Hebrew-speaking Adults Research Articles

Resilience and coping during protracted conflict: a comparative analysis of general and evacuees populations

BackgroundOn October 7th, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, triggering a conflict with Israel in the Gaza Strip. This ongoing war, now six months old, has also seen threats from Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as from Yemen and Iran. The precarious security situation along Israel’s southern and northern borders led to extensive evacuations, with residents relocating within Israel under uncertain conditions concerning their return and property safety. This study compares resilience (societal, SR; community, CR; and individual, IR), hope, morale, distress symptoms (anxiety and depression symptoms), and perceived danger between general Hebrew-speaking adults and evacuee adults a few months post-conflict initiation.MethodsData was collected using structured self-reported questionnaires focusing on resilience and coping strategies, administered through two online panel companies. The general population data was collected from January 14–21, 2024 (N = 1,360), and the evacuees’ data from March 1–9, 2024 (N = 372; 133 from the north, 239 from the south).ResultsEvacuees reported lower SR and CR, hope, and morale, and higher distress symptoms and perceived danger compared to the general population. No differences in IR were found. Regression analyses identified different primary predictors of SR for each group: hope for the general population and governmental support for evacuees. Additionally, IR significantly predicted outcomes only among evacuees, whereas age, religiosity, and education were significant predictors solely in the general population. One notable similarity emerged: CR served as the second most influential predictor in both samples.ConclusionsThe entire population of Israel is affected by the ongoing war, yet evacuees endure a disproportionately severe impact, with potential for increased harm as the conflict persists. The adjustment to a new wartime emergency routine is more complex for evacuees than for the general population. It is crucial for policy and decision-makers to address the distinct differences between evacuees and the general populace to effectively meet their specific needs. Yet, it should be acknowledged that the evacuees represent a heterogenic group, necessitating a detailed subdivision into subgroups to accurately assess and address their unique challenges.

Evaluating the Compatibility of the Digit-in-Noise Test with Hearing Screening in Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities: A Pilot Study.

Hearing impairment among adults with intellectual disability (ID) is notably prevalent yet frequently underdiagnosed due, in part, to the challenges associated with traditional hearing screening methods in this population. This study explores the effectiveness of the Digit-in-Noise (DIN) test as a viable alternative for hearing screening within natural settings and with familiar personnel. A total of 16 Hebrew-speaking adults with ID were recruited from supported employment programs, 10 of whom completed the study. The DIN test, which was administered in a daily environment using a simple digital device, evaluated the speech recognition threshold in noise. Results indicated that while some participants performed comparably to typically developing individuals, others showed varying levels of hearing thresholds, suggesting diverse auditory capabilities within the ID population. This pilot study confirms that the DIN test can be feasibly integrated into routine care settings, offering a friendly and accessible method for assessing hearing abilities in adults with ID. The findings advocate for the broader adoption of and potential modifications to the DIN Test to enhance its applicability and inclusiveness, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy and subsequent auditory care for this underserved population.

Expressions of geographic literacy in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of geographic education among adults

The global outbreak of COVID-19 brought an unprecedented influx of official and semiofficial geographic information to individuals worldwide, primarily in the form of geospatial and numerical data. Maps specifically played a key role in the conveying of information and guidelines to the public in relation to the pandemic. Yet to fully understand such input, and reach informed decisions, the public needed to possess and utilize geographic literacy. In this paper, the term geographic literacy is defined as the ability to use spatial-geographic knowledge, skills, and reasoning, as a means for understanding and interpreting intertwined spatial phenomena. This study therefore aims at examining geographic literacy among adults, both in general and in relation to geographic education. Online quantitative questionnaires were completed by a representative sample of 456 Hebrew-speaking adults in Israel. Findings indicate low geographic literacy among the public, as seen in tasks that require data extraction and comprehension of visual representations. While the non-cognitive outcomes, such as attitudes toward geography and self-efficacy in geography, were strongly correlated with expressions of geographic literacy in the context of COVID-19, the highest formal instruction in geography and geographic education were not. These findings indicate that low geographic literacy might hinder making pandemic-related informed decisions, thus highlighting the importance of promoting geographic literacy. We conclude with the importance of identifying pedagogical mechanisms that enhance geospatial skills while also addressing non-cognitive outcomes, to better prepare diverse populations for 21st-century challenges.

