title: Effects of linguistic experience on the ability to benefit from temporal and spectral masker modulation.
abstract: Masked speech perception can often be improved by modulating the masker temporally and/or spectrally. These effects tend to be larger in normal-hearing listeners than hearing-impaired listeners, and effects of temporal modulation are larger in adults than young children [Hall et al. (2012). Ear Hear. 33, 340-348]. Initial reports indicate non-native adult speakers of the target language also have a reduced ability to benefit from temporal masker modulation [Stuart et al. (2010). J. Am. Acad. Aud. 21, 239-248]. The present study further investigated the effect of masker modulation on English speech recognition in normal-hearing adults who are non-native speakers of English. Sentence recognition was assessed in a steady-state baseline masker condition and in three modulated masker conditions, characterized by spectral, temporal, or spectro-temporal modulation. Thresholds for non-natives were poorer than those of native English speakers in all conditions, particularly in the presence of a modulated masker. The group differences were consistent across maskers when assessed in percent correct, suggesting that a single factor may limit the performance of non-native listeners similarly in all conditions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calandruccio
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buss
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599.
authors.forename: Joseph W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001302:Audiometry, Speech; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D032882:Comprehension; D006801:Humans; D019303:Multilingualism; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013067:Speech Perception; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult