Feature Channels: Speech & Language

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Newswise: Speaking “baby talk” to infants isn’t just cute: It could help them learn to make words
7-Dec-2021 11:05 AM EST
Speaking “baby talk” to infants isn’t just cute: It could help them learn to make words
University of Florida

By mimicking the sound of a smaller vocal tract, the researchers think, caretakers are cluing babies in to how the words should sound coming out of their own mouths.

Released: 7-Dec-2021 7:05 AM EST
When Can My Baby Have Solid Food?
Children's Hospital Los Angeles

A baby’s first year is full of special milestones, including the first time eating solid foods. At around 6 months, most babies can transition to food other than breast milk or formula, but some babies with special needs may not show signs of readiness at that age.

Newswise: Sing On: Certain Face Masks Don't Hinder Vocalists #ASA181
18-Nov-2021 3:20 PM EST
Sing On: Certain Face Masks Don't Hinder Vocalists #ASA181
Acoustical Society of America (ASA)

Researchers observed a professional soprano singing with and without six types of masks and found masks effectively block aerosols, forcing the breath to exit at the sides. From there, the aerosols travel upward, rising with the upward flow of body heat from the singer. At low frequencies, masks reduced volume but did not have other effects on the singing. However, masks did reduce the power of higher frequencies, which made the enunciation of words less clear and altered the timbre. Masks had no effect on the pitch.

18-Nov-2021 11:45 AM EST
Dementia Creates Listening Issues in Quiet, Noisy Environments #ASA181
Acoustical Society of America (ASA)

Difficulty in understanding speech, especially in background noise, is a common concern for older adults. Using a word identification task in quiet and noisy conditions, researchers examined the impact of mild dementia on speech perception. They tested individuals with and without mild dementia and found that word identification scores of those without dementia were significantly better in all conditions, meaning people with mild dementia symptoms recalled fewer words in both quiet and noisy situations.

Newswise: Stuttering Starts at Speech Initiation, Not Due to Impaired Motor Skills #ASA181
17-Nov-2021 3:05 PM EST
Stuttering Starts at Speech Initiation, Not Due to Impaired Motor Skills #ASA181
Acoustical Society of America (ASA)

Techniques in neuroimaging and neurocomputational modeling are leading to a much better understanding of brain function during speech and how stuttering arises. Inside the brain, one circuit initiates the desired speech in the basal ganglia, while another circuit coordinates the muscles needed to generate the speech. Stuttering stems from the initiation of speech, so only the first of the two circuits is impaired. This theory matches behavioral observations of stuttering.

22-Nov-2021 11:45 AM EST
Can We Perceive Gender from Children's Voices?
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

In the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, researchers report developing a database of speech samples from children ages 5 to 18 to explore two questions: What types of changes occur in children's voices as they become adults, and how do listeners adjust to the enormous variability in acoustic patterns across speakers? When they presented listeners with both syllables and sentences from different speakers, gender identification improved for sentences. They said this supports the stylistic elements of speech that highlight gender differences and come across better in sentences.

Released: 22-Nov-2021 5:35 PM EST
Transparent masks may improve daily communication and patient-clinician interactions
Brigham and Women’s Hospital

The widespread use of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic has posed numerous communication barriers, muffling speech and impeding lip-reading.

Released: 19-Nov-2021 3:20 PM EST
English Learners Face Severe Inequities and Substandard Conditions in NJ Schools
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

English learners (ELs) in New Jersey public schools, already facing inadequate supports and a lack of attention, missed out on critical services during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released today by the NJ Consortium for Immigrant Children (NJCIC), NJ Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/NJ Bilingual Educators (NJTESOL/NBE), and Education Law Center (ELC).

Released: 18-Nov-2021 2:55 PM EST
Home-based research format may expand access to autism treatment studies
UC Davis MIND Institute

A new UC Davis MIND Institute study suggests that parent-led language testing delivered via telehealth is effective for children with autism. The format was tested in both English and Spanish-speaking families and may provide a new way to measure the efficacy of treatments.

Released: 17-Nov-2021 6:20 PM EST
Perceptual links between sound and shape may unlock origins of spoken words
University of Birmingham

Most people around the world agree that the made-up word ‘bouba’ sounds round in shape, and the made-up word ‘kiki’ sounds pointy – a discovery that may help to explain how spoken languages develop, according to a new study.

Released: 8-Nov-2021 2:30 PM EST
Happy stories synch brain activity more than sad stories
Society for Neuroscience

Successful storytelling can synchronize brain activity between the speaker and listener, but not all stories are created equal.

