Primary school headteachers are being urged to roll out sign language lessons to all of their pupils in a bid to improve standards.Says who?
Debbie Reynolds, who runs the School of Sign, Blackburn…Ah. Right. Not like she’s got a vested interest then, I suppose?
… said that children without hearing impediments who learn British Sign Language improve their literacy skills.I’ve got a sign for you, Debbie:
3 comments:
Schools are having to look increasingly closely at how they spend their budgets, sign language tutors, diversity outreach co-ordinators et al are beginning to be seen much more of a "nice to have" unless they can be used in other roles as well - I suspect this lady is fearful of having to try and run a class of 30 with real targets to meet instead of her cosy one-to-one .... just my opinion of course.
setting aside the rent-seeking aspects I can think of at least one "selling point" of BSL, especially to little uns - gives 'em a way of communicating with each other silently in class, and has the added benefit that outside of class they will be able to use it in all sorts of situations where most adults and teens will have simply no idea what they are "saying" to each other .. and "extended" BSL contains some handy 'dissing and cursing' gestures which I am sure they would discover and start using quite quickly.
As to the "increasing literacy" angle - BSL and other "sign languages" by their nature have limitations, so the same "sign" can have multiple meanings, with the actual intended meaning of the sign being used being understood heavily depending on both/all parties knowing the "context" in which it is being used.
" I suspect this lady is fearful of having to try and run a class of 30 with real targets to meet instead of her cosy one-to-one..."
I suspect you're right!
"... they will be able to use it in all sorts of situations where most adults and teens will have simply no idea what they are "saying" to each other ..."
Now, I wonder if anyone's thought of that?
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