Effects of face masks on novel word learning in preschool children

Abstract

Face masks worn by talkers compromise the speech signal children use to learn language. There is debate, however, about which type of face mask will be more supportive of language learning in young children. Although clear masks provide more visual access to the talker’s face than surgical masks, they distort the speech signal more than surgical masks. Our goal is to better understand the effects of different face masks on word learning in preschool-age and kindergarten-age children. To achieve this goal, we are comparing children’s ability to learn novel words in conditions that vary on the spectral fidelity of speech and visual access to the talker’s face to simulate the effects of different mask types. Children’s performance is quantified by the number of words learned and the phonological precision of words learned. To date, twelve children have completed the protocol, and the study is ongoing. We will compare children’s word-learning across conditions and evaluate the influence of individual factors such as visual speech reading skills, verbal working memory, and vocabulary knowledge on children’s performance in the various conditions. These findings will have implications for supporting word learning in young children in educational and childcare settings when masks are used.