The Effects of the Verbal Language (English) on the Performance of Children with Hearing Impairments in Mathematics in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of the verbal language (English) on children with Hearing impairments in their performance in mathematics. The study emerged from observation of practice, personal experiences and discussion with fellow teachers. Children under study were drawn from Bulawayo the second largest city and Gweru the third biggest city of Zimbabwe. Questionnaires were completed by a sample of 20 grade six teachers who took part in the study. The teachers provided biographical information; qualifications, teaching experiences and the set up they are working in. In Zimbabwe the Primary Education System is the same throughout the country from Grade one to seven with children’s ages ranging from 5 to 11 or 12years. Mechanical and story sums with the same items were written by 100 children with hearing impairments. Results indicate that children performed better in mechanical than in story sums. The verbal language appears to greatly influence the performance of mathematics in children with hearing impairments, due to poor comprehension, limited vocabulary and lack of understanding mathematical terms.