The early learning of English as a foreign language by hearing ...

10DiscussionThe results show that the curriculum modifications provide teachers with support whenplanning and organising English lessons that can foster interest in another culture.Nevertheless, there are hearing-impaired children who cannot benefit from the course,depending on the extent of their hearing loss. The states are not sufficiently taking intoaccount those students’ unique conditions.This situation applies to both forms of schooling; the hearing impaired support centres aswell as a form of integration schooling. As hearing-impaired students usually follow the samecurricular programme as their hearing fellow pupils, amendments and modifications for theearly learning of English must include integrated settings as well. Achieving successfulintegration requires a psychologically felt inclusion as well as an integration based on themotivation to achieve. This presumes a provision for communicational needs. The Viennapilot school “Waldschule” offers tuition in oral and sign language for hearing and hearingimpairedchildren and takes the communication situation in a regular primary school one stepfurther towards inclusion and therefore towards successful motivation to achieve (Kramreiter2008, 131ff.).In North Rhine-Westphalia, deaf children and hearing-impaired children with multipledisabilities whose communication is based on sign language receive lessons in German SignLanguage instead of English. In Bavaria children who communicate with sign language aretaught the American sign language. The modifications in Baden-Württemberg supplyhearing-impaired children who show different communicational needs with the samecurriculum. This raises the question of children’s rights to an equal education including theirchosen means of communication to assure equal future options for personal andemployment development. Ultimately, this issue does not only concern the choice of signlanguage or spoken language. The different learning and hearing needs of individualstudents have to be considered in the planning and organising of English lessons.We must explore alternative ways of learning a foreign language for children with an auditoryimpairment. To base a modification for hearing-impaired children on the regular primaryscheme of work, which places the focus on the ability to hear and to speak, iscounterproductive.Positive experiences with alternative learning designs have been developed at secondaryand university level for students with special educational needs learning a foreign language.This has been illustrated by both, the Universal Design for Learning as well as by Ian M.Sutherland’s instructional techniques with a visual emphasis. We should examine andconsider these options when planning modifications of the primary curicculum. The federalGerman states should undertake an evaluation similar to the one that took place in the studyof English in German primary schools. Such an examination must combine research in twofields: (a) the education of the hearing-impaired and (b) early foreign language learning.ConclusionWhen it comes to the introduction of Europe-wide educational standards for English atprimary school within Germany, a responsible decision needs to be taken about children witha hearing loss taught in hearing impaired support centres as well as in integrated forms ofschooling. The relatively small number of hearing-impaired children in German schoolscannot excuse the lack of interest in their progress and development. As well as identifyinghow those aspiring to reach basic educational standards can best be supported, a discussionin this field must take public educational standards with various levels of difficulty intoaccount. Children with a hearing loss must have the opportunity to develop tolerance andself-esteem through the process of learning the English language. At the same time it should