Newswise: Want to throw off your chatbot? Use figurative language
Released: 8-Nov-2021 8:45 AM EST
Want to throw off your chatbot? Use figurative language
University of California San Diego

Computer scientists recently examined the performance of dialog systems, such as personal assistants and chatbots designed to interact with humans. The team found that when these systems are confronted with dialog that includes idioms or similes, their performance drops to between 10 and 20 percent. The research team also developed a partial remedy.

Released: 5-Nov-2021 8:45 AM EDT
How to decode the meaning of melodies in animal vocalizations
University of Vienna

When listening closely, the melodies of human languages and animal vocalizations are very similar. However, it is not yet fully resolved if similar patterns in languages and animal vocalizations also have similar meanings. Researchers of the University of Vienna present a new method to decode the meaning of animal vocalizations: the comparison of their melodies with human languages.

Released: 2-Nov-2021 4:40 PM EDT
Baby seals can change their tone of voice
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics

Hoover the seal was initially kept in a family home and could imitate human speech, barking catch phrases in a gruff accent (“Come over here”).

Released: 28-Oct-2021 9:10 AM EDT
Jewish autistic pupils thrive as bilingual learners, after communities reject advice “not to teach Hebrew”
University of Cambridge

Parents and teachers of Jewish autistic children say they frequently have to disregard outdated professional advice not to teach them Hebrew – a recommendation they describe as “stealing” their cultural identity.

   
22-Oct-2021 8:35 AM EDT
To Better Understand Speech, Focus on Who Is Talking
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Researchers have found that matching the locations of faces with the speech sounds they are producing significantly improves our ability to understand them, especially in noisy areas where other talkers are present. In the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, they outline a set of online experiments that mimicked aspects of distracting scenes to learn more about how we focus on one audio-visual talker and ignore others.

Newswise: Linguists Discovered Music Helps Children Learn Foreign Languages
Released: 21-Oct-2021 11:00 AM EDT
Linguists Discovered Music Helps Children Learn Foreign Languages
Scientific Project Lomonosov

The combination of foreign language classes with music not only makes learning more diverse and interesting, but also helps to distinguish speech better. Most often, music helps to remember new words and syntactic forms. RUDN University linguists have compiled and tested a language training program with musical elements for pre-schoolers.

Released: 18-Oct-2021 10:00 AM EDT
Powered by St. Jude, Together, a Web-Based Patient Education Resource on Childhood Cancer, Plans to Launch in Seven New Languages
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Together by St. Jude announces plans to launch in seven new languages, offering trustworthy medical information about pediatric cancer and shared stories of hope to families around the world

Released: 13-Oct-2021 3:20 PM EDT
Cognitive study shows lack of bilingual education adversely affects English language learners' writing skills
University of Kansas

As the number of Spanish-speaking English learners has increased in U.S. schools, research and attention have focused on how to boost students' reading and speaking skills.

Newswise: Exceptional learning capacities revealed in some gifted dogs
Released: 6-Oct-2021 5:45 PM EDT
Exceptional learning capacities revealed in some gifted dogs
Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE)

Does your dog understand you? All dogs are smart but some are uniquely talented in learning words.

Released: 5-Oct-2021 12:55 PM EDT
NIH awards UT Southwestern researchers $4.4 million to study the genetic basis of vocal learning
UT Southwestern Medical Center

A UT Southwestern research team has received the National Institutes of Health’s prestigious Transformative Research Award to further their study of zebra finches to investigate the genetic basis of vocal imitation abilities.

Newswise: 614247fb6f1cc_02.JPG
Released: 1-Oct-2021 2:00 PM EDT
The latest research news in Archaeology and Anthropology
Newswise

“Throw me the idol; I’ll throw you the whip!” - From Raiders of the Lost Ark

     
Newswise: Mass General Brigham Laryngology Researcher Awarded $11.9 Million NIH Grant to Lead New Multi-Institutional Center for Neurological Voice Disorders
27-Sep-2021 11:55 AM EDT
Mass General Brigham Laryngology Researcher Awarded $11.9 Million NIH Grant to Lead New Multi-Institutional Center for Neurological Voice Disorders
Massachusetts Eye and Ear

Laryngology researcher Kristina Simonyan, MD, PhD, Dr med, of Mass Eye and Ear, has been awarded an $11.9 million P50 Clinical Research Center Grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communicable Disorders to form a new multidisciplinary center across four academic medical institutions that will be committed to conducting research on laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor, two debilitating neurological voice disorders.

Released: 22-Sep-2021 8:50 AM EDT
Human whistled languages may offer model for how to study dolphin communication
Frontiers

Whistling while you work isn’t just a distraction for some people.

Released: 14-Sep-2021 6:00 AM EDT
COVID-19 Pulmonary, ARDS and Ventilator Resources Now Available in Spanish
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)

A joint effort between the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development has made AACN’s free “COVID-19 Pulmonary, ARDS and Ventilator Resources” online course available in Spanish.

