Use of Text-To-Speech by Arabic-Speaking and Spanish-Speaking English Learners in Digital Math Assessments

We compare text-to-speech (TTS) usage patterns of Arabic-speaking (n ≈ 50) and Spanish-speaking (n ≈ 1,120) current English Learners (ELs) during the 2017 NAEP Grade 8 mathematics assessment. Arabic-speaking ELs activated TTS approximately 2.5 times as frequently as Spanish-speaking ELs and spent more time per item, with the usage gap most pronounced on items with higher word counts. TTS usage was associated with greater time on task but not with total mathematics scores or item accuracy, after accounting for English proficiency, and these relationships did not differ by home language. These preliminary findings are consistent with the hypothesis that typological distance between Arabic and English may contribute to greater reliance on TTS as a linguistic access tool. Findings highlight the importance of disaggregating EL populations and developing accessibility tools responsive to diverse linguistic needs.