| Unit name | Bilingual Development in Deaf Children at Home and at School |
|---|---|
| Unit code | DEAFM1012 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Jim Kyle |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Centre for Deaf Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit aims to provide students with a broad understanding of the processes of becoming bilingual, growing up bilingual, and the educational implications of a bilingual classroom. These issues will be placed within a context which has come to be known as Sign Bilingualism. Theories of Bilingualism and the extensive research literature have significance for the development of the Deaf child at school, where sign language and spoken/written language are used. Research data indicates the benefits of heritage teaching in a bilingual framework. At the same time, advances in knowledge of early interaction and sign language acquisition offer a basis for early communication with the Deaf child at home.
