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An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners
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Speech perception in noise for bilingual listeners with normal hearing
Lisa Lucks Mendel1, Hannah Widner1
1a School of Communication Sciences and Disorders , The University of Memphis , USA.
International Journal of Audiology
|July 21, 2015
Summary
Bilingual Spanish listeners with normal hearing show reduced speech-in-noise ability, requiring a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for comprehension. Test difficulty significantly impacts their performance, highlighting a need for tailored auditory assessments.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Bilingualism can influence auditory processing.
- Assessing speech-in-noise (SPIN) ability is crucial for understanding auditory challenges.
- Normal hearing does not always equate to optimal SPIN performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of test difficulty on SPIN ability in bilingual Spanish listeners with normal hearing.
- To compare the SPIN performance of bilingual Spanish listeners to monolingual English listeners.
- To quantify signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss and SNR-50 in these groups.
Main Methods:
- A quasi-experimental study involving 12 monolingual English and 10 bilingual Spanish adults with normal hearing.
- Utilized the Quick Speech-in-Noise (QuickSIN), Bamford-Kowal-Bench Speech-in-Noise (BKB-SIN), and Words-in-Noise (WIN) tests.
- Measured signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss and SNR-50 to assess SPIN ability.
Main Results:
- Bilingual Spanish listeners demonstrated measurable SNR loss and higher than normal SNR-50s, despite normal hearing and English proficiency.
- Performance varied across tests, with the BKB-SIN showing the best results for both groups.
- Test difficulty significantly affected speech perception in noise for all participants.
Conclusions:
- Bilingual Spanish listeners exhibit a mild SNR loss, similar to individuals with hearing impairment.
- This population requires an improved SNR for auditory comprehension comparable to monolingual English speakers.
- SPIN test difficulty is a critical factor influencing performance in bilingual individuals.
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