LANGUAGE LEARNING CHALLENGES AND INCLUSIVE ASSESSMENT IN EFL FOR DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING STUDENTS

In recent years, inclusive education has become an important area of educational research and practice, particularly in the field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). English plays an increasingly significant role in academic, professional, and social communication; however, access to effective EFL instruction is not equally available to all learners. Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) learners may experience specific linguistic, communicative, pedagogical, and assessment-related barriers that affect their participation and achievement in English language classrooms. Traditional EFL instruction often relies heavily on auditory input, oral interaction, pronunciation practice, and listening comprehension, which may create additional challenges for learners with limited or no access to spoken language through hearing. At the same time, DHH learners constitute a diverse group whose linguistic experiences differ according to the degree and onset of hearing loss, use of sign language, spoken language proficiency, educational background, access to hearing technology, and individual learning preferences. Their English language development may also involve interaction between sign language and written and/or spoken languages, meaning that learning English may represent a complex multilingual process rather than simply the acquisition of another spoken language. Consequently, difficulties in vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing, speaking, and listening should be understood in relation to learners' linguistic experiences and access to language input rather than being interpreted as a lack of learning ability [1].