ERIC Number: EJ912530
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Feb
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1525-7401
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Assessing Children's Home Language Environments Using Automatic Speech Recognition Technology
Greenwood, Charles R.; Thiemann-Bourque, Kathy; Walker, Dale; Buzhardt, Jay; Gilkerson, Jill
Communication Disorders Quarterly, v32 n2 p83-92 Feb 2011
The purpose of this research was to replicate and extend some of the findings of Hart and Risley using automatic speech processing instead of human transcription of language samples. The long-term goal of this work is to make the current approach to speech processing possible by researchers and clinicians working on a daily basis with families and young children. Twelve hour-long, digital audio recordings were obtained repeatedly in the homes of middle to upper SES families for a sample of typically developing infants and toddlers (N = 30). These recordings were processed automatically using a measurement framework based on the work of Hart and Risley. Like Hart and Risley, the current findings indicated vast differences in individual children's home language environments (i.e., adult word count), children's vocalizations, and conversational turns. Automated processing compared favorably to the original Hart and Risley estimates that were based on transcription. Adding to Hart and Risley's findings were new descriptions of patterns of daily talk and relationships to widely used outcome measures, among others. Implications for research and practice are discussed. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)
Descriptors: Language Processing, Infants, Young Children, Environment, Nonprint Media, Auditory Stimuli, Evaluation Methods, Language Acquisition, Child Development, Early Childhood Education
SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2814
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R324A070085
Author Affiliations: N/A