The Use of Sign Language and Sign Systems in Facilitating the Language Acquisition and Communication of Deaf Students

1997 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 384-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Coryell ◽  
Thomas K. Holcomb
Keyword(s):  
Bilingual Education ◽  
American Sign Language ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Instructional Strategy ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Deaf Children ◽  
Deaf Students ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Sign Systems ◽  
Total Communication

With a historical context as a foundation, the current trends, practices, and perspectives regarding the manual component of educating deaf children is examined, including Manually Coded English systems and American Sign Language. As decisions are considered regarding various approaches to sign communication, it is necessary to investigate issues that support and also question the appropriateness of any given language/system. In addition to the sign language/systems, an equally important aspect is the instructional strategy that supports sign usage, such as Total Communication, Simultaneous Communication, and Bilingual Education. Issues affecting the selection and use of sign language/systems conclude this article.

Language and Reading Comprehension Abilities of Elementary School-Aged Deaf Children

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-169
Author(s):  
Peter K Crume ◽  
Amy Lederberg ◽  
Brenda Schick
Keyword(s):  
Bilingual Education ◽  
American Sign Language ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Deaf Children ◽  
American Sign ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Language Abilities ◽  
Language Of Instruction ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Bilingual education programs for deaf children have long asserted that American Sign Language (ASL) is a better language of instruction English-like signing because ASL is a natural language. However, English-like signing may be a useful bridge to reading English. In the present study, we tested 32 deaf children between third and sixth grade to assess their capacity to use ASL or English-like signing in nine different languages and reading tasks. Our results found that there was no significant difference in the deaf children’s ability to comprehend narratives in ASL compared to when they are told in English-like signing. Additionally, language abilities in ASL and English-like signing were strongly related to each other and to reading. Reading was also strongly related to fingerspelling. Our results suggest that there may be a role in literacy instruction for English-like signing as a supplement to ASL in deaf bilingual schools.

What is learnable in manually coded English sign systems?

1992 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Schick ◽  
Mary Pat Moeller
Keyword(s):  
Reading Achievement ◽  
American Sign Language ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Control Group ◽  
American Sign ◽  
Deaf Students ◽  
Natural Languages ◽  
Sign Systems ◽  
Sign System ◽  
Linguistic Structures

AbstractIt has been suggested that manual sign systems designed to represent English are unlearnable because they are not natural languages. In order to examine this premise, the present study examines reading achievement and expressive English skills of 13 profoundly deaf students, aged 7;1 to 14;8, who were educated using only a manually coded English (MCE) sign system. Linguistic structures selected for analysis were designed to reflect unique characteristics of English, as well as those common to English and American Sign Language, and to obtain a broad picture of English skills. Results showed that the deaf students had expressive English skills comparable to a hearing control group for some features of English that reflected syntactic and lexical skills. They showed substantial deficits in inflectional morphological skills that were not predictive of the complexity of their language. The results reveal which aspects of MCE appear to be learnable and which appear problematic for deaf students.

Competences in Polish sign language and the ability to understand read text in G students / deaf students

2020 ◽  
Vol LXXXI (3) ◽  
pp. 165-174
Author(s):  
Justyna Kotowicz
Keyword(s):  
American Sign Language ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Deaf Children ◽  
Deaf Students ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Learning To Read ◽  
Scientific Analysis ◽  
Level Of Understanding ◽  
The Relationship

Research to date indicates a relationship between reading skills and sign language competences in G people / deaf people. These data, however, only apply to sign languages that have undergone extensive scientific analysis (e.g. American Sign Language). Currently, there are no scientific reports in Poland regarding competences in sign language and in reading in G students / deaf students. For this reason, the present study analyses the relationship between Polish Sign Language (PSL) and understanding of the text read in written Polish. The study involved 52 G students / deaf students with prelingual hearing loss in severe or profound grades I-VI in special primary schools for deaf children and adolescents. Competences at PSL were measured using the Polish Sign Language Grammar Comprehension Test, and comprehension of the text read was tested using the Reading test by Maria Grzywak-Kaczyńska. Hierarchical analysis of multivariate regression showed that competences in PSL are a variable explaining the level of understanding of the read text (in the model the first explanatory the variable was age). Therefore, it has been demonstrated that competences in PSL are relevant to learning to read in Polish among G students / deaf students. The results obtained are important for surdopedagogical practice: they draw attention to the need to improve competences in sign language and to use sign language in the process of learning to read and develop this skill.

Multilingual Ability Among Deaf Students in Multicultural Education Contexts

2022 ◽  
pp. 61-74
Author(s):  
Martin Musengi
Keyword(s):  
Multicultural Education ◽  
Bilingual Education ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Cultural Pluralism ◽  
Deaf Children ◽  
Conceptual Basis ◽  
Deaf Students ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Language Choices ◽  
Bilingual Educators

The chapter intends to provide a conceptual basis for bilingual educators who filter their understanding of deafness through the socio-cultural lens of deafness. To do this, various types of simultaneous and sequential bilingualism en route to bilingual education for young deaf children are explored in relation to the language choices of their parents and educators. In light of these varied routes, the chapter discusses a typology of bilingual education ranging from weak forms aimed at assimilating signing deaf children into majority language and culture to strong forms focussing on development and maintenance of sign language and cultural pluralism.

