ABSTRACT
The purpose of the empirical research presented in this article is to describe the experience of acquiring English as a foreign language (EFL) for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students at school, using a retrospective of current users of this language. The research was carried out on 90 DHH people from 19 countries. In order to collect data, the author’s questionnaire sent by the CAWI technique was used. This issue was taken up because despite many positive changes (wider access to the technical support, changes in social attitudes, and increasing awareness of researchers and educators on DHH people’s communicative and linguistic abilities and predispositions), barriers and challenges that they face during the acquisition of the language still exist. Hearing loss can cause not only problems and challenges in acquiring languages but also difficulties in functioning in a society. This is a significant issue because nowadays, the knowledge of foreign languages is an important element of functioning in a globalized world and inclusive measures should be taken into account. Therefore, an attempt should be made to gather these experiences and to improve this situation. As a result, general recommendations for teachers who have DHH students in their classes are offered. This is intended to contribute to a better quality of EFL classes for DHH students, especially in mainstream schools.
