Institute of Language and Phonology

Ongoing Research & Publications

RESEARCH PROJECTS IN PROGRESS
AT THE INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE & PHONOLOGY:
RESEARCH DIVISION

1. Grammar Study
The purpose of this research is to determine if there are any improvements in a person's spoken English grammar, after completing a Compton P-ESL program. This is being done by tabulating the number of grammar errors that clients produce when they "make up" a sentence for each of 66 words that are a part of a standardized assessment, done at the beginning of their course. The same assessment is done at the end of their course, thus allowing for a comparison with the number of grammar errors produced in their "made up" sentences at the end of their course. To date we have compiled date for 14 clients and will be adding at least 6 more to establish a reliable data sample. Preliminary results suggest some very striking differences, and this initial phase of the study should be completed by the end of April, 2012 and will be submitted for presentation at the American Speech and Hearing Association meeting in 2013..

Other variable being examined are the types of grammar errors produced, comparisons of average before/after sentence length, semantic similarities and differences in the types of sentences made up for the same words at the beginning and end of the course and, no doubt, many other questions that will arise, as we get further along with the project.

2. Listening Comprehension
The purpose of this project is to determine if there are any improvements in a person's listening comprehension of spoken English after completing a Compton P-ESL program. I am currently evaluating the reliability and "acceptability" of the various listening comprehension tests that are currently available, and which are most widely used. The next step will be to administer a pre and post comprehension test, tabulate the results and statistical analyses. I will welcome speaking with any P-ESL certified speech pathologists who are interested in participating.

3. Comparison of percentages of Accent Improvement using the CD-ROM vs. the Online Practice Materials
The purpose of this research is to determine if there is a significant difference in speaking improvement for clients using the CD-ROM vs. the online practice materials. We already have some data showing a very positive difference in favor of the online program. However, I want a large data base of at least 100 to 150 clients from at least 15 or 20 language backgrounds who have used the online program. I will welcome speaking with any P-ESL certified speech pathologists who are interested in participating.

4. A Longitudinal Study of the Evolution and Speech and Language Development of Young Children. This research is a revisit of a study initiated approximately 25 years age, and is based on the new computer analyses technologies and possibilities made during the past 10 years. This research involves analyzing the speech and language developmental data of Children from 1 yr. to 4 yrs which includes thousands of ongoing speech samples collected from 6 children during this period of their development.

5. Preparation of a Monograph Applied Studies of Foreign Accent: 1978 through 2012
This publication will detail and provide physical documentation for approximately 15 research projects that I have presented at various professional conferences over the years. The monograph will include the following topics and issues:

Documenting the percentages of improvement (50% to 70%) (and expectations) for clients who take the Compton P-ESL program,
Are there differences in % improvement for:
a) 13 week group,
b) 13 week tutoring, and
c) 12 week concentrated PESL program
d) 13 week tutoring program
Will the speaking improvement gains that clients achieve dissipate over time after completing a P-ESL program? No, not at least up to 5 years.
Does the % improvement potential vary depending upon:
a) Age? No.
b) Years in USA? No.
c) Educational level? No.
d) Male vs. female? No.
e) Native language? No.
f) Client vs. company pays? No.
g) Learned English in USA vs. home country? No.
Are there differences in the perceived "degree of accent" of an individual depending on the native language of the speaker and the listener, i.e., does the "degree" or "strength"of one's accent reside in the mouth of the talker or the ears of the beholder?
Are there differences in the degree of improvement for:
a) initial consonants vs. final consonants?
b) consonants vs. vowels?

SUMMARY OF PUBLICATIONS
Arthur J. Compton, Ph.D.

Compton, A.J. "Effects of Filtering and Vocal Duration upon the Identification of Speakers, Aurally," J. Acoust. Soc. Am., Vol. 35, pp. 1748-1752, (1963) (masters thesis Publication)

Compton, A.J. "Aural Perception of Different Syntactic Structures and Length," Language and Speech, Vol. 10, pp. 81-87, (1967) (Ph.D. thesis publication)

Compton, A.J. "Annual Review of J.S.H.R. Research, 1967" J. Speech and Hearing Disorders, Vol. 33, pp. 303-317, (1968)

Compton, A.J. "Generative Studies of Children's Phonological Disorders," J. Speech and Hearing Disorders, Vol. 35, pp. 315-339, (1970). (This is the first of a series of reports outlining some of the implications of generative phonology to the diagnosis and treatment of children's articulatory disorders.)

