Innovation in Language Learning

For deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students, successful participation in language education depends not only on the linguistic content provided but also on how that content is accessed, processed, and expressed. The diversity of students’ language experiences and the limited availability of auditory information create a need for learning environments in which meaning can be constructed through multiple complementary channels. From this perspective, multimodality may offer an important framework for making language learning more accessible and communicatively engaging for DHH learners.

This study examines classroom practices and learner behaviours that facilitate language development among DHH students in lower secondary education. Evidence was collected through classroom observations, student questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews with teachers and specialist practitioners. The analysis focused on the ways in which learners accessed linguistic information, participated in classroom interaction, and used different resources to support comprehension and expression. The findings demonstrate the importance of combining visual, linguistic, social, and digital resources in language-related learning activities. Visual representations and concept mapping were particularly useful for organizing and clarifying linguistic information, while contextualized tasks and peer interaction created opportunities for meaningful communication. Students also described using paraphrasing, silent articulation, and digital translation tools when encountering difficulties in understanding or expressing themselves. The data indicate that the usefulness of particular forms of support is not uniform and may be related to the onset of hearing loss as well as students’ individual language-learning experiences.

The study suggests that inclusive language education for DHH learners should move beyond reliance on a single mode of communication or a fixed instructional method. Instead, learning environments should provide flexible combinations of visual, communicative, and form-focused support that allow students to engage with language in different ways. The findings also highlight the value of developing learners’ awareness of how they themselves compensate for barriers to linguistic access. These insights may contribute to the design of more responsive approaches to language teaching in inclusive educational settings.

 

Keywords: deaf and hard-of-hearing learners, language learning, multimodal learning, visual communication, inclusive education, language teaching

 

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