本論文為以共振峰頻率資料來研究台灣華語母音音質之聲學研究。 本研究的受試者為六名生長在台灣台北市的男性華語母語使用者。本研究使用的測試字為70個包含所有韻母型態的單音節字。語音資料是利用KAY CSL 4100 (KAY Electronics)來錄製及分析。本研究所採用的資料為獨立發音且無聲母的測試字。 根據共振峰頻率資料本研究得到以下有關台灣華語母音音質的發現。首先研究的部分為音標所隱含的語音對比。在齒槽（alveolar）及後齒槽（post-alveolar）組的舌尖母音（apical vowels）間並沒有發現音質上的顯著差別，但統計及其它證據支持低母音裡的前後對比及中母音裡的半開（open-mid）及半閉（closed-mid）對比的存在。 其次，研究的結果也包括語音環境中的音段對於母音音質的影響。結果發現韻母中的元素，包含母音前介音、母音後介音、及韻尾鼻音，都對母音有不同的語音制約（conditioning）。另外，本研究發現順同化（progressive assimilation）比逆同化（regressive assimilation）對於低母音音質有較大的影響。 第三，本研究藉由與之前聲學研究的結果作比較來討論台灣母音音質的改變。結果發現硬顎及後硬顎組的舌尖母音間的音質差異隨著時間縮小終至於消失。此外，研究發現半閉母音及半開母音在母音高度及母音前後相對位置出現反轉。共振峰頻率的比較顯示這種反轉的原因為半閉母音[e]在音質上的改變。然而，我們需要進一步的研究才能對這些音質的改變有合理的解釋。 最後，本研究以共振峰頻率的形式描述及紀錄了當代台灣華語表層母音的音質。希望這些資料能對台灣華語母音的研究有所貢獻。 / This thesis is an acoustic study that investigates the vowel quality of Taiwan Mandarin vowels with formant frequency data. The subjects of this study included six male native Mandarin speakers born and raised in Taipei city, Taiwan. Testing items used in this study were 70 syllables that involve all combinations of segment in the syllable final. The speech data were recorded and analyzed with KAY CSL 4100 (KAY Electronics). The data discussed in this study were testing items produced in citation form without initial consonant. The vowel qualities of Taiwan Mandarin surface vowel were measured and analyzed. Several results concerning the vowel quality of Taiwan Mandarin surface vowel phones were reported based on the formant frequency data. Firstly, the distinction between vowel phones implied by their transcription was examined. The difference in vowel quality was not observed in the alveolar and post-alveolar groups of apical vowels, while the front-back distinction in low vowels and the open-mid and closed-mid distinction in mid vowels were found with statistic and other evidence. Secondly, the conditioning of segments in the neighboring environments on the vowel quality was investigated. It is found that elements in the syllable final, including pre-nuclear, post-nuclear glide and coda nasals, generally have different types of conditioning on the vowel. In addition, the progressive assimilation was found have greater influence on the vowel quality of low vowel phones than the regressive assimilation. Thirdly, the change in vowel quality was discussed through the comparison with results in previous acoustic studies. The difference in vowel backness between the alveolar and post-alveolar groups of apical vowels were found to be decreasing and eventually disappeared. Besides, the relative vowel height and backness of closed-mid and open-mid vowel were found to be in reverse compared with that in the literature. Comparison in formant frequencies showed that this reverse lay in the change of vowel quality in the close-mid [e]. However, further investigations were needed to offer reasonable explanations for the change. Finally, the vowel qualities of present Taiwan Mandarin surface vowel phones were described and recorded as the formant frequency data presented in this study. Hopefully, the data could contribute to the study of vowels in Taiwan Mandarin.

Dans ce travail de recherche nous avons abordé la question de la perception et de la production des voyelles orales du français par seize enfants tunisiens (8-9 ans) néo-apprenants du français à trois moments différents de leur apprentissage : au début de leur première année de français, après 9 mois d’apprentissage et suite à une période d’entraînements phonétiques. Les résultats obtenus montrent que (1) la perception et la production des voyelles sont fortement influencées par la L1 des apprenants aussi bien au début qu’après 9 mois d’apprentissage ; (2) les performances en perception et en production des néo-apprenants dépendent plus des voyelles elles-mêmes que de leur statut en L2 par rapport à la L1 (voyelles nouvelles, similaires, ou identiques) ; (3) les entraînements phonétiques que nous avons administrés n’apportent pas de bénéfice sur la perception et la production des voyelles orales françaises par les néo-apprenants tunisien. / In this thesis, we studied the perception and production of the French oral vowels by sixteen Tunisian children (8-9 years old) learning French. Data are collected at three different periods: at the beginning of their first year of learning, after nine months of learning, and after a period of phonetic training. Main results are: (1) the perception and production of the vowels are greatly influenced by the L1 of the learners, both at the beginning and after nine months of learning; (2) the perception and production performances of the learners are better predicted by the identity of the vowel rather than its status in L2 compared to L1 (new, similar or identical vowels); (3) the phonetic training we gave showed no benefit on the perceptual or production performances of the children.

Submitted by Cristiane Chim (cristiane.chim@ucpel.edu.br) on 2018-08-06T13:39:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 GABRIELA TORNQUIST MAZZAFERRO.pdf: 6634163 bytes, checksum: b3be1b37f9ceeae1f0fcfe8335b5bc71 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T13:39:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 GABRIELA TORNQUIST MAZZAFERRO.pdf: 6634163 bytes, checksum: b3be1b37f9ceeae1f0fcfe8335b5bc71 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-12-18 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES# / #2075167498588264571# / #600 / This study aims to describe, analyze and formalize the behavior of the non-final and final post-tonic mid-vowels from the Portuguese spoken language in the extreme south part of Brazil, more specifically, the five bordering cities in Uruguay: Acegua, Chui, Jaguarao, Quarai and Santana do Livramento. This interest has come as a necessity for the mapping of the Portuguese spoken language in communities which are on the border of Uruguay, a Spanish speaking country, and taking into consideration that the vowel systems of the Brazilian Portuguese language (BP) and the Spanish language show different structures and functioning: seven of them are the phonological vowels of BP language and, according to Câmara Jr. (1977), in the non-final post-tonic position there is an operation of four vowels: /a/, /i/, /u/, /e/, which passes to only three in the final atonic position: /a/, /i/, /u/, due to the neutralization process. Differently, the Spanish language, in all of its phonological positions, presents the system of five vowels: /a/, /i/, /u/, /e/, /o/, regardless of the tonicity of the syllable. It was assumed as a research hypothesis, which considered the studies such as Vieira (1994, 2002, 2009) and Machry da Silva (2009), that the speakers of the Brazilian cities bordering Uruguay have presented differences in the use of the non-final and final atonic vowels when compared to the Portuguese spoken language from the remaining part of Rio Grande do Sul and Brazil due to the influence of Spanish phonology. Combined with limited studies focused on the research of the spoken BP in the southern border of the country, this research is based on Variationist Sociolinguistics with its particularity of proposing phonological analysis and the formalization of the results based on the Stochastic Optimality Theory. The corpus of the study consisted of data from 40 (forty) informants - eight informants from each of the cities previously mentioned. Two types of procedures were proposed for data collection: a specific instrument to obtain non-final post-tonic vowels and a sociolinguistic interview to obtain final post-tonic vowels. The data was transcribed, signed and submitted to the RBRUL computer software with the control of linguistic and extralinguistic variables. Statistical results indicated that these variables were relevant for the elevation of the non-final post-tonic vowels process in the five cities surveyed. Yet, they seem to indicate that the motivation for the occurrence (or not) of the process is found when in contact with the Spanish language, a homogenized factor, which is present in all of the border cities. The elevation process of the post-tonic vowels was present in all of the border cities: regarding the non-final post-tonic vowels, the indices were lower than the remaining of the state and the country, being more effective with the mid-vowel /o/ than the mid-vowel /e/, which corroborates the proposal of Camara Jr. (1977). Regarding the final post-tonic vowels, the effectiveness of the process reached levels above 70% for the vowel /e/ and 95% for the vowel /o/ with categorical results for the cities of Chui and Jaguarao, which provided evidence that this process may be indicating a change in the BP language on the border. The formalizations supported by the Stochastic Optimality Theory showed that by means of restrictions and hierarchization is possible to represent the atonicity as a motivator of the study process as well as to express the tendency for vowel elevation in BP language as a result of the neutralization process. The analysis of the data suggests that the behavior of the post-tonic vowels on the border communities with cities of Uruguay presents some particular features that keep the spoken Portuguese language on the border distant from the spoken BP of the remaining part of the state and the country. / Este estudo descreve, analisa e formaliza o comportamento das vogais médias postônicas não finais e finais no português falado no extremo sul do Brasil, mais especificamente em cinco cidades que fazem fronteira com o Uruguai: Aceguá, Chuí, Jaguarão, Quaraí e Santana do Livramento. O interesse está na necessidade de um mapeamento do português falado em comunidades que fazem fronteira com o Uruguai, país de fala espanhola, já que os sistemas vocálicos