Development and evaluation of the Cantonese matrix sentence test

Abstract

Objective: To develop the Cantonese matrix (YUEmatrix) test according to the international standard procedure and examine possible different outcomes in another tonal language.

Design: A 50-word Cantonese base-matrix was established. Word-specific speech recognition functions, speech recognition thresholds (SRT), and slopes were obtained. The speech material was homogenised in intelligibility by applying level corrections up to ± 3 dB. Subsequently, the YUEmatrix test was evaluated in five aspects: training effect, test-list equivalence, test-retest reliability, establishment of reference data for normal-hearing Cantonese-speakers, and comparison with the Cantonese-Hearing-In-Noise-Test.

Study sample: Overall, 64 normal-hearing native Cantonese-speaking listeners.

Results: SRT measurements with adaptive procedures resulted in a reference SRT of -9.7 ± 0.7 dB SNR for open-set and -11.1 ± 1.2 dB SNR for the closed-set response format. Fixed SNR measurements suggested a test-specific speech intelligibility function slope of 15.5 ± 0.7%/dB. Seventeen 10-sentences base test lists were confirmed to be equivalent with respect to speech intelligibility. Training effect was not observed after two measurements of 20-sentences lists.

Conclusions: The YUEmatrix yields comparable results to matrix tests in other languages including Mandarin. Level adjustments to homogenise sentences appear to be less effective for tonal languages than for most other languages developed so far.

Keywords: Cantonese matrix test; Tonal languages; hearing in noise test; matrix sentence test; speech reception threshold.