audio-, aud-, audi-, audit- +

Computer output in the form of simulated or recorded spoken words: The sound coming from the audio output was muffled and so Jack had to find a specialist to repair his device.

The use of music or sound delivered through earphones to mask pain during dental or surgical procedures: Judy was very happy when the dentist mentioned audioanalgesia with the use of white noise in order to reduce the discomfort she might experience during treatment.

Any of various instruments used to measure the frequencies of sound waves that are audible to the human ear: Linda learned in her engineering class that one type of audio-frequency meters was a resonant-reed frequency meter.

The portion of the acoustic energy spectrum: The audio-frequency range is from about 20 to 20,000 vibrations per second, or that which can be detected by a human with normal hearing:

Produced by sound or occurring as a result of the exposure to sound: An epiloptoid response or an audiogenic seizure can be caused by a very loud sound or noises.

A form of reflex epilepsy resulting from exposure to sound: The symptoms of an audiogenic seizure relate to the disturbance of muscles, senses, or psyche and is usually caused by a sudden loud noise.

The graphic record drawn from the results of hearing tests: By the use of an audiometer, an audiogram shows the threshold of hearing at various frequencies against sound intensity in decibels.

The audiogram is a graphic representation of a person's hearing ability, especially a representation that indicates hearing loss at various frequency levels.

A chart, produced by an audiometer, shows the auditory threshold of the individual being tested.

Theis chart can be produced manually or with a printer.

Pertaining to a language learning approach or method: Audiolingual learning involves the habit formation of repetitive drill, drill, and more drill.

Audiolingual learning started during World War II

The next "revolution" in terms of language teaching methodology coincided with World War II, when America became aware that it needed people to learn foreign languages very quickly as part of its overall military operations. The "Army Method" was suddenly developed to build communicative competence in translators through very intensive language courses focusing on aural-oral skills. This, in combination with some new ideas about language learning coming from the disciplines of descriptive linguistics and behavioral psychology, went on to become what is known as the Audiolingual Method (ALM).

This new method incorporated many of the features typical of the earlier Direct Method, but the disciplines mentioned above added the concepts of teaching "linguistic patterns" in combination with "habit-forming". This method was one of the first to have its roots "firmly grounded in linguistic and psychological theory" (Brown 1994:57), which apparently added to its credibility and probably had some influence in the popularity it enjoyed over a long period of time. It also had a major influence on the language teaching methods that were to follow, and can still be seen in major or minor manifestations of language teaching methodology even to this day.

The method gained popularity because it was considered successful

Another factor that accounted for the method's popularity was the "quick success" it achieved in leading learners towards communicative competence. Through extensive mimicry, memorization and "over-learning" of language patterns and forms, students and teachers were often able to see immediate results. This was both its strength and its failure in the long run, as critics started to point out that the method did not deliver in terms of producing long-term communicative abilities.

Just as with the Direct Method that preceded it, the overall goal of the Audiolingual Method was to create communicative competence in learners, however it was thought that the most effective way to do this was for students to "overlearn" the language being studied through extensive repetition and a variety of elaborate drills.

The idea was to project the linguistic patterns of the language (based on the studies of structural linguists) into the minds of the learners in a way that made responses automatic and "habitual". To this end it was held that the language "habits" of the first language would constantly interfere, and the only way to overcome ths problem was to facilitate the learning of a new set of "habits" appropriate linguistically to the language being studied.

Pertaining to the measurement of hearing, or to the study of hearing: The audiological branch of medicine deals with the sense of hearing and of hearing therapy.

A health-care professional with a doctoral degree in audiology and who is trained to evaluate hearing loss and related disorders, including balance (vestibular) disorders and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and to rehabilitate individuals with hearing loss and related disorders: An audiologist is a person who is skilled in the science of hearing, including the rehabilitation of patients whose hearing cannot be improved medically or surgically.

An audiologist uses a variety of tests and procedures to assess hearing and balance function and to fit and dispense hearing aids and other therapeutic devices for hearing.

The scientific study or measurement of hearing abilities, especially the study of hearing loss or impairment, and of techniques or methods for dealing with such a condition: Since Lynn's mother had a hearing deficiency, she became quite interested in audiology and decided to become an audiologist!

An audiology exam tests a person's ability to hear sounds. Sounds vary according to the intensity (volume or loudness) and the tone (the speed of sound wave vibrations).

An instrument used to measure an individual's hearing ability: An audiometer generates sounds of known frequency and intensity, especially at the level at which a sound becomes audible at a given frequency.

An audiometer is a device for measuring hearing activity for pure tones of normally audible frequencies.

A reference to the measurement of hearing, as by means of an audiometer: Joan was interested in the audiometric assessments of her mother's auditory acuity.

An audiomnetric measurement of hearing levels is processed by an audiometer.

A technician specializing in the measurement of a hearing ability (audiometry); audiometrist: An audiometrician is an individual trained to measure an auditory threshold, and, usually, to carry out a wide variety of other audiological investigations.

A technician who is trained in the use of an audiometer used in testing one's hearing abilities: An audiometrist has had special education in the use of Pure tone audiometry equipment.

An audiometrist also carries out hearing tests with an audiometer to determine hearing levels.