This is an experimental study which aimed at investigating the ralationsship between working memory capacity and measures of L2 speech performance in a picture description task. The main assumption underlying the present study was that L2 speaking is a complex cognitive task which is carried out within the constraints of a limited-capacity system, namely, working memory. In this system, there a...

In this paper we explore a learning-based approach to the problem of predicting language impairment in children. We analyzed spontaneous narratives of children and extracted features measuring different aspects of language including morphology, speech fluency, language productivity and vocabulary. Then, we evaluated a learning-based approach and compared its predictive accuracy against a method...

The results of a comparison between three different speech types — On-Talk, speaking to a computer, Off-Talk Self , speaking to oneself and Off-Talk Other, speaking to another person — uttered by subjects in a collaborative interlingual task mediated by an automatic speech-to-speech translation system, are reported here. The characteristics of the three speech types show significant differences...

speaking is one of the most important skills to be developed and enhanced as means of effective communication. speaking skill is regarded one of the most difficult aspects of language learning. many language learners find it difficult to express themselves in spoken language. they are generally facing problems to use the foreign language to express their thoughts effectively. they stop talking ...

The current study aimed to examine the effects of strategic planning, online planning, strategic planning and online planning combined (joint planning), and no planning on the complexity, accuracy, and fluency of oral productions in two simple and complex narrative tasks. Eighty advanced EFL learners performed one simple narrative task and a complex narrative task with 20 minutes in between. Th...

We derive a class of extended one-step methods of order m for solving delay-differential equations. This class includes methods of fourth and fifth order of accuracy. Also, the class of these methods depends on two free parameters. A convergence theorem and convergence factor of these methods are given. In addition, we investigate the stability properties of these methods. The results of the ar...

It is difficult to recognize speech distorted by various factors, especially when an ASR system contains only a single acoustic model. One solution is to use multiple acoustic models, one model for each different condition. In this paper, we discuss a parallel decoding-based ASR system that is robust to the noise type, SNR, speaker gender and speaking style. Our system consists of two recogniti...

We present SocialSense, a collaborative smartphone based speaker and mood identification and reporting system that uses a user's voice to detect and log his/her speaking and mood episodes. SocialSense collaboratively works with other phones that are running the app present in the vicinity to periodically send/receive speaking and mood vectors to/from other users present in a social interaction ...

This paper describes an end-to-end prototype system for automated scoring of spoken responses in a novel assessment for teachers of English as a Foreign Language who are not native speakers of English. The 21 speaking items contained in the assessment elicit both restricted and moderately restricted responses, and their aim is to assess the essential speaking skills that English teachers need i...