Speech and Hearing Science Commons^™

Examining The Effects Of Background Noise On Contextualized Word Learning, Caitlin Alyssa Ross

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Despite redundancy in the acoustic speech signal, both children and adults demonstrate difficulty listening and learning in noise. Research has shown that the acoustic parameters of classrooms and common study places, such as libraries and coffee shops, are often exposing students daily to unhealthy levels of background noise and distraction as they attempt to access and retain new information. While younger children may encounter new words via deliberate instruction in a classroom setting, older students are more likely to access new vocabulary indirectly via reading or self-study in noisy environments often of their own choosing. In both scenarios, accurate perception …