do português brasileiro (PB) e do espanhol mostram diferentes estruturas e funcionamento: sete são as vogais fonológicas do PB e, segundo Câmara Jr. (1977), na posição postônica não final há o funcionamento de quatro vogais: /a/, /i/, /u/, /e/, passando para apenas três na posição átona final: /a/, /i/, /u/, em virtude de um processo de neutralização; diferentemente, o espanhol apresenta, em todas as posições fonológicas, o sistema de cinco vogais: /a/, /i/, /u/, /e/, /o/, independentemente da tonicidade da sílaba. Assumiu-se como hipótese de pesquisa, considerando estudos como o de Vieira (1994, 2002, 2009) e de Machry da Silva (2009), que os falantes das cidades brasileiras fronteiriças com o Uruguai, por influência da fonologia do espanhol, apresentam diferenças no emprego das vogais átonas não finais e finais, em se comparando com o português falado no restante do Rio Grande do Sul e do Brasil. Aliando-se aos estudos voltados para a investigação do PB falado na Fronteira Sul do País, esta investigação está fundamentada na Sociolinguística Variacionista, com a particularidade de propor a análise fonológica e a formalização dos resultados com base na Teoria da Otimidade Estocástica. O corpus do estudo foi constituído por dados de 40 (quarenta) informantes – oito informantes de cada uma das cidades. Foram propostos dois tipos de procedimentos para a coleta dos dados: um instrumento específico para a obtenção de vogais postônicas não finais e uma entrevista sociolinguística para a obtenção de vogais postônicas finais. Os dados foram transcritos, fichados e submetidos ao programa computacional RBRUL, com o controle de variáveis linguísticas e extralinguísticas. Os resultados estatísticos indicaram que essas variáveis se mostraram relevantes para o processo de elevação das vogais médias postônicas não finais nas cinco cidades pesquisadas, mas parecem indicar que a motivação para a ocorrência (ou não) do processo se encontra no contato com o espanhol, fator homogeneizado, tendo em vista o fato de estar presente em todas as cidades fronteiriças. O processo de elevação das vogais postônicas mostrou-se presente em todas as cidades de fronteira: quanto às vogais postônicas não finais, os índices foram inferiores ao restante do Estado e País, sendo mais efetivo com a vogal média /o/ do que com a média /e/, o que corrobora a proposta de Câmara Jr. (1977); quanto às vogais postônicas finais, a efetivação do processo alcançou índices acima de 70% para a vogal /e/ e de 95% para a vogal /o/, com resultados categóricos para as cidades de Chuí e Jaguarão, trazendo evidências de que esse processo de variação pode estar indicando uma mudança no PB da fronteira. As formalizações com o suporte da Teoria da Otimidade Estocástica evidenciaram que, por meio de restrições e de sua hierarquização, é possível representar a atonicidade como motivadora do processo alvo do estudo, bem como expressar a tendência à elevação vocálica no PB como resultante do processo de neutralização. As análises dos dados permitem afirmar que o comportamento das vogais médias postônicas nas comunidades de fronteira com cidades do Uruguai apresenta especificidades que distanciam o português fronteiriço do PB falado no restante do Estado e do País.

Cette étude acoustico-perceptive concerne les limites de la perception et de la production des voyelles orales du français [i, e, ɛ, a, u, o, ɔ, y, ø, œ], en isolation et en contextes consonantiques divers, chez dix tchécophones, futures enseignantes de Français Langue Étrangère (FLE). Les résultats montrent que (1) La maîtrise phonétique des voyelles dépend de leurs graphies et de l’entourage consonantique. (2) Les voyelles fermées [i, y, u] et le [a] sont globalement maîtrisées avec authenticité. (3) Les capacités de perception des contrastes entre les voyelles moyennes e/ɛ, ø/œ et o/ɔ ainsi que leur production sont limitées. Ces résultats ne sont que partiellement en accord avec les prédictions établies à partir du Speech Learning Model (SLM) de Flege (1995), basé sur la notion de similarité phonétique qui existe entre la langue maternelle (LM) et la langue étrangère (LE). / This acoustic-perceptual study concerns the limits of perception and production of French oral vowels [i, e, ɛ, a, u, o, ɔ, y, ø, œ], in isolation and in different consonantal contexts, in ten pre-service Czech teachers of French as a Foreign Language (FFL). The results show that (1) Phonetic proficiency in vowels depends on their spellings and consonantal context. (2) Vowels [i, y, u] and [a] are generally mastered with authenticity. (3) The ability to hear contrasts between the vowels e/ɛ, ø/œ and o/ɔ and pronounce them is limited. These results are only partially consistent with the predictions established in the Speech Learning Model (SLM) by Flege (1995), based on the notion of phonetic similarity between the mother tongue (MT) and the foreign language (FL).

