Previous research shows that pausing and disfluencies are common in non-native speech. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between fluency and pausing in Russian read-aloud speech of 12 Finnish university students and examine their fluency development during a 3.5-month study-period in Russia. To assess fluency, 30 Russian teachers rated the students’ speech samples (on a ...

Based on spontaneous speech data of the Tuu language Nǀuu, we used the cross-linguistically established domain-initial strengthening concept in order to examine, if and in which way clicks are subject to speech reduction (lenition) in relation to a reference sample of plosives. Results of combined acoustic and auditory analyses suggest that clicks can be reduced in a gradual fashion and show mo...

........................................................................................................................................................ 2