Sign Bilingualism

Accessibility" features promote inclusive education but do not guarantee it. Communication accessibility, such as sign language interpretation or note-taking, may facilitate the academic inclusion of deaf students in general classrooms but does not necessarily enable their full social inclusion. Whereas in general classrooms deaf students are often the only deaf person present, in co-enrollment programs a "critical mass" of deaf students is educated alongside their hearing peers. These co-enrollment programs may employ a wide range of communication modalities; however, sign bilingualism has the greatest potential to create a socially inclusive environment, because deaf and hearing children can communicate directly without mediation. In this article, I explore the potential of sign bilingual co-enrollment programs as pathways to belonging, or ibasho, in Japanese education. The analysis is based on existing research on co-enrollment practices across the globe, an in-depth interview and ongoing correspondence with one of the founding members of the first co-enrollment program in the world, as well as my long-term fieldwork with deaf communities in Japan. Based on these findings, I argue that sign bilingual co-enrollment environments go beyond cosmetic accessibility to true inclusivity, creating opportunities for peer interactions, meaningful communication, and belonging.

RESUMO: Neste artigo, pretende-se discutir o ensino de leitura para surdos mediado pela língua de sinais. O trabalho parte de uma perspectiva holística de bilinguismo, considerando a mescla como um fenômeno natural do bilinguismo (GROSJEAN, 2008), que, no entanto, precisa ser examinado em contextos pedagógicos (SILVA, 2005; SILVA, 2010). Foi analisado um evento de ensino de leitura numa turma de alunos surdos e professora ouvinte do 9º ano do Ensino Fundamental, buscando mostrar como professores e alunos precisam transitar entre a Libras e o português durante as aulas. A análise desse evento evidencia a complexidade do trabalho do professor de português para surdos, especialmente no que tange à forma como usa a língua de sinais para estimular o processo de construção de sentidos pelos alunos e explicar o conteúdo e os elementos linguísticos dos textos em português. Em seguida, apresenta-se a proposta de um paradigma visual de ensino da leitura cf. Andrews e Rusher (2010), o qual estabelece diferentes formas de lidar sistematicamente com o trânsito entre a língua escrita e a língua de sinais em termos de objetivos de ensino.
ABSTRACT: In this paper, we intend to discuss the teaching of reading to deaf people, mediated by sign language. The research is based on a holistic perspective of bilingualism, considering the language mixing as a natural phenomenon of bilingualism (GROSJEAN, 2008), which needs to be examined in pedagogical contexts (SILVA, 2005; SILVA, 2010). A lesson on reading in a 9th grade classroom with deaf students and a hearing teacher was analyzed so as to show how teachers and students need to shuttle between Libras and Portuguese during classes. The analysis of this event evidences the complexity of the work of someone who teaches Portuguese to the deaf, especially regarding the way in which the teacher uses sign language to stimulate the students' process of meaning-making and to explain the content and linguistic elements of the texts in Portuguese. Next, a proposal is made for a visual paradigm for the teaching of reading cf. Andrews and Rusher (2010), which establishes different ways of dealing systematically with the transition between written language and sign language in terms of teaching objectives.

Publicado en la Revista de Estudios de Lenguas de Signos (REVLES) 1: 340-365. En un monográfico coeditado por Esperanza Morales López y Maria Josep Jarque Moyano, titulado "Aspectos lingüísticos y de adquisición de las lenguas de signos", ww.revles.es/index.php/revles/issue/view/9.
Resumen:ser correctamente implementado en el sistema educativo español, a partir de un objetivo de planificación realista y orientado a su principal finalidad: la mejora de la alfabetización del alumnado sordo. Al mismo tiempo, de esta comparación concluimos que el oralismo es un modelo anacrónico según los estándares del bilingüismo y plurilingüismo, porque puede conducir a la privación lingüística o al semilingüismo del niño y joven sordos. En este trabajo realizo una reflexión sobre las características generales del bilingüismo intermodal y sus diferencias con el bilingüismo en lenguas orales (bilingüismo intramodal), defendido desde el Consejo de Europa. De esta comparación, surge una serie de rasgos comunes y otros específicos que caracterizan dicho bilingüismo intermodal. Con ello quiero demostrar que este puede ser correctamente implementado en el sistema educativo español, a partir de un objetivo de planificación realista y orientado a su principal finalidad: la mejora de la alfabetización del alumnado sordo. Al mismo tiempo, de esta comparación concluimos que el oralismo es un modelo anacrónico según los estándares del bilingüismo y plurilingüismo, porque puede conducir a la privación lingüística o al semilingüismo del niño y joven sordos.

Abstract: This chapter reflects on the general characteristics of intermodal bilingualism and its differences with bilingualism in oral languages (intramodal bilingualism), defended by the European Council. From this comparison, a series of specific and common features that characterize such intermodal bilingualism emerge. With this I want to show that it can be correctly implemented in the Spanish educational system, based on a realistic planning objective and oriented to its main purpose: the improvement of deaf students' literacy. At the same time, this comparison shows that oralism is an anachronistic model, according to the standards of bilingualism and multilingualism defended by Europe, because it can lead to the language deprivation or semilingualism of deaf children and young people.