Bilingual trend in the education of deaf people . At the international level, there is more and more emphasis in favor of a bilingual educational model in the education of deaf people, which meets their needs for personal and social development, as an expression of respect for linguistic and cultural diversity . In the same way that words constitute the fundamental cell of spoken or written language , gesture (code) is the basic unit of signed language; and it allows the deaf person to express the highest levels of thinking .
In deaf people, a solid bilingual education is one that allows learning in two languages , whose school context offers multiple opportunities for the acquisition of knowledge at grade level in the sign language of the deaf community and the development of literacy in the deaf community. language of the hearing majority. The bilingual educational trend has a direct impact on the educational teaching process.
Summary
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- 1 Definition
- 2 History
- 1 Main followers
- 3 Successive bilingualism
- 1 Variant 1
- 2 Variant 2
- 4 Simultaneous bilingualism
- 5 Bilingual educational project in Denmark
- 6 Bilingual educational project in Colombia
- 7 Bilingual trend in Cuba
- 8 Principles of the bilingual education model
- 9 Advantages of the bilingual trend
- 10 Bibliography
Definition
Tendency that conceives sign language as an alternative cultural instrument , of a linguistic and sociocultural nature, to the lack of hearing. The bilingual trend in the education of deaf people means the assumption of a pedagogical thought that combines different conditions, factors and laws associated with the learning of at least two languages, in which the first language is the Sign Language (LS) of the deaf and the second language, the one spoken in their country.
History
In the education of deaf people, since ancient times, there have been significant changes in favor of their development, but through a slow process, due to their own misunderstanding of their genesis, by not recognizing cultural diversity as an inescapable reality. It is from the 1980s that bilingual projects began, due to the force of the oralist tendency , inaugurated in 1880 , in Milan , Italy .
Quite slowly, interest in sign language is resurfacing around the world. In 1988 is when the European Parliament officially recognized sign language and adopted bilingual projects in Nordic countries, after more than a century of efforts aimed at that end.
The first bilingual experiences with deaf students began in Europe with positive results in school performance, which have led to their approach in different countries such as the United States , Brazil , Colombia , Venezuela , Uruguay , Argentina , Chile and Cuba . The bilingual trend emerged in Sweden in 1983 .
Main followers
- Grosjean (Switzerland).
- Skliar]] (Brazil).
- Robert E. Johnson and RCKartchner (United States).
- Galcerán ( Spain).
- Wendy Lewis ( Denmark).
- Carlos M. Sánchez and Alejandro Oviedo (Venezuela).
- Leonardo Peluso and Luis Behares (Uruguay).
- Veinberg, Massonne and Jacqueline Miazzo (Argentina).
- Paulina Ramírez (Colombia).
- Carmen Salgado, José Proenza, Marisol Bravo and Xiomara Rodríguez (Cuba), among others.
Successive bilingualism
There are two radically opposite lines of work that differ in the order of presentation of languages:
- Successive bilingualism in which Sign Language (LS) is considered the first language (L1).
- Successive bilingualism in which LS is considered the second language (L2).
Variant 1
Recognize LS as L1 for deaf people. Learning begins with LS and later, once it is consolidated, the language of the listening community is introduced. Of all the options, it is one of the most consistent with most studies on deafness .
Variant 2
LS as a second language. It begins with the most difficult language, the spoken language, and when it is consolidated, the LS is introduced systematically. Among the two variants of successive bilingualism, the first has received greater acceptance in its application, due to the results demonstrated in research carried out in different countries, such as Sweden, Denmark and Belgium , which followed a coherent bilingual educational project for the education of deaf children .
Simultaneous bilingualism
It is characterized by the simultaneous, but not concurrent presentation of both languages, it offers from the moment of detection of deafness possibilities of contact with different “signatories” and “speakers” interlocutors, so that linguistic contact with both languages is real.
Bilingual educational project in Denmark
The bilingual educational project for deaf children in Denmark ( 1982 – 1992 ), envisaged teaching in two languages, the Sign and Danish . The academic levels reached by the deaf were similar to the levels of hearing. Learning to read was a very significant step to access new knowledge and understand the world around them, progress in the written language was evidenced in their texts , the greatest difficulties were recorded in grammatical construction, which require time and dedication.
Bilingual educational project in Colombia
In Colombia, a bilingual project for deaf children 0-5 years old was validated in Santa Fe de Bogotá , from 1994 to 1999 . In the pilot application phase, deaf adults, professionals, families were trained and a record and analysis of the communicative competence of deaf children was made.
Bilingual trend in Cuba
In the Cuban context, the transition from the oral tendency to the bilingual one has been colored by the transformations in educational policy, based on the labor relations and the agreements of the Ministry of Education and the University of Pedagogical Sciences “Enrique José Varona” with the National Association of the Deaf of Cuba (ANSOC), which are revealed in:
- The introduction of sign language as a pedagogical alternative in the preschool and school context (1994).
- Training system for parents of deaf children: ”University of Parents and“ Pre-University of Parents ”(1995-2005).
- The consideration of sign language as the first language and the main medium to access the schoolcurriculum for deaf students (1998).
- Carrying out a system of sign language workshops to update teachers in its use (1998).
- Training of emerging interpreters, middle technicians and opening of the university career in Havana City(2000-2005).
- Training of deaf sign language instructors and pedagogical assistants, as fluent signers to be inserted in different educational contexts (2000-2001).
- Creation of the ANSOC Communication Commission and start of studies on this language (2000).
- Introduction of the lines of development of the specialty of the deaf and hard of hearing, with a bilingual educational orientation by the Ministry of Education (2001-2002).
- Sign language as a subject in the curriculumand as a basis for learning Spanish as a second language (2004-2005).
- Research aimed at learning Spanish through second language teaching, with a communicative approach (2004-2005).
Since the 2000s, research on this issue has been expanded, attention has focused on the need to create the conditions for the construction of a bilingual Cuban model, which had as its first antecedent, the empirical experience developed in the Children’s Circle “International Year of Women” , in the City of Havana, which coincided with the approval of sign language in the school context ( 1994 ). Stage characterized by intense training work for teachersand parents in sign language. The Cuban model of bilingual education for deaf people is based on the historical cultural conception, the bilingual educational trend, the communicative approach of the language and the process of teaching-learning developer, which is specified in an open, flexible curriculum and joint work of the system of educational influences: school, family and community .
Principles of the bilingual education model
In introducing the bilingual education model for deaf people, the following principles should be considered:
- Respect for linguistic and cultural diversity due to their particular bilingual condition, as a user of sign language and written or oral Spanish, according to their potentialities.
- Need for the development of sign language, as a primary linguistic basis for learning a second language and as a right for deaf people.
- Recognition of the deaf community as the product of a historically constructed process, with its own forms and styles that identifies it as part of social diversity.
- Relevance of family, school and community education, in which the association of the deaf is involved, as socialization groups in the transmission of the cultural historical experience.
Advantages of the bilingual trend
In addition to progress in pedagogical approaches, bilingual school contexts contribute to a balanced social development in deaf people, such as: acceptance of their deafness by the family and teachers, learning of curricular content about the history and culture of the deaf community.
Bilingual schools make the most of the true individual capacities of deaf students, favoring a more complete cognitive and socio-emotional development, to achieve an active participation in society. This educational trend guarantees the learning of LS and the official language of their country, as well as the incorporation into cultural groups of the deaf and hearing community. It incorporates the school, family, community, work and social environment in general.
