Title: Perception and confusion of speech in Algerian school children wearing hearing aids

Authors: Kamel Ferrat; Samir Benyahia

Addresses: Scientific and Technical Research Centre for the Development of the Arabic Language (CRSTDLA), BP 225 Rostomia Algiers, 16011, Algeria ' Service ORL, Hospital CHU Mustapha, Bacha Algiers, Algeria

Abstract: The paper discusses the performance of hearing impaired Algerian children in perception of features of the Arabic phonemes in comparison to their counterparts with normal hearing ability. The acoustic analysis of collected data demonstrates a presence of several articulation disorders at primary school children with average deafness and wearers of hearing aids, such as: the substitution, elision, assimilation, addition and deformation of Arabic consonants in continuous speech. The consonants prone to these disorders are the back consonants mainly the fricatives and sibilants. Therefore, school rehabilitation services should take into account these constraints to achieve better schooling of hearing impaired schoolchildren.

Keywords: average deafness; acoustic analysis; hearing aids; primary school; Arabic language.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMEI.2023.127258

International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics, 2023 Vol.15 No.1, pp.97 - 106

Received: 14 Nov 2020
Accepted: 22 Feb 2021
Published online: 30 Nov 2022 *