HOH & Deaf and Learning How to Speak a Second Language

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Loghead

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I live in a very French area, where it is almost required to be bilingual when going out to work. I am not bilingual, but I'm wondering if I should be. I have taken French classes beforehand, but it has always been on an easier level. When I have been in French classes, I have never really had any difficulty learning how to read & understand or write in French, but I do have extreme difficulty understanding French when it is spoken to me and I have difficulty speaking French. How much more difficult do you think that learning how to speak & understand (when spoken) French would be for a person who is hard of hearing than an average person with average hearing?
 
IMO, learning a second language as an adult is difficult. Have you looked into learning French via the system of Cued Speech?
 
Loghead said:
I live in a very French area, where it is almost required to be bilingual when going out to work. I am not bilingual, but I'm wondering if I should be. I have taken French classes beforehand, but it has always been on an easier level. When I have been in French classes, I have never really had any difficulty learning how to read & understand or write in French, but I do have extreme difficulty understanding French when it is spoken to me and I have difficulty speaking French. How much more difficult do you think that learning how to speak & understand (when spoken) French would be for a person who is hard of hearing than an average person with average hearing?
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Do they offer French speech therapy for french speaking people? if so maybe you can take that instead. I'm sure they are used to working with deaf people who speak french.

I've tried spanish and couldn't do it. My older sister could though and she was severe HOH too. But sometimes I think she can hear slightly better than I because she went 5 years without anyone noticing that she could not hear. I think she can hear more high pitches than I can.
 
Depending on your hearing (or the lack thereof) you may be able to take French classes and be exempt from the oral part. If you have mastered the written French you should be fine, you just need to make your requests in written French form.
 
I have a french mother and was brought up being exposed to both french and english. It just confused me so I stuck to english.

I don't know wether this is due to me being oral, deaf, or just not good with languages.
 
My french was better than my english at school exams!! But it had been 15 years since i practiced french.... so my english is now better than my french!!

When I go to france which is quite frequent... i can read french but speak.. no way!!
 
overthepond said:
When I go to france which is quite frequent... i can read french but speak.. no way!!
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Even being hearing it's tough to learn a 2nd language... I took Spanish for years, lived in a heavily populated Latino area growing up and like Overthepond, I can't speak it anymore-- but can read it!

Is there a community college you can take the classes at?? An evening course might not be too crowded and you could maybe find an instructor or tutor who would help you individually... just a suggestion :) :) Good luck!!
 
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