The Effects of Hearing Impairment On Language Development of a Learner: A Case Study of Learners of St Marys' Primary School for the Deaf

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................ i

APPROVAL .................................................................................................................................. ii

DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................. iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................................................... iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. v

LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... vii

LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... viii

DEFINITION OF TERMS .......................................................................................................... ix

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... x

CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................ 1

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 1

1.0. Background to the Study .......................................................................................................... 1

I.I Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................................... 2

1.2. Objectives of the Study ............................................................................................................. 3

1.3 .Research Questions were; ......................................................................................................... 3

1.4. Significance of the Study .......................................................................................................... 3

1.5. Scope of the Study ................................................................................................................... .4

1.6 Limitations and Delimitations .................................................................................................. 4

1.7 Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................................. 5

CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................... 6

LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................. 6

2.0. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 6

2.1 General History of Special Needs Education ........................................................................... 6

2.2 Causes and Effects of Hearing Impairment .............................................................................. 9

2.3. Speech Development, Language and Communication ........................................................... 12

2.4. Education and Teaching of the Hearing Impaired .................................................................. 14

2.5 Language Acquisition and Associated Problems to the Hearing Impaired Learners ............. 17

2.6 Pre-lingual and Post-lingual Hearing Impairment.. ................................................................ 18

2.7 Effects of Hearing Impaired parents and Hearing Parents on Language Development ofa

Hearing Impaired Learners ............................................................................................................ 20

2.8 Curriculum Content and its Relevance to Hearing Impaired Learners .................................... 21

CHAPTER THREE ..................................................................................................................... 22

METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................... 22

3.0. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 22

3.1 Research Design ...................................................................................................................... 22

3.2 Area and Population of Study .................................................................................................. 22

3.3 Sampling Procedures ............................................................................................................... 23

3.4 Data Collection Methods ......................................................................................................... 23

3.5 Data Quality Control ................................................................................................................ 23

3.6 DataAnalysis ........................................................................................................................... 23

CHAPTER FOUR ....................................................................................................................... 24

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA ................................ 24

4.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 24

V

4.1 Bio-data of the Teachers by Gender ........................................................................................ 24

4.2 Professional Qualifications of Teachers .................................................................................. 25

4.2 (b) Special Education Qualifications of Teachers ..................................................................... .i

4.2 (c) Teacher's Teaching Experience ......................................................................................... 27

4.3. Learners in School .................................................................................................................. 28

4.4. Effects of Hearing Impairment on Language Development.. ................................................. 29

4.5: Categories of Hearing Impairments and their Effects on Language Development.. .............. 30

4.6 Categories Experiencing Difficulties in Language and Communication Most.. ..................... 31

4.7 Difficulties Experienced by Pre-linguals ................................................................................. 32

4.8: Hearing impaired learners born to hearing impaired parents Versus Learners born of hearing

parents ............................................................................................................................................ 33

4.9: Language problems among hearing impaired learners born to hearing parents ..................... 35

4.10: Discussion and Interpretation of Data ................................................................................. .40

CHAPTER FIVE ........ ............................................................................................................. 43

SUMMARY, CONCLUTION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................... 43

5.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 43

5.1 Summary ................................................................................................................................. .43

5 .2 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 44

5.3 Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 45

5 .4 Suggestions for Further Research ........................................................................................... .46

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 48

APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................... 51

QUESTIONAIRRE FOR TEACHERS OF THE HEARING IMP AIRED LEARNERS .... 51

APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................... 54

INTERVIEW CHECK LIST TO BE USED FOR LEARNERS ............................................. 54

ST MARY'S PRIMARY SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF ............................................................ 54

APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................................... 57

SIGN LANGUAGE ALPHABETS ............................................................................................ 57

APPENDIX D ............................................................................................................................... 58

LETTER OF INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 58

APPENDIX E ............................................................................................................................... 59

LETTER OF AUTHORITY ....................................................................................................... 59

APPENDIX F ............................................................................................................................... 60

NYANZA PROVINCE MAP ...................................................................................................... 60