Author: Jack Slemenda Converse College, SC Date submitted to deafed.net – March 20, 2008 To contact the author for permission to use this PowerPoint, please To use this PowerPoint presentation in its entirety, please give credit to the author.

Bilingual-Bicultural Education Jack Slemenda Converse College

Who? What?

Bilingual-Bicultural Education oWho increased awareness of Bi-Bi Education? oAlice Speights definition oReturn to original idea of Total Communication? oBiculturalism

Goals The main goals of Bi-Bi education are: 1. Students maintain a proficiency in ASL and written English. 2. Students will feel comfortable with socializing in both deaf and hearing cultures.

The Bilingual Student

Mastery of home language Deaf children of Hearing parents Culturally Deaf

How do we teach Bi-Bi?

Three Strategies: Immersion English as a Second Language Transitional Bilingualism

Immersion Bilingual –L1 Concept development –All other subjects…sheltered English Structured –English-only model

ESL Mainstreamed High-intensity language training (HILT) Mostly oral language

Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) Native language used in instruction Eventually mainstreamed Goal: –Student should develop English while simultaneously learning core content.

Quality Bilingual Schools

Schools should: Set clear goals Create a bi-bi society Integrate bi-bi program Provide leadership/support Have high expectations Hire qualified teachers Partner with bilingual parents and communities

Ideal Bilingual Teachers Bilingual/ Biliterate Appreciation of cultures Mastery of content Appropriate instructional strategies DEDICATED!

The Bi-Bi Curriculum Bilingual –Native language (L1) –English (L2) Bicultural –Native culture –American culture

Deaf Bi-Bi Programs California School for the Deaf in Fremont Indiana School for the Deaf Texas School for the Deaf in Austin Maryland School for the Deaf Cleary School for the Deaf in Nesconset, NY Arizona School for the Deaf in Denver The Learning Center in Massachusetts Sign Talk Childrens Center in Winnipeg

Does it Work????

Research Types Pseudo-evaluations –Surveys…Questionable Formal evaluations –Controversial results

What we do know… Native signers are superior code switchers

Weaknesses Identifying/training teachers Auditory exposure Only effective through segregation Parents find it hard to learn ASL All bilingual children are the same…

How do we fix it? Documentation Student profiling Product and process

Questions???Questions???

Reflections What are your perceptions regarding Bi-Bi education? How does/would this effect mainstreaming? Would Deaf children become more isolated? How would you promote interaction with hearing people? (De Vera and Dharer)

Resources Bilingual Education Politics, Practice, Research. Ed. Arias, M. Beatriz and Ursula Casanova. The National Society for the Study of Education. Chicago, Illinois; Brisk, Maria Estela. Bilingual Education From Compensatory to Quality Schooling. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. NewJersey; De Vera, Neyrchel and Yaser Dharer. Bilingual-Bicultural Education of Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Children. Scheetz, Nanci A. Orientation to Deafness Second Edition. Allyn & Bacon. Massachusetts; Speights, Alice. Bilingual-Bicultural Education for Deaf Students: Why and Why Not. University of Alabama; 1996.