Systems and methods for automated evaluation of human speech

A method of performing automated proficiency scoring of speech, the method comprising:

• generating an audio signal using a microphone by receiving an audible unconstrained speech utterance from a user whose proficiency in a language is being tested;
• providing the audio signal to a computing device coupled with the microphone, the computing device comprising a microprocessor, a memory, and a display operatively coupled together;
• processing the audio signal using the microprocessor and memory by:
• recognizing a plurality of phones and a plurality of pauses comprised in the audio signal corresponding with the utterance;
• dividing the plurality of phones and plurality of pauses into a plurality of tone units;
• grouping the plurality of phones into a plurality of syllables;
• identifying a plurality of filled pauses from among the plurality of pauses;
• detecting a plurality of prominent syllables from among the plurality of syllables;
• identifying, from among the plurality of prominent syllables, a plurality of tonic syllables;
• identifying a tone choice for each of the tonic syllables of the plurality of tonic syllables to form a plurality of tone choices;
• calculating a relative pitch for each of the tonic syllables of the plurality of tonic syllables to form a plurality of relative pitch values;
• calculating a plurality of suprasegmental parameters using one of the plurality of pauses, the plurality of filled pauses, the plurality of tone units, the plurality of syllables, the plurality of prominent syllables, the plurality of tone choices, the plurality of relative pitch values, and any combination thereof;
• using the plurality of suprasegmental parameters, calculating a language proficiency rating for the user;
• and
• displaying the language proficiency rating of the user on the display associated with the computing device using the microprocessor and the memory.

A method of calculating a plurality of suprasegmental values for an utterance, the method comprising:

• generating an audio signal using a microphone by receiving an audible unconstrained speech utterance from a user;
• providing the audio signal to a computing device coupled with the microphone, the computing device comprising a microprocessor, a memory, and a display operatively coupled together;
• processing the audio signal using the microprocessor and memory by:
• recognizing a plurality of phones and a plurality of pauses comprised in the audio signal corresponding with the utterance;
• dividing the plurality of phones and plurality of pauses into a plurality of tone units;
• grouping the plurality of phones into a plurality of syllables;
• identifying a plurality of filled pauses from among the plurality of pauses;
• detecting a plurality of prominent syllables from among the plurality of syllables;
• identifying, from among the plurality of prominent syllables, a plurality of tonic syllables;
• identifying a tone choice for each of the tonic syllables of the plurality of tonic syllables to form a plurality of tone choices;
• calculating a relative pitch for each of the tonic syllables of the plurality of tonic syllables to form a plurality of relative pitch values;
• and
• calculating a plurality of suprasegmental parameters using one of the plurality of pauses, the plurality of filled pauses, the plurality of tone units, the plurality of syllables, the plurality of prominent syllables, the plurality of tone choices, the plurality of relative pitch values, and any combination thereof.