Supporting Deaf Pupils in Secondary Schools
Presented on Wednesday 28 September, 2011
Kirsty Steele
Teacher of the Deaf
Calderside Academy
Teaching French
Disadvantages
- Have more than enough problems with English - should we introduce another language?
- Give up base time?
- Assumption they won't do well?
- Unable to predict success at onset.
- Pupils resentful at being denied opportunities available to their hearing peers.
Advantages
- More able pupil - dependent on pupil ability
- Good use of amplification
- Learning about cultural differences
- Grammar and syntax awareness - learning rules of their own language through French.
- Life skill - comprehension
- ToD is a qualified French teacher.
- Can achieve a partial award from SQA - reading and writing only.
Teaching style
- Teacher-led activities
- Pupil-led activities
- Role-play activities
- Through CD and Internet
- Group work (confidence building), pair work and whole class activities
- Songs, poetry, board games
- Flash cards
- Use of dictionaries and text books
- Differentiated for support
Vocabulary - S1/S2
- Acquired basic nouns, build to sentences.
- Booklets
- Advantage - first time really understood grammar, improved vocabulary and tenses.
Vocabulary - Standard Grade
- Francoscope
- ToD prepares vocabulary sheet for each unit - course is clearly structured.
- Phrases given phonetically - un (an), deux (doo), trois (twa)
- DVD produced to accompany -INVALUABLE!
- LISTEN, READ, PRACTISE, WRITE, THEN DO IT AGAIN!
- time, quiet place - no bells, help from Technician, many hours used at end of school day.
- DVD allowed Mum to help too.
Developing listening skills
- Tried radio aids, loop system
- Worked with Audiologist and Outreach teacher.
- Watched Mainstream teacher - lipreading skills, becoming familiar with lip patterns - position of desk.
- ToD would repeat if necessary
- ToD also has transcript of tape - LIAISON is key.
Speaking exam
- Passage would be worked on in class and gone over with ToD who worked on pronunciation.
- ToD makes DVD
- PRACTISE!
Exam arrangements
- No DVD used - live presentation.
- Quiet room
- Apply to SQA for CD with extra time built in.
- TOD read from script instead, incorporating timings.
- Sit with clock - tap when to start again.