Spoken Word Research Articles

Ecologies of Embodiment: Video Essays III

Polly Hudson, “These Hands: an EcoSomatic approach to a woman’s labour - of the body, and on the land” (6:31). This video essay is part of an ongoing practice as a gardener and dancer, a long-term project at an inner city urban allotment, entitled And So we Sow. The work responds to notions of women's labour from an EcoSomatic and eco-feminist perspective, drawing on principles from releasing dance practices particularly Skinner Releasing Technique, from permaculture, and from wider embodied engagement. // Ana Luiza Azevedo Dupas, “Practice of Resting, Reading and Translating the Text: ‘Hapticality, or Love’” (9:52). This video shows fragments of the workshop: “Practice of resting, reading and translating the text: ‘Hapticality or love’,” held online in the context of IV EIRPAC event in September 2021. From the practice of Eutony, participants of the workshop are invited to a somatic reading, and “transcreation” of the text, which is an excerpt from Fred Moten and Stefano Harney’s The Undercommons: Fugitive Planning & Black Study. // Lea Spahn and Hana Magdonova, “‘Within the Memories of a Mountain’: Posthuman Embodying as Techno-material Becoming” (11:00). This video essay is based on footage from performance artist Hana Magdoňová during her 39-day stay in Hády – a renaturating quarry in the post-socialist Czech Republic. Through an immersive layering of (video)images, sounds, and spoken words, the essay depics embodied encounters with this space and reads them through feminist materialist and posthumanist thinkers highlighting the entanglement of bodies, technologies, things, and other beings on a planetary scale.

APPLIED LINGUISTICS WITH DEEP LEARNING-BASED DATA-DRIVEN TEXT-TO-SPEECH SYNTHESIZER FOR ARABIC CORPUS

The field of Applied Linguistics, which deals with language and its practical uses, connects with technology in interesting methods, especially in the advancement of text-to-speech (TTS) synthesizers. TTS synthesizers change written text into spoken words, deploying ethics from phonology, phonetics, and syntax to create natural-sounding speech. Within linguistics use, these methods are invaluable purposes such as increasing communication in fractal human–computer interactions (HCIs), language-learning tools, and providing accessibility solutions for visually impaired individuals. TTS purposes at synthesizing understandable and natural speech from text, and it has advanced quickly in recent times because of the progress of artificial intelligence (AI). During past years, deep learning (DL)-based TTS techniques have been established quickly, enabling the generation of natural speech with a high-quality narrator that matches human levels. Creating TTS methods at the quality of the human level has always been the aspiration of speech synthesis practitioners. Although current TTS techniques achieve impressive voice quality, there remains an evident gap in quality compared to human recordings. In this paper, we present an Applied Linguistics with Deep Learning-based Data-Driven Text-to-Speech Synthesizer (ALDL-DDTTS) technique for Arabic corpus. The ALDL-DDTTS technique mainly aims to detect the text and convert it into speech signals on Arabic corpora. In the ALDL-DDTTS technique, a multi-head attention bi-directional long short-term memory (MHA-BiLSTM) approach can be employed with fractal optimization methods to predict the diacritic and gemination signs. Additionally, the Buckwalter code has been deployed for capturing, storing, and displaying the Arabic texts. To boost the efficiency of the ALDL-DDTTS technique, the hyperparameter selection process uses the fractal ant lion optimization (ALO) algorithm. For examining the boost performance of the ALDL-DDTTS methodology, a wide range of simulations is involved. The experimental outcomes illustrated that the ALDL-DDTTS technique reaches better performance than other models.

Adopting Verbal and Non-verbal Communication Strategies in Oral Discussion by Omani University Students

Effective communication, both verbal and non-verbal, is key to the success of university students in academic and professional settings. This paper examines how Omani university students use these communication strategies during oral discussions, focusing on the balance between spoken words and non-verbal cues like body language and eye contact. The study finds that while students mostly rely on verbal communication, non-verbal signals play an important role in making their message clearer and more impactful. Recommendations are offered to help students better integrate both forms of communication, improving their readiness for both academic challenges and future careers.

