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
ABSTRACT Globally, language been classified as one of the intelligence that man can posses. Gardner, (1989) the capacity to use words effectively, whether orally for example as a storyteller, orator and politician or in writing. For example as a poet, play whiter, editor or journalist is something that must be learned in every day life. Hearing impairment has had its effect on language development that is the spoken and written languages. The study was catTied out in St. Marys' primary school for the Deaf in Bondo District, Nyangora Division, Nango zone, it investigated and evaluated factors affecting language development in a heat·ing impaired learners. The researcher used a case study design. It involved sample learner and teachers at in St. Maiys' primary school for the Deaf. The basic instrument used was questionnaires. Questionnaires involved open ended and closed ended questions. Data collected were analyzed by descriptive statistics and content analysis after which the results were presented using tables and bar graphs. Finding from the study included the problems of language development of a Pre-lingual and post-lingual heai-ing impaired learner, level of language development of a hearing impaired learner born to hearing impaired pat·ents Vs that born that born to a hearing parents and the effect of cuniculum the teaching of language to the hearing impaired learners. The researcher concluded that there are many factors in a hearing impaired learner that affect their language development. The research finding reveals that the prelingual learner had more problems in language as compared to postlinguals. Fatiher findings should that hearing impaired learners born to hearing impaired parents.
