Purpose: Phonetic training has been found to be an effective way on second language (L2) learning, but the evidence is not conclusive regarding the effectiveness of different instructional approaches and possible interactions between language learners, training features, and outcome measures. This study aims to meta-analyze existing studies to…

Purpose: Atypical vowel production contributes to reduced speech intelligibility in children and adults with Down syndrome (DS). This study compares the acoustic data of the corner vowels /i/, /u/, /ae/, and /[open back unrounded vowel]/ from speakers with DS against typically developing/developed (TD) speakers. Method: Measurements of the…

This review examines the literature on the use of non-pulmonic egressive sounds in disordered speech. Studies are described that report the use of pulmonic ingressive speech, clicks, ejectives, and implosives. Broad trends are identified linking the use of each type of non-pulmonic-egressive airstream use with particular disorders. The importance…

Discusses phonic shifting or sound shifts through an examination of Grimm's Law, or the Germanic Consonant Shift. The discussion includes comments on why the phonic shift developed and its pattern. (10 references) (GLR)

Discusses three kinds of interpretation of autosegmental representations: formal, phonetic, and computational. It is shown that event structures can be used to formalize the various components of multitiered, hierarchial autosegmental representations. (33 references) (GLR)

The article reviews research on phonemic analysis in beginning reading instruction. Research is of two types: (1) evidence that children with reading difficulties also have difficulties analyzing the phonological structure of speech; and (2) data showing that training for awareness of phonemic segments can help in learning to read. (Author/CL)

Perceptual speech assessment is central to the evaluation of speech outcomes associated with cleft palate and velopharyngeal dysfunction. However, the complexity of this process is perhaps sometimes underestimated. To draw together the many different strands in the complex process of perceptual speech assessment and analysis, and make…

Outlines phonological structure and processes of American Sign Language (ASL), covering: (1) sequential phenomena found in the production of individual signs; (2) the segmental phonetic transcription system; (3) paradigmatic and syntagmatic contrasts in ASL signs; (4) similarities between ASL and spoken language phonological processes; and (5)…

A survey of the training literature on phoneme awareness suggests that help for slower readers comes in the form of a focus on phonemes through stretched sounding and phoneme isolation in a careful progression that considers the number and choice of phonemes and position in syllables. Stretching and isolating phonemes allows beginners to explore…

This report presents results from an analysis of the adult basic education (ABE) reading instruction research base, focusing on principles derived from the research and a future research agenda. After an introduction, Chapter 2 presents methods used to select and evaluate research related to ABE reading instruction. Chapter 3 serves as an index to…