Abstract Introduction Primary care physicians are essential first points of contact for patients with hearing loss. Thus, knowledge of hearing loss and related aspects is essential to ensure the optimal management of individuals with suspected hearing loss. Objective This study aimed to determine the knowledge of and attitudes toward hearing loss among primary care physicians in the public health sector in Mauritius. Methods In this cross-sectional descriptive cohort study, 320 primary care physicians completed an online questionnaire adapted from previous questionnaires on knowledge of and attitudes toward hearing loss. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and cross-sectional analyses. Results Primary care physicians showed limited knowledge of hearing loss in areas such as early identification and intervention, professionals responsible for hearing assessments, and hearing tests used for assessing hearing sensitivity. However, the responses also showed positive attitudes toward hearing loss. Significant associations between knowledge of and attitudes toward hearing loss were obtained regarding the type of physician, length of practice, and department posted in. Ear, nose, and throat specialists, as well as pediatricians, demonstrated significantly higher scores for both knowledge of and positive attitudes toward hearing loss. Conclusions The findings highlight a strong need for ongoing medical education to spread awareness about hearing loss among primary care physicians in the public health sector of Mauritius. Thus Mauritius crosssectional cross sectional 32 analyses intervention assessments sensitivity However physician practice Ear nose specialists pediatricians 3

There is a need for professional development (PD) among second language (12) learners' teachers to bring 12 learners up to the same level as their home language (LI) peers globally and in South Africa. Speech-language therapists (SLTs) can provide PD for teachers on language and literacy development of L2 learners. Within the bioecological framework, a mixed method design was used to determine teachers' PD needs through a questionnaire and dyadic interviews. The bioecological framework illuminated the personal characteristics, context, and time factors that inform PD needs. The results indicate a positive impact on teachers and 12 learners when schools prioritise teacher support for 12 learners. Teachers want to be involved in the implementation of PD, but many would prefer support without a coaching element. The findings provide direction for PD programmes to assist teachers with L2 learners in their class.

BACKGROUND: Literacy achievement of learners is a concern in many developing countries, particularly for English second language (EL2) learners with inadequate language development. It is important to investigate foundational phonological awareness (PA), as well as speech perception skills to guide the development of effective intervention for EL2 learners to facilitate optimal literacy acquisitionOBJECTIVES: The study aimed to describe the PA and speech perception in noise skills of South African Grade 1, EL2 participants, learning in an English first language (EL1) context, to inform evidence-based support during literacy acquisition for EL2 learnersMETHOD: A cross-sectional, descriptive design was employed. Twenty-five EL1 participants provided normative results for the Phonological Awareness Test - 2 and South African English Digits-in-Noise Test, enabling between-group comparisons with 25 matched EL2 participants for quantitative data analysis. Demographic and background information was obtained using parental questionnairesRESULTS: The EL2 learners presented with PA skills below those of EL1 learners in all subtests. Though the speech perception in noise skills of EL2 learners were within the normative range for their age, their skills are also lower in comparison to EL1 learnersCONCLUSION: The findings support the inclusion of explicit PA instruction for rhyming, segmentation, isolation, deletion, substitution, and blending for EL2 literacy acquisition. Developing speech perception in noise skills is necessary to facilitate PA and phoneme-grapheme knowledge. This can enable decoding for early EL2 literacy acquisition

BACKGROUND: Studies indicate that difficulties English second language (ESL) learners experience in the classroom may not be attributed to only listening comprehension of the language of learning and teaching (LoLT). ESL learners' performance-related difficulties may increase when linguistic complexity is added to auditory comprehension tasks. Limited research is available on the auditory skills of ESL learners and listening comprehension in ESL learners younger than 12 years. AIM: To determine which areas of auditory skills and listening comprehension Grade 1 ESL learners find most difficult. SETTING: The study was conducted at two independent primary schools in an urban setting of the Tshwane district, Gauteng province, South Africa where the LoLT is English. METHODS: A static two-group comparison design was used. Data were collected from two similar independent urban schools. The research group comprised ESL learners (n = 15) exposed to English for 12-18 months. The control group comprised English first language (EFL) learners (n = 15). The digits-in-noise (DIN), children's auditory processing performance scale (CHAPPS) and listening comprehension test 2 (LCT-2) were used. Six Grade 1 teachers participated in this study. RESULTS: Majority of the participants (n = 25) passed the DIN test. In the overall scores for the CHAPPS and LCT-2, significant differences were found between the two groups (p = 0.024; p = 0.001). Strong agreements were found between the ESL participants' test results for the CHAPPS and LCT-2. Results indicate that ESL learners experience significant difficulties with higher linguistically dependent auditory skills and listening comprehension tasks. CONCLUSION: ESL learners achieved poorer scores as the listening tasks became more linguistically demanding. Specific layers of auditory skill and listening comprehension difficulties when listening in their LoLT were identified in the ESL learners. Targeted intervention and curriculum support with the help of a speech-language therapist can be provided.

BACKGROUND: Specific breastfeeding and swallowing characteristics in neonates with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) have not yet been well described in the literature. Considering the relatively high incidence of HIE in resource-poor settings, speech-language therapists should be cognisant of the feeding difficulties in this population during breastfeeding. OBJECTIVE: To systematically describe the breastfeeding and swallowing of a single case of a neonate diagnosed with mild HIE from admission to discharge. METHOD: A case study of a 2-day old neonate with mild HIE in a neonatal intensive care unit at an urban teaching hospital, is presented. Data were prospectively collected during four sessions in a 12-day period until the participant's discharge. Feeding and swallowing were assessed clinically, as well as instrumentally using a video-fluoroscopic swallow study. RESULTS: After parenteral feeding, nasogastric tube feeding commenced. Breastfeeding was introduced on Day 6, as it was considered a safe option, and revealed problematic rooting, shallow latching, short sucking bursts, infrequent swallowing, and a drowsy state of arousal, with coughing and choking. No penetration or aspiration was identified instrumentally. After 13 days, the neonate was breastfeeding safely. CONCLUSION: Although the pharyngeal stage of swallowing was intact, symptoms of oral stage dysphagia were revealed using a combination of clinical and instrumental measures. Breastfeeding difficulties were identified, exacerbated by poor state regulation, which lead to prolonged hospitalisation. The case study highlights the unexpected long duration of feeding difficulties in an infant with mild HIE and indicates further research.

BACKGROUND: The home language of most audiologists in South Africa is either English or Afrikaans, whereas most South Africans speak an African language as their home language. The use of an English wordlist, the South African Spondaic (SAS) wordlist, which is familiar to the English Second Language (ESL) population, was developed by the author for testing the speech recognition threshold (SRT) of ESL speakers OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the pure-tone average (PTA)/SRT correlation results of ESL participants when using the SAS wordlist (list A) and the CID W-1 spondaic wordlist (list B - less familiar; list C - more familiar CID W-1 words METHOD: A mixed-group correlational, quantitative design was adopted. PTA and SRT measurements were compared for lists A, B and C for 101 (197 ears) ESL participants with normal hearing or a minimal hearing loss (<26 dBHL; mean age 33.3 RESULTS: The Pearson correlation analysis revealed a strong PTA/SRT correlation when using list A (right 0.65; left 0.58) and list C (right 0.63; left 0.56). The use of list B revealed weak correlations (right 0.30; left 0.32). Paired sample t-tests indicated a statistically significantly stronger PTA/SRT correlation when list A was used, rather than list B or list C, at a 95% level of confidence CONCLUSIONS: The use of the SAS wordlist yielded a stronger PTA/SRT correlation than the use of the CID W-1 wordlist, when performing SRT testing on South African ESL speakers with normal hearing, or minimal hearing loss (<26 dBHL)