Sign Language Course Research Articles

Promoting Language Learning and Social Inclusion in British and Irish Language Centres

As part of an integrated approach to promoting quality education, diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds as well as inclusive modalities must be considered as key indicators and be incorporated into educational programs (Council of Europe, 2020). This paper investigates how British and Irish University Language Centres present their services, facilities, and language courses to university students and the community in general. The main focus of this study is to understand which factors University Language Centres are emphasizing to foster “inward” and “outward” inclusive education for an effective participation in society. For this purpose, the content and language of a corpus of University Language Centre websites are examined in order to understand how universities are working towards a more multilingual, inclusive, and integrated community. In particular, the data collected refer to specific issues which signal the openness of the centres to welcome diversity and provide learners with the skills and tools to enter a new and more respectful world. As part of the study, we explore the way facilities for students with learning differences and sign language courses are signposted in the context of a broader integration (Heslinga & Nevenglosky, 2012).

Promoting Arabic Sign Language Skills Among Dental Students.

While the services available to deaf people in the Middle East have yet to be documented, they need improvement in several countries. The aim of this article was to reduce miscommunication between dentists and deaf patients through the introduction of an optional sign language course for pre-doctoral students and faculty of dentistry at King Abdulaziz University (KAUFD). All fourth-year pre-doctoral students were invited to participate in an Arabic sign language course. A survey with 11 multiple choice and 38 true/false questions with an "I don't know" option was distributed, both before and two weeks after the course. This survey was extensively validated and pilot-tested before distribution. The response rate was 141 students (84.9%), 49 of which were males (34.8%) and 92 of which were females (65.2%). The pre-doctoral students had a higher overall knowledge score (mean 22.9±14.8) and sign language skills (11.1±1.7) after the course compared to before the course (9.8±7.1, and 3.7±3.3, respectively) (all P-value <0.001). All the pre-course individual questions had lower scores compared to the post-course questions (P-value <0.05). Deaf people might face difficulties communicating at dental health care clinics, which may be improved by equipping dentistry providers with cultural competency training, like this course.

Sign language education in pre-school: Prospective pre-school teachers’ views about the Turkish sign language course

Pre-school education is significant in the education of deaf children. The pre-school teacher is a gateway to realising the inclusion of deaf children in schools. In this study we investigated prospective pre-school teachers’ opinions and thoughts about sign language in deaf children’s education. In this descriptive study we employed the qualitative research method: semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 prospective pre-school teachers who took the elective sign language course in the fall semester of the 2018–2019 academic year. The main themes obtained from the interviews were as follows: “Quality in early childhood education”, “Innovative practices in teacher training”, “Inclusive education in the pre-school period”, “Effective teaching for deaf children” and “Sign language competence of teachers.” The research findings suggest that prospective teachers must learn sign language that would contribute to their professional competence and that they would actively use sign language in their future professional lives.

Sign Language as a Means of Inclusion: A Case Study

ABSTRACT One of the major impacts of hearing disability that hinders the individual’s effective participation in society and full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms is his/her ability to communicate with others. Sign language is one of the main methods of communication used by people with hearing disability. Therefore, improving access to sign language services and increasing the availability of interpreters contribute to better inclusion and integration of people with hearing disability into society. This paper explores the experience of a Jordanian university that launched a pioneering initiative by offering a sign language course for its students. It reports the findings of a study that evaluated this initiative from the perspective of students. Feedback was recorded during unstructured interviews with 23 student participants who had taken the course. The paper concludes that universities can play a significant role in integrating people with disabilities into the education system and promoting their participation in society.

