APPLYING AUTOMATED SPEECH ANALYSIS TO CHINESE LANGUAGE STUDIES: INSPIRATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FROM STUDIES WITH THE LANGUAGE ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS SYSTEM

The Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) System is a new research tool that combines a wearable digital recorder and automated speech signal processing technology. The LENA system has been employed by US researchers in the field of child language development for many years. Studies using the LENA system have confirmed the contribution of automated speech signal processing technology to language research; however, the LENA system has infrequently been applied in Chinese language research. This article introduces the LENA system and provides suggestions for its use in future Chinese language research. This article comprises three parts: (1) introduction to the LENA system; (2) inspiration for the developing Chinese automated speech analysis tool; (3) suggestions for Chinese language studies using the LENA system.