The ongoing debates about the language of instruction in schools evoke strong (and often emotional) responses, as has again been seen in the various contributions in the media during the past two weeks.However, these responses are seldom backed by evidence. We currently have over 800 documented signs you can learn from. Ethics Hotline: 0800 005 311. unisa@whistleblowing.co.za. South African Sign Language 2.1. Our study provides preliminary evidence on one key aspect of the matter: as things are currently being implemented, the choice to use mother-tongue instruction as opposed to English instruction in grades one, two and three generally leads to better English learning in the long run. CONNECT WITH US. It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. Popularly Spoken Native Languages. The size of the difference is not inconsequential: it is equivalent to about a third of a year of additional learning for children who were instructed in their home language during grades one, two and three compared with their peers who were instructed only in English during that same period. For those who aren’t from South Africa, we have 11 official languages – Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho sa Leboa, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga. language policy in education would be most appropriate for Africa. Add to cart. (iii) sign language; and (b) promote and ensure respect for - (i) all languages commonly used by communities in South Africa, including German, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Portuguese, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu; and (ii) Arabic, Hebrew, Sanskrit and other languages used for religious purposes in South Africa. Deaf people have access to upload videos, and vote for the signs they frequently use. So education policymakers in countries with multiple home languages, such as South Africa, have a dilemma. But this conclusion rests on a key assumption: “Instruction in English from as early as possible is the best way to become fluent in English.”. One of the perennial issues that arises when discussing South African education is our complex language policy. ), [The following article appeared in the Mail & Guardian on the 18th of October], Mother-tongue classrooms give a better boost to English study later – Stephen Taylor & Marisa Coetzee. For those less interested in fixed effects and more inclined to scroll to their conclusions, you’re better off reading a Mail & Guardian article they wrote last week which I am going to include verbatim below because I think it is a truly excellent article! In a 1953 landmark publication, UNESCO underscored the importance of educating children in their mother-tongue (UNESCO, 1953). In this paper, we try to show the relevance of African culture and values … Since 2001 Sign Language Education and Development (SLED) has become known throughout South Africa and its neighbouring countries, as a Deaf non-profit organisation that is committed to providing the Deaf child of South Africa with an equal and democratic right to literacy, learning and access to information through the promotion of South African Sign Language (SASL). Add to cart. colonies in Africa, Asia and South America gained their political independence. “Hi. SignGenius SASL Pro v.3.1.3.718 Learn South African Sign Language in a fast, interactive and convenient way. Measuring the impact of this language choice on the academic performance of children later in life is no simple task. As a bonus, there’s even a small crash-course in South African sign language too. The copyright of the items in this collection belongs to the University of South Africa. We describe the legal and actual situation of South Afiican Sign Language in South Africa today, larly in relation to schooling. The constitution mentions "sign language" in the generic sense rather than South African Sign Language specifically. SignGenius SASL Pro v.3.1.3.718 Learn South African Sign Language in a fast, interactive and convenient way. Advanced Search function. In a nutshell, the Talk Sign campaign aims to have South African Sign Language (SASL) approved as South Africa’s 12 th official language. South African Sign Language Dictionary for Families of Young Deaf Children . Talk Sign 1 – A Basic South African Sign Language Guide R 200.00. Add to cart. Advocates of both “straight-for-English” approaches and mother-tongue instruction envisage a carefully thought-through set of instructional practices implemented by high-quality teachers and supported by sufficient materials. Zulu is the most widely spoken language in South Africa with about 12 million speakers representing 23% of the country’s population. For a long time, learners who are Deaf were persistently marginalised as they had been deprived of a home language, resulting in their education not being one of quality. We investigate the different factors that underlie the claims that there is more than one sign language in South Africa, and we spell out the practical consequences of accepting these claims without further examination. Ayanda Ntukwana signs in South African Sign Language for the video, and subtitles are in English.] In addition, children who attend the “straight-for-English” schools are on average from richer households where they receive more academic support from better-educated parents or caregivers, are less likely to go to bed hungry, have fewer siblings with whom they need to share resources and are more frequently exposed to English on television and in the home. The South African Sign Language curriculum is based on Unit Standards of which the applicable content for the relevant course is selected, but it is not for credit purposes since universities work on a different level to the SAQA credits. Ayanda Ntukwana signs in South African Sign Language for the video, and subtitles are in English.] Add to cart. Click on the button to see a video on the Do's and Don'ts of interacting with Deaf people. The contrast between first language and second language is shown in the maps at right. South African Sign Language. The status of South African Sign Language (SASL) in South Africa | Sled - Sign Language Education & Development. SLED is not responsible for any of the conclusions of this study, and only the authors are responsible for any errors in transcription or description of the data. Finally, although our study points to the value of the mother tongue as the language of instruction, it may well also be important to strengthen the teaching of English as a subject in the early grades to help to facilitate the transition to English in grade four, as the curriculum and assessment policy statements recommend. This research tells us the average effect of language of instruction in South African schools as things are currently being implemented. At first this seems like a fair assumption to make: Surely the earlier you start with English the better? Talk Sign Sticker – … Evidence-based findings