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Sign Language and Deaf Education: Historical perspective and current issues

Sign Language and Deaf Education: Historical perspective and current issues. Gary Quinn - Heriot-Watt University Ruth Swanwick - University of Leeds February 14 th 2007. Introduction to Sign Language. Does anybody here know sign language? Sign languages are not new!

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Sign Language and Deaf Education: Historical perspective and current issues

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  1. Sign Language and Deaf Education: Historical perspective and current issues Gary Quinn - Heriot-Watt University Ruth Swanwick - University of Leeds February 14th 2007

  2. Introduction to Sign Language • Does anybody here know sign language? • Sign languages are not new! • Sign language has visual-gestural grammar • Stokoe’s work in the USA

  3. Linguistics – What is BSL? • BSL was established in the 1980s • It is completely different to English • BSL does not only use the hands; the eyebrows, eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth, head, upper body and arms are used too • Multi-dimensional grammar • Regional variation features

  4. Deaf Children’s Language Development • Language acquisition device (LAD) • Birth until adolescence • Every one of you has a language in order to develop, learn, understand, etc • Most hearing people have a language • What about deaf children? • A study of ‘wild’ or abandoned children who were not exposed to any language during this critical period showed that they were not able to develop their language skills when they became adults (Foster-Cohen, 1999)

  5. Deaf Children’s Language Use • Hearing children have spoken English skills and are able to hear English, but only able to write basic English • Deaf children find it hard to speak, hear or write English • When ‘off-duty’, deaf children are likely to create and use their own forms of sign language, such as in schoolisation

  6. A clip from the 1917 and 1950s

  7. Sign Language and Education: The historical context • Deaf teachers existed in the 18th and 19th Centuries • Milan Conference in 1880 • Oral education prevails • Fewer deaf teachers of the deaf • Conrad Report: 1979 • Development of TC, PG and CS • Sign bilingual education: 1980s

  8. The context of deaf education • Facts and figures • Deaf Children’s achievement • Educational placement and communication • British Sign Language

  9. What is sign bilingual education? • A sign bilingual child is one who uses two or more languages in their daily life, at least one of which is a sign language. • Sign bilingual education is an approach to the education of deaf children which, in the UK, uses BSL and English. • The philosophy of the sign bilingual approach to education has its roots in a linguistic and cultural minority view of deafness and a social model of disability.

  10. Distinctive practice in sign bilingual settings 1. Curriculum access - entitlement to curriculum and assessment 2. Language use in the classroom - planned use of languages 3. Language support - focused and proactive 4. Assessment - tools and also subject areas 5. Staffing – structure, organisation and skills base 6. Parents - essential participants and partners 7. Deaf Culture - central part of the school’s identity 8. Individual well being and identity – ethos and respect

  11. Illustrations of good practice:Curriculum access • Access to the curriculum in a mainstream classroom where interpreter support is used flexibly (reduced or focused according to specific need) with emphasis on visual support (SMART boards) for access. Follow-up in small groups in BSL where required • Small group work literacy hour (SFA) in spoken English with deaf instructor support where needed and use of written English to support teaching of grammar.

  12. Illustrations of good practice:Language use in the classroom • Planning of small group session allows for (story) delivery in spoken English by TOD with support from DI who extends learning and supports contextual knowledge without repetition of the content - session includes reference to individual targets set by SALT and attention to language awareness (differences)

  13. Illustrations of good practice:Deaf Culture • DI role in helping pupils think about their communication, culture and identity • DI shares positive view of implants with pupils; discusses the benefits and choices • Deaf awareness and BSL assessments still seen as important for CI users but in the context of their implant and developing English skills – recognition of 2 identities.

  14. Illustrations of good practice:Individual well being and identity • Focused work with DI on individual’s confidence as a communicator; their own view of themselves (identity) and their language preferences – development of their awareness of their own language repertoire and choices • Support for identity as an implant user as well as a deaf child – emphasis on social awareness; strong self-esteem; high expectations and confidence

  15. Current issues in sign bilingual education • Literacy development • Languages and modality in the classroom • The future role of sign language • Seeing differences as strengths Educators should be able to see individual language potential and respond flexibly to it

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