Compton, A.J. "Generative Studies of Children's Phonological Disorders: A Strategy of Therapy," Measurements in Hearing, Speech and Language, Ed. Sadanand Singh, University Park Press, (1975)

Compton, A.J. "Generative Studies of Children's Phonological Disorders: Clinical Ramifications," Normal and Deficient Child Language, Eds. D. Morehead and A. Morehead, University Park Press (1976)

Compton, A.J. "Studies of Early Child Phonology: Data Collection and Analyses," Papers and Reports on Child Language Development, pp. 99-109, Stanford University, (1977)

Compton, A.J. Compton Speech and Language Screening Evaluation, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1978), Revised Ed. (1999)

Compton, A.J. Compton Phonological Assessment of Children, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1978), Rev.Ed. (2008)

Compton, A.J. Phonetics for Children's Misarticulations, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1981)

Compton, A.J. & Kline, M. Compton Speech and Language Screening Evaluation: Spanish Adaptation, Carousel House, San Francisco (1983) Revised Ed. (1999)

Compton, A.J. Compton Phonological Assessment of Foreign Accent, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1983), Revised Ed. (2012)

Foreign Accent Improvement Series, (Self-Study Accent Improvement programs, each of which include a Manual and a CD-ROM or a set of four cassette practice tapes)

Compton, A.J. Pronouncing English for Cantonese Speakers, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1983), Revised Ed. (1999)

Compton, A.J. Pronouncing English for Filipino Speakers, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1996), Revised Ed. (1999)

Compton, A.J. Pronouncing English for Japanese Speakers, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1983), Revised Ed. (1999)

Compton, A.J. Pronouncing English for Korean Speakers, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (2004),

Compton, A.J. Pronouncing English for Mandarin Speakers, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1985), Revised Ed. (1999)

Compton, A.J. Pronouncing English for Slavic Speakers, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1996), Revised Ed. (1999)

Compton, A.J. Pronouncing English for Spanish Speakers, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1983), Revised Ed. (1999)

Compton, A.J. Pronouncing English for Vietnamese Speakers, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1983), Revised Ed. (1999)

Compton, A.J. Compton P-ESL Program," Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1984), Revised Ed. (2009) (This is the master client manual including the scripts of all practice materials. This publication and the accompanying CD-ROM or cassette-tape practice materials is available only to Institute certified speech pathologists who have taken a Training Workshop)

Compton, A.J. The Vowel Book, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1990)

Compton, A.J. Speech Production Illustrations: Consonants, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1991)

Compton, A.J. Speech Production Illustrations: Vowels Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1992)

Compton, A.J. Phonetic Transcription of Foreign Accent, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA Rev.Ed. (2010)

Compton, A.J. Compton P-ESL Audio Demonstration of Foreign Accent Improvement: 72 Foreign Language Backgrounds, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1992)

Compton, A.J. Foreign Accent Norms of American English for 47 of the Worlds Languages, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA, Rev.Ed.(2009) (The publication documents and provides normative date for the accented sounds of American English and constitutes the most comprehensive compilation of foreign accent ever undertaken).

Compton, A.J. Compton Screening Assessment of Foreign Accent, Carousel House, San Francisco, CA (1998)

CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS
Arthur J. Compton, Ph.D.

"Children's Phonological Development and Disorders," paper presented at the Conference on Psycholinguistic Approaches to the Study of Language Development and Disorders held at the University of Iowa for which I also served as director, June 20-21, (1969)

"Developmental Phonology" paper presented at the Annual Child Language Research Forum at Stanford University, March 27, (1971)

The Delayed Language Child workshop sponsored by the Maine State Department of Education which I conducted, July 8-9, (1971)

Normal and Deviant Language Development of the Child workshop sponsored by University of California, Berkeley (Extension College) June 26-27 and 29-30, (1972)

Normal and Abnormal Phonological Development of Children workshop sponsored by California State University, Hayward (Extension College) April 19-20, (1974)

Diagnosis and Remediation of Children's Phonological Disorders a series of workshops offered through the Institute of Child Language and Phonology, San Francisco Hearing and Speech Center, October 4-5, 18-19, and 25-26, (1975)

Deviant Child Phonology workshop sponsored by the Institute of Child Language and Phonology, San Francisco, February 15-16, (1977)

Phonological Disorders of Early Childhood workshop sponsored by the University of Montreal and McGill University, March 17-18, (1978)

A Practical Approach to Phonological Assessment workshop sponsored by California State University, Stanislaus, May 5, (1979)

A Comprehensive Linguistic Program for the Improvement of Foreign Accent, presented to the California Speech and Hearing Association., Los Angeles, April (1980)

Pronouncing English as a Second Language: A Linguistic Program, presented to the American Speech and Hearing Association, Detroit, November (1980)

Phonological Assessment of Foreign Accent and Comparisons of Accent Patterns of Speakers from Different Language Backgrounds, presented to the American Speech and Hearing Association, Cincinnati, November (1983)

Comparative Analyses of Foreign Accent Patterns of Speakers of Different Language Backgrounds, presented at the national meeting of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Houston, March (1984)

Applied Studies of the Assessment and Remediation of Foreign Accent, presented to the American Speech, Hearing and Language Association, Detroit, November (1986)

Assessment and Remediation of Foreign Accent short course sponsored by The Professionals Continuum and the Institute of Language and Phonology, Lake Tahoe, July 1, (1987)

Applied Studies of Foreign Accent, presented at the Annual Convention of the California Speech, Hearing and Language Association, Palm Springs, April (1993)

Foreign Accent Improvement: Linguistic & Non Linguistic Variables and some Misconceptions, presented at the Annual Convention of the American Speech, Hearing and Language Association, New Orleans, LA , November (1994)

Linguistic and Nonlinguistic Variables of Foreign Accent, presented at the Annual Convention of the American Speech, Hearing and Language Association, San Francisco, November, (1999)

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