The Development of American Sign Language–Based Analogical Reasoning in Signing Deaf Children

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-105
Author(s):  
Jon Henner ◽  
Rama Novogrodsky ◽  
Catherine Caldwell-Harris ◽  
Robert Hoffmeister
Keyword(s):  
American Sign Language ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Analogical Reasoning ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Deaf Children ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
American Sign ◽  
Reasoning Abilities ◽  
Development Of Language

Purpose This article examines whether syntactic and vocabulary abilities in American Sign Language (ASL) facilitate 6 categories of language-based analogical reasoning. Method Data for this study were collected from 267 deaf participants, aged 7;6 (years;months) to 18;5. The data were collected from an ongoing study initially funded by the U.S. Institute of Education Sciences in 2010. The participants were given assessments of ASL vocabulary and syntax knowledge and a task of language-based analogies presented in ASL. The data were analyzed using mixed-effects linear modeling to first see how language-based analogical reasoning developed in deaf children and then to see how ASL knowledge influenced this developmental trajectory. Results Signing deaf children were shown to demonstrate language-based reasoning abilities in ASL consistent with both chronological age and home language environment. Notably, when ASL vocabulary and syntax abilities were statistically taken into account, these were more important in fostering the development of language-based analogical reasoning abilities than were chronological age and home language. We further showed that ASL vocabulary ability and ASL syntactic knowledge made different contributions to different analogical reasoning subconstructs. Conclusions ASL is a viable language that supports the development of language-based analogical reasoning abilities in deaf children.

scholarly journals Experimentação na educação química: elaboração de sinais em libras para práticas de laboratório

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Geilson Rodrigues Da Silva ◽  
Talina Meirely Nery Dos Santos ◽  
Griscele Souza De Jesus ◽  
Lucas Pereira Gandra
Keyword(s):  
General Chemistry ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Bilingual Education ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Chemistry Laboratory ◽  
Deaf People ◽  
Scientific Concepts ◽  
Deaf Students ◽  
Brazilian Sign Language

Resumo: A Química é uma Ciência com poucos sinais específicos em Língua Brasileira de Sinais para o ensino de pessoas com surdez. Essa barreira de linguagem pode ocasionar obstáculos de aprendizagem aos estudantes surdos. Sendo assim, a presente pesquisa teve como objetivos catalogar verbetes e criar sinais para a utilização em aulas práticas de Química. Para coleta de dados foram levantados os termos na literatura no dicionário ilustrado trilíngue que possuíssem relações com a disciplina de Química, ao qual foram categorizados a partir da Análise de Conteúdo, em função do seu emprego e utilização. Realizou-se a análise quantitativa dos termos mais presentes em roteiros de aulas experimentais, usadas na disciplina de Química Geral e Experimental Ida Licenciatura em Química do IFMS campus Coxim. Sendo elaborados quatro sinais de instrumentos do laboratório de Química que apresentam potencial para serem utilizados em práticas bilíngues, no ensino superior e médio.Palavras-chave: Educação Bilíngue; Formação de Conceitos Científicos; Práticas Experimentais. Experimentation in chemical education: elaboration signals in libras for laboratory practicesAbstract: Chemistry is a Science with few specific signs in Brazilian Sign Language for teaching deaf people. This language barrier can lead to learning obstacles for deaf students. Thus, the present research had as objectives to catalog entries and to create signals for the use in practical classes of Chemistry. In order to collect data, the terms in the literature in the trilingual illustrated dictionary that had relations with the discipline of Chemistry were categorized from the Content Analysis, according to their use and use. A quantitative analysis of the most present terms was carried out in experimental classes, used in the General Chemistry and Experimental I subject of the Chemistry Degree of the IFMS campus Coxim. Four signs of chemistry laboratory instruments are being developed, which have the potential to be used in bilingual practices in higher and secondary education.Keywords: Bilingual Education; Formation of Scientific Concepts; Experimental Practices. 

Multimedia Dictionary and Synthesis of Sign Language

2011 ◽  
pp. 268-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franc Solina ◽  
Slavko Krapez ◽  
Ales Jaklic ◽  
Vito Komac
Keyword(s):  
American Sign Language ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Deaf Children ◽  
Deaf People ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Proper Nouns ◽  
Basic Meaning ◽  
The World

Deaf people, as a marginal community, may have severe problems in communicating with hearing people. Usually, they have a lot of problems even with such—for hearing people—simple tasks as understanding the written language. However, deaf people are very skilled in using a sign language, which is their native language. A sign language is a set of signs or hand gestures. A gesture in a sign language equals a word in a written language. Similarly, a sentence in a written language equals a sequence of gestures in a sign language. In the distant past deaf people were discriminated and believed to be incapable of learning and thinking independently. Only after the year 1500 were the first attempts made to educate deaf children. An important breakthrough was the realization that hearing is not a prerequisite for understanding ideas. One of the most important early educators of the deaf and the first promoter of sign language was Charles Michel De L’Epée (1712-1789) in France. He founded the fist public school for deaf people. His teachings about sign language quickly spread all over the world. Like spoken languages, different sign languages and dialects evolved around the world. According to the National Association of the Deaf, the American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most frequently used language in the United States, after English and Spanish. ASL has more than 4,400 distinct signs. The Slovenian sign language (SSL), which is used in Slovenia and also serves as a case study sign language in this chapter, contains approximately 4,000 different gestures for common words. Signs require one or both hands for signing. Facial expressions which accompany signing are also important since they can modify the basic meaning of a hand gesture. To communicate proper nouns and obscure words, sign languages employ finger spelling. Since the majority of signing is with full words, signed conversation can proceed with the same pace as spoken conversation.

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