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Language Planningin (Deaf) EducationStephen M. Nover, Ph.D.CAEBER, Santa Fe, NMsteve.nover@nmsd.k12.nm.usCABER Website:www.nmsd.k12.nm.usApril 13, 2006 at Holiday Inn Gateway, Flint, Michigan

The Purpose of the PresentationTo present scientific research-basedinformation regarding the language planningprocesses and specific research findings toASL/English Bilingual Education so thatteachers, specialists, educationadministrators, new researchers, parents, anddeaf and hearing communities, and others willbe able to judge how much confidence toplace in a study and to determine whether thestudy’s methods seem to fit the researchquestions being asked.

Session Outcomes1. Enhance understanding of language policyformulation process and the types of languageplanning2. Enhance understanding of creating ampleopportunities for deaf and hard of hearingstudents to develop proficiency in bothlanguages3. Enhance understanding of languageconsiderations in bilingualism in deaf education4. Focus directly on the implementation of aschoolwide ASL/English bilingual program

What is Language Planning?Overview Four major types of language planning Three Major Language Orientations More specialized language planningframeworks Language considerations Considerations for teachers working aslanguage planners and educationalleaders in deaf education

Who Plans What for Whomand How?IndividualsGrassroots OrganizationsPublic OrganizationsGovernments & Institutions“Language Planning refers todeliberate efforts to influence thebehavior of others with respect tothe acquisition, structure [corpus],or functional allocation [status] oftheir language codes” (p. 45).Source: Cooper (1989, p. 45)

Why Language Planning?Language planning is an empowering toolthat helps us as a community to– Identify or name the real problems experiencedby real deaf and hard of hearing children,students, and people (insiders) about languageacquisition, learning, and use issues– Reflect upon and describe the REAL problemsexplicitly – Take actions on resolving the REAL problem

Status Planning Refers to policy—deciding whichlanguages orvariants to declareofficial or develop Deliberate efforts toallocate thefunctions oflanguages andliteracies within alanguage community OfficialProvincialWider chool subjectLiteraryReligiousSource: Cooper (1989)

A Status Planning and Policy:Sign Language in Deaf Education In 1967, a new policy of “Total Communication”(TC) was proposed by Roy Holcomb in the UnitedStates to recognize and promote the right of adeaf child to use all forms of communicationavailable to develop language competence. As a result, the rapid spread of TC in the late 60sand 70s took place during a time when there wasa sudden and seemingly uncontrollable increasein the development of artificial codes forrepresenting English. In 1990s, a new movement called “BiBi”emerged .

Corpus Planning Has to do with language Standardizationdevelopment—writing– Refers to the process ofacceptance within asystem, a dictionary,community of users of astandardization, newformal set of normsvocabulary, conventionsdefining correct usageon punctuations,– Standardize the lexiconincorporation of loanin a more or lesswords/signspermanent form The creation of new Renovationforms, the modification– Change an alreadyof old ones, or thedeveloped code, whetherin the name of efficiency,selection from alternativeaesthetics, or national orforms in a spoken,political ideologywritten or signed codeSource: Cooper (1989)

Corpus Planning Activity:1960-1965: William C. Stokoe’sContributions His two publications (Sign Language Structure(1960) and A Dictionary of American Sign Languageon Linguistic Principles (1965) had a significantimpact on the development of ASL materials (e.g.,Say It With Hands (Fant, 1964); Talking With theDeaf (Springer, 1961); Talk with Your Hands(Watson, 1964) The sign language books played a powerful role instimulating and shaping language awareness,appreciation, and direction for language studies,which dictate best practices in the classroom.

Acquisition Planning Sets up methods and incentivesfor acquiring the desired languageInvolves efforts to influence thenumber of usersCreates or improves opportunitiesor incentives to learn the desiredlanguagePromotes spread of desiredlanguageSource: Cooper (1989)

An Example of Acquisition Planning:American Sign Language TeacherAssociation (ASLTA)The American Sign Language TeachersAssociation - ASLTA is the only nationalorganization dedicated to the improvement andexpansion of the teaching of ASL and DeafStudies at all levels of instruction. ASLTA is anindividual membership organization of morethan 1,000 ASL and Deaf Studies educatorsfrom elementary through graduate educationas well as agencies.

Another Example of AcquisitionPlanning ActivityA Model of ASL-English Bilingual EducationProfessional Development1997 - 20022000 - 20052005 - 2009

Attitude PlanningThe primary focus of attitude planningactivities is on the development of thepositive (or negative) attitudes towardthe target language, or towardbilingualism or multilingualism involvingsome particular set of languages. Official Language Policies Educational Initiatives Advertising/Public Relations Issues of “Linguistic Legitimacy”Source: Reagan (2005)

Summary: Language Planningfor ASL Status Planning–––– ADA Rights and ObligationsState Legislation on ASLEducational Policies (Oral/TC/Bilingual)Policies in Schools and Programs for Deaf and Hard of Hearing StudentsAcquisition Planning– ASL as a Foreign Language Option– Programs to Teach Parents of Deaf Children ASL– ASL/English Bilingual Professional Development (CAEBER) Corpus Planning– The need for developing more electronic materials for prek-12 students (e.g.,Videotape, DVD)– The need for establishing national standards for ASL as an academiclanguage for PreK-12 students Attitude Planning– Issues of “Linguistic Legitimacy”Source: Reagan (2005)

