Int J Audiol. 2026 Apr 2:1-13. doi: 10.1080/14992027.2026.2650507. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the integrated digit-in-noise test (iDIN), which uses digit sequences of varying lengths as test materials, in assessing speech-in-noise recognition among non-native Cantonese speakers with normal hearing.
DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted involving native Mandarin speakers with Cantonese as a second language. Participants completed Cantonese and Mandarin versions of iDIN and the Cantonese Speech in Noise Test (HINT). In the iDIN, only the 2-, 3-, and 5-digit forward recall, as well as the 3-digit backward recall conditions, were administered. Data on language experience, proficiency, and exposure were collected through questionnaires.
STUDY SAMPLE: Forty-seven participants (mean age 29.13 years) with normal hearing and Cantonese as a second language were recruited in Hong Kong. All had varying durations of Cantonese exposure, from <1 year to over 10 years.
RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed between Cantonese and Mandarin speech reception thresholds (SRTs) for the 3-digit, 5-digit forward recall, and 3-digit backward recall conditions, but not for the 2-digit forward recall. Longer Cantonese exposure correlated with improved (lower) SRTs in Cantonese iDIN, with performance becoming comparable to native speakers after ∼2 years of exposure.
CONCLUSIONS: iDIN may have potential as a tool for assessing speech-in-noise recognition in non-native Cantonese speakers with normal hearing, particularly after two years of exposure, though further validation in clinical populations is needed.
PMID:41926650 | DOI:10.1080/14992027.2026.2650507
