Introducing inclusive bimodal bilingual mainstream education in the Netherlands using best practices from Australia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17058/signo.v48i92.18809Keywords:
Bimodal Bilingual (BiBi) school, Inclusive mainstream education, Co-enrolment, Primary education, Sign Language of The Netherlands (NGT)Abstract
In the Netherlands, the majority of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children follow mainstream education, without direct instruction in sign language. While schools for the deaf may offer bimodal bilingual education, there is a general move towards more inclusive education. Internationally, bimodal bilingual (BiBi) mainstream schools have been set up to provide direct instruction in sign language to both deaf and hearing children, access to deaf peers and teachers who are specialised in educating DHH children. We present our plans for introducing a BiBi program in two mainstream schools in the Netherlands, drawing on the experiences and best practices of the Toowong State School in Brisbane, Australia. We will discuss remaining questions and challenges, such as how to get started, how to inform and inspire staff, what roles teaching assistants and interpreters should have, and how to introduce the use of sign language in the school for both deaf and hearing students. While practices and regulations may differ between countries, sharing challenges and best practices is both informative and inspiring. We aim to contribute to the discussion around inclusive education, and how to achieve barrier-free social interactions in an optimal learning environment for DHH children.
Downloads
References
Baker, M., Miller, C., Fletcher, E., Gamin, C., & Carty, B. (2019). Co-enrolment in Toowong, Australia. In M. Marschark, S. Antia & H. Knoors (Eds.), Co-enrolment in deaf education (pp. 41-67). Oxford University Press.
Bess, F. H., Davis, H., Camarata, S., & Hornsby, B. W. (2020). Listening-related fatigue in children with unilateral hearing loss. Language, speech, and hearing services in schools, 51(1), 84-97.
Bialystok, E., & Werker, J.F. (2017). The systematic effects of bilingualism on children’s development. Developmental Science, 20, e12535.
Boons, T., De Raeve, L., Langereis, M., Peeraer, L.,Wouters, J., & van Wieringen, A. (2013). Expressive vocabulary, morphology, syntax and narrative skills in profoundly deaf children after early cochlear implantation. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34(6), 2008-2022.
Boerrigter, M., Vermeulen, A., Marres, H., & Langereis, M. (2018). Personality Traits of Profoundly Hearing Impaired Adolescents with Cochlear Implants–A Comparison with Normal Hearing Peers. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 161.
Boerrigter, M., Vermeulen, A., Marres, H., Mylanus, E., & Langereis, M. (2021). Self-concept of children and adolescents with cochlear implants. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 141, 110506.
Broekhof, E., Bos, M. G., Camodeca, M., & Rieffe, C. (2018). Longitudinal associations between bullying and emotions in deaf and hard of hearing adolescents. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 23(1), 17-27.
Caselli, N. K., Hall, W., & Henner, J. (2020). American Sign Language interpreters in public schools: An illusion of inclusion that perpetuates language deprivation. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 24(11), 1323-1329.
Castellanos, I., Kronenberger, W. G., & Pisoni, D. B. (2018). Psychosocial outcomes in long-term cochlear implant users. Ear and hearing, 39(3), 527.
De Hoog, B., Langereis, M., van Weerdenburg, M., Knoors, H., & Verhoeven, L. (2016). Linguistic profiles of children with CI as compared with children with hearing or specific language impairment. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 51(5), 518-530.
De Klerk, A., Hermans, D., Wauters, L., De Laat, L., De Kroon, F., & Knoors, H. (2019). The Best of Both Worlds: A Co-Enrolment Program for DHH Children in the Netherlands. In M. Marschark, S. Antia & H. Knoors (Eds.), Co-Enrolment in Deaf Education (pp. 183-210). Oxford University Press.
De Meulder, M., & Haualand, H. (2021). Sign language interpreting services: A quick fix for inclusion? Translation and Interpreting Studies, 16(1), 19-40.
De Meulder, M., & Murray. J. J. (2021). The illusion of choice in inclusive education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 8(20), 1-15.
Goberis, D., Beams, D., Dalpes, M., Abrisch, A., Baca, R., & Yoshinaga-Itano, C. (2012). The missing link in language development of deaf and hard of hearing children: pragmatic language development. Seminars in Speech and Language, 33, 297-309.
Hall, M. L., Hall, W. C., & Caselli, N. K. (2019). Deaf children need language, not (just) speech. First Language, 39(4), 367-395.
Hamilton, B. M., & Clark, M. D. (2020). The Deaf Mentor program: Benefits to families. Psychology, 11(5), 713-736.
Hermans, D., Knoors, H., Ormel, E., & Verhoeven, L. (2008). The relationship between the reading and signing skills of deaf children in bilingual education programs. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 13, 518-530.
Hoffmeister, R., Henner, J., Caldwell-Harris, C., & Novogrodsky, R. (2022). Deaf children’s ASL vocabulary and ASL syntax knowledge supports English knowledge. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 27(1), 37-47.
Hogeboom, L., & Scholten, C. (2022). Recht op onderwijs voor dove en slechthorende leerlingen. Verkenning naar knelpunten en oplossingsrichtingen voor onderwijs voor dove en slechthorende leerlingen in Nederland. [Right to education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the Netherlands. Exploring obstacles and solutions for education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the Netherlands]. DSP-groep.
Humphries, T., Kushalnagar, P. Mathur, G., Napoli, D.J., Padden, C., Rathmann, C., & Smith, S. R. (2012). Language acquisition for deaf children: Reducing the harms of zero tolerance to the use of alternative approaches. Harm Reduction Journal, 9(16), 1-9.
Humphries, T., Mathur, G., Napoli, D. J., Padden, C., Rathmann, C. (2022). Deaf Children Need Rich Language Input from the Start: Support in Advising Parents. Children, 9, 1609.
Kirchner, C. J. (1994). Co-enrollment as an inclusion model. American Annals of the Deaf, 139, 163-164.
Kramreiter, S., & Krausneker, V. (2019). Bilingual, inclusive, mixed-age schooling in Vienna. In M. Marschark, S. Antia & H. Knoors (Eds.), Co-enrolment in deaf education (pp. 133-147). Oxford University Press.
Krausneker, V. (2008). Language Use and awareness in a bilingual setting. In C. Plaza-Pust & E. Morales-Lopez (Eds.), Sign Bilingualism: Language Development, Interaction, and Maintenance in Sign Language Contact Situations (pp. 195-222). John Benjamins.
Krausneker, V., Becker, C., Audeoud, M., & Tarcsiová, D. (2020). Bilingual School Education with Spoken and Signed Languages in Europe. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25(5), 1794-1810.
Kreimeyer, K. H., Crooke, P., Drye, C., Egbert, V., & Klein, B. (2000). Academic and social benefits of a co-enrolment model of inclusive education for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 5, 174-185.
Kurz, K. B., Schick, B., & Hauser, P. C. (2015). Deaf Children’s Science Content Learning in Direct Instruction Versus Interpreted Instruction. Journal of Science Education for students with disabilities, 18(1), 23-37.
Kushalnagar, P., Topolski, T. D., Schick, B., Edwards, T. C., Skalicky, A. M., & Patrick, D. L. (2011). Mode of communication, perceived level of understanding, and perceived quality of life in youth who are deaf or hard of hearing. Journal of deaf studies and deaf education, 16(4), 512-523.
Langereis, M., & Vermeulen, A. (2015). School performance and wellbeing of children with CI in different communicative educational environments. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 79(6), 834-839.
Lillo-Martin, D. C., Gale, E., & Chen Pichler, D. (2021). Family ASL: An Early Start to Equitable Education for Deaf Children. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 02711214211031307.
McCain, K. G., & Antia, S. (2005). Academic and social status of hearing, deaf, and hard of hearing students participating in a co-enrolled classroom. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 27(1), 20-32.
Ormel, E., & Giezen, M. R. (2014). Bimodal bilingual cross-language interaction: Pieces of the puzzle. In M. Marschark, G. Tang & H. Knoors (Eds.). Bilingualism and bilingual deaf education (pp. 74-101). Oxford University Press.
Ormel, E., Hermans, D., Knoors, H., & Verhoeven, L. (2012). Cross-language effects in visual word recognition: The case of bilingual deaf children. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 15, 288-303.
Paatsch, L., & Toe, D. (2020). The impact of pragmatic delays for deaf and hard of hearing students in mainstream classrooms. Pediatrics, 146(Supplement 3), S292-S297.
Peterson, C. C. (2016). Empathy and theory of mind in deaf and hearing children. Journal of deaf studies and deaf education, 21(2), 141-147.
Pontecorvo, E., Higgings, M, Mora, J., Lieberman, A. M., Pyers, J., & Caselli, N. K. (2023). Learning a sign language does not hinder acquisition of a spoken language, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 66(4), 1291-1308.
Rijke, W. J., Vermeulen, A. M., Wendrich, K., Mylanus, E., Langereis, M. C., & van der Wilt, G. J. (2021). Capability of deaf children with a cochlear implant. Disability and rehabilitation, 43(14), 1989-1994.
Schick, B., Williams, K., & Kupermintz, H. (2006). Look who’s being left behind: Educational interpreters and access to education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Journal of deaf studies and deaf education, 11(1), 3-20.