Executive functioning and nonverbal cognitive factors associated with response to technology-assisted language intervention

ObjectiveTo explore potential differences in the relationship between executive function (EF) skills and language development when integrating augmentative and alternative communication technology into speech-language therapy for deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) children. MethodRandomized trial data were analysed to investigate this relationship among children who participated in a Technology-Assisted Language Intervention (TALI) compared to treatment as usual (TAU). Language samples were assessed for pre-post-intervention changes, including mean length of utterance in morphemes (MLU), mean turn length (MTL), and number of different words spoken (NDW). EF skills were measured with standardized parent-report assessment. ResultsThirty-seven DHH children were included (TALI n = 19 and TAU n = 18). Results of regression models indicated that higher EF skills were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with improvements in MLU, MTL, and NDW among children who received TAU. No significant associations between EF skills and any of the measures (MLU, MTL, NDW) were seen in children who received TALI. ConclusionThese results suggest that TALI may offer language learning support, particularly for DHH children with EF difficulties. Future research should investigate the direct relationship between EF measurements and language outcomes in TALI recipients. Establishing baseline EF measurements in DHH children could inform personalized strategies within language interventions and therapy.

Toddlers and Adults Link Nouns to Typical Space, but What do Infants do?

ABSTRACT When adults hear a noun with an implicit up location, like “moon”, they typically respond faster with an up compared to a down response. Conversely, for nouns with an implicit down location, like “stone”, they respond faster with a down response. We test when respective language-space associations develop. German-learning infants (11–14 months), toddlers (2–4 years) and adults participated in an eye-tracking experiment. Participants first heard a noun implying an up or down location. We selected nouns that are likely to be known even by the infants. Following the spoken word, a target stimulus appeared either at the upper or lower screen part. In half of the trials the target appeared at the noun’s implicit position. In the other half of the trials the target appeared in the opposite position. Participants’ time to fixate the target (our preregistered measure) was not influenced by the previously heard nouns. We discuss methodological challenges of infant research that might have compromised the power needed for this preregistered analysis. However, our exploratory measure – participants’ fixations while listening to the implicit spatial words – revealed language-space association in adults and toddlers (but not in infants). Adults and toddlers fixated the upper part of the screen more than the lower part while listening to an “up word” and, conversely, the lower part more while listening to a “down word”. Thereby, our results provide evidence that children link nouns to typical space at least from the age of two.

BUILDING DOCUMENT READING ASSISTANT FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

This study introduces a solution that applies document analysis and recognition technologies to enhance document accessibility for individuals with visual impairments. The objective is to develop an algorithm capable of accurately analyzing the content of document components and converting them into voice format. Leveraging the pre-trained YOLOv8 model for document analysis and optical character recognition technology, the image annotation model uses the AIAnytime API and Pix2Tex technology to extract LaTeX code from images, facilitating the conversion of mathematical formulas into spoken words. The research results demonstrate significant progress in effectively supporting document reading, making a meaningful contribution to the field of assistive technology for the visually impaired.

Abstract B077: La lengua materna: Understanding language challenges experienced by Latino patients and caregivers in rectal cancer care

Abstract Background/Purpose: Language concordance is critical for effective communication between patient and provider. Compared to the percentage of primary Spanish speakers in California, there is a lack of Spanish-speaking providers in healthcare, especially in oncology. In-house hospital interpreters help overcome basic language barriers; however, even with the adoption of these services, there remain gaps in comprehension. Such gaps in communication can compromise the informed decision-making process, necessitating novel approaches to multilingual health communication. This study aimed to (a) explore language barriers Hispanic/Latino patients and their caregivers face when navigating rectal cancer care services and (b) propose a culturally-tailored solution that could address these barriers. Methods/Study Population: We designed a community-based participatory study using qualitative methods. Specifically, we formed a Community Advisory Board and partnered with local promotoras – health navigators with strong ties to the Hispanic/Latino community. Together, we developed a semi-structured interview guide to shape our conversations with individuals residing in the Bay Area or the San Joaquin Valley who identify as Hispanic/Latino, and who reported having either a past or current rectal cancer diagnosis. We also invited their caregiver(s) to attend the interview. Interviews lasted 45-60 minutes in English or Spanish. Over a 6-month period, twenty interviews were conducted with patients alone (n= 14), a caregiver alone (n=2), and patient-caregiver pairs (n=4). Data analysis utilized grounded theory and reflexive thematic analysis to identify core themes. Results: Themes that arose include (1) ineffective and non-satisfactory communication through electronic interpreter services, (2) bilingual caregiver burden in reinforcing interpreter translations due to dialect differences, (3) patients not actively seeking out translation services for concern of causing inconvenience to the healthcare team, (4) patients’ preferred language not accurately captured in the electronic medical record. Conclusion: Interpreter services have helped bridge the language gap in healthcare, but inevitable gaps remain as language involves more than just the spoken word; it includes the culturally influenced non-verbal cues and the management of emotional responses to the information provided, components of communication which interpreters may miss. A solution to address the cultural complexities of language among this population in this setting, could be the adoption of promotoras; these health navigators share multiple aspects of their cultural identities with the patient population, making them uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between the medical system and the Hispanic/Latino community. Citation Format: Eleanor Brown, Julian P Howland, Min Y. Kim, Lucas K. Carpenter, Patricia Castañeda, Maria Gonzalez, Miriam T. Hernandez, Zaria N. Cosby, Kristen M. Davis-Lopez, Ysabel Duron, Gladys M. Rodriguez, Sandra S. Zaky, Arden M. Morris, Aaron J. Dawes. La lengua materna: Understanding language challenges experienced by Latino patients and caregivers in rectal cancer care [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B077.

ANALYSING WOMEN'S LANGUAGE FEATURES IN ESHA CHHABRA'S TED TALK ON ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS

This research, titled "Women's Language Features of Environmental Business Journalist Esha Chhabra Video on TED YouTube Channel," aims to identify the characteristics of women's language used by Esha Chhabra. The data was collected from her spoken words in the video. The study identified 41 instances of women's language features, including lexical hedges, tag questions, rising intonation, empty adjectives, intensifiers, hypercorrect grammar, super polite forms, and emphatic stress. The most frequently used feature was the intensifier, which the speaker employed to reinforce her statements and persuade the audience. While the least encountered features are tag question, hypercorrect grammar, and emphatic stress. Notably, two features—precise color terms and strong swears words—was absent. This absence is attributed to the video's business context, where strong swear words are inappropriate, and precise color terms are unnecessary. This research contributes to understanding how women's language features are utilized in professional and public speaking contexts.

The Requiem of Taidam Ethnic Group

The objective of this study is to analyze the pattern of using spoken words and life styles of Taidam ethnic group through the requiem. The sample of the study includes 485 words and 147 texts in the requiem of Taidam ethnic group. The study is analyzed by qualitative method under the concept of Jaralvilai CHARUNROCHANA, Souk XAIYALEUD, Phonesiri OUTHAIVANH and faculty, Onekeo NUANNAVONG and faculty, KhamhoungSANMANI, and Houmphanh RATTANAVONG. The results of the study has found that in the patterns of using words there were 7 patterns; such as, there were the majority of 14 duplicated words; 49 overlapping words 119 hyponymy 17 polysemy words, In addition, it is found that there are 286 dialect words, among those, there are 67 words used in the religious requiem; there are 35 antonym words that have 18 pairs of words; and there are 97 group of words that have 12 words of head word group and 87 words of sub word group.For life style, such as belief, Taidam ethnic group believes in the spirit or ghost such as the spirit of house, the protected spirit at bath river bank, the protected ghost at the ghost district gate, Maebao sipirit, a deity or spirit of heaven, mermaid, and soul of beginning and ending. Furthermore, Taidam ethnic group has yet believed in the prediction of being reborn of the dead’s spirit. The tradition of Taidam still includes prediction of ghost, funeral ceremony, Baci ceremony, prohibitive practice, shelf of ghost by family. Sending off the spirit has three shelves including sending to Damdoi, sending Lienparnnoy and sending to Lienparnluang

Orthographic influences on phonological processing in children with and without reading difficulties: an eye-tracking study

AbstractPhonological processing is an important contributor to decoding and spelling difficulties, but it does not fully explain word reading outcomes for all children. As orthographic knowledge is acquired, it influences phonological processing in typical readers. In the present study, we examined whether orthography affects phonological processing differently for children with current reading difficulties (RD), children with a history of reading difficulties who are currently presenting with typical word reading skills (Hx), and children with typical development and no history of reading difficulties (TD). School-aged children completed a phonological awareness task containing spoken words and pictures while eye movements were recorded. In this task, children had to pair a spoken stimulus word with one of four pictures that ended with the same sound. Within the task, stimulus-target picture pairs varied in the congruency and consistency of the orthographic and phonological mappings of their final consonant sounds. Eye movements revealed that children with typical word reading (the Hx and TD groups) showed better discrimination of the target from the foils compared to peers with underdeveloped word reading skills. All children were more accurate when stimulus-target pairs were congruent and consistent than when they were incongruent or inconsistent. Orthography plays an important role in the completion of phonological awareness tasks, even in the absence of written words and for children with a wide range of reading abilities. Results highlight the importance of considering orthography during interventions for phonological awareness and word reading.

Implementation of Sibi Sign Language Realtime Detection Program (Case Studi At Sekolah Luar Biasa Negeri 1 Tabanan)

Indonesian deaf people utilize SIBI to communicate using spoken words, gestures, facial expressions, and body language. SIBI, certified for Special Schools (SLB), helps deaf pupils communicate. This project implements SIBI (Indonesian Sign Language System) a real-time detection algorithm at Sekolah Luar Biasa Negeri 1 Tabanan using image processing and YoloV8 ultralytics deep learning. The program trains a sign language gesture detection model on Google Colab's GPU. The SIBI sign language images were used to train a YoloV8 object detection model. The camera captures movements, which the YoloV8 algorithm trained on SIBI gesture data processes. It can recognize gestures in real time and generate text to non-sign language users. The dataset has 107 class vocabulary and 7 class affix prefixes for complete gesture recognition. Shirt color, room brightness, and webcam quality affect detection rates. Optimal detection accuracy is 87.74% and subpar 58.02%. Despite these limitations, the strategy helps deaf students communicate more effectively with non-sign language speakers. This program improves inclusivity and communication in schools, making learning easier for hearing-impaired pupils. This work provides a reliable and quick sign language identification system to help deaf educators and caregivers with daily interactions and education.

Emmanuel Macron: Anatomy of a Transgression

Among current Western heads of state, Emmanuel Macron is undoubtedly the most unique. Although he was only 39 years old when he was elected for the first time and 44 years old for the second time, he had never previously held an elective office. However, he shares with two of his predecessors, François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac, the fact of having held two mandates. This path is in itself atypical, not to say ‘disruptive’ compared to that of all the presidents who preceded him. This term is also the communication marker not only of his victorious 2017 presidential campaign but above all a key element of his political orientation. However, if he did, at first, ‘disrupt’ the political landscape in France, this momentum very quickly died down to such an extent that the political character he embodies has crystallized hopes, disappointments and then anger and even hatred. Such reactions lead to question the real contribution of this disruption. Until now, these questions have only been partially addressed, leaving room for the implementation of an original approach which consists in postulating that this disruption actually masks a transgression. Through the prism of transgression, this paper aims to decipher this (false) disruption as his journey from 2016 as a candidate until his second term has been illustrated by a variety of behavioral forms and lexical expressions. I approach these aspects in the form of critical narrative writing, which is based on concrete details, spoken words, speeches, interviews, and other texts.

