When is speech fluent? The relationship between acoustic speech properties and 
subjective fluency ratings.

Bosker, Hans R.; Pinget, Anne-France; Quené, Hugo; Sanders, Ted; De Jong, Nivja H.

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When is speech fluent? The relationship between acoustic speech properties and subjective fluency ratings.

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Bosker, H. R., Pinget, A.-F., Quené, H., Sanders, T., & De Jong, N. H. (2011). When is speech fluent? The relationship between acoustic speech properties and subjective fluency ratings. Poster presented at 12th NVP Winter Conference on Cognition, Brain, and Behaviour (Dutch Psychonomic Society, Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0023-D7C5-D

Abstract

The oral fluency level of an L2 speaker is often used as an important measure in language tests. Arguing that fluency ratings are dependent on the perception of acoustic speech characteristics, Experiment 1 investigated which speech properties raters are most sensitive to. Three groups of listeners rated the same set of L2 Dutch speech stimuli on, respectively, the use of pauses, speed of delivery or the use of corrections and repetitions. Using linear mixed models the subjective ratings were modelled by clusters of acoustic measures which only measured one aspect of fluency (pause, speed or repairs). Listeners were shown to be most sensitive to pause characteristics of speech. A fourth group of listeners rated the same stimuli on overall fluency. The variability of these ratings was best modelled by pause measures. It is concluded that pause measures are best candidates for acoustic correlates of fluency. Therefore, Experiment 2 investigates the independent effects of the number and duration of silent pauses in L1 and L2 speech. By comparing the ratings on speech stimuli that have been manipulated in the number and/or duration of silent pauses, this experiment reveals what effect silent pauses have on fluency perception in L1 and L2 speech.