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DBC Conference Vlog #5: Transcript

Sunday, 06 July 2008

(Translations provided have not been reviewed by the presenters for accuracy.) Dr. Barbara Kannapell: Bilingual Education of Deaf Children (Historical Overview) We wrote a proposal to have ASL be recognized as a language with the Bilingual Education Act and submitted it to the U.S. Department of Education. It took a while to hear from them, then finally they responded by rejecting the idea that ASL would qualify to be listed under the Bilingual Education Act. Dr. Bobbie Beth Scoggins: Early Hearing, Detection, and Intervention ...there is a need for a critical mass of experts agreeing on how to provide services to Deaf babies, but only a few of us who are pushing for ASL provisions.  Therefore, we must somehow find a way to correct this lack. Dr. MJ Bienvenu: Bilingualism: Theories and Practices When language is truly acquired and internalized, one completely understands the language. A natural way to acquire a language is truly critical. Some of us may remember our college days when we learned French or Spanish or whatever second language by memorization through drills. However, in a short span, such as a year later, we would completely forget everything because we have not acquired or internalized that language. If we had lived among or socialized greatly with speakers of that language, we would have absorbed that language well enough to really know it and we wouldn't forgot it that easily.  The same goes for Deaf children with ASL and English. They would acquire ASL naturally and then internalize the written form of English when they read a lot. For the Deaf children,  English is not acquired by focusing on individual words and memorizing the words or how they are ordered, i.e. by signing the sentence out word for word (RED BALL IS LOST) without discussing what the content is all about. The child would not understand the deep meaning doing it that way, although he or she probably would be able to sign out every word. A bilingual educational approach for Deaf children would mean having them acquire ASL naturally and therefore have the linguistic competency and appropriate literacy skills in English to be able to discuss the written text without being restricted to just the words themselves. When this happens, Deaf children then are able to acquire English. Dr. Patrick Boudreault and Dr. Genie Gertz: The Emancipation of the Deaf-World from Audio-centric to Visual-centric Values Gertz:  … Now when we realize and embrace the idea that our language is complex and highly structured, the cultural aspect becomes connected to the language in one's own consciousness. In the same way, when Deaf people have a deep understanding and competency in ASL,  that indicates they will have a high proficiency in Deaf culture. Language proficiency and culture proficiency are deeply interconnected. This research validates that the knowledge Deaf people have always had about this deep connection between ASL and Deaf culture, but was known only implicitly, or "hidden" in their intuition. Now, applying this to Deaf children, we can see how critical it is for them to develop the competency (and confidence) in a natural language (Sign Language) as well as in Deaf culture. (Showing Voice Interpreters that were provided) Boudreault:  …acquires the L2 (a person's second language), that is the written English. Research has proven that if a person has a solid first-language foundation, it creates a positive impact on learning a second, third language, or more. Dr. Lon Kuntze: "The Story Behind Learning to Read" …as a child grows up,  his or her "mind architecture" is formed and eventually it's finalized. Its final form becomes entrenched according to how it's designed and modeled from the very beginning. It's scary to realize what it would be like if there is any delay of natural acquisition of a language. We can not afford to say "Oh, he can learn his natural language (ASL) later. Let's go for training with unnatural communication methods."  That is why we are here today to discuss the extreme importance of Deaf babies acquiring ASL right away!  You folks here got it right. Now, we need to explore more on why we must make sure Deaf children acquire Sign Language right away after birth. We must not  delay that chance at all. (Showing T-shirt message: Sign from the Start, Success for a Lifetime.) (A group of Canadians shown having their picture taken.)

 

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