The Effect of Speech Perception in Noise on Arabic and Spanish Bilingual Listeners

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare speech perception performance in noise, as measured by signal-to-noise ratio for 50% correct scores (SNR-50) and SNR loss, between monolingual English speakers and two bilingual second-language learner populations with normal hearing sensitivity: Arabic–English and Spanish–English bilinguals. Additionally, this study observed how speech perception in noise varied as a function of language dominance for the Arabic–English bilinguals. Method: This study was a quasi-experimental, nonrandomized study. Adults with normal peripheral hearing sensitivity participated in this study: Group 1 ( n = 16) bilingual Arabic–English speakers who learned English as a second language; Group 2 ( n = 10) bilingual Spanish–English speakers from a previous study; Group 3 ( n = 27) monolingual English speakers combined from this study and the study of Mendel and Widner (2016). Speech perception was assessed using standardized methods for the Quick Speech-in-Noise (QuickSIN), the Bamford–Kowal–Bench Speech-in-Noise, the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT), and the Words-in-Noise tests. Results: The two bilingual groups had significantly higher SNR-50 scores and greater SNR loss as compared to their monolingual peers. SNR-50 negatively correlated with language dominance for the QuickSIN and HINT for the Arabic–English speakers. Conclusions: Despite having normal hearing and being proficient in the English language, bilingual Arabic–English and Spanish–English speakers exhibited a mild SNR loss. Speech perception abilities were affected by test difficulty as well as the individual's degree of language dominance.