1. A computer-implemented method of assessing non-native speech proficiency, comprising: processing, using a processing system, a non-native speech sample to identify vowel sounds in the non-native speech sample and vowel sound boundaries corresponding to the vowel sounds in the non-native speech sample; analyzing, using the processing system, the vowel sounds within the vowel sound boundaries to extract vowel characteristics; processing, using the processing system, the vowel sounds and the vowel characteristics to identify a plurality of vowel space metrics for the non-native speech sample, wherein the vowel space metrics indicate an extent of proficient utilization of AA, IY, and OW vowel sounds in the non-native speech sample; and generating using the processing system, a non-native speech proficiency score based upon the plurality of vowel space metrics for the non-native speech sample, wherein the non-native speech proficiency score provides a measure of a pronunciation proficiency of the non-native speech sample based upon the plurality of vowel space metrics, wherein the non-native speech proficiency score is generated by processing the plurality of vowel space metrics with a statistical computer model, the statistical computer model comprising multiple weighted features determined by training the statistical computer model relative to a plurality of training items, the training utilizing calculated vowel space metrics of the training items and human-scored non-native speech proficiency scores of the training items to determine values for the weighted features.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-native speech proficiency score is determined based on one or more non-vowel-space-based metrics.