Among newly arrived immigrants studying Swedish, 17 percent reported problems hearing conversations. More than half had some form of established hearing problem, according to a study at the University of Gothenburg.
Language acquisition is one of the many challenges in the process of settling in a new country, and hearing is a key factor in language acquisition. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of hearing problems among newly arrived immigrants in comparison to the general population.
The study encompassed 506 adults attending Swedish language classes. The majority were from Asia. The three most common countries of origin were Syria, Somalia, and Iraq. The average age was 38 years and three out of four were female.
Extensive problems – few technical aids
Problems hearing…