Hearing L2 parents and the fluency in sign language communication (language presentation: International Sign) This study investigates the metalinguistic awareness and language skills in sign language of hearing parents of Deaf children in communication and education at home. Knoors and Marschark (2012) stated that reaching ‘fluency’ in sign language communication is a very difficult one for parents of Deaf children as L2 learners. This statement is very interesting and has feeded some discussion about language planning in Deaf Education in the Netherlands. In this study, we will focus on this ‘fluency’. For parents it is essential to develop skills in sign language that will enable them to interact with their Deaf child. They need to know how to adapt their signing to a ‘children’s register’ and use of pedagogical strategies for Deaf children. The use of sign language in parent‐child communication is not only language self but has a role in pedagogical tools. In order to obtain relevant information in depth Sign Languages assessments, semi‐structured interviews and empirical based surveys with ten Dutch parents were conducted. Those parents all have CI‐children between 7 and 13 years old and do use sign language in daily communication. They have finished same regular sign languages learning courses and do have same level of communication. In assessments before starting the course they did show a communication level that was not adequate to age‐based communication of their children. Remarkable findings were that they did have a very small lexicon, didn’t know how to use this lexicon in pragmatically settings, didn’t know how they could produce sentences in inventive way and underestimated their language skills. Also they reported continuous frustrations in daily communication with their Deaf children. In the examination period they attend new sign language courses following new curriculum, which has a strong focus on communicative language strategies and metalinguistic acquisition. In those new courses the CEFRL (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is imbedded. The CEFRL regards language users as social agents who develop general and particular communicative competences while trying to achieve their everyday goals. For parents it is essential to develop skills in sign language that will enable them to interact with their child. During and after the new courses we measured remarkable developments of communication and interaction skills in those parents. Also their inventiveness to produce signs and sentences in depth was increased. The length of sentences transferred from 3‐signs sentences to sentences with more signs included. Variation in lexicon usage enlarged. Parents themselves reported that their frustrations did decline and knowledge of linguistic tools at home was expanded. They could use linguistic tools faster than before to produce signs and sentences. They could anticipate more and faster in daily interaction with their child. As L2 learner they reported more self‐
esteem and experienced pleasant family interchanges. Our study has provided that it is important to enhance sign language courses and curriculum for parents to a higher level so that the needed ‘fluency’ can be reached in relative easy way for L2 parents.