Grammar pilot helping deaf people

Miss-Delectable

Miss-Delectable

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BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West | Grammar pilot helping deaf people

A new approach to teaching English-language reading and writing skills to deaf people is delivering "immensely promising" results, a charity has said. Glasgow-based, Deaf Connections, is the first organisation in Europe to pilot Manipulative Visual Language (MVL).

The system makes use of coded "tactile wooden blocks" to symbolise different aspects of English grammar, which deaf people can find difficult to grasp.

Trials of MVL began in January on 12 deaf people from Glasgow.

So far, the results have impressed literacy tutor, Lucy Cole, who is overseeing the project.

"Basically, it can be very difficult for people who are deaf to grasp the grammatical rules underpinning English language," she said.

'Grammatical concepts'

"The MVL system breaks down this difficulty and addresses the unique learning needs of our profoundly deaf literacy students.

"Many people who are born deaf and have grown up pre-lingually deaf use British Sign Language as their first language and this may have huge implications on their English language development.

"BSL is very different from English in relation to grammatical concepts and structures."

MVL was developed over the past decade by Jimmy Challis Gore, a professor at Gallaudet University in Washington DC, and Rob Gillies, a teacher at the Governor Baxter School for the deaf in Maine.
 
I have taught using that curriculm...unfortunately the state wont approve of buying it for our program cuz it is very very very expensive. Of course, money comes first before the deaf children's needs with the politicians. :roll:

It is a great great writing program so if any parents are concerned with their deaf children's writing skills and can afford it, maybe get a group of parents and sponsors together to help buy this program for your child's deaf education program.
 
shel90 said:
I have taught using that curriculm...unfortunately the state wont approve of buying it for our program cuz it is very very very expensive. Of course, money comes first before the deaf children's needs with the politicians. :roll:

It is a great great writing program so if any parents are concerned with their deaf children's writing skills and can afford it, maybe get a group of parents and sponsors together to help buy this program for your child's deaf education program.
Click to expand...

Do you know how much the curriculum costs? I can't find any price anywhere on the MVL website.
 
LuciaDisturbed said:
Do you know how much the curriculum costs? I can't find any price anywhere on the MVL website.
Click to expand...

Shoot! The curriculm coordinator at my work told me when I wrote a proposal for my school to purchase it. That was 3 years ago. I will ask her when we return to work. Just need a reminder! :)


If I recall correctly, the cost of the curriculm itself wasnt the problem..it was the workshops/training required before using it that were so expensive.
 
Very interesting. That can make learning English more fun for signers.
 
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