Differences in achievements in learning English as a foreign language between the deaf/hard of hearing and hearing high school students in Serbia

This papers presents the results of research that was aimed at testing the performance of deaf and hard of hearing (D/HOH) high school students in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). The research examined the correlation between the age (number of years of learning EFL), the degree of hearing loss, the sex and the school success in the Serbian language with the achievements of the D/HOH students in solving an English Placement test. The differences in achievements between D/HOH students and those with a normal hearing status were also compared and analyzed. The results of the research indicate that although the D/HOH students achieve poorer results in learning English compared to students with a normal hearing status, they can be successful in learning English as a foreign language. The D/HOH students have some difficulties in learning English vocabulary and grammar. They need more time to successfully master a foreign language, so it is necessary to take into account the specificities of this category of EFL students and to adapt teaching methods and resources to suit their needs.