Survey of Bi-Bi programs - Empirical Article

[Jiro]

And, if individuals are being criticised for the shorcomings created by the system of education, it is time to change the system so that children of the future do not suffer inadequate education.

"Change We Can Believe In"

 

[jillio]

"Change We Can Believe In"

It is needed everywhere, my friend. We seem to be very good at creating harmful situations and then hanging onto them with the teeth of a wolverine until it blows up in our face. Then instead of trying something different, we try the same old thing over again. That is not progress, nor is it productive. Repeat that which works. Abandon that which doesn't. Simple principle.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

Literacy is..... probably the MOST important skill ever... on top of everything. Everything is in written form - books, contracts, transcripts, essays, news, etc. If one has a poor literary skill..... he is no better than a person with a great communication skill but a poor literary skill.

Mind you - you're on AD forum..... in textual form. We're all talking to each other.... in textual form. Get it?

Couldn't have said it any better!

 

[rockdrummer]

A New Paradigm

Predisposition Toward English Over ASL
Despite the fact that research has consistently shown that deaf students
with a strong foundation in ASL (from Deaf parents) tend to academically
outperform those who do not possess ASL as their primary language (Padden,1980; Prinz & Strong, 1998), most teacher education programs and
current educational policies are predisposed against the use of ASL, and
as a result, natural sign languages have had little formal role in the education
of deaf children (Supalla, 1992), These traditions of English-focused
instruction have not benefited the majority of deaf students but continue to receive strong support from the majority of those wht) design deaf education curriculum.

Simms, L. & Thumann, H. (2007). In search of a new, linguistically and culturally sensitive paradigm in deaf education. American Annals of the Deaf. 152(3). pp. 302-311.

Exactly, Deaf kids born to deaf native signing parents are exposed to a fluent language from the onset whereas deaf children born to non signing hearing parents don't. Many hearing parents may choos a CI for thier child for that exact reason. Exposure to fluent language.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

And, if individuals are being criticised for the shorcomings created by the system of education, it is time to change the system so that children of the future do not suffer inadequate education.

That is what I was trying to say. It's the educational techniques that are failing children. In this society, if you can't read and write correctly, you can't get along. It's doesn't make a whit's difference if you're hearing or deaf. It's true for both the hearing and the deaf!

 

[Jolie77]

Exactly, Deaf kids born to deaf native signing parents are exposed to a fluent language from the onset whereas deaf children born to non signing hearing parents don't. Many hearing parents may choos a CI for thier child for that exact reason. Exposure to fluent language.

Hi, I wanted to clarify this and to ask a question.

If one were to choose that exact reason in order to be exposed to the fluent language, then, How is it possible when it is not processed the same as getting a WHOLE exposure rather than a HALF of the exposure?

Just wondering.

 

[Jiro]

Exactly, Deaf kids born to deaf native signing parents are exposed to a fluent language from the onset whereas deaf children born to non signing hearing parents don't. Many hearing parents may choos a CI for thier child for that exact reason. Exposure to fluent language.

but it's the WRONG tool!!!!! WRONG approach!!!! That studies are basically saying... ASL first as L1 and it will open up a gateway to ANYTHING... including spoken language. You're misunderstanding their studies. It does not support your claim.

 

[jillio]

Exactly, Deaf kids born to deaf native signing parents are exposed to a fluent language from the onset whereas deaf children born to non signing hearing parents don't. Many hearing parents may choos a CI for thier child for that exact reason. Exposure to fluent language.

But the CI has not been shown to provide a child with language input from the moment of birth, not does it provide 100% access to language. The change needs to be made to insure that children receive access to proper linguistic models beginning with early intervention. The way to correct the problems is not with mechanics, it is with the use of linguistic systems themselves.

We must also keep in mind that the CI is not available to all deaf children. What would you suggest we do with those?