Development of high sensitivity composite sensors for proprioceptive applications

This study describes the fabrication of extremely sensitive piezoresistive composite sensors designed to detect human motion and speech. Starting out, a solution of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) was formed in dimethyl formamide (DMF) with a concentration of 35 % weight to volume. The solution was subsequently spun using a custom-built centrifugal spinning setup to produce TPU fibers. Following their fabrication through spinning, TPU fibers were immersed in a solution of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) dispersed in tetra hydrofuran (THF), having a concentration of 25 %w/v, for dip coating TPU fibers with CNPs. This resulted in the formation of highly piezoresistive fibers having strain sensing capability. These fibers were then spun into the form of a yarn and tested as a strain sensor for proprioceptive applications. The composite sensors exhibited exceptional repeatability in tests involving continuous stretching and relaxing for more than 5000 cycles. The composite strain sensor demonstrated remarkable extensibility as well. The composite strain sensor was attached to different body parts such as the elbow, knees, fingers, and ankles to detect and track motion. It was found that the sensor could measure and track the angle, position, and frequency of motion in all of these scenarios. The sensor's remarkable sensitivity allowed it to detect different spoken words and letters, in addition to recognizing the action of swallowing in humans. The results show that the newly developed composite strain sensors are suitable for proprioceptive and speech recognition applications in soft robotics, wearable devices, and human-machine interactions.

Balāgah al-Jasad al-Furjūwī baina al-Ta’bīr al-Ĥarakī wa al-Kalimah al-Manṭūqah Masraḥiyyah “Kharīf” Numūżajā

This research aims to analyze body rhetoric between motor expressions and spoken words in the play "Kharif" as a model for the work of director Asmaa Houri. This qualitative research has a case study type of research on literary appreciation in drama performances in Morocco. The research data is in body rhetoric played by several drama actors. Data collection techniques use in-depth observation and documentation. The data analysis uses data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. The research results show that the body is important in constructing a drama performance. Rather, the motor elements contribute to the production of a diverse group of connotations. Several topics that shape the picture of contemporary drama in Maraco include women's movements and the duality of body and soul, men's and the duality of presence and absence, body language related to eye movements, and silence and the body in choreography.

Facial Animation Strategies for Improved Emotional Expression in Virtual Reality

The portrayal of emotions by virtual characters is crucial in virtual reality (VR) communication. Effective communication in VR relies on a shared understanding, which is significantly enhanced when virtual characters authentically express emotions that align with their spoken words. While human emotions are often conveyed through facial expressions, existing facial animation techniques have mainly focused on lip-syncing and head movements to improve naturalness. This study investigates the influence of various factors in facial animation on the emotional representation of virtual characters. We conduct a comparative and analytical study using an audio-visual database, examining the impact of different animation factors. To this end, we utilize a total of 24 voice samples, representing 12 different speakers, with each emotional voice segment lasting approximately 4–5 s. Using these samples, we design six perceptual experiments to investigate the impact of facial cues—including facial expression, lip movement, head motion, and overall appearance—on the expression of emotions by virtual characters. Additionally, we engaged 20 participants to evaluate and select appropriate combinations of facial expressions, lip movements, head motions, and appearances that align with the given emotion and its intensity. Our findings indicate that emotional representation in virtual characters is closely linked to facial expressions, head movements, and overall appearance. Conversely, lip-syncing, which has been a primary focus in prior studies, seems less critical for conveying emotions, as its accuracy is difficult to perceive with the naked eye. The results of our study can significantly benefit the VR community by aiding in the development of virtual characters capable of expressing a diverse range of emotions.

Preserving South Asian Tribal Legacies: Exploring Oral Traditions, Traditional Spoken Narratives and Folk Tales

In South Asia, spoken narratives and folktales act as intangible forms of knowledge transfer. However, in recent years, the region’s once-flourishing oral culture has been sidelined by imperialism, modernization, and the dominance of print and tangible archives. Despite this, some tribes have managed to preserve their oral archives and continue to sustain the process of knowledge transfer through the spoken word. This paper delves into examples of such communities and argues that they challenge several Western premises while exercising agency over their own epistemic material. Additionally, the paper highlights the need to decolonize archival efforts in the digital age and suggests ways in which scholars can ensure that a tribe's knowledge systems are appropriately showcased, shared, and represented.

