The Impact of Hearing Loss on Speech Communication by Spanish-English Bilinguals

这项拟议研究的首要目标是为 听力损失对以西班牙语为主要语言的儿童言语交流的影响(SL2)。 由于他们的语言背景，即使听力正常的SL2听者也会面临更多 在不利的听力条件下比母语听众更具挑战性。然而，如果他们被认为精通 通常发育正常、听力正常的英语非母语儿童在学校得不到任何住宿。 为非本地人听力损失儿童提供的干预服务与为其提供的干预服务相同 本地同龄人，尽管对听力损失对任何人的言语交流的影响知之甚少 非本地人口。 本研究项目的具体目的是为第二语言的言语认知奠定基础 听力正常(目标1)和听力损失(目标2)的听众。通过比较受试者的言语感知能力 成人和儿童母语为英语的听众和有听力损失和没有听力损失的第二语言听力者，在各自的研究下 AIM将评估听众的语言背景、听力状况、 在通常遇到的挑战听力环境中，音素知觉的年龄。vbl.使用 言语材料在语境线索的数量、自上而下和自下而上的加工过程中的作用不同 将会被检查。数据将使用一种新的方法进行分析，这种方法具体量化了 以上因素对辅音的混淆模式有影响。 作为这项拟议研究的一部分，所获得的数据将作为确定糟糕的言语是否 第二语言听者的感知是由语言背景或听力损失引起的。这反过来又将有一个 对评估过程、学术成果和提供的服务的成本效益产生积极影响 《残疾人教育法》下的非英语儿童，并帮助他们取得成功 在学术上和经济上。拟议研究的这一重要方面也与 目的探讨听力及其他感觉或沟通障碍在2020年健康人群中的分布情况。

The overarching goal of the proposed research is to provide much-needed evidence forthe impact of hearing loss on speech communication in children whose dominant language is Spanish (SL2). Due to their language background, even SL2 listeners with normal hearing are known to face more challenges than native listeners in adverse listening conditions. However, if they are considered proficient in English, typically-developing non-native children with normal hearing receive no accommodations in schools. The intervention services offered to non-native children with hearing loss are identical to those for their native peers, even though little is known about the impact of hearing loss on speech communication for any non-native population. The Specific Aims in the proposed research project are to establish the bases for speech perception in SL2 listeners with normal hearing (Aim 1) and hearing loss (Aim 2). By comparing the speech-perception ability in adult and child native English listeners and SL2 listeners with and without hearing loss, studies under each aim will evaluate the individual and conspiring influences of listeners' language background, hearing status, and age on phoneme perception in commonly encountered challenging listening environments. Using speech materials varying in the amount of contextual cues, the role of top-down and bottom-up processing will be examined. Data will be analyzed using a new approach that specifically quantifies the influence of above factors on confusion patterns for consonants. The data obtained as part of this proposed research will serve as a basis to determine whether poor speech perception in SL2 listeners is due to language background or to hearing loss. This, in turn, will have a positive impact on evaluation processes, academic outcomes, and cost effectiveness of services offered to non-English-speaking children under The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and help them succeed academically and economically. This significant aspect of the proposed research is also consistent with the objective under "Hearing and Other Sensory or Communication Disorders" in Healthy People 2020.