Oral/Aural
Despite the decisions handed down at the 2010 ICED Conference in Vancouver, and the continued efforts of the Deaf Community for the use of ASL in the classroom, the oral/aural method is still the predominant method of instruction for Deaf children in the Canadian school system. The following excerpt is taken from https://sites.google.com/site/mychildisdeaf/activities/oral-aural-method :
Despite the decisions handed down at the 2010 ICED Conference in Vancouver, and the continued efforts of the Deaf Community for the use of ASL in the classroom, the oral/aural method is still the predominant method of instruction for Deaf children in the Canadian school system. The following excerpt is taken from https://sites.google.com/site/mychildisdeaf/activities/oral-aural-method :
Oral deaf education is one that is family focused and extremely collaborative when it comes to the decisions in your child's education. Providing your child with the best education, the oralism method works diligently toward preparing your child to function normally and effectively in the predominant hearing world, by providing them with life-skills and a language base. The oral method takes what residual hearing your child has left and pairs it with today's state of the art listening technologies. The oral method discourages the use of sign language believing the only acceptable response is speech. Unlike other approaches, the oral method not only fosters auditory and speaking skills, but also visual skills in terms of learning to speech read. This enables your child to take visual cues from the speaker's lips to help them decode the spoken language. Each education is tailored specifically towards your child's needs with the intention of standing behind your child and helping them to achieve their desire of hearing sounds and being able to speak for himself or herself. The ultimate goal of this approach is to have your child mainstreamed in their regular school after having finished a deaf or hard of hearing special education."
Among the hearing majority, the oral/aural method of Deaf Education is generally seen as the ideal. Hearing parents of Deaf children anticipate that their children will be able to become as "normal" as possible by (theoretically) learning to speak, read lips, and possibly progress into the use of medically 'approved' technologies such as cochlear implants or FM systems. Children are integrated into classrooms with hearing children (usually as the only Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual). This is once again seen as preferable by the hearing majority, as the general thought is that the Deaf/HoH child will be included as an equal, among their peers, and not isolated and 'pulled away' from the hearing community.
ASL
Availability of opinions regarding the ASL method of instruction is not easily found online. However, the Canadian Association of the Deaf outlines their position on Deaf Education and the use of ASL in classrooms with the following entry, found at http://www.cad.ca/education.php:
Availability of opinions regarding the ASL method of instruction is not easily found online. However, the Canadian Association of the Deaf outlines their position on Deaf Education and the use of ASL in classrooms with the following entry, found at http://www.cad.ca/education.php:
The Canadian Association of the Deaf believes that the first and foremost need of the deaf child is a language which he/she can master easily, quickly, and comfortably; only then will the child have the linguistic tools to effectively master a second language, e.g., English or French. Research clearly shows that Deaf students with high levels of ASL/LSQ proficiency attain high levels of English/French literacy. This supports the argument for bilingual education: strengthening the students’ first and most accessible language will support their learning of English/French.
There is no credible research whatsoever in support of claims that learning Sign will interfere with the acquisition of spoken/written language. On the contrary, everything known about early language acquisition supports the use of Sign as a first language, even for babies, and even for non-Deaf children.
The success of the disability rights movement in closing down “institutes for the handicapped” and integrating children with disabilities into normal classrooms has unfortunately led educators, government policy advisors, and the medical professions to assume integration is the best option for all disabilities. In the case of deaf children, this is not true. For deaf children, the regular school is often not “the most enabling environment”; rather, it is “the least enabling environment”
Readers are encouraged to view the full article outlining the C.A.D.'s position on Deaf Education at http://www.cad.ca/education.php.
The ASL method of instruction, as well as participation in exclusively Deaf schools, is considered the ideal by the Deaf Community and a select hearing minority. Deaf and Hard of Hearing children are exposed to a ASL-only environment (or in some cases, oral method is employed in certain classroom settings), and immersed in classes with fellow Deaf/HoH students. Classes are generally smaller than those in the hearing community, and set up in a way that supports the use of ASL- semi-circular formation of desks, a great deal of visually stimulating paraphernalia throughout the classroom, and classrooms outfitted with Deaf-friendly alert systems. In an ASL environment such as this, communication between the Deaf students and their teachers is not an issue- they share a common form of communication that is accessible to all. They are also exposed to the Deaf Community and culture, allowing them to form their identity as a Deaf individual.
The ASL method of instruction, as well as participation in exclusively Deaf schools, is considered the ideal by the Deaf Community and a select hearing minority. Deaf and Hard of Hearing children are exposed to a ASL-only environment (or in some cases, oral method is employed in certain classroom settings), and immersed in classes with fellow Deaf/HoH students. Classes are generally smaller than those in the hearing community, and set up in a way that supports the use of ASL- semi-circular formation of desks, a great deal of visually stimulating paraphernalia throughout the classroom, and classrooms outfitted with Deaf-friendly alert systems. In an ASL environment such as this, communication between the Deaf students and their teachers is not an issue- they share a common form of communication that is accessible to all. They are also exposed to the Deaf Community and culture, allowing them to form their identity as a Deaf individual.