Skip to main content

Designing Speech Perception Tasks with TP

  • Chapter
Investigating English Pronunciation

Abstract

The variety of commercial and open-source software available to carry out behavioural experiments is considerably large. A few programs (e.g. E-Prime, DMDX or MATLAB) that present stimuli and measure behavioural data are used by researchers to test and/or train the perception of both native (L1) and non-native (L2) speech. However, many have restricted access because they are either developed for specific projects or for commercial purposes (and are, thus, property software). Moreover, the vast majority requires knowledge of scripting languages, such as the open-source software Praat (Boersma and Weenik, 2013), Alvin (Hillenbrand, 2013), Percy (Draxler, 2011) or WebExp2 (Keller, Gunasekharan, Mayo and Corley, 2009), which may not be considered accessible to speech professionals with little expertise in programming languages (e.g. Python, Lua, XML, Java, C+, among others). In addition, the available programs that run speech perception tasks with audiovisual or visual stimuli and immediate feedback are still scarce. Taking these factors and limitations into consideration, we developed TP (Rauber, Rato, Kluge and Santos, 2012), which stands for Teste/Treino de Perceção (Perception Testing/Training). This open-source software application was developed for speech perception tasks that aim at testing and/or training the perception of speech (segments and/or suprasegmentals) in three conditions: visual, auditory and audiovisual.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Akahane-Yamada, R., Tohkura, Y., Bradlow, A. and Pisoni, D. (1996). Does training in speech perception modify speech production? Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Spoken Language Processing (Vol. 2, pp. 606–9). Philadelphia, Pa: IEEE.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Beddor, P. and Gottfried, T. (1995). Methodological issues in cross-language speech perception research with adults. In W. Strange (ed.), Speech perception and linguistic experience: Issues in cross language research (pp. 207–32). Timonium, Md: York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boersma, P. and Weenink, D. (2013). PRAAT: Doing phonetics by computer (Version 5.3.39) [Software]. Available from http://www.praat.org/

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradlow, A. R., Pisoni, D. B., Akahane-Yamada, R. and Tohkura, Y. (1997). Training Japanese listeners to identify English/r/and/l/: IV. Some effects of perceptual learning on speech production. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 101 (4): 2299–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradlow, A., Yamada, R., Pisoni, D. and Tohkura, Y. (1999). Training Japanese listeners to identify English/r/and/l/: Long-term retention of learning in perception and production. Perception and Psychophysics, 61 (5): 977–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlet, A. (2014, January). Perception and production of L2 English consonants and vowels: A cross training study in progress. Paper presented at the International Workshop on Cross-Language Speech Perception, Braga, Portugal.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cebrian, J., Mora, J. C. and Aliaga-Garcia, C. (2010). Assessing crosslinguistic similarity by means of rated discrimination and perceptual assimilation tasks. In K. Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, M. Wrembel and M. Kul (eds), New Sounds 2010: Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on the Acquisition of Second Language Speech (pp. 77–82). Poznań, Poland. Retrieved from: http://ifa.amu.edu.pl/newsounds/files/proceedings/proceedings_quotable_version.pdf

    Google Scholar 

  • Draxler, C. (2011). Percy — an HTML5 framework for media rich web experiments on mobile devices. Proceedings of Interspeech 2011 (pp. 3339–40). Florence, Italy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flege, J., MacKay, I. and Meador, D. (1999). Italian speakers’ perception and production of English vowels. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 106 (5): 2973–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flege, J., Munro, M. and MacKay, I. (1995). Factors affecting strength of perceived foreign accent in a second language. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 97 (5): 3125–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez Lacabex, E. G. and García Lecumberri, M. (2010). Investigating training effects in the production of English weak forms by Spanish learners. In K. Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, M. Wrembel and M. Kul (eds), New Sounds 2010: Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on the Acquisition of Second Language Speech (pp. 137–43). Poznań, Poland. Retrieved from: http://ifa.amu.edu.pl/newsounds/files/proceedings/proceedings_quotable_version.pdf

