TABLE 4 - uploaded by Russell S. Rosen
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Percentage of Students in ASL Classes for Foreign Language Credit Identified as Special Education Students, by State, for the School Year 2004-2005 

Percentage of Students in ASL Classes for Foreign Language Credit Identified as Special Education Students, by State, for the School Year 2004-2005 

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Article
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The last 2 decades witnessed a growth in American Sign Language (ASL) as a foreign language in U.S. secondary schools. This overview of the current state of ASL as a foreign language in the schools consists of a history and a survey. The information on history was drawn from a study conducted by Rosen (2006). This history is followed by a national...

Context in source publication

Context 1
... to respondents' comments in National 13 the survey, ASL courses attracted a relatively high percentage of special education students with deafness and learning and physical disabilities. Table 4 shows the percentage of special education students taking ASL classes for foreign language credit. The figures were only for the school year [2004][2005]. ...

Citations

... Despite the rapid growth of formal American Sign Language (ASL) instruction [1,2], much of the field continues to rely on trial-and-error instruction rather than pedagogically informed evidence-based practices [3][4][5]. Complete professionalization of the field has been hindered by a lack of specialized training for many instructors [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11], particularly in K-12 contexts [3]. It is estimated that only 25% of ASL teachers have specialized certifications and training for teaching ASL [8], and historically, most have relied upon anecdotal ideas, rather than pedagogically informed instructional decision-making [3][4][5]. ...
... Complete professionalization of the field has been hindered by a lack of specialized training for many instructors [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11], particularly in K-12 contexts [3]. It is estimated that only 25% of ASL teachers have specialized certifications and training for teaching ASL [8], and historically, most have relied upon anecdotal ideas, rather than pedagogically informed instructional decision-making [3][4][5]. Although formal instructional standards for learning ASL as a non-native language were developed by the American Sign Language Teachers Association (ASLTA) over a decade ago [12] no known research has followed up on their actual implementation in classrooms and curricula. ...
... One participant suggested that many teachers of deaf and hard-of-hearing students become burnt out with their overwhelming responsibilities and transition to teaching ASL, particularly online, with the mindset that it will be easier. Thus, the concerns of ASL teacher quality, in content expertise, experience, and credentials, continue to be very relevant [5,8]. ...
Article
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In the past five years, the number of virtual American Sign Language (ASL) classes has dramatically increased from being a novel option to being a common course delivery mode across the country. Yet, little is known regarding virtual ASL course design and the implementation of evidence-based practices. Overarchingly, this programmatic case study sought insight from a small population of experienced virtual ASL teachers who had been teaching ASL online prior to the crisis teaching phenomenon that has laid the foundation for virtual ASL as it stands today. More specifically, the qualitative design utilized questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, member checks, and document reviews of five teachers who had been teaching ASL virtually to K-12 students prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rich qualitative data, analyzed through directed and summative content analysis, revealed many themes specific to virtual ASL education, including differences from traditional ASL instruction, specific job responsibilities, limitations, advantages, disadvantages, and suggestions for improvement. Additionally, aligning with previous literature, we explored teacher, student, and programmatic characteristics that were perceived to be conducive to virtual students’ success. Finally, all participants expressed broader concerns that continue to exist in the field of ASL education. Implications for stakeholders, including K-12 ASL students, their families, teachers, administrators, and teacher training programs are addressed, followed by suggestions for future research.
... Организирането на учебния процес налага регистриране на някои особености на жестовите езици. Повечето автори подкрепят идеята, че жестовите езици трябва да се изучават като чужди езици (Battison & Carter, 1981;Rosen, 2008). БЖЕ все още не фигурира като учебен предмет за изучаване в България. ...
... While not unheard of, it is far less common today to have to argue about the status of a sign language as a "real" language. There is a growing acceptance of sign languages not only as the community languages of the deaf, but also as appropriate languages for study -comparable to other foreign languages -for hearing people (see Miller 2008;Rosen 2008Rosen , 2010. At the same time, gaining official status in many countries has not meant a meaningful guarantee of equal access for the deaf to all social institutions, and indeed, often not even to appropriate educational experiences for deaf children. ...
Article
Following the publication of William Stokoe’s Sign Language Structure in 1960, there was a proliferation of linguistic research addressing different aspects of sign languages. The emergence of this research had implications not only for linguistics as an academic discipline, but also for the deaf community itself. One area in which the study of sign languages and the growing activism of deaf communities overlapped in powerful ways was in calls for the official recognition of sign languages – that is, with respect to status planning. In addition to status planning, there have also been clear examples of corpus planning, acquisition planning, and prestige planning with respect to sign languages. Although efforts to engage in language planning for sign languages, and to develop and implement language policies for such languages, share many characteristics with language planning targeting spoken languages, in other ways they are quite distinctive. In this article, an overview of language planning and policy for sign languages is provided, followed by discussions of the linguistic human rights of sign language users and the role of language policies for sign languages in efforts to ensure civil rights for deaf individuals and communities.
... Hearing persons have expanding opportunities to learn a signed language through direct instruction (De Meulder, 2019) at the secondary (Rosen, 2008) and postsecondary levels (Looney & Lusin, 2019). For example, Looney and Lusin (2019) documented tremendous growth in postsecondary-level ASL course-taking and reported over 100,000 students enrolled in an introductory or advanced ASL course in the Fall 2016 semester alone. ...
Article
An empirical estimate of how many deaf and hard-of-hearing persons use sign language in the USA was obtained a half-century ago, but no study has measured how many people sign regardless of deafness. This study estimated the number of deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing adult signers. Concatenation of the 2010-2018 National Health Interview Surveys was required to provide sufficient sample size. Unadjusted and age-by-sex-adjusted sign language use prevalence across the range of hearing acuity was estimated. Adult sign language use was substantial (2.80%), with its rate of use greater for women than men and younger adults than older adults. As a group, deaf respondents had a far higher rate of sign language use than any other hearing acuity group. This study provides the first empirical estimate of adult sign language use generally, and the first update of any sign language use estimate in a half-century.
... Hearing persons have expanding opportunities to learn a signed language through direct instruction (De Meulder, 2019) at the secondary (Rosen, 2008) and postsecondary levels (Looney & Lusin, 2019). For example, Looney and Lusin (2019) documented tremendous growth in postsecondary-level ASL course-taking and reported over 100,000 students enrolled in an introductory or advanced ASL course in the Fall 2016 semester alone. ...
Technical Report
Full-text available
An empirical estimate of how many deaf and hard-of-hearing persons use sign language in the USA was obtained a half-century ago, but no study has measured how many people sign regardless of deafness. This study estimated the number of deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing adult signers. Concatenation of the 2010–2018 National Health Interview Surveys was required to provide sufficient sample size. Unadjusted and age-by-sex-adjusted sign language use prevalence across the range of hearing acuity was estimated. Adult sign language use was substantial (2.80%), with its rate of use greater for women than men and younger adults than older adults. As a group, deaf respondents had a far higher rate of sign language use than any other hearing acuity group. This study provides the first empirical estimate of adult sign language use generally, and the first update of any sign language use estimate in a half-century.
... Most of the available curricula, teaching materials and research studies from other countries were focused on hearing adult L2 learners of a SL (COOPER et al., 2011;QUINTO-POZOS, 2011;TAUB et al., 2008;WILCOX, WILCOX, 1997). There were very few curricula designed for children learning a SL as a L2 in schools (ROSEN, 2008;. For L1 learners of SLs, the writing team were only able to source a handful of curricula to review (Finnish National Board of Education, 2004;2014 (JOHNSTON, 1989). ...
Article
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Australia’s education system has historically been premised on state and territory-based curricula, until the development of a national curriculum in each learning area, released in stages from 2014. This paper will discuss the curriculum development process for the Auslan curriculum in the Languages learning area, which delivered an endorsed blueprint for the formal teaching and learning of Auslan in Australian schools from 2017. Unique features of the curriculum will be outlined, such as the dual-pathways for first and second language learners of Auslan, and the different sequence entry points, specifically designed to meet the needs of deaf children in both the early primary school years, as well as those who are late learners of a first language, entering secondary school with limited spoken and/or signed language later in childhood. The paper will provide an overview of the structure and content of the curriculum and the nature of the learners, and conclude with some of the opportunities and challenges arising from this initiative, such as the ongoing lack of quality resources that exist for its day-to-day implementation in schools nation-wide.
... • The teachers should have a training in teaching / interpreting SL and should promote social networks and the use of SL in the right situations (Rosen, 2008). Hathazi and Rosan (2019) state the importance of cultural and social aspects that need to be considered, but also the need for individualization regarding teacher training. ...
Article
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The current paper displays the first part of a study regarding a Romanian Sign Language Curriculum developed for university students. Our approach is rooted in the communication theories and adopted a sociolinguistic framework. In the initial part of the article, we have discussed the basic components of Sign Language pedagogy in terms of language structure and teaching competence. The theoretical framework presents an analytical review of the main theories which were used in designing a Sign Language curriculum. Based on this literature review we engaged in our study by creating the necessary educational resources and by planning a Romanian curriculum. The second part of this article describes the focus-groups and the main framework that was used to deliver the training and to assess the participants. The results presented here are just a part of the study that is still ongoing until the end of 2021.
... The following is an examination of how language ideologies ascertained the location of ASL in the American education system and how changing ideologies over time precipitated the movement of ASL from its initial location in deaf education as a language of the deaf, its trajectory across political and cultural contexts, and its arrival in general education as a foreign language for general education students who are mainly hearing. This study builds on several studies conducted by Rosen (2008Rosen ( , 2015. Earlier studies (Rosen 2008) provided data on the number and distribution of classes and programs in ASL as a foreign language in American public secondary schools. ...
