Collaborative Research: Prosodic Analysis and Visualization of Phonetic Samples for Improved Understanding of Stress and Intonation

节奏和语调是语音的重要组成部分。 虽然不同语言的节奏和语调模式有一些基本的相似之处，但也有一些有趣的差异。 其中一些差异与语言中单词的结构方式有关，例如，单词是短的还是由许多子部分组成的。 该项目调查和记录了记录不足的语言的节奏和语调，或韵律系统，以更好地了解人类如何调节音高运动（即语调）和音段持续时间（即元音和辅音的长度）。 该项目使用存档的和新的录音，以达到声学测量和音高和持续时间的可视化，创建一个数据库，可以挖掘韵律和其他领域，如音节，单词，音步，韵律词，韵律短语和语调单位的相互作用的研究。该项目包括对Aaniih Nakoda学院的研究生和本科生进行培训。调查人员挖掘母语人士产生的单词，短语和连接语音的存档录音或新录音，以改善和理解形态复杂语言的韵律系统进行分析。他们通过团队为此目的开发的软件来陈述他们的调查结果。 该项目的一个主要产品是一个数据库，其中包含跨不同韵律域（例如音节或单词）的语音分析。 这些材料将通过在线网络服务提供，并将有助于研究人员分析和代表其他语言的音调和持续时间的显着调制。 该软件包括一个自我发音检查功能，允许用户收听，重复，并检查准确性，在再现音高和持续时间的母语人士的价值观。 该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Rhythm and intonation are important part of pronunciation. While there are some basic similarities in rhythm and intonation patterns across languages, there are also interesting differences. Some of these differences are linked to the way words are structured in languages, for example, are the words short or are they composed of many sub-parts. This project investigates and documents the rhythm and intonation, or prosodic system, of under-documented languages to better understand how humans modulate pitch movement (i.e. intonation) and segmental duration (i.e. the length of vowels and consonants). The project uses archived and new recordings to arrive at acoustic measurements and visualizations of pitch and duration, creating a database that can be mined for the study of the interplay of prosody and other domains such as the syllable, word, foot, prosodic word, prosodic phrase, and intonation unit. The project includes training for graduate students and undergraduate students from Aaniiih Nakoda College.The investigators mine archived recordings or new recordings of words, phrases and connected speech produced by native speakers to improve and understand the prosodic system of the morphologically complex languages for analysis. They represent their findings through the software in development by the team for this purpose. A major product of this project is a database with phonetic analyses across different prosodic domains, e.g, the syllable or word. These materials will be made available through an online webservice and will be useful for researchers working to analyze and represent other languages with significant modulations of pitch and duration. The software includes a self-pronunciation check feature allowing the user to listen, repeat, and check accuracy in reproducing the pitch and duration values of native speakers. This feature will be used to understand how well such overt input impacts second language pronunciation acquisition.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.