    Google Scholar 

  • Guion, S. G., Flege, J., Akahane-Yamada, R. and Pruitt, J. (2000). An investigation of current models of second language speech perception: The case of Japanese adults’ perception of English consonants. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 107 (5): 2711–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hillenbrand, J. M. (2013). Alvin [Software]. Retrieved from http://homepages.wmich.edu/~hillenbr/.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horslund, C., Andersen, A. and Bohn, O.-S. (2014, January). Assimilation of initial English consonants to Danish: Identifying areas of expected learning ease and difficulty for native Danish speaking learners of English. Paper presented at the International Workshop on Cross-Language Speech Perception, Braga, Portugal.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller, F., Gunasekharan, S., Mayo, N. and Corley, M. (2009). Timing accuracy of web experiments: A case study using the WebExp software package. Behavior Research Methods, 41 (1): 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kluge, D. C. (2010). Brazilian EFL learners’ identification of word-final/m/-/n/: Native/non-native realizations and effect of visual cues. Saarbrücken; Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kluge, D. C. (2013, November). Percepção das vogais nasais do português brasileiro por dinamarqueses. Paper presented at II Seminário Internacional de Língua e Literatura, Chapecó, Brazil.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kluge, D. and Gomes, M. (2014, January). Speaker identification in disguised voice and imitation by Brazilian Portuguese listeners. Paper presented at the International Workshop on Cross-Language Speech Perception, Braga, Portugal.

    Google Scholar 

  • Logan, J. and Pruitt, J. (1995). Methodological issues in training listeners to perceive non-native phonemes. In W. Strange (ed.), Speech perception and linguistic experience: Issues in cross-language research (pp. 351–78). Timonium, Md: York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moyer, A. (2013). Foreign accent: The phenomenon of non-native speech. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Nobre-Oliveira, D. (2007). The effect of perceptual training on the learning of English vowels by Brazilian Portuguese speakers. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Federal

    Google Scholar 

  • University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil. Retrieved from http://repositorio.ufsc.br/xmlui/handle/123456789/90286

  • Piske, T. (2007). Implications of James E. Flege’s research for the foreign language classroom. In O.-S. Bohn and M. Munro (eds), Language experience in second language speech learning. In honor of James Emil Flege (pp. 301–14). Amsterdam, the Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Piske, T., MacKay, I. and Flege, J. (2001). Factors affecting degree of foreign accent in an L2: A review. Journal of Phonetics, 29: 191–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rato, A. (2013). Cross-language perception and production of English vowels by Portuguese learners: The effects of perceptual training. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1822/28100

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauber, A., Rato, A., Kluge, D. and Santos, G. R. (2012). TP (Version. 3.1) [Software]. Available from: http://www.worken.com.br/tp_regfree.php/

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauber, A. S., Rato, A., Kluge, D. C. and Santos, G. R. (2013). TP 3.1 Software: A tool for designing audio, visual, and audiovisual perceptual training tasks and perception tests. Proceedings of INTERSPEECH 2013 (pp. 2095–8). Lyon, France: ISCA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauber, A. S., Rato, A. and Silva, A. (2010). Percepção e produção de vogais anteriores do inglês por falantes nativos de mandarim. Diacrítica, 24 (1): 5–23. Retrieved from http://ceh.ilch.uminho.pt/publicacoes/Diacritica24-1.pdf

    Google Scholar 

  • Reetz, H. and Jongman, A. (2009). Phonetics: Transcription, production, acoustics and perception. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reis, M. S. (2010). The assimilation and discrimination of the English/th/by European French and Brazilian Portuguese speakers. In A. S. Rauber, M. A. Watkins, R. Silveira and R. D. Koerich (eds), The acquisition of second language speech (pp. 169–92). Florianópolis, Brazil: Federal University of Santa Catarina.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenblum, L. D. (2005). Primacy of multimodal speech perception. In D. B. Pisoni and E. R. Remez (eds), The handbook of speech perception (pp. 51–78). Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishing.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Schüller, J. (2013). A percepção de vogais médias pretônicas e sua relação com os processos de harmonia e de alçamento vocalic. Unpublished master’s thesis, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil. Retrieved from http://antares.ucpel.tche.br/poslet/dissertacoes/Mestrado/2013/

    Google Scholar 

  • Silva, A., Gabriel, M. and Martens, R. (2013). Percepção de padrões entoacionais do alemão: um estudo preliminar. In M. Oliveira Júnio, M. Almeida and R. Almeida (eds), Caderno de Resumos do 4° Colóquio Brasileiro de Prosódia de Fala (pp. 21–5). Maceió, Brazil: Universidade Federal de Alagoas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, X. (2008). Perceptual training for learning English vowels — Perception, production, and long-term retention. Saarbrücken, Germany: VDM Verlag Dr Müller.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y., Spence, M., Jongman, A. and Sereno, J. (1999). Training American listeners to perceive Mandarin tones. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 106 (6): 3649–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Copyright information

© 2015 Anabela Rato, Andréia Schurt Rauber, Denise Cristina Kluge and Giane Rodrigues dos Santos

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Rato, A., Rauber, A.S., Kluge, D.C., dos Santos, G.R. (2015). Designing Speech Perception Tasks with TP. In: Mompean, J.A., Fouz-González, J. (eds) Investigating English Pronunciation. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137509437_13

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics