Analitiese tegniek om die foneemherkenningsvermoë van Suid-Afrikaanse kogleêre inplantinggebruikers te bepaal

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.