... This study builds on several studies conducted by Rosen (2008Rosen ( , 2015. Earlier studies (Rosen 2008) provided data on the number and distribution of classes and programs in ASL as a foreign language in American public secondary schools. Rosen (2008Rosen ( , 2015 provided information on the schools, education departments, and the federal and state laws on ASL as a foreign language at the secondary schools. ...
... Earlier studies (Rosen 2008) provided data on the number and distribution of classes and programs in ASL as a foreign language in American public secondary schools. Rosen (2008Rosen ( , 2015 provided information on the schools, education departments, and the federal and state laws on ASL as a foreign language at the secondary schools. This study added information on the ideological factors that were gleaned from the documents by federal and state education officials that justified and initiated the inclusion of ASL in the public foreign language education curriculum. ...
Article
Full-text available
American Sign Language has been used at schools and programs for signing deaf and hard of hearing students in US history. Recently, American Sign Language (ASL) was offered as a foreign language to students who speak and hear for foreign language credit at American secondary schools. The movement of the language from its place in deaf education to one of the foreign languages taught in public general education is due to changing ideologies about ASL as a language and as a foreign language. Studies in spoken foreign language ideologies in education presumed ties between languages and national and sub-national ethnic and migrant language groups. No national and sub-national ethnic and migrant language groups have sign language as their mother tongue or are dominated by a signing populace. It raises theoretical issues in foreign language ideology, education, and sign language. Theoretical implications of this study for foreign language ideologies in education are discussed.
... Second-language acquisition.-In recent years, there has been increased research interest regarding second-language acquisition of sign languages (Chen Pichler et al. 2019;Geer & Keane 2017;Rosen 2004Rosen , 2008; for an overview, see Chen Pichler & Koulidobrova 2016). The focus of such research is often on areas of the new modality that are considered to be most difficult for learners of a second language in a second modality, such as handshape discrimination, which is a salient component of sign language phonology. ...
Article
Natural sign languages of deaf communities are acquired on the same time scale as that of spoken languages if children have access to fluent signers providing input from birth. Infants are sensitive to linguistic information provided visually, and early milestones show many parallels. The modality may affect various areas of language acquisition; such effects include the form of signs (sign phonology), the potential advantage presented by visual iconicity, and the use of spatial locations to represent referents, locations, and movement events. Unfortunately, the vast majority of deaf children do not receive accessible linguistic input in infancy, and these children experience language deprivation. Negative effects on language are observed when first-language acquisition is delayed. For those who eventually begin to learn a sign language, earlier input is associated with better language and academic outcomes. Further research is especially needed with a broader diversity of participants. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Linguistics, Volume 7 is January 14, 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
... Cooper, Reisman, and Watson (2008) point out that there are no professional journals that support sign language instruction as a discipline; however, they also note that such a journal is not yet warranted, as much of the relevant data on ASL pedagogy is neither published nor derived from empirical study. Rosen (2010) agrees that there are few, if any, empirical studies of ASL L2 pedagogies, while Quinto-Pozos (2011) similarly calls for a systematic examination of teaching Vol. 10, 2019 ...
... Consequently, ASL teachers have varying experiences with ASL in addition to different knowledge of language pedagogy and linguistics (Cooper, Reisman, & Watson, 2008). Rosen (2010) argues that the inconsistencies amongst ASL curricula and curricula adoption raises questions about teachers' understanding of second-language acquisition principles, curriculum development, and instructional strategies. Moreover, a significant proportion of the signing community is hearing -children of deaf adults, interpreters, parents and teachers of deaf children, spouses, friends, and colleagues of deaf people, and so on -many of whom are fluent signers themselves, which complicates the deaf signer as the primary and/or sole expert. ...
Article
This article draws on translanguaging theory and research to consider a common pedagogical practice in American Sign Language (ASL) as a second language (L2) classroom, the No Voice policy (i.e., spoken language use is forbidden). The No Voice policy serves important cultural and practical purposes, but by nature limits learners’ access to their entire linguistic repertoire, which raises questions about the overall impact of the policy on learners’ language development. Current literature about pedagogical translanguaging has not yet addressed practices that integrate (and, by extension, limit) selective modalities; we evaluate this gap and propose several directions for future research on the topic.Moreover, previous discussions of translanguaging practices involving recognized minority (e.g., Basque, Welsh, Irish) spoken languages are not wholly comparable to sign languages, which are not yet official or fully recognized languages in most countries and are therefore additionally vulnerable.We take into account the impact of ASL L2 learners on the language community, as many learners go on to become interpreters and allies to the deaf community. Keywords: American Sign Language as a second language, hearing adult learners, selective modality, pedagogical translanguaging, minority language