Spatial audio reproduction for studying second language speech perception in varying acoustic environments
Yusuke Hioka, C. T. Justine Hui, Hinako Masuda, Catherine Inez Watson, Eri Osawa, Takayuki Arai · NOISE-CON proceedings · 2023
This paper introduces recent attempts of utilising spatial audio reproduction in linguistic studies and discusses challenges of the new methodology. Thanks to its high reproducibility of arbitrary acoustic environments in a controlled laboratory setting, spatial audio reproduction has a potential to address the difficulties of examining participants with different language background that have to be recruited in geographically separated locations. A case study that investigated the difference in speech intelligibility in noise between first and second language listeners in varying acoustic environments is reported with its experimental results. The paper then attempts to verify the validity of the methodology using spatial audio reproduction by comparing experimental results conducted in real and virtual rooms.