A number of speech-producing technical aids are now available for use by disabled individuals. One system which produces synthetic speech is described and its application in technical aids discussed. These applications inclde a communication aid, a symbol-to-speech system, talking terminals and a daily newspaper. A pattern-matching speech recognition system is also described and its future in t...

Salient sounds such as those created by drumming can serve as means of nonvocal acoustic communication in addition to vocal sounds. Despite the ubiquity of drumming across human cultures, its origins and the brain regions specialized in processing such signals remain unexplored. Here, we report that an important animal model for vocal communication, the macaque monkey, also displays drumming be...

Infant-directed speech is a linguistic phenomenon in which adults adapt their language when addressing infants in order to provide them with more salient linguistic information and aid them in language acquisition. Adult-directed language differs from infant-directed language in various aspects, including speech acoustics, syntax, and semantics. The existence of a "gestural motherese" in intera...