We are conducting a Spanish speech data collection project aimed at developing and improving language technologies. We are looking for child participants between the ages of 4 and 12 who are native Spanish speakers. This project will involve various speech tasks, including reading sentences, describing pictures, and phonetic exercises.
Requirements:
- Age: 4-12 years.
- Native Spanish speaker.
- Comfortable with being recorded while speaking.
- Permission from a parent or legal guardian to participate.
- Must reside within the United States.
Responsibilities:
- Participate in a series of speech tasks, such as reading sentences, naming letters, and describing pictures.
- Complete all assigned tasks in a quiet, indoor environment with no echo or reverb.
- Follow instructions provided for each speech activity.
- Ensure high-quality recordings by speaking clearly and naturally.
Audio Setting Requirements:
- Recording Environment: Quiet indoor setting with no echo or reverb.
- Recording Device: Use a smartphone or laptop with a good quality microphone.
- Recommended Apps:
- For Android: Easy Voice Recorder
- For iOS: Easy Voice Recorder
- File Format: Recordings should be in .wav format.
- Sampling Rate: 16 kHz.
- Encoding: 16-bit linear PCM.
- Channels: Mono.
- Background Noise: Minimal, typical of a quiet room.
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): ≥30 dB.
- Zero Padding: No zero-padding allowed.
- Filtering: No low-pass, high-pass, or band-pass filters should be applied.
How to Apply: Parents or legal guardians interested in having their children participate should apply via our recruitment platform and include a short audio sample of their child performing one of the following tasks:
- For Younger Kids (Ages 4-7): Read the following sentences: "El perro corre rápido por el jardín." "La casa es grande y bonita." "Me gusta jugar con mis amigos." "El sol brilla en el cielo azul."
- For Older Kids (Ages 8-12): Read the provided passage: "En el centro del pueblo, había una pequeña panadería. El olor del pan recién horneado llenaba el aire, atrayendo a todos con su delicioso aroma. La gente hacía fila afuera para comprar su pan. La tienda tenía estantes llenos de panes, donas y bollos de todas las formas, colores y tamaños. El panadero llevaba un sombrero blanco para evitar que el cabello cayera por todas partes y siempre sonreía mientras preparaba bolsas de pan para sus clientes. Los niños corrían a la tienda después de la escuela para elegir su pan favorito. Era el lugar perfecto para conseguir un delicioso bocadillo o pan fresco para la cena. Cada visita a la panadería era un viaje al mundo de los sabores."
Please send the audio sample along with the application.
Disclaimer: This project is conducted in compliance with all relevant guidelines and regulations for the protection and privacy of child participants. Participation is voluntary, and parents or legal guardians must provide consent for their children to participate. All recordings will be used solely for the purpose of developing and improving language technologies and will be kept confidential and secure.