https://libguides.wits.ac.za/deaf_and_hardofhearing, Resources for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons, Accessibility perspectives on enabling South African sign language in the South African National Accessibility Portal, Hands and Wrists: Learning American Sign Language, An Interpreter Isn't Enough: Deafness, Language, and Due Process by Michele Lavigne, McCay Vernon, Interpreters' and Sign Language Organizations in South Africa, Language and Gesture in Brazilian Sign Language Narrative by Leland McCleary, Evani Viotti, Language Trademarks: Beginner Guide To ASL, Signing Savvy | ASL Sign Language Video Dictionary, Sign Language (American Sign Language)(ASL), Sign Language Education and Development (SLED), Sign language for the information society: an ICT roadmap for South African Sign Language. Visit us. Similarly, our study has no direct application to the language policy debates at the university level. In a 1953 landmark publication, UNESCO underscored the … Frame-by-frame viewing of videos. The Deaf Federation of South Africa stated that it was approaching the Committee as a suggested first step in its quest to have South African Sign Language recognised as the twelfth official language of South Africa. The chapter concludes with a general In conclusion, our research indicates that, as far as we can tell from empirical analysis, the current language policy is on the right track. According to the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, nearly 500,000 deaf South Africans use SASL and yet, due to years of misunderstanding of the Deaf community, there are very few SASL interpreters. Even more importantly, the quality of teachers, their English background and other aspects of school quality are typically stacked in favour of these “straight-for-English” schools. We use this manual for our beginner South African Sign Language group. Rather, there are underlying similarities shared by many African societies which, when contrasted with other cultures, reveal a wide gap of difference. Factors such as community- and home-level poverty, weak school functionality, weak instructional practices, inadequate teacher subject knowledge, and a need for greater accountability throughout the school system all represent much more severe constraints to achieving better education. Schools and teachers across South Africa rely on SLED to provide good resources, and friendly helpful back up and support in using the resources. Enjoy the read…, (Update: Sara Muller provides a useful summary of some the qualitative research on language of learning and teaching in SA here – go check it out. The indigenous African languages of South Africa which are official, and therefore dominant, can be divided into two geographical zones, with Nguni languages being predominant in the south-eastern third of the country (Indian Ocean coast) and Sotho-Tswana languages being predominant in the northern third of the country located further inland, as also in Botswana and Lesotho. We believe these research findings to be an important starting point from which to take the language debate forward. SASL would enable you to communicate with a Deaf person and provide you with the ability to communicate and therefor render a professional service to the Deaf without the use of an interpreter. Doesn’t practice make perfect?However, most linguistic theory doesn’t agree. What we need is rigorous evidence. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. “Hi. Ability to keep track of best test scores per category. Combining these data sets, we are able to separate the effects of overall school quality and home circumstances from the impact of language of instruction on the performance of children in a standardised English test written in grades four, five and six. KwaZulu-Natal Blind and Deaf Society Donations to the Society is tax deductible in terms of Section 18A(1)(a) Income Tax Act. Since 2001 Sign Language Education and Development (SLED) has become known throughout South Africa and its neighbouring countries, as a Deaf non-profit organisation that is committed to providing the Deaf child of South Africa with an equal and democratic right to literacy, learning and access to information through the promotion of South African Sign Language (SASL). Sign language for the information society: an ICT roadmap for South African Sign Language. 2.The inherited language-in-education policy in South Africa has been fraught with tensions, contradictions and sensitivities, and underpinned by racial and linguistic discrimination. This Libguide provides information and useful web resources for persons who are deaf or who have hearing impairments, as well as persons providing education, training or other services to persons with hearing problems. ( Log Out / SignOnOne. From 2010, we undertook the development of Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) for the South African Sign Language (SASL) Grades R-12 which were completed and approved as policy in July 2014. Please take your time to browse through the word list under the "WORD LIST" button. The choice is between English instruction from grade one or starting with mother-tongue instruction and transitioning to English as the language of instruction at a later grade. … In light of these challenges, and bearing in mind the need for evidence-based policy, we have released a working paper containing our research on this issue. establishment of a statutory Pan South African Language Board to promote, and create conditions for, the development and use of all official languages, other communities and sign language. Both sets of factors – school quality as well as the home environment – have been shown by research to impact strongly on the academic performance of children. We use this manual for our beginner South African Sign Language group. I have a great passion for teaching Deaf children. This situation gives rise to a number of questions like when and how one should transition to English. [Brushes finger and thumb down her nose.] If a person did not speak a second language, that too was recorded. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Two friends (and colleagues) of mine have recently completed a Working Paper (“Estimating the impact of language of instruction in South African primary schools: A fixed effects approach“) which is well worth the read – methodologically interesting and highly policy-relevant, the very thing we need more of in South Africa. ( Log Out / NPO: 002-178 PBO 18/11/13/2948 . Most children experience a transition from mother-tongue instruction to English instruction in grade four, something that by all reports is a difficult process. In this article we discuss the signed language used by the Deaf community in South Africa, and examine the historical conditions for its emergence. Perennial issues that arises when discussing South African Sign Language Guide R 200.00 informative for policy decisions regarding extension! 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