A Closer Look at Our BeliefsTo identify, reflect upon, and take action on alanguage orientation that significantlyinfluences language policy and planningLanguage-as-a-problem orientation focuses on Complications created by linguistic diversity, usually in thecontext of treating larger social ills (poverty, illiteracy, ethic,hostilities)Language-as-a-right orientation emphasizes Principles of social justice, such as ensuring minorities’ equalaccess to schools, courts, voting booths, and other publicinstitutionsLanguage-as-a-resource orientation values Linguistic skills of all kinds as cultural capital, recognizing thesocial benefits of conserving and developing these assetsSource: Ruiz (1984)

Examples of Language as aResource ASL/English as languages of instruction Use of both languages for social andacademic purposes Offering of ASL courses at K-12education programs and universities

Language Planningin (Deaf) Education

Historical context: LanguagePolicy Formulation To date management of deaf education in UnitedStates of America has been made problematic by thelack of a clearly defined language policy, leading tothe ineffective use of unscientifically-based Englishmanual systems as the most dominant artificial andunnatural language systems in education of deaf andhard of hearing childrenUnfortunately, there is an absence of well-developedwritten policies for ASL/English bilingual educationfor deaf and hard-of-hearing studentsClearly, carefully formulated policies can helpprovide the support, direction, parameters, andguidelines needed to implement an effectiveASL/English bilingual program.

Which Language Orientation hasShaped Deaf Education? Language as a problem orientation– The pathological view sees deafness as an auditorydeficiency, a handicap, a medical problem to beremedied so that the deaf person becomes as muchlike a hearing person as possible. Means used areteaching speech and lip-reading, hearing aids,cochlear implants, etc. Language as a resource orientation– The sociocultural view sees the Deaf as asociocultural minority ("different" but not deficient)which shares characteristics with other minorities andwhere problems the Deafface can be seen as humanSources: Branson & Miller (1998, 2000); Reagan (1995).rights problems

What Are REAL Issues in DeafEducation?– Limited– Emphasis on: Use of Signing Types of Signing (ASL, MCE,Contact Sign)– Confused with Literacy and OracyPlanningSource: Reagan (2005)

Current Issues: LanguagePlanning in Deaf Education Language planning in deafeducation takes place in threedomains: Oracy Literacy Signacy?

Signacy in Context“Oracy” refers to the ability to use the oral/auralmedium of linguistic transmission in the formof listening and speaking skills.“Literacy” involves the ability to use thevisual/graphic medium in the form of readingand writingThe term “signacy” is derived from theconcepts of “oracy” and “literacy” but is usedto specifically indicate ability in a signedlanguage.Sources: Baker, 2001; Bench, 1992; Nover, Christensen, & Cheng (1998); Nover & Everhart (2004)

Proposed: A Theoretical Frameworkfor Language Planning inASL/English Bilingual cquisitionPlanningSources: Adapted by Nover (2004) from Cooper (1989); Kaplan & Baldauf (1997)

The Importance of Signacy Signacy refers to the expressive ability to createand modify signed responses of varying lengthsand complexity for various purposes. Deaf students not only need to understand howthese ASL structures operate in viewing ASL,but how to produce them in their own signing. Deaf students need to be provided with theopportunity to think about and manipulateknowledge in various ways through the processof signing. Various ASL structures exist to helpdeaf students accomplish this goal: time order,compare and contrast, problem and solution,cause and effect, and idea development.

The Need for Language Policy1. To recognize that signed languages areresources to maximize knowledge, expertiseand full participation in the political and socioeconomic domains;2. To enhancing deaf and hearing peoplecentredness in addressing the interests, needsand aspirations of a wide range of languagecommunities through ongoing dialogue anddebate.3. To engage language teachers and specialiststo assist the process of developing functionalbilingual/multilingual program through researchand the dissemination of findings.

15-Minute Break

Part II:Current Research:Language Considerationsin Bilingualism in (Deaf)Education

Work of CAEBER Has developed a 2-year professional developmentpackage for teachers of deaf and hard-of-hearingstudents focusing on implementing ASL/Englishbilingual strategies in the classroom– currently has 20 schools for the deaf across thecountry utilizing the ASL/English BilingualProfessional Development program Takes current knowledge, research findings, andrecommended language teaching and learning strategiesand translates that into a format for teachers to readabout, discuss, experiment with in the classroom, andreport on their effectiveness

A Goal of CAEBER is to advocate formore leadership on working together To adopt and promote ASL as a clearlanguage-as-resource ideologicalorientation in deaf education To elevate the legitimacy and status ofASL as an academic language To advocate for the right of a deaf,hard-of-hearing, or hearing child togrow up bilingual

Participating Schools for the DeafMetroSouth DakotaMinnesotaJ47 rltonRiversideKentuckyNew MexicoJean MassieuTexasKansasIllinoisLouisianaAlabama

ASL/English BilingualProfessional DevelopmentBegan in 1997Total of20 participating schoolsOver 80 mentors trained18 currently involved31 currently leadingthe 2-yearinserviceOver 300 teachers and staffhave undergonethe 2-year inservice