本論文從發音語音學與聲學語音學之觀點研究英語字彙之語音表義現象，其中包括英語中主要五個元音與央元音，二十個輔音，二十九個字首二輔音群，以及六個字首三輔音群。此外也提出語音表義在英語教學上之啟示。首先，語音表義字彙教學配合見字識音法，可以成為形音義三者結合之教學。再者，由於語音表義字彙教學必須透過聯想力建立聲音與意義之間的關聯，因此可以轉被動沈悶之字彙學習為主動活潑之認知歷程，符合認知學習之原則。同時語音表義字彙教學可以訓練學習者之音韻覺識能力，以求在發音、拼字與閱讀方面收長期之效。此外，語音表義字彙教學法可以與其他字彙教學法如「字首字根字尾解字教學法」，或是「上下文語境字彙教學」相輔相成，也同時彌補此兩種教學法不足之處。最後，英語語音學教師若選擇符合語音表義現象之例字，言傳語音特色將會更容易。 本論文完整探討英語中語音表義現象，具有以下幾點貢獻。首先，本文從發音語音學並配合聲學語音學上之佐證完整探討英語語音表義現象，是前所未見的。此外，將語音之歷史發展納入研究考慮因素，認為二輔音群如sc-、sch-、sk-與sh-以及三輔音群scr-與shr-分別具有相同之語音表義現象。而在含有輔音s之輔音群部分，根據Kaye（1992）以及優選理論，本論文將s與後繼語音視為異音節來討論其語音表義現象，亦為本文另一獨特之分析。另外，本論文證明英語中除了擬聲字以外，在聲音與意義之間仍有許多自然之關聯。 / This thesis aims to explore the phenomena of sound symbolism (SS hereafter) in English in terms of articulatory phonetics and acoustic phonetics. The scope of the research covers 5 cardinal vowels, the schwa sounds, 20 single consonants, 29 word-initial two-letter consonant clusters, and 6 word-initial three-letter consonant clusters. Meanwhile, there are some implications on English pedagogy found in the research. First, by providing the association between sound and meaning, SS enriches phonics, which deals with the relationship between spelling and sound, so that spelling, sound and meaning are combined in English vocabulary teaching. Besides, SS turns passive, teacher-centered vocabulary instruction into an active, student-centered one, and this corresponds with the principles of cognitive learning theory. Moreover, the application of SS in teaching English language will help develop learners’ phonological awareness, which improves their pronunciation, spelling and reading abilities. SS at the same time completes other vocabulary teaching methods. Lastly, SS strengthens the instruction of English phonetics in that, if provided with some example words subject to SS phenomena, the features of a sound will be observed and conveyed more easily. Complete in the analysis of SS in English, this thesis pioneers in the following aspects. First of all, this topic is treated in the viewpoint of both articulatory phonetics and acoustic phonetics. Secondly, the historical development of a sound is taken into consideration, and consonant clusters such as sch-、sk- and sh-, therefore, are deemed to have the same sound-meaning relationship with sc- and shr- with scr-. Besides, such s-initial consonant clusters as sl-, sm-, and st- are analyzed in an unprecedented way, some phonological evidences considered. Finally, this thesis proves that there are other non-arbitrary associations between sound and meaning besides onomatopoeic words.

