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Advances in Cognitive Sciences 2023, 25(1): 137-147 |
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Bakhshandeh P, Nilipour R, Ghoreishi Z, Golfam A, Modarres Khiabani S. Structural and semantic indicators development process of speech quality in two age groups of 5-6 and 6-7 years of healthy Persian-speaking children. Advances in Cognitive Sciences 2023; 25 (1) :137-147
URL: http://icssjournal.ir/article-1-1500-en.html
URL: http://icssjournal.ir/article-1-1500-en.html
Parisa Bakhshandeh1 
, Reza Nilipour * 2, Zahrasadat Ghoreishi3 , Arsalan Golfam4 , Shahram Modarres Khiabani5
, Reza Nilipour * 2, Zahrasadat Ghoreishi3 , Arsalan Golfam4 , Shahram Modarres Khiabani5
1- PhD Student in General Linguistics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2- Professor, Department of Speech Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3- Assistant Professor, Department of Speech Therapy, University of Rehabilitation Sciences and Social Health, Tehran, Iran
4- Associated Professor, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
5- Assistant Professor, Department of English Translation, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Alborz, Iran
2- Professor, Department of Speech Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3- Assistant Professor, Department of Speech Therapy, University of Rehabilitation Sciences and Social Health, Tehran, Iran
4- Associated Professor, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
5- Assistant Professor, Department of English Translation, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Alborz, Iran
Abstract: (666 Views)
Introduction
Considering the significance of language learning quality in children's cognitive development and that acquisition among children occurs mostly through language and linguistic skills, investigation of the nature of language during development is of paramount importance. This explains why continuous speech is recognized as one of the primary verbal communication indicators and skills. The continuous speech samples can be used to evaluate standard speech quality development indicators in different age groups. Therefore, an accurate list is indispensable for continuous speech quality analysis. Many efforts have been made to formulate such a list, but the formulating a comprehensive list that helps speech pathologists diagnose problems with higher speed and accuracy is of particular importance. Therefore, in the present study, indicators of speech quality are first introduced and then analyzed using the speech corpus developed from the continuous speech of children aged 5 to 7 years. Identification of detectable continuous speech indicators can be used as a protocol by speech pathologists and other parties interested in language and speech disorders. In the present study, an attempt is made to analyze the speech development process among children by analyzing speech quality indicators.
Methods
The present study falls into the category of descriptive-survey research. The statistical population of the study consists of descriptive utterance samples extracted from 100 healthy 5-7-year-old Persian-speaking children with equal gender distribution. The population members were randomly selected from five provinces (Tehran, Isfahan, Fars, Razavi Khorasan, and Mazandaran). Drawing on the Persian language developmental battery for 3-7-year-old children, the researcher used two images related to the speech subtest and the CRP form to collect the descriptive utterance data. Then, in order to compile the children's narrative discourse corpus, the children's speech was computerized and subjected to part-of-speech tagging. The present study analyzed 200 descriptive utterance samples (two descriptive utterance samples per child) extracted from 100 children aged five to seven years. Boys articulated fifty speech samples, and girls articulated 50 speech samples. On the other hand, 50 speech samples were articulated by 5-6-year-old children, and 6-7-year-old children articulated 50 samples. The utterances included a total of 17427 words.
Results
In the present study, attempts were made to determine which indicators of continuous speech distinguish between the two groups as they grow old from 5-6 years to 6-7 years. In short, the results showed that the indicators "number of utterances", "number of grammatical words", "number of nouns", "number of verbs", "number of pronouns", and "number of conjunctions" make a significant distinction between the two groups and this means that in the process of growth from 5-6 to 6-7 years, these indicators undergo a more significant development compared to the other indicators. In the meantime, a general development has also been witnessed in most other indicators; for example, "text complexity" was 5.90 in the 5-6-year-old group and 8.55 in the 6-7-year-old group. Since this index assesses the ratio of total complex sentences to the total text, it can be argued that children tend to use more complex sentences as they get older. Cohen classified effect size was used to measure ANOVA or multiple regression. In this method, the effect sizes 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 indicate low, medium, and high effect sizes, respectively. According to the results, the lowest effect size is related to the "number of utterances" (d=0.289), and the highest effect size is related to the "number of conjunctions" (d=0.399). The "number of verbs" (d=0.291), "number of pronouns" (d=0.296), "number of grammatical words" (d=0.308), and "number of nouns" (d=0.395) fall into the category of speech analysis indicators with a medium effect size and can be used as decisive indicators to investigate the development process of (5-6) and (6-7) year old children.
Conclusion
An increase in the frequency of grammatical words, conjunctions, and pronouns suggests that children's speech becomes more complex as they grow older. The increase in the number of utterances, nouns, and verbs can also indicate children’s higher cognitive ability and their tendency to describe events in more detail. In other words, children try to provide the audience with as much information as possible about the visual stimuli that trigger descriptive utterances. The present research findings can be used to determine the language age of children with and without language disorders and to design assessment and rehabilitation instruments for children with language disorders.
