Dead Education in Italy: Formulating Methods to Increase Literacy Among the Deaf Population

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2006
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Swarthmore College. Dept. of Linguistics
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Thesis (B.A.)
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en_US
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Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.
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Abstract
This thesis sets out to examine the ways in which using an all sign language approach can help increase literacy among Deaf children in an enrichment setting in Italy. The children are fifth grade students mainstreamed at the local elementary school in a mostly oral education program with a little Total Communication instruction from an assistant. By working with no more than two children at any given time in an after-school setting, proven literacy methods for hearing students are used along with other new methods in an effort to increase the level of literacy in the children participating in the the study. While neither child is a native sign language user, the sign language is still the most easy to use and best understood language for instruction for the children. Aside from using games and activities to activate the children's interest in learning the workings of the written language, other techniques involving all forms of literacy are used with mixed success. In the end, the most effective lessons were the ones in which the pace of the lesson was tailored especially for the students delivered in a modified Total Communication approach by using the written language simultaneously with sign language instruction. By illustrating the differences between the two languages throughout our lessons, the children were able to better understand the written language without using the oral language for instruction.
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