Sociocultural and Academic Considerations for School-Age d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Multilingual Learners - A Case Study of a Deaf Latina

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley

An applied case study examines the K–12 educational pathway of a deaf Latina multilingual learner in an urban public school program, using anecdotal records, semistructured interviews, assessment data, and reviews of school and clinical documents. The study situates the learner within a shifting U.S. and Canada population of d/Deaf and hard of hearing students whose homes use non-English languages. Findings inform recommendations for improving education of d/Dhh multilingual learners by addressing placements, early communication and language needs, instructional techniques and assessment, L1–L2 support, and opportunities to learn heritage language.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Sociocultural and Academic Considerations

Case Study Approach and Data Sources

Historical Context of Immigration

Demographic Shifts and Language Learning Context

| | | | | --- | --- | --- | | Baker, S. , & Scott, J. (2016) . Sociocultural and academic considerations for school-age d/Deaf and hard of hearing multilingual learners: A case study of a deaf Latina. American Annals of the Deaf, 161(1), 43–55.
SOCIOCULTURAL AND ACADEMIC CONSIDERATIONS FOR SCHOOL-AGE d/DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS: A CASE STUDY OF A DEAF LATINA | | | | SHARON BAKER AND JESSICA SCOTT
BAKER IS AN APPLIED PROFESSOR OF DEAF EDUCATION AND DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL OF URBAN EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF TULSA, TULSA, OK. SCOTT IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF DEAF EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOL OF URBAN EDUCATION. | OR DECADES , research has focused on American Sign Language/English bilingual education for d/Deaf and hard of hearing students whose families used English or ASL. However, a growing population of d/Dhh children come from households where languages other than English (e.g. , Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese) are used. In a longitudinal case study, the authors document the K–12 educational pathway of a deaf Latina student. Anecdotal records, semistructured interviews, assessment data, and document reviews of the participant’s school and clinical records are used to develop the case study. The findings provide the basis for recommendations for future research and for critical factors to consider to improve the education of d/Dhh Multilingual Learners (DMLs) . These include ensuring appropriate educational placements, addressing early communication and language needs, determining effective instructional techniques and assessments, strengthening the L 1 to support L2 learning, and providing students with opportunities to learn their heritage language. | | | | Keywords: American Sign Language (ASL) , bilingual, culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) , deaf, d/Dhh Multilingual Learner (DML) , Deafness and Diversity (DAD) , demographics, disability, diverse, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) , English Language Learner (ELL) , hard of hearing, hearing loss, Latinos, Mexican Americans, multicultural
The population of d/Deaf and hard of hearing (d/Dhh) students educated in schools in the United States and Canada is rapidly changing; specifically, it is becoming more diverse as a result | of medical and technological advances (Knoors & Marschark, 2012) and shifting demographic and immigration patterns (Gallaudet Research Institute, 2013) . Schools consequently must respond to the changing needs of students. The present article focuses on a specific population of d/Dhh students from non–English-speaking homes who are multilingual learners and represent diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. These d/Dhh Multilingual Learners (DMLs) typically are students who were born in countries where English is not the primary language (Cannon & Guardino, 2012) and | 43 F VOLUME 161, NO. 1, 2016 AMERICAN ANNALS OF THE DEAF SOCIOCULTURAL AND ACADEMIC CONSIDERATIONS | immigrated with their families to the United States or Canada; they attended schools in which English and/orAmerican Sign Language (ASL) were the primary languages of instruction. Extant research on students who are DMLs is extremely sparse. To better understand the educational experiences of the DML population and to form a foundation for future research, we compiled a case study of a DML who had recently graduated from high school. The case study provides a rich description of one Latina student’s experience in an urban public school program for d/Dhh students, focusing on the educational and sociocultural factors that had an impact on her learning trajectory.
Literature Review Historical Context of Immigration
Numerous state and federal agencies, think tanks, and policy centers study and report on the shifting demographics of the United States, which affect the economy, schools, health care, and the labor force (e.g., the Pew Hispanic Center, the Brookings Institution) . Immigration, in particular, continues to be a

FAQs

What population does the article focus on?

It focuses on school-age d/Deaf and hard of hearing multilingual learners who come from non–English-speaking homes and attend schools where English and/or American Sign Language are the primary instructional languages.

How is the case study developed?

The authors use anecdotal records, semistructured interviews, assessment data, and reviews of the participant’s school and clinical records to construct the K–12 educational pathway.

What recommendations does the study aim to support?

The findings provide a basis for future research recommendations and highlight critical factors such as appropriate placements, early communication and language needs, effective instructional techniques and assessments, strengthening L1 support for L2 learning, and enabling heritage language learning opportunities.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley