Freya's blog: How I excelled in my language GCSEs
My name is Freya, and I’m currently a Sixth Form student. I’m also profoundly deaf, and since hearing aids or cochlear implants wouldn’t work for me, I use an auditory brainstem implant (ABI). I’m studying history, Latin, geography and Spanish at a mainstream school, where I’m the only deaf girl. I’m also writing an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) about the educational attainment of deaf children.
When I was choosing my GCSE options in Year 8, I was very against the idea of continuing with Spanish and Latin. Although I had loved learning them in Year 7, I believed that my deafness would limit my ability to do well in those subjects, and the thought of struggling in a subject due to my deafness made me tempted to avoid it altogether. However, the Cochlear Implanted Children’s Support group (CICS) helped put me in contact with other deaf students who had recently done languages, and they made me aware of the access arrangements I could have. I decided to give Spanish and Latin a go – and I haven’t looked back since!
When I started revising for the GCSE mocks, I worried that my deafness would put me at a substantial disadvantage in comparison to my hearing peers . However, I used this as an additional motivation to revise; I wanted to prove that my deafness is not a learning disability and that – with the right support – I can do just as well as my hearing peers. It was hard, but I was so determined to do well.
My teacher and I worked hard together and met up every Tuesday morning before school to practise my listening and speaking. In the listening component of the Spanish GCSE, we went into a quiet, separate room, and instead of listening to an audio recording in class like my hearing peers, she read the transcript aloud so that I could lipread her in Spanish. I was also allowed 50% extra time, so I was able to ask for repetition as much as possible. She also made it clear when two different characters were speaking. I put in the work and effort, so I was very pleased that, despite getting just half of the answers correct in the listening, I still achieved an 8 overall!
This meant that choosing Spanish and Latin for A-levels was ultimately a decision fuelled by enthusiasm rather than self-doubt . However, I knew that I still needed access arrangements to do well. Thanks to recent advancements in technology, I can now use live speech-to-text subtitles in the classroom, even in the Spanish language! This has been incredibly helpful, as I can keep up better and it reduces my listening fatigue. I do still find Spanish and Latin hard at times, but it’s these challenges that make me enjoy them even more. Even now, I still meet up with my Spanish teachers weekly, and their support and willingness to adapt their teaching methods to accommodate my needs will always be something I’m grateful for.
What I’ve learned from doing languages is that you should never let your deafness hold you back, and never let anyone – including yourself – convince you that you are incapable. You can overcome challenges with perseverance, determination and support. Don’t be afraid to advocate for your access needs!
Based on an article written for the CICS group magazine.
