Diversity in foreign-language learning: opportunities and challenges for deaf and hard-of-hearing university students
Foreign-language education plays a vital role in academic development, intercultural competence and global engagement. However, for Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students, learning a spoken foreign language at university can present significant and often overlooked challenges.
This project, led by Raúl Marchena Magdán, Lecturer in Spanish at the University of Liverpool, in collaboration with Dr Ilan Dwek, Lecturer in BA Education Studies and British Sign Language [BSL] at the University of Reading, and the University of Manchester, seeks to address this gap by exploring how foreign-language teaching can become more inclusive, accessible and empowering for DHH students.
Why this project matters
While research has expanded in areas such as bilingualism in Deaf children, there is still a limited understanding of how DHH adults learn foreign spoken languages in higher education. Traditional language classrooms frequently rely on listening-based activities, rapid oral interaction and materials designed for hearing learners.
Although universities aim to provide inclusive education, support for DHH students in language courses often depends primarily on general disability services rather than being embedded within language pedagogy itself. As a result, students may face barriers related to access, confidence and participation.
At the same time, many DHH students are highly motivated to study foreign languages and to use them in personal, academic and professional contexts. Foreign-language education should not be perceived as inaccessible or unsuitable; instead, it should be reimagined to meet diverse learning needs.
From experience to research
This project was inspired by direct classroom experience. Teaching Spanish to a Deaf university student revealed both the possibilities and the limitations of current systems. While adaptations were made to support learning, it became clear that resources, assessment practices and institutional structures are not systematically designed with DHH learners in mind. Rather than treating such cases as exceptional, this initiative recognises them as part of a wider structural issue in foreign-language education.
Project aims
The project aims to:
- Explore DHH students’ perceptions and motivations regarding foreign-language learning
- Identify the barriers they encounter in university classrooms
- Evaluate the effectiveness of current support structures
- Assess language educators’ confidence and preparedness for inclusive teaching
- Develop practical strategies and accessible teaching materials tailored to DHH learners.
Although Spanish is a primary focus, the findings will be applicable across languages and institutions.
Methodology: Listening to students and staff
The project adopts a mixed-methods approach across the three collaborating universities:
- Surveys will gather perspectives from DHH students, language instructors and support professionals, examining motivations, barriers and institutional practices
- Semi-structured interviews will provide deeper insight into students’ lived experiences and educators’ teaching approaches. Accessibility will be central, with BSL interpreters or captioning provided where required
- Focus groups will encourage collaborative reflection and discussion of best practice among both students and staff.
By combining quantitative and qualitative data, the project ensures that DHH students’ voices are central to shaping recommendations for change.
From research to action
A key outcome will be the development and pilot of inclusive Spanish-language teaching materials adapted specifically for DHH learners.
These may include:
- Visually structured resources
- Captioned and accessible multimedia materials
- Adapted grammar explanations
- Strategies that reduce over-reliance on lipreading
The aim is not to simplify language learning but to design it in ways that integrate accessibility from the outset.
Impact
This project has the potential to generate a meaningful impact at multiple levels.
For students, it aims to increase equitable access to language study, improve confidence and participation, and support broader academic and international opportunities.
For educators, it will provide evidence-based guidance and practical strategies to strengthen inclusive teaching practices.
For institutions, it will encourage closer collaboration between academic departments and disability services, moving from reactive accommodations to proactive curriculum design.
Through dissemination in publications, conferences and sector networks, the project also seeks to influence wider policy and practice in UK higher education.
Looking ahead
Inclusive foreign-language education is not only about accessibility—it is about equity, participation and opportunity. Deaf and hard-of-hearing students have the same right as their hearing peers to engage with new languages and cultures. By foregrounding student experience and embedding inclusion within pedagogy, this project represents an important step towards reshaping foreign-language learning in higher education.