   
Released: 14-Sep-2021 6:00 AM EDT
Recursos sobre COVID-19, SDRA y Ventilación Ahora disponible en español
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)

Un esfuerzo conjunto entre la Asociación Americana de Enfermeras de Cuidados Críticos (AACN) y los proyectos financiados por la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional (USAID) ha hecho posible que el curso en línea gratuito de la AACN "Recursos sobre COVID-19, SDRA y Ventilación" esté disponible en español.

   
Released: 13-Sep-2021 3:40 PM EDT
Do Alexa and Siri make kids bossier? New research suggests you might not need to worry
University of Washington

A team led by the University of Washington studied whether hanging out with conversational agents, such as Alexa or Siri, could affect the way children communicate with their fellow humans.

Released: 10-Sep-2021 8:55 AM EDT
Delve into the World of “Beauty Queens” with a Spanish Course at Chula, Complete with Language, Facts, and Fun
Chulalongkorn University

Chula’s Faculty of Arts invites Spanish language and culture aficionados for practical use in daily life with the first course in Thailand, “Spanish with Beauty Queens” which will take students into the world of women and beauty culture, as well as all facets of the world political economy on a beauty pageant stage by an experienced lecturer.

Released: 3-Sep-2021 2:25 PM EDT
Language barriers do not explain why immigrants have higher mortality from COVID-19
Stockholm University

Language barriers or lack of institutional awareness do not explain why immigrants in Sweden have a higher mortality from COVID-19.

   
Released: 1-Sep-2021 3:55 PM EDT
The Littlest Linguists: New Research on Language Development
Association for Psychological Science

How do children learn language, and how is language related to other cognitive and social skills? Psychological scientists have researched these questions for many decades. Here’s a look at some recent research (2020–2021) on language development published in the journal Psychological Science.

30-Aug-2021 11:35 AM EDT
Voices of Reason? Study Links Acoustic Correlations, Gender to Vocal Appeal
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

What makes a voice attractive? The question is the subject of broad interest, with far-reaching implications in our personal lives, the workplace, and society. In The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, scientists describe research that explores the interactions between gender and articulatory precision to gauge vocal attractiveness. They were surprised to find a sizable gender difference in speech intelligibility.

   
Released: 30-Aug-2021 5:10 PM EDT
Birds Got Rhythm, Telling Us Something About How We Form Speech and Movement
Tufts University

A team of biologists and psychologists found that songbirds can identify rhythmic patterns in songs even when varied by tempo. The discovery may offer a new animal model for understanding childhood language disorders that also are linked to rhythmic processing in the human brain.

Released: 30-Aug-2021 9:35 AM EDT
First Study on Artificial Intelligence-Based Chatbot for Anxiety & Depression in Spanish-Speaking University Students
Palo Alto University

A study conducted by researchers at Palo Alto University has shown artificial intelligence-based chatbots to be effective as a psychological intervention in Spanish speaking university students. The study took place in Argentina and showed promising evidence for the usability and acceptability of the mental health chatbot, Tess. The findings were published by JMIR Publications, which is dedicated to advancing digital health and open science.

27-Aug-2021 9:05 AM EDT
Insights into how a stroke affects reading could help with rehabilitation
Georgetown University Medical Center

Georgetown University researchers, looking at the ability of people to sound out words after a stroke, found that knowing which region of the brain was impacted by the stroke could have important implications for helping target rehabilitation efforts.

Released: 19-Aug-2021 3:25 PM EDT
Jeremy McFadden Joins Canary Speech as CFO
Canary Speech

McFadden received a master's degree of science in financial accounting from Brigham Young University and a bachelor's degree of science in financial accounting.

   
Released: 19-Aug-2021 3:00 PM EDT
VIDEO AND TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE: Breakthrough Cases and COVID Boosters: Live Expert Panel for August 18, 2021
Newswise

Expert Q&A: Do breakthrough cases mean we will soon need COVID boosters? The extremely contagious Delta variant continues to spread, prompting mask mandates, proof of vaccination, and other measures. Media invited to ask the experts about these and related topics.

Released: 17-Aug-2021 8:30 AM EDT
Study Compares FOX News and MSNBC Using 52,000 Transcripts, 283 Million Words
Florida Atlantic University

Researchers quantified key psychosocial and sociopolitical markers to compare the 2020, 2016 and 2012 presidential elections. The language of these two networks was never more distinct, and never more volatile, than during coverage of political events associated with the last presidential election. Yet the differences in language of the two networks were primarily in measures of linguistic style, including noun and pronoun use. Sociopolitical markers to assess left-right differences in language use, including moral metaphors, grievances, values, and personality, showed relatively modest effects.

