Research field

Speech technique and vocology

Tampere University

Speech is an important tool for human self-expression and social communication. Up to one third of today’s workforce occupy positions where speaking is an important part of their work.

The human voice is a carrier of natural speech and a powerful means of expression. The characteristics of speech and voice can be deliberately varied for the linguistic coding of messages and, for instance, to convey emotions and attitudes. These characteristics may also vary involuntarily, affecting our communication and listeners’ perceptions of us and our messages. Speech and voice are also powerful tools of artistic expression.

Speech technique and vocology (the science and practice of voice habilitation) is a subject where multidisciplinary scientific research meets a long tradition of practical voice and speech training. Research and instruction/training go seamlessly together. At Tampere University, the subject falls under the umbrella of Society and Health.

In Finland, academic training in speech technique and vocology is only offered at Tampere University. The establishment of the Speech and Voice Research Laboratory in 1968 marked the beginning of education in this field in Tampere.

We conduct research on speech, speaking and singing voice using acoustic, perceptual and physiological methods. Our research examines cultural variation in speech and voice, the effects and bases of voice training methods, and the development and prevention of voice disorders. Since 1968, we have been collecting a voice archive which enables comparisons between groups of voice users and between different decades.

Research on the cultural aspects of speech increases out understanding of interpersonal and intercultural communication. Studies on the effects of insufficient language skills and hearing impairment on the perception of voice and speech characteristics facilitate the development of teaching methods and communication aids.

Voice analysis can reveal how various types of voice use differ in terms of how they exploit the capacity of the vocal organ. In addition, the results shed light on the potential risks relating to excessive loading and the development of voice disorders.

Research on voice training methods seeks to identify the ideal methods for improving vocal function, expression and vocal endurance. This not only helps to improve communication and the occupational skills of future voice professionals but also prevents voice disorders.

Contact information

Anne-Maria Laukkanen

Professor, Speech Technique and Vocology

Faculty of Social Sciences

Tampere University

anne-maria.laukkanen [at] tuni.fi (anne-maria[dot]laukkanen[at]tuni[dot]fi)

+358503635152

City Centre Campus

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4836-2513 0000-0003-4836-2513

Since 1968, the Speech and Voice Research Laboratory has investigated speech, speaking and singing voices from the perspectives of physiology, acoustics, perception, cultural variation, skills required in various occupations, individual and artistic expression, and the prevention of voice disorders. A large voice archive has been recorded in our own acoustically treated studio. The active collection of research and voice archives has resulted in a large reference database for the purposes of voice and speech training and therapy.

We have maintained active research collaboration with the Degree Programme in Theatre Arts at Tampere University since the 1960s. Our research results are promptly translated into practice to improve actor training.

We also test the applicability of various research methods for studying speech and voice.

Our research is experimental and carried out in multidisciplinary collaboration with national and international groups.

Current projects

Research project

Tampere University

Cultural variations of speech and voice

Area of focus: Society

Research project

Tampere University

Vocal performance, its indicators and development

Area of focus: Society

Research project

Tampere University

Vocal efficiency and economy in loud Classical Operatic and Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) singing styles compared to loud speech

Area of focus: Society

Examples of our publications

Hakanpää, T., Waaramaa, T., & Laukkanen, A. M. (2023). Training the vocal expression of emotions in singing: Effects of including acoustic research-based elements in the regular singing training of acting students. Journal of Voice, 37(2), 293-e7. Journal of Voice Best Paper 2023 in Voice Pedagogy, awarded in 2024.

Laukkanen, A. M., Kadiri, S. R., Narayanan, S., & Alku, P. (2024). Can a Machine Distinguish High and Low Amount of Social Creak in Speech?. Journal of Voice.

Uusitalo, T., Nyberg, L., Laukkanen, A. M., Waaramaa, T., & Rantala, L. (2024). Has the prevalence of creaky voice increased among Finnish university students from the 1990′ s to the 2010′ s?. Journal of Voice, 38(3), 697-702.

Ikävalko, T., Laukkanen, A. M., McAllister, A., Eklund, R., Lammentausta, E., Leppävuori, M., & Nieminen, M. T. (2024). Three professional singers’ vocal tract dimensions in operatic singing, kulning, and edge—a multiple case study examining loud singing. Journal of Voice, 38(5), 1253-e11.

