Unlocking the Curriculum
Johnson et al.
o The acquisition of a natural sign language should begin as early as possible
in order to take advantage of critical period effects. The earlier a child learns
a first language, the more opportunity he or she will have to learn about the
world and the more prepared he or she will be (both linguistically and
culturally) for learning the curricular content of an educational program. Upon
identification, a deaf child should immediately be given extensive contact with
adult deaf signers in order to take advantage of the capacity to acquire a
language naturally. In general, the greater the delay of acquisition of a first
language, the greater the deficit in access to information and the later the
acquisition of proficiency in any other language. In addition, the child's family
should be provided with intensive sign language training and education about
deafness in order to promote a home environment which promotes cognitive,
linguistic, social, and emotional growth.
o The best models for natural sign language acquisition, the development of
a social identity, and the enhancement of self-esteem for deaf children are
deaf signers who use the language proficiently. The initial models for
language acquisition for deaf children with hearing parents should be deaf
adults. As the child grows, sources for sign language acquisition might also
include older deaf children, peers from deaf families, and proficient hearing
signers. There should be deaf adults present in all educational contexts. This is
critical also because ASL, like all natural languages, exists within a cultural
context. Without the presence of adults who have access to the understandings
that arise in such contexts, the acquisition of the language is not truly complete
(Epstein, 1988).
o The natural sign language acquired by a deaf child provides the best access
to educational content. We have discussed this issue at length earlier in this
paper. Along with early acquisition, this is the central and critical concept of
the proposal. Its practical application is that anyone attempting to teach
curricular content to the children must be a fluent signer. There now exists a
large pool of fluent signers, which consists of deaf people already trained to be
teachers of the deaf, bright young deaf students who could be encouraged to
undertake such training, and a smaller number of hearing teachers and students
who are fluent in ASL. Mather (1987) compared the classroom interaction of a
deaf teacher, fluent in ASL, with that of a hearing teacher who was less fluent.
She found that the conduct of lessons, even about nonlinguistic topics,
proceeded most effectively in interaction with the deaf teacher. She argues that
these results stem from fluent use of the language and knowledge about how to
interact in ASL.
o Sign language and spoken language are not the same and must be kept
separate both in use and in the curriculum. American Sign Language, as the
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