Released: 9-Aug-2021 4:25 PM EDT
What a Song Reveals About Vocal Imitation Deficits for Autistic Individuals
University at Buffalo

A new paper comparing the ability to match pitch and duration in speech and song is providing valuable insight into vocal imitation deficits for children and adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Released: 3-Aug-2021 1:35 PM EDT
Researchers Use AI to Unlock the Secrets of Ancient Texts
University of Notre Dame

Researchers at University of Notre Dame are developing an artificial neural network to read complex ancient handwriting based on human perception to improve capabilities of deep learning transcription.

30-Jul-2021 12:05 PM EDT
Does Visual Feedback of Our Tongues Help in Speech Motor Learning?
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

When we speak, we use our auditory and somatosensory systems to monitor the results of the movements of our tongue or lips. Since we cannot typically see our own faces and tongues while we speak, however, the potential role of visual feedback has remained less clear. In the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, researchers explore how readily speakers will integrate visual information about their tongue movements during a speech motor learning task.

Released: 28-Jul-2021 12:25 PM EDT
أسئلة وإجابات مايو كلينك: غالبًا ما تساعد معالجة النطق مَن تأثرَ كلامهم بالسكتة الدماغية
Mayo Clinic

أسئلة وإجابات مايو كلينك: غالبًا ما تساعد معالجة النطق مَن تأثرَ كلامهم بالسكتة الدماغية

Released: 28-Jul-2021 12:10 PM EDT
Preguntas y respuestas: La terapia del lenguaje suele ayudar a personas con afección del habla por un accidente cerebrovascular
Mayo Clinic

Preguntas y respuestas de Mayo Clinic: La terapia del lenguaje suele ayudar a personas con afección del habla por un accidente cerebrovascular

Released: 28-Jul-2021 12:10 PM EDT
Perguntas e respostas para a Mayo Clinic: a terapia da fala pode ajudar as pessoas que tiveram a fala afetada por um AVC
Mayo Clinic

Perguntas e respostas para a Mayo Clinic: a terapia da fala pode ajudar as pessoas que tiveram a fala afetada por um AVC

Released: 27-Jul-2021 1:10 PM EDT
'Talking Drum' Shown to Accurately Mimic Speech Patterns of West African Language
Frontiers

Musicians such as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton are considered virtuosos, guitarists who could make their instruments sing.

Released: 26-Jul-2021 10:10 AM EDT
Fit Kids, Fat Vocabularies
University of Delaware

A recent study by University of Delaware researchers suggests exercise can boost kids’ vocabulary growth. The article, published in the Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, details one of the first studies on the effect of exercise on vocabulary learning in children.

Released: 21-Jul-2021 1:30 PM EDT
Patients May Face Barriers Due to Race, Ethnicity and Language at Hospital Discharge
Massachusetts General Hospital

A new study by research, quality improvement and health equity experts at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in The American Journal of Managed Care lays out the challenges of achieving equity for diverse patients in communication at hospital discharge.

Released: 13-Jul-2021 1:05 PM EDT
Language Isolation Affects Health of Mexican Americans
University of Georgia

New research from the University of Georgia finds that older Mexican Americans who live in low English-speaking neighborhoods are at greater risk for poor health and even an early death.

Released: 12-Jul-2021 11:15 AM EDT
Gesturing Reduces Effect of a Classic Optical Illusion, Study Finds
Association for Psychological Science

Sometimes our eyes can deceive us, as shown by a perception-bending optical illusion involving a pair of lines, or sticks, of equal length. One stick, framed by open fins at each end, appears longer to our eyes than an equally long stick framed by closed fins. Even when we use our hands to estimate the lengths of the sticks, we are susceptible to the illusion. Previous research has shown that the illusion collapses when we prepare to grasp the stick with our hands. New research adds to these findings by showing that the illusion also collapses when we use our hands to describe such an action.

Released: 9-Jul-2021 11:25 AM EDT
Vocal Music Boosts the Recovery of Language Functions After Stroke
University of Helsinki

Research has shown that listening to music daily improves language recovery in patients who have experienced a stroke. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the phenomenon have so far remained unknown.

Released: 7-Jul-2021 6:10 PM EDT
妙佑医疗国际(Mayo Clinic)问与答:言语治疗通常可以帮助中风所致的言语障碍患者
Mayo Clinic

我母亲六个月前曾出现中风。目前,她的行动能力已经恢复到接近正常水平,但在沟通交流方面仍然有些困难。她能够阅读,也能听懂别人说的话,但她经常为了找到字词来表达自己而挣扎。她很有挫败感,并且拒绝接受言语治疗,她认为那没什么用。请问对于我母亲这种情况,言语治疗会有帮助吗?



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