From Theory to Practice:
ASL-English Bilingual Education
Practices
Bobbie M. Allen, Ph.D.
University of California, San Diego
EDS 342A
Welcome to EDS 342A
Agenda
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Class meeting
K-W-L
Powerpoint
Overview of Syllabus
Projects
DVD: Beyond Strategies
Principles
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ASL is a language and a resource
The presence of ASL and English in the same
classroom environment does not impede the
development of either language, rather it facilitates
cognitive, social, linguistic and cultural
development.
To say a Deaf child has no language is a deficit
view; They are human and have a need to
communicate;Instead, they are emerging
bilinguals
Total Communication and Oral classrooms use
“English Only” approaches (subtractive).
Principles
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Bilingual classrooms separate (when
appropriate) ASL and English to promote equal
status
Strong ASL and English connections are critical
for development of both languages (EDS 125
Dynamic=Banyan Tree)
Deaf and hard of hearing children are language
learners and members of the Deaf community, a
linguistic minority.
UCSD promotes a bilingual, multilingual,
multicultural program NOT just a “bi bi”
Principles
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Deaf students need to read and write through English with
ASL interpretations (not translations) to make the written
English meaningful
Intense contrastive analysis or grammar translation (ASL
vs English) is not necessary; use signals and strategies for
emphasizing ASL or English
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Signed English does not replace ASL as in traditional
“transitional bilingual programs”
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ASL remains the primary language of instruction; we
discuss English through ASL
Principles
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All aspects of English (including oral language) is promoted
in deaf bilingual classrooms.
Deaf students enter school developing 2 languages; most
do not have a fully developed first language (exception
Deaf of Deaf)
BICS/CALP. There is not ASL BICs or ASL CALP Language
functions or genres cut across all languages e.g.
comparison, persuading,explaining etc)
Reading and writing are not delayed until ASL is fully
developed;” simultaneous” emerging bilinguals
Upon graduation from high
school
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8% of deaf students and 15% of hard of hearing
students score proficient or advanced on the
California Standards Test for Language Arts
10% of deaf students and 18% of hard of hearing
score proficient to advanced on math tests
New approaches are necessary in order to
provide deaf and hard of hearing students the
education they deserve.
BICS & CALP
BICS & CALP: Classroom
Application
Academic Language
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Language Functions for ASL & English are the
same as well as other languages, examples
 Compare & Contrast
 Evaluation
 Cognitively Demanding/Cognitively
Undemanding
ASL & English Forms can be different
 Irregular Past Verbs (run/ran); multiple
meanings for 1 word
 Run has multiple signs indicating different
meanings; English has 1 word with multiple
meanings
Structure
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ASL & English Structures can be different
 Passive Voice---ASL has no passive voice; English
does
 English Example:
The boy was hit by the ball.
English Example for comparison
____ have/has _______whereas _____have/has
______.
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What is the ASL structure for these English
structures?
English Language Development (ELD)
American Sign Language
Development ASLD
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ELD lessons for hearing students focus on a
communicative approach, chants, songs,
language games using oral English.
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For deaf it might be considered ASLD;
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ELD is through print with strong connections
between the 2 languages.
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Deaf students need a
communicative/interactive approach to
develop ASL and English print and if
appropriate, oral English
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Comprehensible Input: Language that is
relevant and meaningful
Specially Designed Academic Instruction
in English (SDAIE)
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For Deaf students, connections between ASL and English
are necessary with purpose
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Content and language learning goals
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Hands on learning and student interaction
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Authentic and meaningful tasks with realia--real objects,
movies, illustrations, visual representations/graphic
organizers
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Practice higher level thinking skills
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Advance literacy skills in both ASL and English print
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Moving towards more complex linguistic text, concepts
and tasks in academic content
Empowerment
Early Visual Language,
Literacy and Learning
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By age of 4, ASL signing Deaf children self
regulate attention to visual language
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Use of eye gaze to regulate attention getting and
turn-taking
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Alternation of eye gaze is required; possibly a
more demanding type of visual attention
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ASL fluency correlates to reading achievement;
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Phonological coding predicts 10% of reading
outcomes
Associative skills; hand shape linked to English
alphabet
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Essential Questions
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What is assessment?
What assessments are reliable and valid
for Deaf children?
How can we best meet the needs of
families of Deaf children? Families of
other cultures?
What essential points/arguments can
use to guide others’ thinking about a
bilingual approach for deaf children?
What can we do to promote writing in our
current student teaching placements?
Assessment/Evaluation
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A plethora of standardized tests to
evaluate children’s English
development/skills
Very few assessments to determine
children’s ASL proficiency
Deaf children’s ASL development should
be observed in a variety of social and
learning context.
Hallmarks of Good
Assessment
• Use a Variety of Measures - Good assessment does not rely
on a single yard-stick but compiles data based on both
individual students’ learning plus school-wide data
• Involve Educators, Parents and Broader Community Improved success for students relies on positive collaboration.
• Comprehensive & Balanced - Good assessment procedures
provides for flexibility, data from multiple contexts and
sources; child-centered, developmental and fair
• Based on Current Research & Theories about Teaching &
Learning
Hallmarks of Good
Assessment
• Supports Improved Learning - The assessment is designed to
provide feedback that helps students improve their learning.
• Helps Teachers Teach Better - Good assessment provides an
array of information that teachers can use to improve their
teaching practices and help ensure students learning.
• Integrated with the Curriculum and Instruction Assessment works best when it flows naturally from, and is part
of, student work - i.e. a science experiment that becomes part of
the student portfolio.
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Classroom Based, Authentic & Systematic - Most of the
assessment is based on classroom work done by students and
observations over a period of time with systematic record
keeping
A New Generation with a New
Attitude: Family Perspectives
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Deafness impacts the entire family, not just the child.
Teachers have a responsibility to facilitate the acculturation
process for families and children. An informative pedagogical
perspective is a necessary condition that responds to the fears
and misinformation about deafness.
The grieving process may not be a natural process. It is
defined and influenced by how the dominant culture defines the
expected “normal” skills of the person.
Families that are further along the continuum of the
acculturation/enculturation process have a responsibility to new
families.
The status of inequality of minority non-English speaking
families disempowers them, prevents them from obtaining the
necessary information and denies them the ability to
manipulate the resources to the children’s advantage.