The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) In Teaching the Malay Language to Students with Hearing Impairments in Malaysia

Abstract

This study investigates the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing Malay language learning among students with hearing impairments, focusing on how AI facilitates the transition from Malaysian Sign Language (Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia, BIM) to grammatically correct written Malay. A qualitative case study design was employed involving seven students with severe hearing loss (above 120 decibels) from three secondary schools under the Special Education Integration Programme in Perak, Malaysia. All participants used BIM as their primary mode of communication and were learning Malay as a second language. Two special education teachers also contributed perspectives to triangulate the findings. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis of students’ written work before and after AI integration. The analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic framework, ensuring rigor through peer review by qualitative research experts. Findings revealed that AI served as a linguistic bridge between sign language and written Malay, provided scaffolding for sentence restructuring, and enhanced self-correction, motivation, and writing autonomy. Students demonstrated significant improvements in grammatical accuracy, morphological awareness, vocabulary, and the use of affixes, conjunctions, and discourse markers, which were reflected in improved performance in school-based and semester assessments. Overall, the study highlights that AI integration can transform Malay language instruction for deaf learners by bridging linguistic gaps and promoting equitable literacy development. The findings underscore the need for the Ministry of Education to support the adoption of AI-assisted pedagogical innovations to enhance inclusive Malay language education and expand academic and professional opportunities for students with hearing impairments.