DocumentCode :
2795346
Title :
Effects of classroom reverberation and listeners´ locations to speech intelligibility
Author :
Sodsri, Chukiet
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. Eng., Silpakorn Univ., Nakhonpathom, Thailand
fYear :
2012
fDate :
16-18 May 2012
Firstpage :
1
Lastpage :
4
Abstract :
Listening to a lecture in a classroom is a common process for studying in Thailand. Ability of learning is affected by the ability of hearing the instructors´ speech. Acoustical environments of the classroom, hence, can influence speech intelligibility. In this research, acoustical parameters, reverberation time, listeners´ locations in classrooms and their effects were studied. By using an assumption of linear system of the classrooms, the room reverberation, background noise, and other classroom acoustical factors can be implicated as an impulse response of the system. Maximum length sequence was used to identify the impulse responses at listeners´ locations, which are at front, middle, and rear section of the classrooms. A clean speech, recorded in a semi-anechoic room, was convoluted with a series of the measured classrooms´ impulse responses to yield a set of simulated reverberant speeches that the listener at each location in the classes would have heard. A number of volunteers were invited to test an ability of understanding the speech. The results showed that the reverberation and the listeners´ location severely affected the speech intelligibility. Students sitting at front of the classes would gain better speech clarity than those sitting at middle or rear parts of the classes. Location of listening at back section, closed to the rear solid walls in the classrooms with bad reverberation times was the worse location for gaining speech intelligibility.
Keywords :
acoustic noise; convolution; reverberation; speech intelligibility; speech processing; transient response; acoustical environments; acoustical parameters; background noise; classroom acoustical factors; classroom impulse response; classroom reverberation effect; linear system; listener location; maximum length sequence; reverberation time; semianechoic room; speech intelligibility; Auditory system; Educational institutions; Linear systems; Noise; Noise measurement; Reverberation; Speech; Classroom Acoustics; Impulse response; Linear system; MLS Signal; Reverberation Time; Speech intelligent;
fLanguage :
English
Publisher :
ieee
Conference_Titel :
Electrical Engineering/Electronics, Computer, Telecommunications and Information Technology (ECTI-CON), 2012 9th International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Phetchaburi
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4673-2026-9
Type :
conf
DOI :
10.1109/ECTICon.2012.6254178
Filename :
6254178
Link To Document :
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