Cette étude acoustico-perceptive concerne les limites de la perception et de la production des voyelles orales du français [i, e, ɛ, a, u, o, ɔ, y, ø, œ], en isolation et en contextes consonantiques divers, chez dix tchécophones, futures enseignantes de Français Langue Étrangère (FLE). Les résultats montrent que (1) La maîtrise phonétique des voyelles dépend de leurs graphies et de l’entourage consonantique. (2) Les voyelles fermées [i, y, u] et le [a] sont globalement maîtrisées avec authenticité. (3) Les capacités de perception des contrastes entre les voyelles moyennes e/ɛ, ø/œ et o/ɔ ainsi que leur production sont limitées. Ces résultats ne sont que partiellement en accord avec les prédictions établies à partir du Speech Learning Model (SLM) de Flege (1995), basé sur la notion de similarité phonétique qui existe entre la langue maternelle (LM) et la langue étrangère (LE). / This acoustic-perceptual study concerns the limits of perception and production of French oral vowels [i, e, ɛ, a, u, o, ɔ, y, ø, œ], in isolation and in different consonantal contexts, in ten pre-service Czech teachers of French as a Foreign Language (FFL). The results show that (1) Phonetic proficiency in vowels depends on their spellings and consonantal context. (2) Vowels [i, y, u] and [a] are generally mastered with authenticity. (3) The ability to hear contrasts between the vowels e/ɛ, ø/œ and o/ɔ and pronounce them is limited. These results are only partially consistent with the predictions established in the Speech Learning Model (SLM) by Flege (1995), based on the notion of phonetic similarity between the mother tongue (MT) and the foreign language (FL).

This thesis provides a comparative analysis of vowel quality in South African English (SAE) using the following data: firstly, the existing impressionistic literature on SAE and other relevant accents of English, the former of which is subject to a critical review; secondly, acoustic data from a similar range of accents, including new SAE data, collected and instrumentally analyzed specifically for the purposes of this research. These various data are used to position, on both a descriptive and theoretical level, the SAE vowel system. In addition, and in the service of providing a careful reconstruction of the linguistic history of this variety, it offers a three-stage koin´eization model which helps, in many respects, to illuminate the respective roles played by endogenous and exogenous factors in SAE’s development. More generally, the analysis is focussed on rendering explicit the extent to which the synchronic status and diachronic development of SAE more generally, and SAE vowel quality more particularly, provides support for a number of descriptive and theoretical frameworks, including those provided in Labov (1994), Torgersen and Kerswill (2004), Trudgill (2004) and Schneider (2003; 2007). With respect to these frameworks, and based on the results of the analysis, it proposes an extension to Schneider’s (2007) Dynamic Model, shows Trudgill’s (2004) model of new-dialect formation to be inadequate in accounting for some of the SAE data, provides evidence that SAE is a possibly imminent but ‘conservative’ member of Torgersen and Kerswill’s (2004) SECS-Shift and uses SAE data to question the applicability of the SECS-Shift to FOOT-Fronting. Furthermore, this thesis provides evidence that SAE has undergone an indexicallydriven arrestment of the Diphthong and Southern Shifts and a subsequent and related diffusion of GenSAE values at the expense of BrSAE ones. Similarly, it shows that SAE’s possible participation in the SECS-Shift constitutes an effective chain-shift reversal ‘from above’. It stresses that, in order to understand such phenomena, recourse needs to be made to a theory of indexicality that takes into account the unique sociohistorical development of SAE and its speakers. Lastly, the adoption of the three-stage koin´eization model mentioned above highlights the merits of considering both endogenous and exogenous factors in the historical reconstruction of new-dialect formation and, for research into SAE in particular, strengthens the case for further investigation into the possible effects of 19th-century Afrikaans/Dutch, Yiddish and north-of-English dialects on the formation of modern SAE. / Thesis (Ph.D. (English))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

This thesis provides a comparative analysis of vowel quality in South African English (SAE) using the following data: firstly, the existing impressionistic literature on SAE and other relevant accents of English, the former of which is subject to a critical review; secondly, acoustic data from a similar range of accents, including new SAE data, collected and instrumentally analyzed specifically for the purposes of this research. These various data are used to position, on both a descriptive and theoretical level, the SAE vowel system. In addition, and in the service of providing a careful reconstruction of the linguistic history of this variety, it offers a three-stage koin´eization model which helps, in many respects, to illuminate the respective roles played by endogenous and