Horáček, J., Bula, V., Radolf, V., Geneid, A., & Laukkanen, A. M. (2023). High-Speed Image Analysis Comparing Loading of Vocal Folds During Coughing and Phonation: A Case Study. Journal of Voice.

Nilsson, T., Laukkanen, A. M., Syrjä, T., & Master, S. (2024). Finnish and Brazilian-Portuguese listeners’ evaluation of voice characteristics in Brazilian-Portuguese speaking actresses and non-actresses. Journal of Interdisciplinary Voice Studies.

Laukkanen, A. M., Radolf, V., Bula, V., Horáček, J., & Geneid, A. (2024). Glottal imaging study comparing vowel phonation with semioccluded vocal tract exercises (SOVTEs) produced loudly. Journal of Voice.

Saldías O’Hrens, M., Castro, C., Espinoza, V. M., Stoney, J., Quezada, C., & Laukkanen, A. M. (2024). Spectral features related to the auditory perception of twang-like voices. Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology, 1-18.

Waaramaa T, Laukkanen A-M. Yle:n tv-uutistenlukijoiden puheääni ennen ja jälkeen sosiaalisen median. Lähikuva 1, 2024, 35-54.

Sanmark, E., Tuhkuri-Matvejeff, A., Geneid, A., Oksanen, L. M., Alku, P., Hakala, J., ... & Vartiainen, V. A. (2024). Effect of vocalization on human aerosol dynamics: Whispering produces more aerosols than speaking. Journal of Voice.

Vampola, T., Horáček, J., & Laukkanen, A. M. (2024). Three-Dimensional Finite Element Modeling of the Singer’s Formant Cluster Optimization by Epilaryngeal Narrowing With and Without Velopharyngeal Opening. Journal of Voice.

Volløyhaug, I., Semmingsen, T., Laukkanen, A. M., Karoliussen, C., & Bjørkøy, K. (2024). Pelvic floor status in opera singers. a pilot study using transperineal ultrasound. BMC Women's Health, 24(1), 67.

Kankare, E., Rantala, L., & Laukkanen, A. M. (2023). Vocal Fatigue Index in Finnish-Speaking Population. Journal of Voice.

Vampola, T., Horáček, J., & Laukkanen, A. M. (2021). Finite element modeling of the effects of velopharyngeal opening on vocal tract reactance in female voice. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 150(3), 2154-2162.

Laukkanen, A. M., Horáček, J., & Radolf, V. (2021). Buzzer versus water resistance phonation used in voice therapy. Results obtained with physical modeling. Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, 66, 102417.

Laukkanen A-M, Waaramaa T. (2020) Suomalaisten naisopiskelijoiden luennan perustaajuuden muutos 1990-luvulta 2010-luvulle. [Change in Finnish female university students’ mean fundamental frequency in text reading from the 1990’s to 2010’s.] Puhe ja kieli [Speech and Language, in Finnish] 40(2), 123-134.

Saldías, M., Laukkanen, A. M., Guzmán, M., Miranda, G., Stoney, J., Alku, P., & Sundberg, J. (2021). The vocal tract in loud twang-like singing while producing high and low pitches. Journal of Voice, 35(5), 807-e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.02.005

Munier C, Brockmann-Bauser M, Laukkanen A-M, Ilomäki I, Kankare E, Geneid A. Relationship between Laryngeal signs and symptoms, Acoustic measures, and Quality of Life in Finnish Primary and Kindergarten school teachers. Journal of Voice 2020 Volume 34, Issue 2, p163-304 DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2018.12.006

Horáček J,Radolf V, Laukkanen A-M. Experimental and computational modeling of the effects of voice therapy using tubes. Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research 2019 Jul 15;62(7):2227-2244. DOI:10.1044/2019_JSLHR-S-17-0490

Kankare E, Barsties v. Latoszek B, Maryn Y, Asikainen M, Rorarius E, Vilpas S, Ilomäki I, Tyrmi J, Rantala L, Laukkanen A-M. The Acoustic Voice Quality Index Version 02.02 in the Finnish-Speaking Population. Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology 2019 Feb 5:1-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/14015439.2018.1556332

Waaramaa, T., Lukkarila, P., Järvinen, K., Geneid, A., & Laukkanen, A. M. (2021). Impressions of personality from intentional voice quality in Arabic-speaking and native Finnish-speaking listeners. Journal of Voice, 35(2), 326-e21. doi: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2019.09.003.

