Abstract:
This article describes analytical tests developed to investigate the extent to which Afrikaans-
and Englishspeaking
South African cochlear implant users recognize phonemes. Vowel stimuli (in a /?VOWEL t/
context) and consonant stimuli (in an /aCONSONANT a/ context), uttered by male and female speakers,
were recorded and acoustically analysed. Vowel and consonant recognition abilities of respectively
nine
and eleven local cochlear implant users were subsequently investigated. Typical confusions
experienced by
cochlear implant users were determined and explained in terms of the acoustic properties of the
stimuli.
General observations are that implant users find vowels that are identified by spectral
characteristics
difficult to recognise, while the recognition of temporal properties is better. During consonant
recognition,
place of articulation is particularly difficult to identify. Results support observations from
similar studies
conducted for other language groups. These analytical tests may be valuable for creating
individualised
speech processor settings and monitoring new implant users' progress in speech recognition ability.
AFRIKAANS: Hierdie artikel beskryf analitiese toetse wat ontwikkel is om die foneemherkenningsvermoë van
Afrikaans en
Engelssprekende Suid-Afrikaanse kogleêre inplantinggebruikers te ondersoek. Vokaalstimuli (in 'n
/?VOKAAL t/-konteks) en konsonantstimuli (in 'n /aKONSONANT a/-konteks), uitgespreek deur manlike en
vroulike sprekers van beide taalgroepe, is opgeneem en akoesties geanaliseer. Die vokaal- en
konsonantherkenningsvermoë van onderskeidelik nege en elf plaaslike kogleêre inplantinggebruikers is
voorts ondersoek. Tipiese verwarrings wat inplantinggebruikers ondervind, is bepaal en in terme van
die
akoestiese eienskappe van die stimuli verklaar. Algemene waarnemings is dat vokale wat deur
spektrale
eienskappe uitgeken word, moeilik herkenbaar is vir inplantinggebruikers, terwyl temporale
eienskappe
beter herken word. Veral plek van artikulasie is 'n moeilik-uitkenbare eienskap tydens
konsonantherkenning. Die resultate ondersteun waarnemings van soortgelyke studies in ander
taalgroepe.
Hierdie analitiese toetse kan nuttig wees om gebruiker-spesifieke spraakverwerkerinstellings te maak
en
om vordering van nuwe gebruikers se spraakherkenningsvermoë te monitor.