exogenous factors in SAE’s development. More generally, the analysis is focussed on rendering explicit the extent to which the synchronic status and diachronic development of SAE more generally, and SAE vowel quality more particularly, provides support for a number of descriptive and theoretical frameworks, including those provided in Labov (1994), Torgersen and Kerswill (2004), Trudgill (2004) and Schneider (2003; 2007). With respect to these frameworks, and based on the results of the analysis, it proposes an extension to Schneider’s (2007) Dynamic Model, shows Trudgill’s (2004) model of new-dialect formation to be inadequate in accounting for some of the SAE data, provides evidence that SAE is a possibly imminent but ‘conservative’ member of Torgersen and Kerswill’s (2004) SECS-Shift and uses SAE data to question the applicability of the SECS-Shift to FOOT-Fronting. Furthermore, this thesis provides evidence that SAE has undergone an indexicallydriven arrestment of the Diphthong and Southern Shifts and a subsequent and related diffusion of GenSAE values at the expense of BrSAE ones. Similarly, it shows that SAE’s possible participation in the SECS-Shift constitutes an effective chain-shift reversal ‘from above’. It stresses that, in order to understand such phenomena, recourse needs to be made to a theory of indexicality that takes into account the unique sociohistorical development of SAE and its speakers. Lastly, the adoption of the three-stage koin´eization model mentioned above highlights the merits of considering both endogenous and exogenous factors in the historical reconstruction of new-dialect formation and, for research into SAE in particular, strengthens the case for further investigation into the possible effects of 19th-century Afrikaans/Dutch, Yiddish and north-of-English dialects on the formation of modern SAE. / Thesis (Ph.D. (English))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

L’objectif du didacticien est d’élaborer une méthode performante dont le contenu et les outils d’enseignement-apprentissage améliorent les compétences phonétiques en langue étrangère. Concernant le contenu pédagogique, les travaux ont montré que les sons et les phonèmes d’une langue inconnue sont traités selon l’organisation de l’espace phonétique et phonologique de la langue maternelle. Les recherches mettent en avant l’intérêt de confronter les systèmes linguistiques afin de prédire les difficultés et les facilités auxquelles seront exposés les apprenants de langue. S’agissant des outils de transmission, les études montrent les effets bénéfiques de l’interdisciplinarité et le rôle pertinent de la musique sur le développement cognitif et des apprentissages. Notre objectif de recherche s’inscrit dans ce contexte scientifique. Notre intérêt est double. D’abord, nous avons tenté d’identifier quel paramètre, inhérent à l’émission en voix chantée et la différenciant de la voix parlée, pouvait faciliter la perception de voyelles non-natives. Ensuite, nous avons souhaité comparer les effets sur la compétence de production de voyelles non-natives de deux méthodes de corrections phonétique, l’une des deux exploitant l’outil « voix chantée ». À travers les résultats de ces études, nous avons essayé de saisir le rôle de l’italien langue maternelle sur la perception et la production du français langue cible. Nos travaux n’ont pas mis en évidence d’effet des modalités fréquence fondamentale et allongement de la durée vocalique sur la discrimination perceptive des voyelles non natives /y/ et /ø/, mais ils suggèrent un rôle du contexte prévocalique sur la perception de la voyelle non-native /y/ en contraste /u/. Nous avons trouvé un effet favorable de la méthode de correction phonétique incluant la pratique chantée sur la production du spectre sonore des voyelles fermées du français, mais pas sur l’évolution des catégories phonologiques à l’intérieur de l’espace acoustique vocalique. Les résultats de ces études soutiennent la théorie que l’enseignement-apprentissage de la phonétique a sa place en classe de langue, et suggèrent que la voix chantée serait, sous certaines conditions, un outil pertinent pour faciliter la perception et la production de voyelles non-natives. / Specialists in didactics aim to create an efficient method, whose teaching / learning content and tools improve phonetic skills in foreign languages. As for the educational content, research studies have proved that sounds and phonemes of a foreign language are processed according to the structure of the phonetic and phonological space of the native language. Other works point out that it is particularly relevant to compare linguistic systems in order to predict future difficulties and abilities language learners will be confronted with. As for transmission tools, studies have shown the beneficial effects of interdisciplinarity and the pertinent role music plays on cognitive and learning development. Our research objective falls within this scientific context. Our purpose has been two-fold. First, we tried to identify which parameter, related to the production of the singing voice whilst separate from the speaking voice, may facilitate