Speech rate and intelligibility of Arab Airlines’ safety instructions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36505/ExLing-2022/13/0002/000544Keywords:
Speech rate, Speech intelligibility, Noise, Safety instructions, Arab airlinesAbstract
We first analyzed and reported the speech rate (SR) of safety instructions (SIs) for nine Arab airlines, including Saudia, flynas, EgyptAir, and Oman Air. EgyptAir had the slowest SR and Oman Air the fastest, a statistically significant difference (Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.001). We then assessed the impact of normal and accelerated (by 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) SR in passenger-boarding noise (-6 dB) on speech intelligibility evaluation. Listeners’ ratings demonstrated that intelligibility diminished to 48% at the original SR and to 7% at the 20% accelerated SR, and that SR was a statistically significant factor (repeated-measures Analysis of Variance, p < 0.01). Arab airlines are advised to consider this finding and consult the International Civil Aviation Organization on the recommended SR.
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