Foreign language learning holds a number of challenges that vary according to a wide number of variables. Deaf learners face the additional challenge of not being able to fully rely on the acoustic channel as a source of linguistic input. This paper presents the results of a one-sample pretest/posttest study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a deaf centred e-learning environment (DELE), compared to the traditional pen and paper approach, in three reading comprehension tasks. Eight Italian prelingually and profoundly deaf students were asked to complete a multiple choice, a cloze and a true/false task. A series of t-tests revealed an overall statistically significant decrease in the number of wrong answers and no answers provided, as well as a reduced average item response time, when using DELE. These results seem to suggest that a more visually oriented learning environment, specifically designed for deaf learners, may prove to be more effective than traditional paper-based materials.

Reading Comprehension and Deafness: the Impact of E-learning in an Italian EFL Context / Forti, Luciana; Roccaforte, Maria. - In: GLOTTODIDACTICA. - ISSN 0072-4769. - (2016), pp. 27-46.

Reading Comprehension and Deafness: the Impact of E-learning in an Italian EFL Context

Roccaforte Maria
2016

Abstract

Foreign language learning holds a number of challenges that vary according to a wide number of variables. Deaf learners face the additional challenge of not being able to fully rely on the acoustic channel as a source of linguistic input. This paper presents the results of a one-sample pretest/posttest study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a deaf centred e-learning environment (DELE), compared to the traditional pen and paper approach, in three reading comprehension tasks. Eight Italian prelingually and profoundly deaf students were asked to complete a multiple choice, a cloze and a true/false task. A series of t-tests revealed an overall statistically significant decrease in the number of wrong answers and no answers provided, as well as a reduced average item response time, when using DELE. These results seem to suggest that a more visually oriented learning environment, specifically designed for deaf learners, may prove to be more effective than traditional paper-based materials.
2016
E-learning; Deafness; EFL-English as foreign language; Reading
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Reading Comprehension and Deafness: the Impact of E-learning in an Italian EFL Context / Forti, Luciana; Roccaforte, Maria. - In: GLOTTODIDACTICA. - ISSN 0072-4769. - (2016), pp. 27-46.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1017243
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