Hearing problems among newly arrived immigrants and language acquisition challenges

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 conversations were reported by 17 percent of participants. Among those aged 45–64, this rose to 26 percent. As a whole, more than half of the group had some form of hearing loss, as determined by audiometric screening, a method for seeing which sound frequencies a person can and cannot hear.

These hearing problems could also be linked to generally poorer health, including asthma, allergies, and high blood pressure. Among those with normal hearing, 80 percent reported good or very good general health, as opposed to 46 percent in the group with hearing problems.

Perceived hearing problems were 60 percent more common among immigrants – and twice as common among immigrants aged 45 and over – when compared to the general population in Sweden. Some 2 percent of the immigrant study group said that they used hearing aids.

Crucial for language and integration

The researchers note that the prevalence of hearing loss varies widely around the world and is up to four times more common in low- and middle-income countries compared to high-income countries.

The lead author of the study, Nina Pauli, is an associate professor at the University of Gothenburg and a senior physician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital specialized in ear, nose, and throat medicine.

"Even with normal hearing, learning a new language is a major challenge. Speech perception may be reduced, with greater sensitivity to background noise when listening to the new language. As a result, immigrants should be offered audiometric screening to detect hearing problems and better facilitate language acquisition and social integration," she says.

The study is published in the journal Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology.