The challenge for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students to learn foreign languages in special needs schools

Abstract

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) learners have the right to equal access to knowledge and information which entails equal opportunities in learning foreign languages (FLs). As part of a larger project, the present study aims at exploring how students in eight specialised institutions across Hungary perceive the challenge of learning a FL. Following the principles of qualitative research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 14–19-year-old D/HH learners. A purposive sample aiming at maximum variety was selected from a cohort of over 100 learners with the help of a previously validated questionnaire that focuses on D/HH learners’ FL learning motivations, strategies and beliefs. The interviews tapped into the following five topics: (1) the importance of learning a FL; (2) beliefs about the FL and about learning it; (3) learning modalities; (4) motivated learning behaviour and the use of learning strategies; (5) future goals and the envisaged role of the FL in the participants’ future. Our results indicate that in spite of low levels of initial motivation, many of the interviewed D/HH learners aspire to work abroad, where they hope to use the FL learnt. A frequent source of difficulty seems to be respondents’ perceived gaps in their own abilities to learn FLs; however, most participants claim that by seeking help and studying harder they can overcome these obstacles. It is also noteworthy that several of our participants find their knowledge of Hungarian inadequate for learning another spoken language. While producing and comprehending speech in the FL is a real challenge, learning to read and write is identified as an attainable goal. The use of Hungarian Sign Language for enhancing in-class communication seems both necessary and inevitable.

Keywords:

• deaf education
• foreign language learning
• special schools

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their thanks to the teachers at participating schools and their students for supporting this research and to Hajnalka Csernyák, the Deaf consultant of the project for her support and advice. We are also grateful to our anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions.

Notes

There are two opposing views of D/deafness also expressed in the spelling of the word. Spelled with a lowercase ‘d’, deaf refers to the audiological condition, i.e. a disability, while Deaf with a capital ‘D’ is used in the literature to denote people who share a sign language as well as distinct cultural values and consider themselves a linguistic and cultural minority.

1. In the visited schools, about 10% of the students were reported to have cochlear implants.