Using cartoons as a strategy for enhancing oral communication in EFL classes for deaf and hard of hearing students

Effectiveness in teaching deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students could be positively correlated with accommodating learners through exploiting a diversity of approaches and teaching methods in the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom. This paper investigates what appropriate teaching methods and tools could enhance DHH learners’ oral communication. A comparative classroom action research was conducted to determine the impact of using cartoons as an effective teaching tool. The results of the classroom observation experience revealed that cartoons bring more intrinsic motivation to the DHH students than other activities. In addition to the classroom implications, learners seemed to build other skills that positively encouraged and enhanced their oral communication and helped them to build a wide range of constructive strategies such as active involvement, development of compensatory strategies, and collaborative learning amongst peers.