Difficulties with Hearing
Hearing is the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived.
Difficulties with Hearing - adjustments to practice
Hearing is the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived. Learners who are deaf (have no hearing) or hearing impaired may be affected in different ways. Losses range from:
- mild to profound and can be conductive (resulting from impairment to the outer or middle ear);
- sensorineural (resulting from impairment to the inner ear);
- or a combination of both.
Communication
The effect on communication depends on the extent, type and timing of the impairment. A person who experienced a severe or profound loss before their speech developed, may rely on signed forms of communication, such as British Sign Language (BSL), which has its own structure and syntax, and is different from English. Thus English may effectively be their second language. Reading comprehension and written expression may be affected if vocabulary and experience of English are less extensive because of the inability to hear the language. Speech may also be affected. It may differ in volume, pitch or inflection because the speaker hears his/her voice differently or not at all.
Students who are deaf may use speech, lip-reading, sign, a hearing aid or a combination of these in order to communicate with others.
Lip Reading
Many students who are deaf or hearing impaired rely on lip reading to some extent but be aware that only about 30% of words can be lip read clearly, moreover, not all people with a hearing impairment can lip read well.
Difficulties with Hearing - adjustments to practice
These strategies are suggestions for inclusive teaching and training. This list should not be considered exhaustive and it is important to remember that all learners are individuals, and good practice for one person may not necessarily be good practice for another. If you have any good practice that you would like to add to this list, please email your suggestions to qatrain2@worc.ac.uk.
Environmental Factors
- Arrange lighting and seating so that everyone's face is well lit. Avoid standing in front of a window or light: this places the face in shadow.
- Spot lighting may be needed for lip-reading (and sign language interpretation) when the room is darkened, e.g., for showing slides or video.
- Do not talk and write on a board, or talk and demonstrate, at the same time. Try and avoid moving around too much.
- Try to keep background noise to a minimum.
- Be aware that loud noises can be distressing when amplified through a hearing aid.
Learning Resources
- Make sure any course participants with hearing difficulties have any book lists well in advance of the beginning of the course - they may rely more heavily on textbooks than teaching/training sessions.
- Unknown vocabulary is hard to lip-read. Write vocabulary down and check that it is understood.
- People who depend on their eyes to 'hear' will not be able to take notes as well as lip read or watch an interpreter, so it is helpful to provide notes or to arrange for copies to be made from another person's notes.
- It is difficult to lip-read if the context is not known. The better a talk is structured the better it is followed. Handouts and overheads can be very helpful in complementing spoken instructions and descriptions, but provide these in advance, as people cannot lip-read at the same time.
- Signs for new terminology need to be devised in advance: signs for specialised vocabulary are not instantly available to signers.
- Make use of as much visual information as possible such as pictures, labels, diagrams and keywords.
- Important announcements, key concepts and new technical words should be written on the board or given as a handout.
- Any audio recordings or CDs that are to be used in the session should have written transcripts. Deaf people will benefit if interpreters and communication support workers have access to these before the session and are given notes, handouts and scripts of videos in advance.
- Use captions or subtitles when showing films and other media resources.
Course Delivery
- Provide sufficient time to discuss needs with the student before/during their initial teaching session.
- Some people may need to record lessons; others may have a note-taker or interpreter. Make time for interpreters, be aware of time lags, e.g. when asking questions, and allow time for the hearing impaired person to answer.
- If someone with hearing difficulties is being excluded because several people are talking at once (which makes lip-reading impossible), the teacher or trainer could control the situation by passing a pencil or baton from person-to-person, with only the holder of the baton being allowed to speak.
- Wear a microphone or transmitter if the learner requests it.
- Use short clear statements and vocabulary, avoiding or explaining abstract concepts or jargon. If the learner misunderstands, try a different way of explaining the same idea. Try not to use double negatives.
- People with hearing impairments may experience difficulties with grammar if they are using British Sign Language as a first language. They may require extra time and/or assistance for their written work.
- In group work, repeat questions when giving answers.
- Provide extra time after group sessions to check that the content has been understood.
- Write down statements wherever possible, but check that these have been understood.
General Guidance
- Face the person at all times when speaking. Speak clearly and encourage other people to do the same. Speak at a measured but normal speed as speaking too slowly distorts lip patterns, which then become impossible to read.
- Lip-reading is very tiring: learners may need to have periodic rests.
- Repeat the beginning of a sentence and not just the end, and do not change the wording. Deaf and hearing impaired people may tune-in late to the fact that they are being addressed and miss the beginning.
- When working with interpreters make time for them, and always address the deaf person, not the interpreter.
- Interpreting is tiring: do not speak too quickly. During long sessions allow interpreters to have short rest breaks. There might be times when two interpreters are needed.
- If a learner has speech difficulties, this is not a reflection of intellectual ability or understanding. Encourage them to contribute to discussions and be patient to allow communication to take place.
- Approach a deaf person who is working from the front or side to avoid startling them.
- For sign-language users, many of the techniques for teaching grammar to ESOL/EAL learners may be appropriate, especially on language functions or colloquialisms.
- Make (and encourage learners to look for) direct and explicit comparisons between the different grammars and forms.
Assessment
Adjustments for Assessments taken under Examination Conditions
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Learning categories
- Group Work Activities
- Literacy Related Activities
- Numeracy Related Activities
- Practical Activities
- Visual Activities