Second language learning of depiction in a different modality: The case of sign language acquisition

This study investigated the acquisition of depicting signs (DS) among students learning a signed language as their second-modality and second-language (M2L2) language. Depicting signs, broadly described, illustrate actions and states. This study sample includes 75 M2L2 students who were recruited from college-level American Sign Language (ASL) courses who watched and described three short clips from Canary Row the best they could in ASL. Four types of DS were coded in the students' videorecorded retellings: (1) entity depicting signs (EDS); (2) body part depicting signs (BPDS); (3) handling depicting signs (HDS); and (4) size-and-shape specifiers (SASS). Results revealed that SASS and HDS increase in instances as students advance in their ASL learning and comprehension. However, EDS expressions did not have a relationship with their ASL comprehension. ASL 2 students produced less DS than the ASL 1 students but did not differ from the ASL 3+ students. There were no differences in instances of BPDS among the three groups of L2 learners although their ability to produce BPDS was correlated with their ASL comprehension. This study is the first to systematically elicit depicting signs from M2L2 learners in a narrative context. The results have important implications for the field of sign language pedagogy and instruction. Future research, particularly cross-sectional and/or longitudinal studies, is needed to explore the trajectory of the acquisition of DS and identify evidence-based pedagogical approaches for teaching depicting signs to M2L2 students.

Teaching Models Used and Challenges Experienced in Secondary School Classes with Special Needs Learners in Tanzania

This study sought to establish the teaching models used and challenges experienced in secondary school classes with special needs learners in Tanzania, using a questionnaire and an interview schedule under the descriptive case study design. The study sample included 35 regular teachers, seven heads of schools, seven heads of departments and seven special needs teachers through the proportional and purposive sampling procedures. Data was analyzed through content analysis and descriptive statistics. The study established that collaborative teaching was the most preferred model compared to consultative and coaching models. A bigger number of children with disabilities was one of key challenges experienced in the inclusive classrooms as teachers failed to provide sufficient support to cater for the needs of special needs learners. Other challenges included lack of awareness of the Tanzanian Sign Language for Hearing Impairment and teachers’ negative attitude toward learners with special needs. The study recommends that the government should recruits sufficient number of special education educators to work closely with regular teachers in supporting learners with disabilities in inclusive settings. Relevant authorities need to introduce the Tanzania Sign Language course as a compulsory course in teacher training colleges for educators to gain knowledge to effectively communicate in the inclusive settings. Finally, the government should provide seminars and workshops to teachers on the importance of inclusive education as such training will dispel negative attitudes of teachers towards children with disabilities.

Deaf people and sign language: an enigma in dentistry

Sign language is the main means of communication for deaf people; consists of the combination of manual, body and facial movements with specific meanings. Among the main barriers faced by this community are the lack of communication, shortage of health services, added to the inexperience and lack of knowledge of sign language by the health professional. This article aims to raise awareness of the importance and need of sign language in dental clinical care and professional training, as well as strategies, tools and recommendations for better care for deaf people. Databases such as SciELO, Google Scholar, PubMed and ScienceDirect were included during the years 2007 and 2021 It was concluded that the main barriers during communication are the little knowledge of sign language in dentists, the little access to interpreters and difficulties in obtaining appointments; affecting the susceptibility to develop oral diseases. The inclusion of sign language courses within the university curriculum provides academic and professional ethics benefits; however, follow-up is necessary to confirm compliance with the requested parameters. Among the main tools and strategies, the use of educational videos, the accompaniment of interpreters and, in view of technological development, the use of mobile applications, can facilitate communication. Likewise, a set of recommendations is proposed for the approach of adult and child deaf patients.

Overview of the contents covered in Libras (brazilian sign language) courses in science teacher preparation programs: analysis of the syllabi in undergraduate teacher certification programs in the biological sciences and chemistry

The integration of the Deaf person into society has been marked by several historical and philosophical conflicts on the road to full rights of citizenship. In Brazil, there have been several legislative milestones in that regard, including Law n° 10.436/2002 (BRASIL, 2002), which recognizes the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) as the official language of the Deaf people, and Decree No. 5,626/2005 (BRASIL, 2005), which regulates Libras as a first language (L1) and written Portuguese as a second language (L2). Of particular relevance for the present paper, the latter decree codified the inclusion of Libras (Brazilian sign language) as a core course in key teacher certification programs, including Speech Therapy and Education. This inclusion of Libras is, in fact, a remarkable achievement regarding the education of the Deaf in Brazil since proper teacher training may be conducive to better inclusion of deaf students (ANDRADE, 2013). Using a documentary analysis of syllabi, we thus set out to analyze how the syllabus content for Libras courses is structured concerning the content for undergraduate teaching certification degrees in Chemistry and Biological Sciences. This qualitative study draws on 139 publicly-available syllabi of Libras undergraduate teacher certification courses in Chemistry and Biological Sciences of Higher Education Institutions (HEI), restricted to those receiving the highest scores (4 and 5) in the 2017 government assessment exercise (henceforth called "Enade"). Through content analysis, five Context Units (CUs) were established to identify which syllabus contents are considered and taught in college Libras courses in Brazil. The CUs for analyzing the syllabi coverage related to the following: Conceptions about deaf people; Educational Interpreters (EI); Bilingual Education; The teaching of Chemistry or Biological Sciences for the Deaf; and Approaches to inclusion in general or conceptions about special education. Although the analysis has shown us numerous variations of the teaching of Libras, with some content such as a focus on the treatment of the deaf as a standout topic, more research is needed. In particular, there is a tendency for the subject to receive a limited number of dedicated course hours, which does not allow for a broader grasp of the theoretical and practical issues related to sign language and bilingual education for the Deaf — especially with regard to the teaching of science.

Conceptualizing the role of mediation in an online American Sign Language teaching model for parents of deaf children

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the role of mediation as it arose in developing and teaching two online American Sign Language (ASL) courses for parents of deaf children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaf children and their families who are still acquiring ASL have ongoing learning needs that are most often not met in mainstream educational systems, and these inequities have deepened during the pandemic. Combining reception, production, and interaction, mediation is a mode of language activity in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) that involves “languaging” to develop ideas and facilitate understanding and communication. In this nine-month study, intensive parent ASL courses were adapted and developed for rapid implementation of online instruction in order to meet the second or additional language ASL learning needs of parents of deaf children. Online questionnaire, interview, observational, and assessment data were gathered regarding participating parents’ learning processes and experiences. As study findings reveal, a main theme that arose was the role of mediation in terms of alleviating various barriers for participants and facilitating the linguistic and cultural dimensions of parents’ online ASL learning and understanding through cognitive and relational means.

Undergraduate Students of Special Education’s Readiness Towards the Use of Application Mobile in Teaching and Learning the Sign Language

This study intends to identify the perceptions of the undergraduate students of Special Education towards the use of application mobile in teaching and learning the sign language. This study involved the perception of 200 undergraduate students of Special Education from 3 particular public universities. All 3 public universities offer both Special Education and the sign language course which are compulsory for the students. This study was conducted by distributing the questionnaire that consists of students’ background and demography, also the students’ readiness towards the use of application mobile in teaching and learning the sign language. The data was then analyzed using Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. The findings have gathered that majority of the students have high readiness and interest towards the use of application mobile in teaching and learning the sign language with the overall mean of 4.65 and standard deviation of 0.364. The overall mean has shown that the use of application mobile is preferred by majority of the students. In conclusion, it is obvious that students are ready to use technology involved materials in the teaching and learning the sign language.

‘It will make more people feel included if they can talk to them in their first language’: The experience of university students with an intellectual disability engaging in a formal Irish Sign Language Course

