Clear speech is a style that speakers adopt when talking with listeners whom these speakers anticipate may have a problem understanding speech. This study examines whether native English speakers use clear speech in conversations with non-native English speakers when native speakers are not explicitly asked to use clear speech (i.e., clear speech elicited with naturalistic methods). The results of the study suggest that native English speakers use clear speech in conversations with non-native English speakers even when native speakers are not explicitly asked to. Native English speakers' speech is more intelligible in the early portions of the conversations than in the late portions of each conversation. Further, the speakers “reset” to clearer speech at the start of each Diapix picture. Additionally, acoustic properties of the speech are examined to complement the intelligibility results. These findings suggest the instigation of clear speech may be listener-driven but the maintenance of clear speech is likely more speaker-driven.

No abstract

When talkers anticipate that a listener may have difficulty understanding their speech, they adopt a speaking style typically described as “clear speech.” This speaking style includes a variety of acoustic modifications and has perceptual benefits for listeners. In the present study, we examine whether clear speaking styles also include modulation of lexical items selected and produced during naturalistic conversations. Our results demonstrate that talkers do, indeed, modulate their lexical selection, as measured by a variety of lexical diversity and lexical sophistication indices. Further, the results demonstrate that clear speech is not a monolithic construct. Talkers modulate their speech differently depending on the communication situation. We suggest that clear speech should be conceptualized as a set of speaking styles, in which talkers take the listener and communication situation into consideration.

No abstract

The method for spraying of liquids through an electrical field has become a printing method since it can make very small droplet. For electro-hydrodynamic jet printing to become a reliable jetting tool, the jetting performance should be characterized with respect to various jetting conditions. To optimize jetting conditions, the jetting behavior should be measured. In this study, we present a visualization techniques to measure jetting behavior from electro-hydrodynamic (EHD) inkjet head. Unlike most previous method, we use the CCD camera to measure the jetting behavior. For this purpose, LED light is synchronized with jetting signal and sequential image was obtained by adjusting the delay time of the LED light. Finally, merits and demerits of using CCD camera were discussed to measure jetting image from EHD inkjet head.