Deaf Minority Students: Communication Development in Trilingual/Tricultural Children

1. Deaf Minority Students: Communication Development in Trilingual/Tricultural Children CDS 531 Special Topic Presentation Spring 2004 Tara Jane Schoop

2. Research Questions • How do deaf minority children acquire language and develop communication skills? • What can we do as educators to help children and families face language barriers and cultural barriers?

3. Language Acquisition • For the “normal” child… • Language is not taught, it is acquired • We acquire language through… • Interactions with caregivers • Meaningful experiences • Repetition over time

4. Second Language Learners • Best way to learn a second language is the same way you learned the first • Interactions with people you care about • Meaningful experiences • If learned in an educational setting you probably won’t be as fluent • Example: six weeks in Mexico is more valuable than six months in Spanish class • Easier to learn a second language if you are fluent in the first

5. D/HH Second Language Learners • Make up over 40% of the D/HH school aged population • Less likely to be successful in school than a child facing either of these characteristics alone • More likely to be labeled LD or MR

6. Communication Mode • Majority of programs for D/HH use sign and speech • Therefore, families need to become trilingual • English • Spanish • Sign Language

7. Early Identification and Amplification Challenges • Hispanic children are usually identified after critical language acquisition period • Not until they come to U.S. • May not understand doctors, or be able to convey concerns • Doctors may assume a developmental delay • Can’t pay for services • Lack of hearing aid usage in native country

8. Strategies for working with families: Empowering parents • Provide a linguistically and culturally appropriate professional • Provide an interpreter and translate printed information • Don’t require the family to use English • Work with family strengths (large support system, strong religious faith) • Provide support groups and/or parent education groups • Provide transportation and child care

9. Strategies for the classroom • Set high expectations • Promote collaboration and cooperation • Promote good self esteem • Encourage parent and community involvement (diverse role models) • Use multicultural literature and materials • Use a variety of assessment/evaluation methods • Provide leadership opportunities

10. Model Program • Kathee Christensen 1985 • Conceptual Sign Language as a Bridge Between English and Spanish • Why it works… • Iconic • Kinesthetic reinforcement • Not syntax-bound • Why it doesn’t work… • Fingerspelling • Idioms

11. Conceptual Sign Language Acquisition (Christensen, 1986) • Trilingual televised series to teach Hispanic families conceptual sign language • Results: • Parents who watched the most learned the most • 86.7% of participants improved their conceptual sign language skills • Some improved their English through incidental learning

12. So What? • What we can learn from the study • Parents are motivated to help their children and will do what they feel is best for their children • If provided with a televised series, at no charge, in the home, parents will watch it and learn from it • Next Question • If we had provided a televised series that taught them English, would the results be any different?

13. References Christensen, K. M. (2000). Emerging literacy in bilingual/multicultural education of children who are deaf: A communication-based perspective. In K. M. Christensen (Eds.), Deaf plus: A multicultural perspective (pp. 41-58). San Diego: Dawn Sign Press. Christensen, K. M. (1990). Thinking about thinking: A discussion of the development and language in deaf children. American Annals of the Deaf, 135(3), 222-226. Christensen, K. M. (1986). Conceptual sign language acquisition by Spanish-speaking parents of hearing impaired children. American Annals of the Deaf, 131(4), 285-287. Christensen, K. M. (1985). Conceptual sign language as a bridge between English and Spanish. American Annals of the Deaf, 130(3), 244-249. Deaf Education Website and Resource. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2004, from: http://www.deafed.net/publisheddcocs/010123b.htm

14. References Continued Gallaudet University. (n.d.). Preparing teachers for deaf students from linguistically diverse families. Retrieved February 23, 2004, from the Deaf Education Web site: http://www.deafed.net/publisheddocs/prepteachers.ppt Gerner de Garcia, B. (2000). Meeting the needs of Hispanic/Latino deaf students. In K. M. Christensen (Eds.), Deaf plus: A multicultural perspective (pp. 41-58). San Diego: Dawn Sign Press. MacNeil, B. (1990). Educational needs for multicultural hearing-impaired students in the public school system. American Annals of the Deaf, 135(2), 75-82. University of Illinois, Champaign, Early Childhood Research Institute. (1997). Creating a multicultural school climate for deaf children and their families. Retrieved February 23, 2004, from the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Web site: http://www.clas.uiuc.edu/fulltext/c100211/c100211.html Walker-Vann, C. (1998). Profiling Hispanic deaf students: A first step toward solving the greater problems. American Annals of the Deaf, 143(1), 46-54.