Teaching Sign Language and the Culture of the Deaf
Teaching Sign Language and the Culture of the Deaf
The main objectives of this project were to raise
awareness on European deaf culture, illustrate
teaching methods for deaf students, and introduce
the theory behind sign language. The course was
aimed at reaching those with experience in sign
language but without formal teaching qualifi cations.
The opportunity to study in one’s own native language is
vital for free and equal access to education. To this end,
the project hoped to develop educational materials that
would give deaf instructors and teachers an opportunity
to advance their professional skills. The project included
two test courses titled “Teaching and Sign Language” and
the “Culture of the Deaf”. During the fi rst test course, all
the lectures and workshops were interpreted in the fi ve
national sign languages of the partner countries involved.
The second test course was given in International Sign
Language to off er an alternative educational perspective
on the same subjects to a diff erent target group.
An intranet site was developed for the continued
networking of partners and course participants, and
high-quality visual and multilingual teaching materials
were created to support the test courses. In addition, the
project’s materials were accessible through an interactive
DVD. Press releases, leafl ets, seminar presentations, articles,
and the Internet were all used to spread the information
developed by the project.
The training course included a preparatory phase during
which all relevant course materials were provided to
participants in advance. During the follow-up phase, the
students took part in discussions about subjects provided
on the intranet. The course can be viewed in several
sign- and written-language versions. Besides off ering
a broad selection of materials for teaching and learning
sign language, the disc also contains unique ideas for
cross-linguistic research. There is a strong potential for
the materials developed in the project to be used in other
applications, as was originally intended by its developers.
The success and depth of the project is illustrative of the
active contribution from all members of the partnership.
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