Bilingualism
Sign language has a very different syntax to written English, so its users may be learning two languages at the same time during their school years.
English can be the second language in this case, which means literacy in deaf children and adults need more work and sustained practice to develop.
Bilingualism (simultaneous teaching of sign language AND English) is used to solve this issue at some schools in the Nordic countries.
Ireland’s Model School for the Deaf in Dublin closed in the Noughties. This school taught children primarily in ISL with English as a second language.
Gallaudet University in the US also promotes bilingualism: a 2007 research project was entitled Bilingualism in International Deaf Education.
In the US, educational software is widely used to teach bilingualism.
This gives Irish (and British) software companies an untapped opportunity to publish sign language teaching materials and school curriculum support.
Interactive software and animated, web-based avatars (characters) are also emerging in the US to support real-world and virtual teaching.
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Please send all feedback to info@irishdeafkids.ie .