SEMANTIC LEVEL OF LANGUAGE OF CHILDREN WITH COCHLEAR IMPLANT AND NORMAL HEARING

The study entitled Semantic Level of Language of Children with Cochlear Implant and Normal Hearing was conducted with the purpose to find out the receptive and expressive semantic level of language of children with cochlear implant and normal hearing. Total 50 children in the age range of 5-7 years were conveniently selected from mainstream schools, special schools and therapy centers from Mumbai as a sample for study. Out of which 25 were cochlear implanted children and 25 children were having normal hearing. A standardized tool, Linguistic Profile Test (LPT) developed by AYJNIHH (1992) was administered to assess the receptive and expressive semantic level of language of children with cochlear implant and normal hearing. Descriptive survey design was used for study. The data analysed by using’ test and R package. A significant difference was found between the receptive and expressive semantic level of language of children with cochlear implant and normal hearing. The result indicated that the children with cochlear implant have less receptive and expressive semantic level of language compare to normal hearing children. The study concluded that this could have happened because of less frequency of using cochlear implant, lack of post cochlear implant therapies, inappropriate listening environment from the family. However the fact cannot be denied that the children normally display a phenomenal growth in linguistic skills in their every year, with cochlear implant children need to get linguistic communicative environment.