Accessible Summary Learning a second language can provide people with more opportunities to be included in society. For example, they could have more opportunities for employment, social activities and travel. However, people with intellectual disabilities are typically not given the opportunity to learn a second language because people think they do not have the ability to learn more than one language. This study looked at the experiences of university students with intellectual disabilities who took part in an Irish Sign Language course. The study used a focus group (a group interview) to speak to six university students with intellectual disabilities and found that students spoke about their experience with learning Irish Sign Language, the class design and the importance of learning Irish Sign Language. This study showed that people with intellectual disabilities critically reflected on their experience of learning a second language. More research is needed to see if this finding is common amongst individuals with intellectual disabilities. AbstractBackgroundOpportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to become bi/multilingual tend not to be widely available despite demonstrated linguistic and extralinguistic advantages associated with an ability to use more than one language. This article focuses on the learning experiences of students with intellectual disabilities in learning Irish Sign Language (ISL) as part of a university course tailored for students with intellectual disabilities.MethodsThe sample consisted of six adults with intellectual disabilities who were enrolled in a full‐time university programme in Ireland. Students were required to take a 12‐week course entitled Language and Society, which included ISL lab sessions. A focus group was conducted asking questions that focused on the students’ experience of taking part in a formalided ISL class.FindingsThree themes were generated in the analysis of the data: learning ISL, class design and implications of taking an ISL course. Findings showed that participants reflected critically on their learning experiences, their expectations of learning ISL, class content and social implications of learning ISL.ConclusionThis study demonstrates the potential of people with intellectual disabilities to be able to critically engage in second language learning.

Historic Overview of Brazilian Sign Language/Portuguese Interpreter-Translator Educational Courses

In this article, we present a historic overview of the training of Brazilian Sign Language Translators/Interpreters (TILSP), in a national context, beginning in the 20th century. The objectives are: to present a diachronic and synchronic line of the creation of TILSP training courses; and to detail the facts and historical data of the courses, containing information about the years, the names of possible proponents and the curricular contents. The theoretical framework is supported by the fields of Historiography of Translation and Interpretation; Sign Language Translation and Interpreting Studies; and the path of TILSP education. The research methodology is qualitative, bibliographic and documentary, based on the methodology of translation historiography and on online data collection. The results of the bibliographic research show that in a period of twenty years (from 2000 to 2020) the requirements for training courses ranged from minimum requirement (High School graduation) to higher education. In recent years, legislation has suffered government vetoes, requiring criteria such as certification of basic Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) course and professional high school. Currently, there are six types of TILSP training course offerings and certifications (Technical High School; Bachelor’s degree in Libras Translation and Interpretation; graduate courses and certificate programs; university extension courses; and non-university courses offered by educational and community institutions, Deaf associations, interpreter’s associations etc., as well as research lines in postgraduate courses), allowing thus that TILSP may select among the offerings the courses that may contribute to the focus on his/her professional activity and thematic specialization. This study aims at contributing to historiographical studies in Sign Language Translation and Interpreting Studies (ETILS), in a national context. Future research is foreseen, making the analysis of international contexts possible.

The role of the superior parietal lobule in lexical processing of sign language: Insights from fMRI and TMS

There is strong evidence that neuronal bases for language processing are remarkably similar for sign and spoken languages. However, as meanings and linguistic structures of sign languages are coded in movement and space and decoded through vision, differences are also present, predominantly in occipitotemporal and parietal areas, such as superior parietal lobule (SPL). Whether the involvement of SPL reflects domain-general visuospatial attention or processes specific to sign language comprehension remains an open question. Here we conducted two experiments to investigate the role of SPL and the laterality of its engagement in sign language lexical processing. First, using unique longitudinal and between-group designs we mapped brain responses to sign language in hearing late learners and deaf signers. Second, using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in both groups we tested the behavioural relevance of SPL's engagement and its lateralisation during sign language comprehension. SPL activation in hearing participants was observed in the right hemisphere before and bilaterally after the sign language course. Additionally, after the course hearing learners exhibited greater activation in the occipital cortex and left SPL than deaf signers. TMS applied to the right SPL decreased accuracy in both hearing learners and deaf signers. Stimulation of the left SPL decreased accuracy only in hearing learners. Our results suggest that right SPL might be involved in visuospatial attention while left SPL might support phonological decoding of signs in non-proficient signers.

