Abstract
<jats:p>This paper examines the specific features of the speech of hearing-impaired individuals in the process of orientation to social life. The relevance of the topic is determined by the fact that hearing loss influences not only auditory perception but also speech production, language development, communicative behavior, social adaptation, and participation in education and community life. The purpose of the study is to identify the main linguistic, psychopedagogical, and social characteristics of the speech of hearing-impaired individuals and to explain how these features affect their orientation to social life. The research is based on theoretical analysis, comparison, interpretation, and synthesis of pedagogical, linguistic, medical, and inclusive-education sources. The findings show that the speech of hearing-impaired individuals is characterized by a specific combination of phonetic, lexical, grammatical, prosodic, and pragmatic features, the severity of which depends on the degree and type of hearing loss, the age of identification, access to an accessible language, early intervention, family support, and educational conditions. The paper argues that speech should not be evaluated only from the standpoint of deviation from hearing norms. It must be understood within a broader framework of communication, identity, inclusion, and social participation. It is concluded that successful orientation to social life requires early and accessible language input, individualized educational support, speech and language intervention where appropriate, communicatively rich environments, and inclusive conditions that promote self-expression and social participation.</jats:p>