Teaching Vietnamese For Deaf Children By Sign Language: Issues And Solutions

Author: Do Thi Hien (Institute of Linguistics, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences)
Speaker: Do Thi Hien
Topic: Language socialization
The (SCOPUS / ISI) SOAS GLOCAL CALA 2019 General Session

Abstract

Civilization of human society has achieved great development, improving life quality. However, there is still a part of society, due to their disabilities, having to suffer from grave disadvantages. There are many causes leading to this phenomenon which cannot be completely eliminated in spite of several scientific advancements. Education, raising cultural awareness and vocational training for people with disabilities are considered effective solutions for them to lead a fun and meaningful life, especially children. To these children, having a chance to go to school has always been a passionate longing. Language obstacles lead to communication difficulties which in turn make them unable to achieve decent academic results. Therefore, in this article, we deal with the process of teaching sign language for deaf children starting at the first grade, to bring a brighter future for them. Like the impact of natural language on normal children, sign language also plays a crucial role in the linguistic development of deaf children. So, how do we teach deaf children sign language? Is the teaching of sign language for deaf children the same as that for normal children? Deafness can be caused by congenital abnormalities or post-natal infectious diseases (such as pneumonia, etc. Many 6-8 year-olds go to school when they do not acquire enough language to study so they have to learn language for two years. In this article, from the specific characteristics of deaf and dumb children and the survey results in school centres, we discuss the factors that influence the effectiveness of language teaching for deaf children.

Keywords: teaching, sign language, deaf children