Hearing Impairment
Progress:
Tips that all Deaf and Hearing Impaired Students want Teachers to Know
- Face the direction of where the deaf student is: they can lip read very well. Try not to look down or look away.
- Repeat answers from other students in the class.
- Visual cues are a great way to get them learning. Write essential points on the board. Especially with new words or concepts.
- Classroom layout: have the classroom set up in a semi or full circle. Straight rows facing the tutor are very difficult for the student. This means the deaf student will have limited vision of all students who may speak at one point during the class.
- Ensure lighting is sufficient (i.e. No lights during a film and a tutor is talking = student panicking!) They can’t hear the video unless there is captioning, and if the room is dark, the deaf student cannot lip-read the teacher.
- Say their name first, before asking them the question: this gets their full attention and they are willing to listen and answer correctly.
- Provide breaks when possible – students can get VERY TIRED from just from listening to the lecture!
- GET ALL VIDEOS CAPTIONED!
- Progress logically with topics (try to avoid 3-dimensional teaching), as the student will better grasp the new concepts and how they link to one topic to another.
- Reason: since spoken English is their ‘second language’, they have to be in the ‘mindset’ to pull up relevant vocabulary for the class discussion, so that they can pick up cues and chime in when possible. I.e. China: talk about Chairman Mao, Forbidden City, Shanghai, Beijing, the labour phenomena, etc. Then the student will have to listen hard to get the cue so that they can follow.
- Don’t EXAGGERATE YOUR SPEECH! Talk clearly and normally.
- They absolutely despise it! They will not be afraid to tell you that you look stupid, or look disinterested.
- Don’t test them by covering your mouth, they’re normal people too, not things to experiment on.
- Don’t discuss the deaf person’s needs during the tutorial or in front of the tutorial
- When students are working quietly by themselves, discreetly ask the person to stay behind after class to have a quick chat. They will really appreciate it.
- During lectures: please don’t call out their names! They will not hear you (or at least pretend not to hear you) and you will cause further embarrassment on both sides. Instead, if they email you, just reply to them to give you a wave, or signal that shows who they are at the beginning of the designated class.
- Most importantly, create new cool ways of communicating! They love it.
