Deaf Minority Students:
Communication Development in
Trilingual/Tricultural Children
CDS 531
Special Topic Presentation
Spring 2004
Tara Jane Schoop
Research Questions
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How do deaf minority children acquire
language and develop communication
skills?
What can we do as educators to help
children and families face language
barriers and cultural barriers?
Language Acquisition
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For the “normal” child…
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Language is not taught, it is acquired
We acquire language through…
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Interactions with caregivers
Meaningful experiences
Repetition over time
Second Language Learners
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Best way to learn a second language is the
same way you learned the first
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Interactions with people you care about
Meaningful experiences
If learned in an educational setting you
probably won’t be as fluent
Example: six weeks in Mexico is more
valuable than six months in Spanish class
Easier to learn a second language if you are
fluent in the first
D/HH Second Language Learners
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Make up over 40% of the D/HH school
aged population
Less likely to be successful in school
than a child facing either of these
characteristics alone
More likely to be labeled LD or MR
Communication Mode

Majority of programs for D/HH use sign
and speech
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Therefore, families need to become
trilingual
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English
Spanish
Sign Language
Early Identification and
Amplification Challenges
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Hispanic children are usually identified
after critical language acquisition period
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Not until they come to U.S.
May not understand doctors, or be able to
convey concerns
Doctors may assume a developmental
delay
Can’t pay for services
Lack of hearing aid usage in native country
Strategies for working with
families: Empowering parents
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Provide a linguistically and culturally
appropriate professional
Provide an interpreter and translate printed
information
Don’t require the family to use English
Work with family strengths (large support
system, strong religious faith)
Provide support groups and/or parent
education groups
Provide transportation and child care
Strategies for the classroom
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Set high expectations
Promote collaboration and cooperation
Promote good self esteem
Encourage parent and community
involvement (diverse role models)
Use multicultural literature and materials
Use a variety of assessment/evaluation
methods
Provide leadership opportunities
Model Program
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Kathee Christensen 1985
Conceptual Sign Language as a Bridge
Between English and Spanish
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Why it works…
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Iconic
Kinesthetic reinforcement
Not syntax-bound
Why it doesn’t work…
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Fingerspelling
Idioms
Conceptual Sign Language
Acquisition (Christensen, 1986)
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Trilingual televised series to teach Hispanic
families conceptual sign language
Results:
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Parents who watched the most learned the most
86.7% of participants improved their conceptual
sign language skills
Some improved their English through incidental
learning
So What?
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What we can learn from the study
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Parents are motivated to help their children and
will do what they feel is best for their children
If provided with a televised series, at no charge, in
the home, parents will watch it and learn from it
Next Question

If we had provided a televised series that taught
them English, would the results be any different?
References
Christensen, K. M. (2000). Emerging literacy in bilingual/multicultural
education of children who are deaf: A communication-based
perspective. In K. M. Christensen (Eds.), Deaf plus: A multicultural
perspective (pp. 41-58). San Diego: Dawn Sign Press.
Christensen, K. M. (1990). Thinking about thinking: A discussion of the
development and language in deaf children. American Annals of the
Deaf, 135(3), 222-226.
Christensen, K. M. (1986). Conceptual sign language acquisition by
Spanish-speaking parents of hearing impaired children. American
Annals of the Deaf, 131(4), 285-287.
Christensen, K. M. (1985). Conceptual sign language as a bridge between
English and Spanish. American Annals of the Deaf, 130(3), 244-249.
Deaf Education Website and Resource. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23,
2004, from: http://www.deafed.net/publisheddcocs/010123b.htm
References Continued
Gallaudet University. (n.d.). Preparing teachers for deaf students from
linguistically diverse families. Retrieved February 23, 2004, from the
Deaf Education Web site:
http://www.deafed.net/publisheddocs/prepteachers.ppt
Gerner de Garcia, B. (2000). Meeting the needs of Hispanic/Latino deaf
students. In K. M. Christensen (Eds.), Deaf plus: A multicultural
perspective (pp. 41-58). San Diego: Dawn Sign Press.
MacNeil, B. (1990). Educational needs for multicultural hearing-impaired
students in the public school system. American Annals of the Deaf,
135(2), 75-82.
University of Illinois, Champaign, Early Childhood Research Institute.
(1997). Creating a multicultural school climate for deaf children and
their families. Retrieved February 23, 2004, from the Culturally and
Linguistically Appropriate Services Web site:
http://www.clas.uiuc.edu/fulltext/c100211/c100211.html
Walker-Vann, C. (1998). Profiling Hispanic deaf students: A first step
toward solving the greater problems. American Annals of the Deaf,
143(1), 46-54.