Hakanpää T, Waaramaa T, Laukkanen A-M. (2019). Comparing contemporary commercial and classical styles: Emotion expression in singing. Journal of Voice, 33(4):501-509. DOI: DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2019.10.002

Waaramaa T, Kukkonen T, Mykkänen S, Geneid A. (2018). Emotion identification by children using cochlear implants, relations to voice quality and musical interests. Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, 17;61 (4): 973-985. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1044/2017_JSLHR-H-17-0054

Laukkanen, A. M., Geneid, A., Bula, V., Radolf, V., Horáček, J., Ikävalko, T., ... & Tyrmi, J. (2020). How much loading does water resistance voice therapy impose on the vocal folds? An experimental human study. Journal of Voice, 34(3), 387-397.

Saldias M, Guzman M, Miranda G, Laukkanen A-M. A computerized tomography study of vocal tract setting in hyperfunctional dysphonia and in belting. Journal of Voice. 2019 Jul;33(4):412-419.10.1016/j.jvoice.2018.02.001

Horáček, J., Radolf, V., & Laukkanen, A. M. (2019). Impact stress in water resistance voice therapy: a physical modeling study. Journal of Voice, 33(4), 490-496.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2018.01.025

Aura, M., Geneid, A., Bjørkøy, K., Rantanen, M., & Laukkanen, A. M. (2019). The nasal musculature as a control panel for singing—why classical singers use a special facial expression?. Journal of Voice, 33(4), 510-515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2017.12.016

Liu D, Kolehmainen V, Siltanen S, Laukkanen A-M, Seppänen A. Estimation of conductivity changes in a region of interest with electrical impedance tomography. Inverse Problems and Imaging 9(1), 2015; article number 10. DOI: 10.3934/ipi.2015.9.211

González Hautamäki R, Kinnunen T, Hautamäki V, Laukkanen A-M. Automatic versus human speaker verification: The case of voice mimicry. Speech Communication 2015, 72: 13-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.specom.2015.05.002

Waaramaa T. Perception of emotional nonsense sentences in China, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the USA. Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology 2015, 40 (3): 129-35. DOI DOI: 10.3109/14015439.2014.915982 :

Abo-Hasseba, A., Waaramaa, T., Alku, P., & Geneid, A. (2017). Difference in voice problems and noise reports between teachers of public and private schools in upper Egypt. Journal of Voice, 31(4), 508-e11.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2016.10.016.

Tampere University is the only university in Finland to offer education in Speech Technique and Vocology (the science and practice of voice habilitation), consisting of up to 40 credit hours of optional undergraduate studies. It is also possible to pursue PhD studies in Speech Technique and Vocology. Undergraduate courses are only available in Finnish, while PhD studies are also available in English.

Multidisciplinary research and instruction in Speech Technique and Vocology go seamlessly together. The units of study explore voice and speech production and perception, the acoustic structure of speech, speaking and singing voice, and the role of voice and speech characteristics in communication. The studies are designed to improve your speech, vocal capacity and vocal endurance and provide you with the knowledge and skills to analyse and train voice and speech.

Speech Technique and Vocology is an excellent choice of minor for students who are aiming to pursue a career, for example, in teaching, communication, spoken media journalism or speech therapy. The studies are also well suited for teachers, singing pedagogues and speech therapists who are looking to upgrade their qualifications.

Studies in Speech Technique and Vocology (linkki) are available in the Faculty of Social Sciences where they fall in the category of welfare sciences. Our students can continue their studies towards a doctorate by enrolling in the Doctoral Programme in Psychology and Logopedics.

Finnish-taught studies in Speech Technique and Vocology (40 credit hours) are also available at the Open University.

Studies in Speech Technique and Vocology are overseen by Professor Anne-Maria Laukkanen.

Anne-Maria Laukkanen

Tampere University

Professor

Speech Technique and Vocology

Faculty of Social Sciences

+358503635152anne-maria.laukkanen [at] tuni.fi (anne-maria[dot]laukkanen[at]tuni[dot]fi)

Marco Guzman
Docent (Associate Professor) in vocological research and methodology.

Teija Waaramaa
Docent (Associate Professor), Vocology and nonverbal communication, Faculty of Social Sciences

PhD Students

Tero Ikävalko, MA

Tuuli Nilsson, MA

Marcelo Saldias O’Hrens, fonoaudiologist (speech therapist)

Marja Suurpalo, MA

Post doc -researcher

Yuanyuan Liu, Ph.D.