Apple and Google are also working on natural language comprehension for use in voice-activiated search engines for phones.

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The researchers have not shown which aspects of the programme lead to the improvements: a child's language comprehension may improve simply because he or she is forced to listen to a barrage of phonemes, not something that an expensive and complicated computer game is necessary for.

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Not only are higher frequencies responsible for the crispness of sound and for being able to cut through background noise, but the comprehension of spoken language relies heavily on vowel sounds in these higher registers.

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Half sobbing, half smiling, she explained that she had written the postcard to herself and our lack of comprehension of the Icelandic language resulted in us missing a key element scribbled on the top right-hand side of the postcard: that it should be left in the barrel until she could return to get it.

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This year there was no test of memorised basic knowledge in the Chinese language exam in Shanghai - only reading comprehension and creative writing.

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