How Hearing Loss Affects Bilingual Children
Open Access
- Author:
- Martino, Natalie Rose
- Area of Honors:
- Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Navin Viswanathan, Thesis Supervisor
Carol Anne Miller, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- hearing loss
children
bilingual
cochlear implants - Abstract:
- Hearing loss is a disability that affects not only the person, but also the family. This is especially true for children who have hearing loss. Parents of bilingual children who have a hearing loss can receive conflicting views on what language input they should be giving their child. Some healthcare professionals recommend no second language exposure, as it can be detrimental to their first (Bunta & Douglas, 2013). Research studies demonstrate that children with a hearing loss can learn a second language without hindering the other language, which challenges those saying that learning a second language can be detrimental to the first. When children receive a cochlear implant and are given the proper supports, such as early intervention and a supportive environment, they are able to perform in many cases with a slight difference or equal difference compared to the language skills of their normal hearing peers. Given these findings and the sociocultural importance of acquiring a second language in bilingual communities, I recommend that these children should not be discouraged from learning more than one language.