Sign Language and Deaf Education:

Historical perspective and current issues

Gary Quinn - Heriot-Watt UniversityRuth Swanwick - University of Leeds

February 14th 2007

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

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

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)

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

A clip from the 1917 and 1950s

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

The context of deaf education

Facts and figures

Deaf Children’s achievement

Educational placement and communication

British Sign Language

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.

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 areas5. 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

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.

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)

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.

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

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