Teaching deaf culture in American Sign Language courses: Toward a critical pedagogy

AbstractCritical pedagogy and social justice education have gained increasing attention in recent years in many subject matters, and world language education has been no exception to this trend. There are a number of works dedicated to critical pedagogy in world language education. At the same time that such concerns have gained attention, another parallel development has been taking place: the increasing number of courses and programs in American Sign Language (ASL) that are being offered as foreign language options at both the secondary and tertiary levels. In this article, we discuss a curriculum development project to bring these two developments together. Specifically, we are interested in the creation of a curriculum for a beginning ASL course that both introduces students to ASL as a foreign language and which provides an introduction to the Deaf culture—and which does so through the lens of critical pedagogy and social justice education.

SELF-NARRATIVES OF BRAZILIAN DEAF PEOPLE: APPLICATION OF THE HYPOTHESES OF SOCIOANALYSES

The objective of the study is to apply eight hypotheses of the socioanalysis for the interpretation and critical social reading of the "self-narratives" of deaf applicants to Higher Education at the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS-Brazil). It is located in the theoretical-methodological field of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), and Deaf Studies (DS). We will analyze a narrative of a deaf subject, corpus collected in 2014, in the college entrance examination for the Brazilian Sign Language Course (LIBRAS), and adopt this methodological guideline, to define object of study; identify areas of interfaces that meet the objectives; select the categories of each area of interface; establish the dialogue between categories; identify the social meanings constructed in the discourse. The result confirms the role of socioanalysis in seeking to unveil how the practice of social relations and (re)construction of their identities in the struggle for citizenship rights articulate in the deaf individual's life.

Chilean Health Professionals’ Attitudes Towards Deafness: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: To assess the attitudes of health professionals towards Deafness and its association with sociodemographic and Deaf contact experience. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Concepcion, Chile. The sample size was estimated in 171 health professionals. The following variables were considered: sociodemographics, Deaf contact experience, and attitudes to deafness scale (ADS scale). To evaluate the association between the variables, t-test and Spearman correlation test were used (p<0.05). Results: People who had taken a LSCh course had significant more positive attitudes towards item 1 “Deaf people should learn to lipread”, with a 2 points difference and in persons who do not know a Deaf person, with 1-point difference. Also, persons who have received some kind of formation in Deafness have a better attitude in item 3 “I would like to have more Deaf friends” with 1-point difference. An inverse correlation was observed within age (rho = -0.237; p=0.0014), years of academic service (rho = -0.323; p<0.0001) or PHC service (rho = -0.1085; p=0,364). Conclusion: The attitude of health professionals towards Deafness was neutral. This attitude is not modulated by sex, type of profession, type of relationship with Deaf people, type of training in hearing disability, Chilean Sign Language Courses or degree of frequency of healthcare delivery to Deaf patients. However, it is modulated by age and years of service.

Sign Language in Brazilian Pharmacy Education

Objective. To evaluate undergraduate pharmacy curricula at Federal Institutions of Higher Education in Brazil in order to identify sign language courses and other content related to the provision of care to deaf patients. Methods. A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted between March and June 2017. Data were collected from the websites of undergraduate pharmacy education programs in Brazil. Sign language courses were classified according to type (mandatory or elective), nature (theoretical or theoretical-practical), course period and workload. The course contents were extracted and analyzed by content analysis. Results. Of the 35 schools of pharmacy included in the study, 18 (51.4%) included a sign language course in their curriculum. Eighteen (100%) of the sign language courses were elective, one (5.6%) was theorical-practical, 16 (89.0%) did not have a predetermined point in the curriculum for students to complete the course, and 11 (61.1%) had a workload equal to or greater than 60 hours. The main pedagogical content identified related to the teaching and learning of sign language. Conclusion. Learning sign language in undergraduate pharmacy is important for these professionals could provide humanistic and integral care to deaf patients. Therefore, there is considerable room for improvement in teaching sign language to undergraduate pharmacy students in Brazil.

