Understanding How d/Deaf Learners Read in EFL Contexts

Understanding How d/Deaf Learners Read in EFL Contexts

Between the Lines

von Jitka Sedláčková

This book investigates how d/Deaf learners engage with reading in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and whether explicit reading strategy instruction can support their comprehension. Focusing on the unique challenges and linguistic circumstances of d/Deaf learners, it offers a detailed exploration of how these students navigate foreign language reading, where written input is often their primary access point to language learning. Unlike general studies of reading strategies or second language acquisition, this book directly addresses a crucial gap: the under-researched intersection of d/Deafness, multilingualism, and foreign language literacy. By adopting a qualitative case study approach with three prelingually d/Deaf EFL learners, the author provides in-depth insight into learners’ early language and reading development, their strategic reading behaviours, and their perceptions of strategy instruction. A central contribution of this work is the introduction of the concept of reading in L(1+1), a framework capturing the dual influence of sign language and spoken/written language on d/Deaf learners’ reading development. Framing these learners as multilinguals, the book proposes new ways to understand how multiple languages interact in the reading process, offering a theoretical and practical perspective that is often overlooked in language education research. This is an essential resource for teachers and researchers seeking to create more inclusive, effective language learning environments for d/Deaf students.

Highlights

• Presents case studies of prelingually d/Deaf learners to illuminate real-world EFL reading challenges and strategies Offers research-based, actionable recommendations for EFL educators working with d/Deaf foreign language learners Integrates insights from deaf studies, second-language acquisition, and reading skills development

Über den Autor

Jitka Sedláčková is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English and American Studies at the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. She specializes in language teacher education, with a particular focus on individual learner differences and the teaching of English to students with specific learning needs. She has over fifteen years of experience working with d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing learners.