Benefits of Auditory Training with an Open-Set Sentences-in-Babble-Noise

Auditory training (AT) has limited generalization to non-trained stimuli. Therefore, in the current study, we tested the effect of stimuli similar to that used in daily life: sentences in background noise. The sample consisted of 15 Hebrew-speaking adults aged 61–88 years with bilateral hearing impairment who engaged in computerized auditory training at home four times per week over a two-month period. Significant improvements were observed in sentences comprehension (Hebrew AzBio (HeBio) sentences test) with both four-talker-babble-noise (4TBN) and speech-shaped-noise (SSN) and in words comprehension (consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words test), following one month of AT. These improvements were sustained for two months after completing the AT. No evidence of spontaneous learning was observed in the month preceding training, nor was there an additional training effect in the additional month. Participants’ baseline speech perception abilities predicted their post-training speech perception improvements in the generalization tasks. The findings suggest that top-down generalization occurs from sentences to words and from babble noise to SSN and quiet conditions. Consequently, synthetic training tasks focusing on sentence-level comprehension accompanied by multi-talker babble noise should be prioritized. Moreover, an individualized approach to AT has demonstrated effectiveness and should be considered in both clinical and research settings.

Language in Healthy Ageing: A Comparison across Language Domains

Introduction: Life expectancy has been increasing in recent decades. Therefore, it is important to understand the functional changes during healthy ageing. Most research has mainly focused on one linguistic domain at a time. The current study aimed at investigating whether changes in language performance in healthy ageing occur in some language domains more than in others. Methods: Twenty-three older healthy Hebrew-speaking adults, exhibiting no cognitive decline, were examined on tasks aimed at testing their performance in different language and cognitive domains: lexical retrieval, complementation information, syntax, theory of mind (a domain related to pragmatic aspects of language), and short-term memory. We compared their performance at both the group and the individual levels. Comparisons were made between the performance of the older adults and control data of young adults, and between the older adults’ performance in the different linguistic domains. In addition, correlations between the older adults’ phonological short-term memory abilities and their performance in various linguistic domains were examined. Results: A decline was found in several linguistic domains among the older adults, while in other domains no decline was found. However, no unequivocal decline in linguistic functioning was found due to relatively large variance in their performance. Conclusion: Not all linguistic domains are equally vulnerable in ageing, and not all older adults are equally affected. The research has both clinical and theoretical implications.

Learning beyond words

Abstract Learning multimorphemic words involves the simultaneous learning of two hierarchically organized categories. In such words, sub-lexical units usually encode superordinate categories, whereas whole words encode exemplars of these categories. Complex, non-linear word structure is common in Semitic languages and can be used to probe the learning of multiple form-meaning associations. The aim of this study was to investigate how well Hebrew-speaking adults learn the dual form-meaning relationships that reflect different categorical levels following a few exposures to novel Hebrew-like words. Twenty-four native Hebrew-speakers were exposed to novel words through an interactive video story. Following a few exposures to the words, the learning of the exemplars was tested in a three-alternative-forced-choice identification test. The learning of the sub-lexical morphemes and the categories they encode were tested in generalization tests. The results show that a few exposures to novel, morphologically and conceptually complex words are sufficient to allow unsupervised simultaneous learning of two hierarchical categories even though the superordinate was not explicitly represented in the input.

Differential Object Marking in Modern Hebrew: Definiteness and partitivity

This paper investigates the phenomenon of differential object marking (DOM) currently exhibited in Modern Hebrew. The consensus in the theoretical literature on Hebrew has been that the object marker et is only licensed in the context of definite DPs. We observe, however, that in Modern Hebrew partitive nominals may also be preceded by et. Using a judgment task, we asked 41 native Hebrew-speaking adults to rate sentences with et-marked partitive object DPs on a 5-point acceptability scale.Our results reveal that partitive items received a considerably high acceptance score, with an overall average of 3.6/5. In addition, we found a main effect for object-position and quantifier-type. In particular, acceptability of et-marked partitives increased significantly for preposed DPs and for DPs that contained proportional quantifiers (as opposed to cardinals).The optional acceptability of et-marked partitives ostensibly challenges the generally accepted view, according to which the distribution of et is categorically determined based on the two-way +/–definiteness opposition. We put forth a formal syntactic analysis that reconciles our findings with the definiteness approach.

Acoustic vowel analysis and speech intelligibility in young adult Hebrew speakers: Developmental dysarthria versus typical development.

