English In International Deaf Communication

Outside English-speaking countries deaf people come into contact with the English language in specific domains; indirectly through interpretation and translation or directly by learning it as a foreign language. This volume explores a range of intercultural/interlinguistic encounters with English.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing students form a specific group of foreign language learners. They need to use foreign languages just like their hearing peers if they want to enjoy the same benefits of globalization and technical advancements of today, yet they cannot take part in the same foreign language education. As sign language users, lip-readers or persons relying on hearing aids or cochlear implants in their everyday communication, they need special support in learning a foreign language. This book has been written by teachers and researchers involved in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) to deaf and hard-of-hearing students in various different European countries, including the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Norway, Poland, and Serbia. The chapters mirror both the authors’ personal journeys through this field and give insight into various aspects of empirical research into the foreign language acquisition of hearing-impaired learners. They discuss mainly the issue of specific methodology for teaching EFL vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing and speaking to deaf and hard-of-hearing persons and the challenge of effective communication during the classes via sign language, cued speech or the oral approach. Special chapters are also devoted to EFL teachers’ experience in special schools for the deaf. Educators interested in practical advice, responses to challenges and worked-out solutions to problems will particularly welcome this book as a useful source of ideas. It will also help novice teachers embarking on their careers in English language education for deaf and hard-of-hearing children and adults.

International Sign (IS) is widely used among deaf people and interpreters at international events, but what exactly is it, what are its linguistic features, where does its lexicon come from, and how is it used at interpreted events? This groundbreaking collection is the first volume to provide answers to these questions. Editors Rachel Rosenstock and Jemina Napier have assembled an international group of renowned linguists and interpreters to examine various aspects of International Sign. Their contributions are divided into three parts: International Sign as a Linguistic System; International Sign in Action--Interpreting, Translation, and Teaching; and International Sign Policy and Language Planning. The chapters cover a range of topics, including the morphosyntactic and discursive structures of interpreted IS, the interplay between conventional linguistic elements and nonconventional gestural elements in IS discourse, how deaf signers who use different signed languages establish communication, Deaf/hearing IS interpreting teams and how they sign depicting verbs, how best to teach foundation-level IS skills, strategies used by IS interpreters when interpreting from IS into English, and explorations of the best ways to prepare interpreters for international events. The work of the editors and contributors in this volume makes International Sign the most comprehensive, research-based analysis of a young but growing field in linguistics and interpretation.

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Teaching and Learning Signed Languages examines current practices, contexts, and the research nexus in the teaching and learning of signed languages, offering a contemporary, international survey of innovations in this field.

In Plato's cratylus, which dates to 360 B.C., Socrates alludes to the use of signs by deaf people. In his Natural History, completed in 79 A.D., Pliny the Elder alludes to Quintus Pedius, the deaf son of a Roman consul, who had to seek permission from Caesar Augustus to pursue his training as an artist. During the Renaissance, scores of deaf people achieved fame throughout Europe, and by the middle of the 17th century the talents and communication systems of deaf people were being studied by a variety of noted scientists and philosophers. However, the role of deaf people in society has always been hotly debated: could they be educated? Should they be educated? If so, how? How does Deaf culture exist within larger communities? What do advances in the technology and the genetics of hearing loss portend for Deaf communities? In this landmark volume, a wide range of international experts present a comprehensive and accessible overview of the diverse field of deaf studies, language, and education. Pairing practical information with detailed analyses of what works, why, and for whom, and banishing the paternalism once intrinsic to the field, the handbook consists of specially commissioned essays on topics such as language and language development, hearing and speech perception, education, literacy, cognition, and the complex cultural, social, and psychological issues associated with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Through careful planning, collaboration, and editing, the various topics are interwoven in a manner that allows the reader to understand the current status of research in the field and recognize the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, providing the most comprehensive reference resource on deaf issues. Written to be accessible to students and practitioners as well as researchers, The Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language, and Education is a uniquely ambitious work that will alter both theoretical and applied landscapes. It surveys a field that has grown dramatically over the past 40 years, since sign languages were first recognized by scientists to be true languages. From work on the linguistics of sign language and parent-child interactions to analyses of school placement and the mapping of brain function in deaf individuals, research across a wide range of disciplines has greatly expanded not just our knowledge of deafness and the deaf, but of the very origins of language, social interaction, and thinking. Bringing together historical information, research, and strategies for teaching and service provision, Marc Marschark and Patricia Elizabeth Spencer have given us what is certain to become the benchmark reference in the field.

The two-volume set LNCS 7382 and 7383 constiutes the refereed proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs, ICCHP 2012, held in Linz, Austria, in July 2012. The 147 revised full papers and 42 short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 364 submissions. The papers included in the second volume are organized in the following topical sections: portable and mobile systems in assistive technology; assistive technology, HCI and rehabilitation; sign 2.0: ICT for sign language users: information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration; computer-assisted augmentative and alternative communication; easy to Web between science of education, information design and speech technology; smart and assistive environments: ambient assisted living; text entry for accessible computing; tactile graphics and models for blind people and recognition of shapes by touch; mobility for blind and partially sighted people; and human-computer interaction for blind and partially sighted people.

This book outlines best practice and effective strategies for teaching English as a foreign language to D/deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students. Written by a group of researchers and experienced practitioners, the book presents a combination of theory, hands-on experience, and insight from DHH students. The book brings together a variety of tried and tested teaching ideas primarily designed to be used for classroom work as a basis for standby lessons or to supplement courses. Placing considerable emphasis on practical strategies, it provides educators and practitioners with stimulating ideas that facilitate the emergence of fluency and communication skills. The chapters cover a wide range of interventions and strategies including early education teaching strategies, using sign -bilingualism in the classroom, enhancing oral communication, speech visualization, improving pronunciation, using films and cartoons, lip reading techniques, written support, and harnessing writing as a memory strategy. Full of practical guidance grounded in theory, the book will be a useful resource for English teachers and all those involved in the education of deaf and hard of hearing learners across the world; including researchers, student teachers, newly qualified teachers, school supervisors, and counsellors.