Lyrical Perspectives on Lady Bryon’s I Talk Black and Simone Lagrand’s Nous sommes des rivières

The comparative study that I propose through the present article is not only a structured overview – of I Talk Black, written and spoken by the artist Lady Brion, from Maryland, in 2018, and Nous sommes des rivières, written and spoken by the artist Simone Lagrand, from Martinique, in 2014 – but a clear statement on the lyrical situation in the Americas. This paper comprehends various insights on an African-American woman’s musicality and a Franco-Creole-Caribbean woman’s orality. Taken together, these Black women’s pieces of work call for demonstrative freedom and compelling peace. If Brion says that, “This slang is semantic resistance” (I Talk) and Lagrand affirms that, “Il est dit que toutes les rivières descendent à la mer” (Nous sommes) therefore, where do their narratives meet each other? What’s the link between Brion’s “cornbread accent” and Lagrand’s “voyage vers nous-même”? To what extent do the selected authors’ prevailing rhetorical strategies echo one another? I will address how English, French and Creole languages evoke the creative process that nourishes the artists that I have met in person and interviewed in the context of my Ph.D. research on oral literatures such as Slam Poetry and Spoken Word in the Americas.

AI Personal Assistant

Abstract : This paper talks about using a Voice Intelligent Assistance tool, which basically means a program that responds to your voice commands. It can help you search for things, summarize information, and set reminders, all just by talking to it. With voice recognition technology, you can access any document or file by simply saying its name. If you say a word, it will type it out for you. The tool listens to what you say, finds the right information in its database, and shows it to you. It works by first turning your spoken words into written text. You need to make sure to speak in the right language so the assistant can understand you correctly. If there’s any confusion, it will show messages on the screen to help you out. This assistant is like a software helper that does tasks based on what you tell it. It makes interacting with computer programs easier because you can just talk to them instead of typing. It can even read out summaries of reports and important information to you, making things simpler and more convenient.

Word embedding and classification methods and their effects on fake news detection

Natural language processing contains multiple methods of translating written text or spoken words into numerical information called word embeddings. Some of these embedding methods, such as Bag of Words, assume words are independent of one another. Other embedding methods, such as Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers and Word2Vec, capture the relationship between words in various ways. In this paper, we are interested in comparing methods treating words as independent and methods capturing the relationship between words by looking at the effect these methods have on the classification of fake news. Using various classification methods, we compare the word embedding processes based on their effects on accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and specificity.

Is Phonological-Only Instruction Helpful for Reading?: A Meta-Analysis

ABSTRACT Purpose Phonological awareness (PA), the awareness of sounds in spoken words, is strongly linked to reading outcomes. However, there is an ongoing debate regarding the effectiveness of PA instruction without including print (i.e. PA without exposure to words or letters). Specifically, is PA-only instruction just as effective in improving reading outcomes when compared to print-based instruction (e.g. phonics)? Method Robust variance estimation was used to examine the effectiveness of PA-only instruction across 38 independent studies and 293 effect sizes. The sample consisted of 3,880 participants in preschool through first grade. The average age of participants was 5 years 7 months. Moderator analysis were conducted to examine differences in effect across outcomes, comparison conditions and participant characteristics. Results PA-only instruction had a moderate overall effect (g = 0.57, 95% CI [0.40, 0.74], p < .001) on reading-related outcomes. PA-only instruction was less effective when compared to print-based instruction (g = −0.54, 95% CI [−0.80, −0.27], p < .001) and less effective for word reading outcomes (g = -0.33, 95% CI [−0.66, −0.01], p = .05) than for PA outcomes (g = 0.64, 95% CI [0.44, 0.84], p < .001). Conclusion PA-only instruction can be beneficial for reading-related outcomes, but the effect varies depending on two important contextual factors: 1) the reading outcome type and 2) the comparison condition. Specifically, PA-only instruction might be less effective in improving word reading outcomes than PA outcomes. In addition, it has less of an effect on reading-related outcomes when compared to print-based instruction like phonics.