[Digital recording and equivalent evaluation of Mandarin speech test materials].

Abstract

Objective: After preliminary edit and equivalent tests, Mandarin speech test materials (MSTM) were digitally recorded and further tested in order to get multi-center analysis and clinical application.

Method: The contents of the lists were modified and the trial lists were added. All materials were digitally recorded into 3 CDs with international criterions. Each CD contained a calibration pure-tone, a trial list and the speech test lists. MSTM contained 10 lists of monosyllabic words with 50 words in each list, 10 lists of spondees with 50 disyllabic words (100 Chinese characters) in each lists, and 30 lists of sentences with 10 sentences in each list. Sixty normal-hearing college students were tested. The tests were conducted in the sound booths with earphones. The presentation levels of the monosyllables, disyllables and sentences were different. The presentation levels considered as the scores were about 50% correct,in which condition the speech intelligibility was most sensitive.

Result: Statistic analysis showed that two sets (9 lists in each set) of monosyllable lists, 9 disyllable lists and 27 sentence lists were equivalent in difficulty. If the clinicians do not need so many lists to test the patients, they had better use the most equivalent ones.

Conclusion: The equivalent Mandarin speech lists have been made into CDs and ready to be used clinically. But the multi-center evaluation is needed.