Ethical considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
In the current study, all required ethical principles have been observed, including obtaining informed consent, the confidentiality of participants’names, information, ideas, and the like. Besides, the research participants were free to leave the study at any research phase.
Authors’contributions
Parisa Bakhshandeh: Study design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation, and article drafting; Reza Nilipour and Zahrasadat Ghoreishi: Monitoring the study process, article correction; Arsalan Golfam and Shahram Modarres Khiabani: Article correction.
Funding
The authors have received no funding for this study.
Acknowledgments
The authors want to thank all the children and their families who participated in the study.
Conflict of interest
The authors reported no potential conflict of interest.
Considering the significance of language learning quality in children's cognitive development and that acquisition among children occurs mostly through language and linguistic skills, investigation of the nature of language during development is of paramount importance. This explains why continuous speech is recognized as one of the primary verbal communication indicators and skills. The continuous speech samples can be used to evaluate standard speech quality development indicators in different age groups. Therefore, an accurate list is indispensable for continuous speech quality analysis. Many efforts have been made to formulate such a list, but the formulating a comprehensive list that helps speech pathologists diagnose problems with higher speed and accuracy is of particular importance. Therefore, in the present study, indicators of speech quality are first introduced and then analyzed using the speech corpus developed from the continuous speech of children aged 5 to 7 years. Identification of detectable continuous speech indicators can be used as a protocol by speech pathologists and other parties interested in language and speech disorders. In the present study, an attempt is made to analyze the speech development process among children by analyzing speech quality indicators.
Methods
The present study falls into the category of descriptive-survey research. The statistical population of the study consists of descriptive utterance samples extracted from 100 healthy 5-7-year-old Persian-speaking children with equal gender distribution. The population members were randomly selected from five provinces (Tehran, Isfahan, Fars, Razavi Khorasan, and Mazandaran). Drawing on the Persian language developmental battery for 3-7-year-old children, the researcher used two images related to the speech subtest and the CRP form to collect the descriptive utterance data. Then, in order to compile the children's narrative discourse corpus, the children's speech was computerized and subjected to part-of-speech tagging. The present study analyzed 200 descriptive utterance samples (two descriptive utterance samples per child) extracted from 100 children aged five to seven years. Boys articulated fifty speech samples, and girls articulated 50 speech samples. On the other hand, 50 speech samples were articulated by 5-6-year-old children, and 6-7-year-old children articulated 50 samples. The utterances included a total of 17427 words.
Results
In the present study, attempts were made to determine which indicators of continuous speech distinguish between the two groups as they grow old from 5-6 years to 6-7 years. In short, the results showed that the indicators "number of utterances", "number of grammatical words", "number of nouns", "number of verbs", "number of pronouns", and "number of conjunctions" make a significant distinction between the two groups and this means that in the process of growth from 5-6 to 6-7 years, these indicators undergo a more significant development compared to the other indicators. In the meantime, a general development has also been witnessed in most other indicators; for example, "text complexity" was 5.90 in the 5-6-year-old group and 8.55 in the 6-7-year-old group. Since this index assesses the ratio of total complex sentences to the total text, it can be argued that children tend to use more complex sentences as they get older. Cohen classified effect size was used to measure ANOVA or multiple regression. In this method, the effect sizes 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 indicate low, medium, and high effect sizes, respectively. According to the results, the lowest effect size is related to the "number of utterances" (d=0.289), and the highest effect size is related to the "number of conjunctions" (d=0.399). The "number of verbs" (d=0.291), "number of pronouns" (d=0.296), "number of grammatical words" (d=0.308), and "number of nouns" (d=0.395) fall into the category of speech analysis indicators with a medium effect size and can be used as decisive indicators to investigate the development process of (5-6) and (6-7) year old children.
Conclusion
An increase in the frequency of grammatical words, conjunctions, and pronouns suggests that children's speech becomes more complex as they grow older. The increase in the number of utterances, nouns, and verbs can also indicate children’s higher cognitive ability and their tendency to describe events in more detail. In other words, children try to provide the audience with as much information as possible about the visual stimuli that trigger descriptive utterances. The present research findings can be used to determine the language age of children with and without language disorders and to design assessment and rehabilitation instruments for children with language disorders.
Ethical considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
In the current study, all required ethical principles have been observed, including obtaining informed consent, the confidentiality of participants’names, information, ideas, and the like. Besides, the research participants were free to leave the study at any research phase.
Authors’contributions
Parisa Bakhshandeh: Study design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation, and article drafting; Reza Nilipour and Zahrasadat Ghoreishi: Monitoring the study process, article correction; Arsalan Golfam and Shahram Modarres Khiabani: Article correction.
Funding
The authors have received no funding for this study.
Acknowledgments
The authors want to thank all the children and their families who participated in the study.
Conflict of interest
The authors reported no potential conflict of interest.
Keywords: Connected speech, Language development, Speech quality, Mean length of utterance, Lexical richness
Type of Study: Research |
Received: 2022/12/11 | Accepted: 2023/01/9 | Published: 2023/07/10
Received: 2022/12/11 | Accepted: 2023/01/9 | Published: 2023/07/10
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