Secora, K., & Smith, D. (2021). The Benefit of the “And” for Considerations of Language Modality for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 6(2), 397-401.
Scott, J. A., & Hoffmeister, R. J. (2016). American Sign Language and academic English: Factors influencing the reading of bilingual secondary school deaf and hard of hearing students. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 22, 59-71.
Snoddon, K., & Paul, J. J. (2020). Framing sign language as a health need in Canadian and international policy. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 24(11), 1360-1364.
Stevenson, J., Kreppner, J., Pimperton, H., Worsfold, S., & Kennedy, C. (2015). Emotional and behavioural difficulties in children and adolescents with hearing impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 24, 477-496.
Stinson, M., & Antia, S. (1999). Considerations in educating deaf and hard-of-hearing students in inclusive settings. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 4(3), 163-175.
Svartholm, K. (2010). Bilingual education for deaf children in Sweden. International journal of bilingual education and bilingualism, 13(2), 159-174.
Tang, G., Lam, S., & Yiu, C. (2014). Language development of deaf children in a sign bilingual and co-enrolment environment. In M. Marschark, G. Tang & H. Knoors (Eds.), Bilingualism and bilingual deaf education (pp. 313-341). Oxford University Press.
Theunissen, S. C., Rieffe, C., Kouwenberg, M., De Raeve, L., Soede, W., Briaire, J. J., & Frijns, J. H. (2012). Anxiety in children with hearing aids or cochlear implants compared to normally hearing controls. The Laryngoscope, 122(3), 654-659.
Theunissen, S. C., Rieffe, C., Kouwenberg, M., Soede, W., Briaire, J. J., & Frijns, J. H. (2011). Depression in hearing-impaired children. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 75(10), 1313-1317.
Theunissen, S. C., Rieffe, C., Netten, A. P., Briaire, J. J., Soede, W., Schoones, J. W., & Frijns, J. H. (2014). Psychopathology and its risk and protective factors in hearing-impaired children and adolescents: A systematic review. JAMA Pediatrics, 168(2), 170-177.
Torigoe, T. (2019). Learning together by deaf and hearing students in a Japanese primary school. In M. Marschark, S. Antia & H. Knoors (Eds.), Co-enrolment in deaf education (pp. 69-81). Oxford University Press.
Van der Straaten, T. F., Briaire, J. J., Dirks, E., Soede, W., Rieffe, C., & Frijns, J. H. (2021). The School Career of Children with Hearing Loss in Different Primary Educational Settings — A Large Longitudinal Nationwide Study. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 26(3), 405-416.
Van Gent, T., Goedhart, Arnold W., Knoors, H. E. T., Westenberg, P. M., Treffers, P. D. A. (2012). Self-concept and Ego Development in Deaf Adolescents: A Comparative Study, The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 17(3), 333-351.
Wauters, L. N., van Bon, W., & Tellings, A. (2006). Reading comprehension of Dutch deaf children. Reading and Writing, 19, 49-76.
Werfel, K. L., & Hendricks, A. E. (2016). The relation between child versus parent report of chronic fatigue and language/literacy skills in school-age children with cochlear implants. Ear and Hearing, 37(2), 216-224.
Wolters, N., Knoors, H., Cillessen, A. H. N., & Verhoeven, L. (2011). Predicting acceptance and popularity in early adolescents as a function of hearing status, educational setting, and gender. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32, 2553-2565.
Wong, C. L., Ching, T. Y. C., Cupples, L., Button, L., Leigh, G., Marnane, V., . . . Martin, L. (2017). Psychosocial development in 5-year-old children with hearing loss using hearing aids or cochlear implants. Trends in Hearing, 21, 1-19.
Wong, F., Tang, G., Yeung, P.-S., Yoi, C. K.-M. (2022). Emerging ecology of a sign bilingualism and co-enrolment classroom: A qualitative analysis. (Special Issue). Sign Language, Deaf Culture, and Bilingual Education, 58, 52-82.
Xie, Y. H., Potměšil, M., & Peters, B. (2014). Children who are deaf or hard of hearing in inclusive educational settings: A literature review on interactions with peers. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 19(4), 423-437.
Yiu, C., & Tang, G. (2014). Social Integration of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in a sign bilingual and co-enrolment environment. In M. Marschark, G. Tang & H. Knoors (Eds.), Bilingualism and Bilingual Deaf Education (pp. 342-367). Oxford University Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors publishing with Signo retain the copyright to their work, licensing it under the Creative Commons Attribution License which allows articles to be re-used and re-distributed without restriction, as long as the original work is correctly cited. Signo is owned by Associação Pró-Ensino em Santa Cruz do Sul and also hosts the Open Journal System plataform. Creative Commons Atribuição 4.0 Internacional.