Undergraduate Students of Special Education’s Readiness towards the Use of Information and Technology (ICT) in Teaching and Learning the Sign Language

This study intends to identify the perceptions of the undergraduate students of Special Education towards the use of information and technology (ICT) in teaching and learning the sign language. This study involved the perception of 200 undergraduate students of Special Education from 3 particular public universities. All 3 public universities offer both Special Education and the sign language course which are compulsory for the students. This study was conducted by distributing the questionnaire that consists of students’ background and demography, as well as the students’ readiness towards the use of information and technology (ICT) in teaching and learning the sign language. The data were then analyzed using Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. The findings have gathered that majority of the students have high readiness and interest towards the use of ICT in teaching and learning the sign language with the overall mean of 4.65 and standard deviation of 0.364. The overall mean has shown that the use of ICT is preferred by majority of the students. In conclusion, it is obvious that students are ready to use technology involved materials in the teaching and learning the sign language.

The accessibility of health services to young deaf adolescents in Ghana.

Quality health care is a fundamental human right, which is enshrined in several international and domestic legislative instruments. In the Ghanaian context, there are reports that adults with disabilities encounter barriers in their attempts to access health care. However, scholarly attention is yet to explore the perspectives of young people and adolescents with disabilities. Therefore, this quantitative study was conducted from the perspective of critical disability studies, where young deaf adolescents (YDAs) were regarded as right bearers, and where they shared their perspectives on health accessibility decisions, barriers, and needs. Sixty-seven participants, made up of 44 male and 23 female students, took part in this quantitative study. Although many YDAs who took part in this study indicated that it was not difficult to access health facilities, they claim to have encountered communication barriers. Sign language interpreters in health facilities and introduction of sign language courses in health training institutions to improve communication between health professionals and deaf patients have been suggested as ways of addressing the barriers faced by YDAs in Ghana.

Functional Neuroanatomy of Second Language Sentence Comprehension: An fMRI Study of Late Learners of American Sign Language.

The neurobiology of sentence comprehension is well-studied but the properties and characteristics of sentence processing networks remain unclear and highly debated. Sign languages (i.e., visual-manual languages), like spoken languages, have complex grammatical structures and thus can provide valuable insights into the specificity and function of brain regions supporting sentence comprehension. The present study aims to characterize how these well-studied spoken language networks can adapt in adults to be responsive to sign language sentences, which contain combinatorial semantic and syntactic visual-spatial linguistic information. Twenty native English-speaking undergraduates who had completed introductory American Sign Language (ASL) courses viewed videos of the following conditions during fMRI acquisition: signed sentences, signed word lists, English sentences and English word lists. Overall our results indicate that native language (L1) sentence processing resources are responsive to ASL sentence structures in late L2 learners, but that certain L1 sentence processing regions respond differently to L2 ASL sentences, likely due to the nature of their contribution to language comprehension. For example, L1 sentence regions in Broca's area were significantly more responsive to L2 than L1 sentences, supporting the hypothesis that Broca's area contributes to sentence comprehension as a cognitive resource when increased processing is required. Anterior temporal L1 sentence regions were sensitive to L2 ASL sentence structure, but demonstrated no significant differences in activation to L1 than L2, suggesting its contribution to sentence processing is modality-independent. Posterior superior temporal L1 sentence regions also responded to ASL sentence structure but were more activated by English than ASL sentences. An exploratory analysis of the neural correlates of L2 ASL proficiency indicates that ASL proficiency is positively correlated with increased activations in response to ASL sentences in L1 sentence processing regions. Overall these results suggest that well-established fronto-temporal spoken language networks involved in sentence processing exhibit functional plasticity with late L2 ASL exposure, and thus are adaptable to syntactic structures widely different than those in an individual's native language. Our findings also provide valuable insights into the unique contributions of the inferior frontal and superior temporal regions that are frequently implicated in sentence comprehension but whose exact roles remain highly debated.