Becoming Bilingual: Facilitating English Literacy Development Using ASL in PreSchool
Metalinguistic Awareness
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Becoming Bilingual: Facilitating English Literacy Development Using ASL in PreSchool Metalinguistic Awareness |
About the Authors Introduction Emerging Literacy Metalinguistic Awareness Shared Storybook Experiences Writing Development Conclusion References Sharing Ideas Home Page |
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For the purposes of this discussion, metalinguistic awareness will be defined as the process of thinking about and reflecting on the nature and functions of language (Pratt & Grieve, 1984); including knowledge about the demands of different language and literacy events and beliefs about oneself and others as language users (Rowe & Harste, 1986). The metalinguistic processes —the processes by which we reflect upon or become conscious observers of language use—of both the children and the teacher need to be considered. Since we are focusing on children five or six years of age and under, we are not suggesting providing them with detailed explanations about ASL or English grammar. We are instead taking the Vygotskian (1962) perspective which holds that many everyday skills, including language skills, develop spontaneously without conscious awareness of what is involved and that awareness of that skill (metalinguistic awareness) can only develop once the skill has been acquired. This perspective, coupled with the unique language learning situation of most deaf children, indicates that any exposure to metalinguistic development during the preschool years be indirect and in the form of language development, language play and enrichment opportunities. For example, very young deaf children could play sign games which involve copying signs, rhythmic signing activities, copying signs that use a particular handshape, and possibly simple ASL poetry. Older preschool children enjoy more complex sign games such as thinking of signs that use a particular handshape (related to the alphabet or number signs, for example), composing stories using only one handshape, and playing with signs in a creative way, such as variations on the children's name signs. Opportunities to enhance metalinguistic awareness, particularly as it relates to the developing awareness of ASL and English as two separate languages, can also appear as those "teachable moments" that often occur during a class discussion or other lesson format. Some of our students have shown an emerging sense of metalinguistic awareness through inquiries about the languages to which they have been exposed. In our experience, these children are usually between four and five years of age. Some examples of these inquiries include noticing and asking about punctuation in a written English sentence, commenting on or correcting someone's sign choice (which led to a discussion of the variety of signs that could be used to convey a specific concept), and a brief explanation by the teacher about word order in a written English sentence that emerged within the context of a class discussion. Another example related to metalinguistic awareness has to do with students' attempts to connect English letters with ASL signs on an alphabet chart. Often alphabet charts include the upper and lower case letters, a picture of an English word that begins with that letter, and the appropriate handshape for the letter; i.e., 'Aa', a picture of an apple, and the handshape A. Some charts include the written word but many do not. By not including the word on the chart, the connection between the letter, the word, and the handshape is missing and sometimes confuses the students because the handshape for the sign is often not the same as the handshape for the English word depicted on the alphabet chart. Even if the word is included on the chart, the students still may not make the appropriate connections on their own. For example, the English word 'apple' begins with 'a' but the sign itself is made with an X handshape (no word was provided on the chart). In an attempt to make sense of this situation, some four and five year old students were observed signing APPLE with an A handshape. This prompted an explanation by the teacher that included distinguishing between the two languages. She corrected the child, explaining that the word begins with an A but the sign uses a handshape that is not related to the initial letter of the English word. Although she did not explicitly explain that there were two languages involved, she provided the exposure to this concept within a naturally occurring classroom event. The last example of ways to facilitate metalinguistic awareness in this bilingual situation occurred within the context of a discussion about Fall. The teacher wrote the word on the blackboard, fingerspelled it and pointed out that this one word could be signed in many different ways, depending on its intended usage. The appropriate meaning of the word "fall" in this situation was the season Fall and the sign for that meaning should be used. If the word meant "a person falling down," a different sign would be used, although the word would remain the same. She also pointed out that in this case, signing was less ambiguous than the printed word. Research in the development of metalinguistic awareness in deaf preschoolers could provide us with useful information as to when and how deaf children develop the knowledge that they are in a bilingual situation and how this knowledge contributes to growth in both languages. The role of the adult in facilitating the development of such awareness is another area that needs to be explored. It is important for teachers of deaf children who are working in a bilingual situation to have a clear understanding of when and how to use ASL and English. Research suggests that this is not always the case (Mather, 1987; Woodward & Allen, 1987). If teachers are confused or unaware of aspects of the languages we are using, providing clear guidance for our students will be difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, becoming more aware of our own metalinguistic processes in regard to the languages and thought processes we use while teaching may help us understand exactly why we do what we do when we teach. For example, teachers' explicit understanding of the rules of ASL and English can help them provide appropriate language models and opportunities for language learning. |
Contact Sidney Lasry
with comments or suggestions about this web page.Last modified October 3, 1997 Copyright © 1997 All Rights Reserved Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
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