A Participatory Research Approach to develop an Arabic Symbol Dictionary
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This document outlines a participatory research approach to develop an Arabic symbol dictionary for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) users in Qatar. Over 60 participants voted on symbol designs created by a graphic designer for inclusion in the dictionary. Initial results found that nouns and verbs made up 50% of the core Arabic vocabulary lists, compared to 20% nouns in English lists. The final dictionary aims to enhance complex Arabic vocabulary and have applicability for second language learning and signage, with the goal of better supporting Arabic AAC users through culturally appropriate symbols.
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A Participatory Research Approach to develop an Arabic Symbol Dictionary
- 1. A Participatory Research Approach to develop an Arabic Symbol Dictionary
- 2. Maryam’s Story EA Draffan Nadine Zeinoun
- 3. • Arabic AAC users in Qatar are supported by English speaking therapists and specialist teachers. • Use of externally developed AAC symbols systems to aid communication which can highlight cultural differences • Arabic, English and other languages may all be spoken during a day in the life of the AAC user (expats make up 86% of Qatar / Nannies/drivers speak English) Introduction
- 4. Research Background • Lack of research regarding local core AAC user vocabulary • No freely available culturally sensitive Arabic AAC symbols • The Arabic language is ‘diglossic’ with written text often differing from the spoken Arabic dialects and • Linguistically Arabic is complex!
- 5. Participatory Approach Degrees of participant involvement: adapted by Radermacher (2006) from Fajerman and Treseder (2000)
- 6. • Participation of stakeholders at the outset via online forum and f2f meetings • Collaboration with ARASAAC as a result of symbol set voting to complement symbols in use. • Graphic designer using Google+ to test initial symbol designs with team members • Symbols uploaded to a bespoke Symbol Manager System with the corresponding lexical entries, definitions, parts of speech and relevant categories in English and Arabic. • Online voting and analysis takes place • News of all project actions published. Methodology
- 7. Symbol Manager -Lexical entry for ‘thank you’
- 9. • 63 participants - 2341 votes for 65 symbols – mean ratings greater than 3.5. • Comments showed participants preferred coloured symbols and wanted gender illustrated for verbs rather than stick characters. • Failed symbols sent back to the graphic designer for further adaptations • Process repeated until the symbol accepted by the majority of voters. Initial Results for Symbol Voting
- 10. Results from Core Vocabulary Data • Over 688 initial categorised lexical entries • Higher number of nouns were used in the Arabic core vocabulary lists compared to English lists in both conversational and literacy-based lists (45% vs 20% in top 300 words). • Arabic AAC population uses nouns and verbs more than any other parts of speech (50% vs 20% respectively). • Pronouns make up around 20% of the Arabic lists and adverbs represented less than 5%. The latter two are believed to be low in frequency due to the linguistic characteristics of Arabic.
- 11. Discussion & Conclusion • Participatory approaches may mean many more iterations of symbol development than expected. Religion, clothing, symbol types and grammatical issues require careful discussion • Further work is still required to validate that the input from a tightly defined user group has value in meeting the needs of an extended community. • The final dictionary should have applicability to those people struggling to interpret traditional Arabic text, by enhancing complex vocabulary with a symbol representing the concept • Second language learning and signage
- 12. Impact - Maryam is telling her teacher what she did over the weekend لعبتفيملعبالفريجمعاألوالد أكلتمعاخوانيوأخواتيفيسوق،واقفمشبوسلحموبريانيدجاج ثمتسوقتمعصديقاتيواشتريناالمالبس في معفي ثممع مع و و و
Editor's Notes
- To involve local AAC users and those supporting them to ensure that an Arabic core vocabulary and corresponding symbols are well received and serve their needs. To develop a series of appropriate, culturally sensitive and suitable symbols for the environment in which they would be used that complement those already in use. To increase stakeholder involvement by use of social media To develop online discussion and symbol management that allows all parties to engage in data gathering, adaptation and publication in the two languages.
- The symbol manager for the comparison of lexical entries with metadata providing a filtering system for searching in both languages with a range of parts of speech, whole words versus word phrases, core & fringe vocabularies and symbol categories. The systems allowed for symbol voting, lexical checks and discussions around the suitability of the symbols and the appropriateness of the matching bilingual lexical entries.
- After this stage participants from the AAC forum were invited to vote on a batch of symbols. Close-ended questions were used to measure the iconicity of each symbol with a five point scale Finally, participants were presented with a comments box if they wished to add any more information.
- The results of a participatory approach has meant many more iterations of symbol development than expected. Religious and cultural sensitivities such as dress, restrictions in gender mixing within symbols and linguistic considerations such as text and arrows pointing in the opposite direction to English due to the Arabic sentence orientation from right to left. Comments are also taken into account, so for example where stick figures were used for verbs, some voters preferred the gender specific, coloured images of more representative characters. Use of the abaya and thobe as culturally appropriate dress were requested for adults but children were accepted in more multicultural dress. Symbols related to prayer times have received particular attention with several alternatives being offered. Black and white symbols received the lowest scores. These have been designed for high contrast use and will be re-tested with participants in a specialist school for AAC users with visual impairments.
- The research to date has focused upon the input of people who will use the symbols to augment and enhance their vocal communications. In effect using symbols to replace verbal communication by sequencing symbols and concepts to communicate meaning. However, these individuals are not the only intended beneficiaries of the project outcomes and further work is still required to validate that the input from a tightly defined user group has value in meeting the needs of an extended community. It is hoped that further testing of the initial symbol set by this wider community will provide evidence of the ease of transfer of symbol design from young AAC users to a more diverse selection of needs The final dictionary should have applicability to those people struggling to interpret traditional Arabic text, by enhancing complex vocabulary with a pictogram representing the concept, as well as having the potential to enhance the physical environment with simple to understand symbols for those for whom Arabic is not an understood language.
- Taking a participatory approach with the use of online social media and a bespoke symbol management system has allowed the research team to begin a process of matching a unique Arabic core vocabulary for AAC users with culturally sensitive and appropriate symbols and that this approach may offer a chance of dissemination across a wider demographic. The positive reaction of those who have voted on the symbols with requests for early use has justified the iterative nature of the methodologies used for this part of the project. Possibility for those collaborating in the research to better understand the complexities of symbol mapping two languages where the orthography, phonology and grammar have such an impact on AAC use and literacy skill building, in a country where both Arabic and English are in regular use by experts in the field. Analysis of the differences in core vocabularies, symbol set requirements and the potential for use of a bi-lingual online symbol dictionary that will be free at the point of delivery for all will, it is hoped, provide better support for individuals with speech, language and literacy difficulties in a world where Arabic is the fifth most spoken language. Constant re-evaluation will be necessary and in depth analysis of all the data received has yet to be completed.