Deaf and hard‐of‐hearing EFL learners' perception of learning English: A narrative inquiry

• Published in: British journal of special education Vol. 51; no. 2; pp. 174 - 188
• Main Authors: Rezvani, Reza, Ghanbar, Hessameddin, PourhematKhanshir, Yasamin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tamworth Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.06.2024
• Subjects: Aspiration; College students; deaf and hard‐of‐hearing students; Deafness; English as a second language; English as a second language learning; Foreign language learning; Foreign languages; Language; Learning; learning English; Narratives; Objectives; perception; Undergraduate students; university students
• ISSN: 0952-3383; 1467-8578
• DOI: 10.1111/1467-8578.12510

There is limited research on deaf and hard‐of‐hearing (D/HH) learners' learning English as a foreign language. It is even more scant in contexts such as Iran where D/HH learners are least visible and represented. This narrative inquiry aimed to explore Iranian D/HH English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' lived experience in learning English. The data were collected through semi‐structured interviews with 10 undergraduate students of English. The data were thematically analysed, yielding five themes: (1) learning English and its relevance to personal goals and aspirations; (2) perceived language‐related difficulties; (3) awareness of the differences in their language learning experience as D/HH learners; (4) significance of visual communication for D/HH learners of English; and (5) the role and support of technology. These themes provided a multidimensional understanding of these learners' perception of their foreign language learning trajectory. The results of this study have implications for various stakeholders in the context of special needs language education.