Using physiological cues to determine levels of anxiety experienced among deaf and hard of hearing english language learners

Abstract

Deaf and hard of hearing English language learners encounter a range of challenges when learning spoken/written English, many of which are not faced by their hearing counterparts. In this paper, we examine the feasibility of utilizing physiological data, including arousal and eye gaze behaviors, as a method of identifying instances of anxiety and frustration experienced when delivering presentations. Initial findings demonstrate the potential of using this approach, which in turn could aid English language instructors who could either provide emotional support or personalized instructions to assist deaf and hard of hearing English language learners in the classroom.