Developmental dysarthria is a motor speech impairment commonly characterized by varying levels of reduced speech intelligibility. The relationship between intelligibility deficits and acoustic vowel space among these individuals has long been noted in the literature, with evidence of vowel centralization (e.g., in English and Mandarin). However, the degree to which this centralization occurs and the intelligibility-acoustic relationship is maintained in different vowel systems has yet to be studied thoroughly. In comparison with American English, the Hebrew vowel system is significantly smaller, with a potentially smaller vowel space area, a factor that may impact upon the comparisons of the acoustic vowel space and its correlation with speech intelligibility. Data on vowel space and speech intelligibility are particularly limited for Hebrew speakers with motor speech disorders. To determine the nature and degree of vowel space centralization in Hebrew-speaking adolescents and young adults with dysarthria, in comparison with typically developing (TD) peers, and to correlate these findings with speech intelligibility scores. Adolescents and young adults with developmental dysarthria (secondary to cerebral palsy (CP) and other motor deficits, n = 17) and their TD peers (n = 17) were recorded producing Hebrew corner vowels within single words. For intelligibility assessments, naïve listeners transcribed those words produced by speakers with CP, and intelligibility scores were calculated. Acoustic analysis of vowel formants (F1, F2) revealed a centralization of vowel space among speakers with CP for all acoustic metrics of vowel formants, and mainly for the formant centralization ratio (FCR), in comparison with TD peers. Intelligibility scores were correlated strongly with the FCR metric for speakers with CP. The main results, vowel space centralization for speakers with CP in comparison with TD peers, echo previous cross-linguistic results. The correlation of acoustic results with speech intelligibility carries clinical implications. Taken together, the results contribute to better characterization of the speech production deficit in Hebrew speakers with motor speech disorders. Furthermore, they may guide clinical decision-making and intervention planning to improve speech intelligibility. What this paper adds What is already known on the subject Speech production and intelligibility deficits among individuals with developmental dysarthria (e.g., secondary to CP) are well documented. These deficits have also been correlated with centralization of the acoustic vowel space, although primarily in English speakers. Little is known about the acoustic characteristics of vowels in Hebrew speakers with motor speech disorders, and whether correlations with speech intelligibility are maintained. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This study is the first to describe the acoustic characteristics of vowel space in Hebrew-speaking adolescents and young adults with developmental dysarthria. The results demonstrate a centralization of the acoustic vowel space in comparison with TD peers for all measures, as found in other languages. Correlation between acoustic measures and speech intelligibility scores were also documented. We discuss these results within the context of cross-linguistic comparisons. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The results confirm the use of objective acoustic measures in the assessment of individuals with motor speech disorders, providing such data for Hebrew-speaking adolescents and young adults. These measures can be used to determine the nature and severity of the speech deficit across languages, may guide intervention planning, as well as measure the effectiveness of intelligibility-based treatment programmes.

Age, frequency, and iconicity in early sign language acquisition: Evidence from the Israeli Sign Language MacArthur–Bates Communicative Developmental Inventory

AbstractThe current study described the development of the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Developmental Inventory (CDI) for Israeli Sign Language (ISL) and investigated the effects of age, sign iconicity, and sign frequency on lexical acquisition of bimodal-bilingual toddlers acquiring ISL. Previous findings bring inconclusive evidence on the role of sign iconicity (the relationship between form and meaning) and sign frequency (how often a word/sign is used in the language) on the acquisition of signs. The ISL-CDI consisted of 563 video clips. Iconicity ratings from 41 sign-naïve Hebrew-speaking adults (Study 1A) and sign frequency ratings from 19 native ISL adult signers (Study 1B) were collected. ISL vocabulary was evaluated in 34 toddlers, native signers (Study 2). Results indicated significant effects of age, strong correlations between parental ISL ratings and ISL size even when age was controlled for, and strong correlations between naturalistic data and ISL-CDI scores, supporting the validity of the ISL-CDI. Moreover, the results revealed effects of iconicity, frequency, and interactions between age and the iconicity and frequency factors, suggesting that both iconicity and frequency are modulated by age. The findings contribute to the field of sign language acquisition and to our understanding of potential factors affecting human language acquisition beyond language modality.

Spatial–numerical association of response code effect as a window to mental representation of magnitude in long-term memory among Hebrew-speaking children

The well-known spatial–numerical association of response code (SNARC) effect supports the idea that the mental number line (MNL) is organized from left to right in participants writing from left to right. In Arabic speakers writing from right to left, the direction of the SNARC effect is reversed. Until recently, no consistent numerical–spatial associations were reported in Hebrew speakers, who write letters from right to left and write numbers from left to right. However, a left-to-right SNARC effect was recently demonstrated in adult Hebrew readers by reducing the markedness association of response code (MARC) effect, which masks the SNARC effect. Adult Hebrew speakers (especially university students) are skilled English readers and writers, supporting the claim that the direction of reading is not the sole factor contributing to direction of the emergence of the left-to-right organization of the MNL. Thus, to understand the effect of reading habits on the SNARC effect, here we demonstrate the SNARC in young Hebrew-speaking children who read Hebrew letters from right to left, read numbers from left to right, and had little experience in writing English letters from left to right. Our findings, therefore, are innovative in providing supporting evidence for the claim that the direction of reading is not the sole factor contributing to direction of the emergence of the left-to-right organization of the MNL.

Discrete dimension accessibility in multidimensional concepts

AbstractPrevious studies have identified that conceptual categories corresponding to nouns exhibit semantic domain effects: (1) classification into biological ones reflects a non-additive consideration of their defining dimensions whereas classification into artefactual and, presumably, social nouns is based on an additive one (2) nominal biological concepts are less graded than artifacts. Nevertheless, much uncertainty exists about the structure of conceptual categories corresponding to multidimensional adjectives. We propose that the effects observed for concepts corresponding to nouns are connected to a property we termdiscrete dimension accessibilityand ask how it is manifested in multidimensional concepts corresponding to adjectives. We then hypothesize that (a) ratings of dimension-counting structures can be used as a diagnostic for these properties (b) the dimensions of multidimensional concepts corresponding to adjectives are inherently discrete. We report an acceptability rating experiment involving 42 adult Hebrew speakers revealing that with nouns, dimension-counting constructions with artefactual and social predicates are rated higher than ones with biological predicates, hence confirming (a). With adjectives, ratings for dimension-counting constructions remained high across the domain manipulation, hence confirming (b). We argue that the interaction between discrete dimension accessibility and lexical category indicates that lexical distinctions interact with conceptual ones.

Speed of reading texts in Arabic and Hebrew

We tested the effects of orthography on text reading by comparing reading measures in Arabic and Hebrew-speaking adults. The languages are typologically very similar, but use different orthographies. We measured naming speed of single letters, words and nonwords, and visual processing. Arabic-speakers also performed some of the tasks in Hebrew. We measured silent and oral reading speed of simpler and complex texts and their relationships with component abilities. Results show that Arabic-speakers read complex texts in Arabic more slowly than Hebrew-speakers read in Hebrew. Arabic-speakers read texts in Hebrew more slowly than in Arabic, even though they performed the letter naming and visual tasks equivalently in the two languages. For both groups, the best predictor of oral reading speed is speed of reading single words, with speed of letter naming adding to the prediction in Hebrew, but not in Arabic. No variable had a significant contribution to the prediction of speed of silent reading. The results suggest that even though lower level processes such as letter and word identification may be simpler to perform in Hebrew than in Arabic, higher level processes required to comprehend a complex text, are always faster in the first language of the participants. Both the characteristics of the text, its structural and semantic complexity, and the characteristics of the orthography play roles in the quality of reading. Relationships between the top-down and bottom-up components of reading are dynamic, and specific to orthographic factors and the sociolinguistic environment of the readers (e.g., the diglossia of Arabic).

Validation of the Hebrew Version of the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (H-EAT-10)

Background and Objectives: Dysphagia is a common disability with different etiologies. In order to measure dysphagia symptom severity and effects on quality of life, the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) was developed and validated in the English language. We aimed to develop a Hebrew version of the EAT-10 and to evaluate its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and validity in Hebrew-speaking adults with dysphagia. Subjects and Methods: The Hebrew EAT-10 (H-EAT-10) questionnaire was completed by 132 patients: 56 patients with dysphagia and 76 controls. Internal consistency analysis was calculated using Cronbach α, and test-retest reliability was calculated using intraclass correlation coefficient in order to assess clinical validity. Results: Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were found to be high in the H-EAT-10 (Cronbach α = 0.955 and intraclass correla tion = 0.98). In addition, H-EAT-10 scores in the dysphagia group were found to be significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that H-EAT-10 is a reliable and valid tool that may be implemented for clinical practice and research on dysphagia in a Hebrew-speaking population.

Sibilant production in Hebrew-speaking adults: Apical versus laminal

ABSTRACTThe Hebrew IPA charts describe the sibilants /s, z/ as ‘alveolar fricatives’, where the place of articulation on the palate is the alveolar ridge. The point of constriction on the tongue is not defined – apical (tip) or laminal (blade). Usually, speech and language pathologists (SLPs) use the apical placement in Hebrew articulation therapy. Some researchers and SLPs suggested that acceptable /s, z/ could be also produced with the laminal placement (i.e. the tip of the tongue approximating the lower incisors). The present study focused at the clinical level, attempting to determine the prevalence of these alternative points of constriction on the tongue for /s/ and /z/ in three different samples of Hebrew-speaking young adults (total n = 242), with typical articulation. Around 60% of the participants reported using the laminal position, regardless of several speaker-related variables (e.g. tongue-thrust swallowing, gender). Laminal production was more common in /s/ (than /z/), coda (than onset) position of the sibilant, mono- (than di-) syllabic words, and with non-alveolar (than alveolar) adjacent consonants. Experiment 3 revealed no acoustical differences between apical and laminal productions of /s/ and of /z/. From a clinical perspective, we wish to raise the awareness of SLPs to the prevalence of the two placements when treating Hebrew speakers, noting that tongue placements were highly correlated across sibilants. Finally, we recommend adopting a client-centred practice, where tongue placement is matched to the client. We further recommend selecting targets for intervention based on our findings, and separating between different prosodic positions in treatment.

Oral-diadochokinetic rates for Hebrew-speaking healthy ageing population: non-word versus real-word repetition.

Oral-diadochokinesis (oral-DDK) tasks are extensively used in the evaluation of motor speech abilities. Currently, validated normative data for older adults (aged 65 years and older) are missing in Hebrew. The effect of task stimuli (non-word versus real-word repetition) is also non-clear in the population of older adult Hebrew speakers. (1) To establish a norm for oral-DDK rate for older adult (aged 65 years and older) Hebrew speakers, and to investigate the possible effect of age and gender on performance rate; and (2) to examine the effects of stimuli (non-word versus real word) on oral-DDK rates. In experiment 1, 88 healthy older Hebrew speakers (60-95 years, 48 females and 40 males) were audio-recorded while performing an oral-DDK task (repetition of /pataka/), and repetition rates (syllables/s) were coded. In experiment 2, the effect of real-word repetition was evaluated. Sixty-eight older Hebrew speakers (aged 66-95 years, 43 females and 25 males) were asked to repeat 'pataka' (non-word) and 'bodeket' (Hebrew real word). Experiment 1: Oral-DDK performance for older adult Hebrew speakers was 5.07 syllables/s (SD = 1.16 syllables/s), across age groups and gender. Comparison of this data with Hebrew norms for younger adults (and equivalent data in English) shows the following gradient of oral-DDK rates: ages 15-45 > 65-74 > 75-86 years. Gender was not a significant factor in our data. Experiment 2: Repetition of real words was faster than that of non-words, by 13.5%. The paper provides normative values for oral-DDK rates for older Hebrew speakers. The data show the large impact of ageing on oro-motor functions. The analysis further indicates that speech and language pathologists should consider separate norms for clients of 65-74 years and those of 75-86 years. Hebrew rates were found to be different from English norms for the oldest group, shedding light on the impact of language on these norms. Finally, the data support using a dual-protocol (real- and non-word repetition) with older adults to improve differential diagnosis of normal and pathological ageing in this task.

Speaking Rate among Adult Hebrew Speakers: A Preliminary Observation

Background: Speaking rate is an important basic temporal characteristic of speech, essential for research as well as clinical applications. Accordingly, it has become a common measure in studies conducted in various fields, such as speech science, speech pathology, behavioral psychology, neuropsychology and emotions. Yet, normative speaking rate data, which are language specific, are still required. This study was aimed to provide preliminary data on speaking-rate and articulation-rate among Hebrew speaking adults, and to examine differences between genders and age-groups. Methods and Findings: Recordings of 78 Hebrew speaking adults (39 men and 39 women) in three age-groups (20-40 years, 41-60 and 61-above) were analyzed. All recordings were obtained from radio broadcast interviews. Speaking rate and articulation rate were quantified using two metrics: syllable-per-second (SPS) and word-per-minute (WPM). Results revealed a mean overall speaking rate of 5.60 SPS and 154.11 WPM, while articulation rate was 6.26 SPS and 175.70 WPM. A gradual reduction in both metrics was observed between the three age-groups. This reduction reached a statistical significance only between the younger and older age-groups (p<0.001). In contrast, no differences in speaking- and articulation-rate were found between men and women. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary data on speaking- and articulation-rate values for adult Hebrew speakers. Data support previous reports on a general reduction in speech rate of the older age group, while demonstrating a lack of gender difference. Results facilitate a comparison of rate measurements performed in Hebrew with those obtained in other languages. Data also provide a baseline for future comparison of speech and fluency characteristics in various pathological groups with normally fluent speakers.

The relations between reading and spelling: an examination of subtypes of reading disability

Three groups of reading-disabled children were found in studies of English, German, and French: a group with a double deficit in reading and spelling, a group with a single spelling deficit, and a more rarely reported group presenting a single reading deficit. This study set out to examine whether these groups can be found in adults, readers and spellers of Hebrew, which differs from the previously studied orthographies in many aspects. To this end, Hebrew-speaking adults with or without reading disability were administered various literacy and literacy-related tests. Results confirm the existence of the same three groups. While all shared a phonological deficit, subtle differences in phonological decoding ability and in speed of processing distinguished between the groups. The study therefore suggests that the previously reported associations and dissociations between reading and spelling are not restricted to English, German, or French and may not be only developmental in nature.

The effects of orthographic transparency and familiarity on reading Hebrew words in adults with and without dyslexia.

The current study examined the effects of transparency and familiarity on word recognition in adult Hebrew dyslexic readers with a phonological processing deficit as compared to typical readers. We measured oral reading response time and accuracy of single nouns in several conditions: diacritics that provide transparent but less familiar information and vowel letters that increase orthographic transparency without compromise familiarity. In line with former studies with adult dyslexics, Hebrew-speaking adults with dyslexia were significantly slower than controls. However, both dyslexic and typical readers read unpointed words faster when vowel letters were present, indicating that they may benefit from increase in orthographic transparency, when the graphemic representations are familiar. Only dyslexics read pointed words slower than unpointed words and were more sensitive to word frequency. In unpointed words, only typical readers benefitted from the reduced competition of orthographic neighbors of longer words. Results indicate that both orthographic transparency and familiarity play an important role in word recognition. Dyslexics are impaired in decoding of smaller units and are more sensitive to reduction in the familiarity of words.

Reading improvement in English- and Hebrew-speaking children with reading difficulties after reading acceleration training

A reading acceleration program known to improve reading fluency in Hebrew-speaking adults was tested for its effect on children. Eighty-nine Hebrew- and English-speaking children with reading difficulties were divided into a waiting list group and two training groups (Hebrew and English) and underwent 4weeks of reading acceleration training. Results of pre- and post-testing of reading abilities point to a significant main effect of the test, demonstrating improvements in silent contextual reading speed, reading comprehension, and speed of processing in both Hebrew and English training groups as compared to their performance before the intervention. This study indicates that the Reading Acceleration Program might be an effective program for improving reading abilities in children, independent of language.

Oral-diadochokinesis rates across languages: English and Hebrew norms

Oro-facial and speech motor control disorders represent a variety of speech and language pathologies. Early identification of such problems is important and carries clinical implications. A common and simple tool for gauging the presence and severity of speech motor control impairments is oral-diadochokinesis (oral-DDK). Surprisingly, norms for adult performance are missing from the literature. The goals of this study were: (1) to establish a norm for oral-DDK rate for (young to middle-age) adult English speakers, by collecting data from the literature (five studies, N=141); (2) to investigate the possible effect of language (and culture) on oral-DDK performance, by analyzing studies conducted in other languages (five studies, N=140), alongside the English norm; and (3) to find a new norm for adult Hebrew speakers, by testing 115 speakers. We first offer an English norm with a mean of 6.2syllables/s (SD=.8), and a lower boundary of 5.4syllables/s that can be used to indicate possible abnormality. Next, we found significant differences between four tested languages (English, Portuguese, Farsi and Greek) in oral-DDK rates. Results suggest the need to set language and culture sensitive norms for the application of the oral-DDK task world-wide. Finally, we found the oral-DDK performance for adult Hebrew speakers to be 6.4syllables/s (SD=.8), not significantly different than the English norms. This implies possible phonological similarities between English and Hebrew. We further note that no gender effects were found in our study. We recommend using oral-DDK as an important tool in the speech language pathologist's arsenal. Yet, application of this task should be done carefully, comparing individual performance to a set norm within the specific language.Learning outcomes: Readers will be able to: (1) identify the Speech-Language Pathologist assessment process using the oral-DDK task, by comparing an individual performance to the present English norm, (2) describe the impact of language on oral-DDK performance, and (3) accurately detect Hebrew speakers’ patients using this tool.