The effect of modern standard Arabic orthography on speech production by Arab children with hearing loss

This article examined the effect of Modern Standard Arabic orthography on speech production quality (syllable stress and vowels) by 23 Arabic-speaking children with severe or profound hearing loss aged 8-12 years. Children produced 15 one-syllable minimal pairs of words that differed in vowel length (short vs. long) and 20 two-syllable minimal pairs differing in stress pattern. Each word was produced in three tasks: reading partially or fully vowelized words and imitation of aural stimuli. Results showed that fully vowelized words ensured vowel production: high-quality productions appeared on 99%, 74%, and 59% of productions on reading fully vowelized words, partially vowelized words, and on imitation, respectively. Moreover, correct vowel production affected correct consonant production. Correct production of stress was best on reading fully vowelized words, appearing on 54%, 21%, and 33% of productions for fully vowelized words, partially vowelized words, or imitation, respectively. Findings suggest the need to present fully vowelized written texts when teaching speech production to children with hearing loss. Such presentations enable more accurate productions that result in more intelligible speech.