the perception of non-native vowels. Secondly, we aimed at comparing the effects on the ability to produce non-native vowels of two corrective phonetic methods, one of which used the “singing voice” tool. Through the results of these studies, we tried to understand how Italian as a native language interacts with the perception and the production of French as a target language. Our studies have shown that vowel pitch and duration do not impact the discrimination of /y/ and /ø/, and that the consonant sharpness plays a role on the discrimination of /y/ in a CV type syllable. We found a positive effect of the method, which uses singing-voice as a tool, on the production of the sound spectrum of French closed vowels, but not on the evolution of the sounds and phonemes into the acoustic space. Our results support the theory that phonetic teaching and learning is relevant in language classes and suggest that singing-voice may be a useful tool to ease the perception and the production of non-native vowels. / L’obiettivo dell’esperto di didattica è di elaborare un metodo efficace, il cui contenuto e gli strumenti d’insegnamento-apprendimento migliorino le competenze fonetiche in lingua straniera. Riguardo al contenuto pedagogico, le nostre ricerche hanno dimostrato che i suoni e i fonemi di una lingua sconosciuta sono trattati secondo l’organizzazione dello spazio fonetico e fonologico della lingua materna. Queste ricerche evidenziano l’utilità di confrontare sistemi linguistici differenti al fine di predire le difficoltà e le agevolazioni a cui sono esposti gli studenti di lingua straniera come lingua seconda (L2). Per quanto concerne gli strumenti d’insegnamento e apprendimento, le nostre ricerche dimostrano gli effetti benefici dell’interdisciplinarità ma anche del ruolo pertinente della musica sullo sviluppo cognitivo e sul piano degli studenti. Il nostro interesse di ricerca è doppio. In primo luogo, abbiamo tentato d’identificare quale parametro, inerente alla produzione in voce cantata e che la distingue della produzione del parlato, potesse agevolare la percezione di vocali assenti dalla lingua materna. In seguito, abbiamo voluto confrontare gli effetti di due metodi di correzione fonetica, uno dei quali sfrutta lo strumento “voce cantata”, sulla competenza di produzione delle vocali del francese /y ø/ non presenti nel sistema vocalico dei locutori di italiano madrelingua. I risultati di questi studi contribuiscono ad individuare l’impatto dell’italiano madrelingua sulla produzione e sulla percezione del francese lingua d’apprendimento. I nostri lavori non hanno evvidenziato un effetto delle modalità pitch e durata d’emissione della vocale /y/ e della vocale /ø/ sulla loro discriminazione, ma suggeriscono un ruolo del contesto pre-vocalico sulla percezione della vocale /y/ in contrasto /u/. Abbiamo scoperto un effetto favorevole del metodo di correzione fonetica includendo la voce cantata sulla produzione dello spettro sonoro delle vocali chiuse del francese, ma non sull’evoluzione delle categorie fonologiche all’interno dello spazio acustico. I risultati di questi studi sostengono la teoria secondo la quale l’insegnamento-apprendimento fonetico ha pienamente ragione di essere in classe di lingua, e suggeriscono che la voce cantata sarebbe, sottommessa ad alcune condizioni, uno strumento che facilita la percezione e la produzione di vocali assenti dalla madrelingua.

Exames de Comparação Forense de Locutores apresentam características complexas, demandando análises demoradas quando realizadas manualmente. Propõe-se um método para reconhecimento automático de vogais com extração de características para análises acústicas, objetivando-se contribuir com uma ferramenta de apoio nesses exames. A proposta baseia-se na medição dos formantes através de LPC (Linear Predictive Coding), seletivamente por detecção da frequência fundamental, taxa de passagem por zero, largura de banda e continuidade, sendo o agrupamento das amostras realizado por meio do método k-means. Experimentos realizados com amostras de três diferentes bases de dados trouxeram resultados promissores, com localização das regiões correspondentes a cinco das vogais do Português Brasileiro, propiciando a visualização do comportamento do trato vocal de um falante, assim como detecção de trechos correspondentes as vogais-alvo. / Forensic speaker comparison exams have complex characteristics, demanding a long time for manual analysis. A method for automatic recognition of vowels, providing feature extraction for acoustic analysis is proposed, aiming to contribute as a support tool in these exams. The proposal is based in formant measurements by LPC (Linear Predictive Coding), selectively by fundamental frequency detection, zero crossing rate, bandwidth and continuity, with the clustering being done by the k-means method. Experiments using samples from three different databases have shown promising results, in which the regions corresponding to five of the Brasilian Portuguese vowels were successfully located, providing visualization of a speaker’s vocal tract behavior, as well as the detection of segments corresponding to target vowels.