Abstract:

The paper sums up practical strategies used for teaching English to the deaf and hard-of-hearing, with a special emphasis on using information and communication technology. In spite of the fact that BMSTU has been teaching the deaf ever since 1934, this task has not ceased to be less challenging, the main barriers being as follows:

- English teachers do not know the Russian Sign Language (RSL);
- Using a sign language interpreter in the English language classroom is impossible as it would take twice as much time to explain grammar and vocabulary;
- Lower students’ level of English as compared to hearing students’; most deaf and hard-of-hearing students studied at specialized schools for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, with 0 to 4 years of English instruction at secondary school.

Until 1994, deaf and hard-of-hearing BMSTU students had been taught in the mainstream, and it was only in 1994, when the Center on Deafness was established within BMSTU, that instruction became more deaf-oriented, with more emphasis on the needs of deaf students. For two years students are taught in deaf/hard-of-hearing-only groups later on joining the mainstream, the basic concept whose main advantage is its integration into the national system of higher education and its orientation towards the common job market.

Due to unprecedented development of science and engineering, the necessity to cope with ever-growing wealth of information in the Internet, Russia’s integration into the world economy and growing cooperation between Russian scientists and students with their counterparts abroad, the influence of the English language as an international language for communication, acquiring and sharing information is growing. The deaf and hard-of-hearing should have the right to access this information.

Therefore, the basic aims in teaching English to deaf students at Bauman are as follows:
- teaching reading general-interest texts and authentic scientific papers;
- teaching writing: most deaf students are good lip readers, but not when it comes to English. That is why good writing skills seem to be essential for enabling these students to communicate, e.g. via the Internet;
- deaf and hard-of-hearing students are also taught to speak English, although in some cases it turns out to be one-way communication.

The paper will focus on practical strategies and instructional technologies allowing coping with the task of teaching deaf/hard-of-hearing students the above skills while eliminating the barriers.

Keywords:

Teaching English, deaf and hard-of-hearing students, using information technology, English language instruction.