Between the Lines Advanced LT 2.4

The Hamaguchi Apps for Speech, Language, and Auditory Development represent an innovative approach to social communication training for adolescents and adults. This iPad application emphasizes the interpretation of vocal intonation, facial expressions, body language, and idiomatic or slang expressions, utilizing real photographs, voice recordings, and short video clips. Such multimedia content provides a dynamic learning environment that addresses subtle social cues often challenging to replicate through traditional worksheets or static flashcards.

The app features scenarios set in diverse settings, including shopping malls, offices, restaurants, family rooms, outdoor environments, schools, and parties, to enhance contextual understanding. The Lite version offers 12 samples each of three core activities—totaling 36 tasks—and supports single-user access. The full version expands this to 225 tasks.

Note that the content predominantly reflects American idiomatic expressions and body language norms.

The three primary activities include:

1. Listening: Users listen to voice recordings of sentences such as “Are they gonna turn that music down?”—which may be spoken with varying emotion and inflection—and are then prompted to select the photograph that matches the speaker’s facial expression. This activity aims to sharpen the user's ability to interpret vocal cues and corresponding emotional states.
2. Body Language: Short video clips depict social interactions—for instance, a dialogue between two teens discussing plans—where the user observes facial expressions and body language. The task is to choose the response that aligns with the actor’s nonverbal cues, fostering recognition of subtler social signals.
3. Expressions: Brief videos feature actors using idiomatic expressions, such as “Oh that salesman was a smooth talker!” The user must select the best explanation of the phrase’s meaning. Additional slang options—including potentially crude phrases—can be incorporated based on user settings, allowing customization for various contexts.

The Lite version is designed for single-user use and tracks performance accuracy across each activity. Users may customize settings—including activity order (sequential or random), answer choice group size (2–4 options), display preferences (automatic or manual), and navigation control (automatic advancement or manual touch). Progress tracking can be enabled or disabled, and motivational reward animations are incorporated at intervals for engagement without turning these into skill-based games.

This version also includes a single integrated game—Dunk Tank—to promote engagement levels.

User data can be exported via printing, saving, or emailing. Additional extension activities are available on the app’s homepage or website for further practice resources.

The developers adhere to a strict privacy policy—they do not collect personal information and feature no advertisements. Performance data remains self-contained within the app unless shared voluntarily by the user via email. There are no in-app purchases.

Developed by Patti Hamaguchi, M.A., CCC-SLP, a licensed and ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist and author—dedicated to advancing social communication skills through evidence-based digital tools.