Normal people usually have the ability to hear the quietest sound of 40 to 70 decibels (dB) with their better ear. Moderate hearing loss is the condition in which people are unable to keep up with a conversation while they are not wearing a hearing aid.
Educationists have been concerned about hearing loss of all types among students. Students that are experiencing a moderate level of hearing loss cannot understand the teacher’s speech without using a hearing aid. If they are not wearing a hearing aid, they will have to rely on speech reading cues. This may work for a short time but becomes a serious hindrance to concentration of the student over longer periods of time. The effect of this on the student is lagging behind in his/her comprehension, limited vocabulary, poor pronunciation of words and speech sounds, and earlier feelings of fatigue towards the end of a class that demands more than usual concentration. Not only are such students likely to misinterpret verbal speech but they also frequently misinterpret written lessons and reading material but restore my hearing guide can help student to restore their hearing. Implications for Teachers Given the disadvantages suffered by students with moderate hearing loss in the class, teachers should provide an optimum learning environment within the classroom so that all students can nearly equally benefit from the session.To manage the learning environment, teachers can employ some simple but helpful strategies like setting up the physical environment, taking care that students with hearing problems have their hearing aids in use, creating appropriate non-verbal communication that is helpful to all students, and so on. In case of language classes, teachers need to focus particularly on pronouncing words and sentences that end with a falling intonation. Accepting Moderate Hearing Loss One important observation in many cases of moderate hearing loss is that these people tend to deny the need of getting help. They are unwilling to use hearing aids, believing that the device is of no help. The fact is that using a hearing aid in early hearing loss condition makes the treatment easy.It is no different from vision impairment which worsens if glasses or lenses are not used. Thus it is important for patients of moderate hearing loss to accept the condition soon and adjust with the treatment that is recommended by the audiologist. However, it should be remembered that hearing aids do not restore normal hearing. They only help the person hear easily. |