 

[jillio]

but it's the WRONG tool!!!!! WRONG approach!!!! That studies are basically saying... ASL first as L1 and it will open up a gateway to ANYTHING... including spoken language. You're misunderstanding their studies. It does not support your claim.

Bingo!

 

[rockdrummer]

The failures of TC and oral only are the reason why the BiBi approach is gaining in popularity.

Fair enough. I honestly hope the bibi approach succeeds. But from what I have read and understand the jury is still out on that one. And until any approach proves itself as the most suitable for the majority by surviving the scrutney of the professional community, nobody should be making claims that it does.

"If proponents of bilingual education for deaf children truly rely on 'research on the benefits of native sign language and from theoretical and research support coming from other disciplines' (Ewoldt, 1996, p. 5) to support their claims, then these research and theoretical supports must be examined as comprehensively, and holistically, as possible. Weaving together only a few threads of theory and research does not create the fabric for a pedagogical position that can withstand close scrutiny and analysis."

“This critical examination of some of the most frequent claims made by supporters of bilingual-bicultural models of literacy education for deaf students questions the viability of these claims as sufficient foundation and basis for justifying the pedagogical argument. In raising this question our goal is not to argue that these claims are “right” or “wrong.” This would contribute little to an already prolonged debate and would pander to the fallacious notion that there is one “best” and only way to educate deaf children. Nor should this criticism be seen as the basis for making a general argument against bilingual education for deaf students. This is a point we made at the outset. However, if this approach to educating deaf children is to be seen as appropriate for the larger numbers of students, its tenets and theoretical foundations must be able to withstand close examination, and its proponents cannot conveniently ignore the current theory, knowledge, and research data that do not fit the model.”

Bilingual-bicultural models of literacy education for deaf students: considering the claims -- Mayer and Akamatsu 4 (1): 1 -- The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education

 

[jillio]

Fair enough. I honestly hope the bibi approach succeeds. But from what I have read and understand the jury is still out on that one. And until any approach proves itself as the most suitable for the majority by surviving the scrutney of the professional community, nobody should be making claims that it does.



Bilingual-bicultural models of literacy education for deaf students: considering the claims -- Mayer and Akamatsu 4 (1): 1 -- The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education

The key here is your last bolded statement. That is exactly what the newer research is doing. And it is proving to be supportive of the bi-bi environment. The portion you have posted is not a criticism of the philosophy, but simply a call for more directed research.

 

[flip]

Exactly, Deaf kids born to deaf native signing parents are exposed to a fluent language from the onset whereas deaf children born to non signing hearing parents don't. Many hearing parents may choos a CI for thier child for that exact reason. Exposure to fluent language.

You have been provided with research that shows that parents do not need to be fluent in ASL to get up to par language skills in their deaf children. A minimum of ASL skills is enough. Already forgot that research? You fail to recognize that the citation you try to score points with, does not mention that exposure to fluent ASL skills needs to be within the family. And the last sentence needs to be edited to "Limited exposure to fluent language." for obvious reasons.

 

[rockdrummer]

Literacy is..... probably the MOST important skill ever... on top of everything. Everything is in written form - books, contracts, transcripts, essays, news, etc. If one has a poor literary skill..... he is no better than a person with a great communication skill but a poor literary skill.

Mind you - you're on AD forum..... in textual form. We're all talking to each other.... in textual form. Get it?

Exactly and it's what the article below is about. Considering the claims made of a bilinugual-bicultural model of literacy education for deaf students.

Bilingual-bicultural models of literacy education for deaf students: considering the claims -- Mayer and Akamatsu 4 (1): 1 -- The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education

Give it a read if you have a chance.

 

[jillio]

Bilingual-bicultural models of literacy education for deaf students: considering the claims -- Mayer and Akamatsu 4 (1): 1 -- The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education

This citation is incomplete. Please provide a publication date so the article can be located. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education publishes several times a year, so providing volume and issue is insufficient. They could apply to any year.

We also need to keep in mind that the article is not a research document, but simply an opinion paper and review discussing the need to evaluate actual methodolgy as used within a bi-bi educational environment. Bi-bi is not a methodology, it is a philosophy. The issue being discussed in this review paper is whether a top down approach or a bottom up approach would be the more effective methodology to use in a bi-bi classroom. That is quite another topic altogether.

This journal is a professional journal directed at professionals in the fied. The article cited is a call to professionals to conduct further research regarding the issues of top down and bottom up processing as applied to deaf students. It is not, in and of itself, research.

 

[flip]

Jillio!

I noticed you did comment some grammar errors a couple of posts above this one. I live in a non-speaking english country, so english is a third or fourth language for me. It's been a while ago some evaluated my english, so curious what kind of grammar errors I have in my english? I would be happy to know, as I can't detect this myself, and would be great to know what level my english are at? Pre-school, highschool, or perhaps kindergarten?

 

[Daredevel7]

Bi-bi is not a methodology, it is a philosophy. The issue being discussed in this review paper is whether a top down approach or a bottom up approach would be the more effective methodology to use in a bi-bi classroom. That is quite another topic altogether.

Could you explain what you mean by top down/bottom up approach?

 

[Jiro]

Jillio!

I noticed you did [correct] some grammar errors a couple of posts above this one. I live in a non-speaking english country, so english is a third or fourth language for me. It's been a while [since someone] evaluated [or corrected] my english. so curious what kind of grammar errors I have in my english? I would be happy to know as I can't detect this myself, and would be great to know what level my english are at? Pre-school, highschool, or perhaps kindergarten?

English's your 3rd or 4th language???? I'm impressed. Your English is actually not bad... just a few errors! I'd say your English skill is somewhere between high school to early college level but it's advanced enough! Good job!

What other languages do you know???

 

[jillio]

Jillio!

I noticed you did comment some grammar errors a couple of posts above this one. I live in a non-speaking english country, so english is a third or fourth language for me. It's been a while ago some evaluated my english, so curious what kind of grammar errors I have in my english? I would be happy to know, as I can't detect this myself, and would be great to know what level my english are at? Pre-school, highschool, or perhaps kindergarten?

Given the fact that you live in a non-English speaking country, you grammar is remarkably accurrate. I would say the fact that you have had the advantage of being multi-lingual accounts for that. The largest amount of error is seen in those that are monolingual, and have not been provided a proper model for that single language, or have been unable to learn that singular language in the same way their peers would because the mode restricts the availability.

But I will correct the few errors I saw the same way I would correct for a student who brought this sample to me.

I noticed you corrected some grammar errors a couple of posts above this one. I live in a non-speaking english country, so English is a third or fourth language for me. It's been a while ago that my English was evaluated, so I'm curious. What kind of grammar errors do I have in my English? I would be happy to know, as I can't detect this myself, and would be great to know what level my English is? Pre-school, highschool, or perhaps kindergarten?:

I would place you at a post high school level. The few errors detected could be easily corrected with a couple of simple strategies. The most important thing is that you have excellent comprehension of written English. That would allow you to understand the grammar problems and easily correct them on your own with practice.

 

[Jiro]

Could you explain what you mean by top down/bottom up approach?

Post removed to avoid confusion as I misunderstood this topic. Silly me.

 

[Daredevel7]

It's like this - When you learn something... obviously you gotta start at bottom and then work your way up. That is "bottom-up" approach. Teaching oral/spoken language to deaf children is "Top-Down" approach..... which is a wrong approach - as in... you learned how to run without learning how to crawl first. I do agree with them that ASL should be taught first as first language and that is bottom-up approach.

Hope that clears it up for you!

Thanks but I am still confused... Jillio said top down/bottoms up approach in BiBi philosophy, in the bolded statement above, that sounds like oral only to me. Or is it that they are taught oral first THEN ASL?