Development and Applied Research of Korean-Index of Phonetic Complexity-Revision (K-IPC-R)

Objectives: In this paper, the Korean-Index of phonetic complexity-revision (K-IPC-R) was revised and supplemented to use the Korean-Index of phonetic complexity (K-IPC; Lee, Han, Shim, 2004) as a phonological evaluation index of the independent analysis method. Methods: Speech samples of 20 typically developing children of 18 to 23 months, 24 to 29 months, and 30 to 35 months of age were collected from each child during spontaneous play. The analizing and scoring criteria of K-IPC-R were devised on the basis of the phonological characteristics found in the speech samples and the results of previous studies related to speech sound development. Results: The K-IPC-R was composed of nine sub-indices: consonant by place class, consonant by manner class, consonant by phonation type, vowel type, shape of syllables, length of syllables, singleton consonants by place variegation, presence of consonant chain, and consonant chain type. The scoring criteria were determined to weight 1 point to velars, fricatives, affricates, liquids, aspirated, diphthongs, closed syllable words, and three or more syllable words. And 1 point is weighted when two or more consonants with different place of articulation are present within a word. Also, 1 point is weighted if a consonant chain appeared and another 1 point is weighted if the place of articulation of the chained consonants are different. Conclusion: This study is meaningful in proposing the K-IPC-R as a phonological evaluation index of an independent analysis method that can evaluate the phonological ability of children at the initial level of phonological development, whose phonological ability is difficult to evaluate with a relational analysis method.