the good reader/poor reader profiles, albeit at a lower level.

Improving Vulnerable Populations’ Emergent Reading Outcomes by Training Preservice Teachers in an Evidence-Based Program

ABSTRACT This article details a large-scale tutor-to-teacher pipeline created in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program addressed two vital needs: 1) improving outcomes for striving readers in high-needs communities, and 2) improving teacher training in both evidence- and research-based instruction. Across school year (SY) 2020–2021 and 2021–2022, 608 preservice teachers delivered an evidence-based (Reading Rescue) or research-based (Reading Ready) early literacy intervention. Through a coordinated effort between the City University of New York (CUNY) and the NYC Department of Education (NYC DOE), 857 NYC DOE students received one-on-one, interactive, remote tutoring three to five days a week, for an average of 21 sessions. Results demonstrated that students who received the emergent word reading program, Reading Ready, improved in their phoneme segmentation and nonword reading skills by 31–47%, and students who received the follow-up evidence-based program, Reading Rescue, consistently improved by one intervention reading level per 10 sessions, and showed age equivalent reading gains of one-half to almost a full year of growth as measured by a standardized, nationally normed assessment. Discussion focuses on the value of this high-quality training and tutoring experience for preservice teachers and on the critical support provided to striving readers in underserved communities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Comparative Linguistic Study on Ambai, Ansus, Menawi and Biak Languages in Papua

This study is historical-comparative linguistic research of the languages of indigenous peoples in Saireri Bay, Papua province, namely the Ambai, Ansus, Menawi, and Biak languages. These languages are classified as non-Austronesian languages (SIL, 2000) and are hypothesized to be closely related. This study aims to find accurate evidence to reveal the genetic relationship level between these four languages. The study's data consisted of the Swadesh list's 200 basic words. The method applied in this study is a comparative method, supported by observation, interview, and documentation techniques. Based on the lexicostatistics technique, it was found that the quantitative evidence indicated that the highest related cognates reach 47% and the lower-level reach 38%, based on the lexicostatistics from the Swedish’s 200 basic vocabularies. The percentage of the related vocabulary is higher than in the other languages in the regency. The qualitative evidence found is the exclusive shared phonological and lexical innovation, strengthening the quantitative evidence. The innovation that phoneme PAAMB *j turns into/z/and/d/, *h turns into/O/on Biak. Besides that, metathesis, omission, and phoneme addition. In addition, after the reconstruction, the phoneme system of Proto-language Ansus-Ambai-Menawi and Biak (PAAMB) with segmental phonemes is five vowels and 15 consonant phonemes. The vowels of PAAMB are *i, *e, *a, *o, and *u, which have complete distribution, and the consonants that are (1) consonants that have complete distribution *p, *m, *h, (2) consonants that have distribution in the initial and middle of words *b, *w, *f, *t, *d, *n, *s *r, *j, *k, *g, *y, dan *h.

CTC기반 음성인식 모델과 저차원 특징을 이용한 음성신호에서의 음소분할

본 논문은 다중 수준 특징을 이용해 음성신호를 각 음소의 구간으로 분할하는 방법을 제안한다. 기존의 딥러닝 기반 음성인식 알고리즘들은 심층신경망이 추출한 고수준 특징을 기반으로 음소들의 위치를 추정한다. 그러나, 음소인식에는 고수준 특징이 효과적인 반면, 음소분할에는 지역적 정보를 잘 반영하는 저수준 특징이 더욱 효과적이다. 제안하는 방법은 먼저 고수준 특징을 이용해 음성신호로부터 음소들을 검출한 후 저수준 특징을 이용해 음소 간 경계를 추정한다. 고수준 특징만을 이용한 모델과의 비교 실험에서 음소 경계 추정 평균절대오차(mean absolute error)가 HESD 데이터셋에 대하여 0.34초에서 0.01초로 95.8% 감소하였으며, NUS-48E 데이터셋에 대해서는 0.17초에서 0.04초로 76.5% 감소하였다. 시각화 분석에서도 다중 수준 특징을 이용하는 제안하는 방법은 비교 모델에 비해 음소 간 경계를 더 정확하게 추정하였다.

Gamification in Improving Reading Skills of Preschool Children: Blending Through Puzzle Game

This study explores the effectiveness of puzzle games in improving the learning of Malay Language reading skills among preschool children. The study focuses on inculcating blending skills through puzzle games since one of the most critical elements in learning reading is phonics which involves the skills of letter recognition and phonemic segmentation. Two teachers and twenty-eight preschool children were involved in this study, consisting of 17 preschool children from one of the primary schools in Serian and 11 preschool children from one of the schools in Padawan. These preschool children between the age of five and six were divided into two teams of red and blue. Their preschool teacher monitored them during playday. Two methods were involved in collecting the data: interview and observation. Teachers' opinions on the interventions were acquired in semi-structured interviews, and preschool children were observed. These two preschools' findings show that blending through puzzle games in improving reading skills displays more significant learning benefits and is effective in collaboration, readiness, understanding, and shared mental models. Preschool children show more interest in participating in puzzle games' learning process. The game could be used for English classes and played in a larger space, such as a hall, to make it easier for preschool children to move. Future enhancements could focus on digitalised gamification that can provide more exciting and interactive gameplay.