Welcome to Module 5, !

Introduction

Once we are fluent in a language or culture, we forget that some basic translations are included within the language. When we teach hearing adults how to read to deaf or hard of hearing children, we need to remember some of the linguistic factors involved. Remember, your tutors will need to realize hearing parents do not know the subtleties of Deaf culture and its language.

Three of these factors that help incorporate deaf culture into reading aloud to deaf children are:

• Visual orientation
• The relationship between English and ASL, and
• Rhyme or rhythm.

The story of Caps for Sale, (which you recently watched in Principle 15), is a popular piece of folklore, and it’s been told in countries around the world, including Egypt, Sudan, Mali, India, and England. For example, the Hatseller and the Monkeys is a similar story to Caps for Sale.

You can select stories from different cultures to enhance variety in reading. Some of the books are also available in different languages, with the featured language written below the English text. Also, keep in mind that where there is a language, such as ASL, there is also a culture, and vice versa. Language and culture are often intertwined with the language reflecting some of the characteristics of that culture.

Let’s take a closer look at what we mean by that. Let’s look at an example of how visual orientation is used when signing a story excerpt.

ASL Storytelling

Let's look at an example of how visual orientation is used when signing a story excerpt. 

What Did You Notice? 

Next time you get a book out, think about how you can apply this cultural factor. Practice reading a page of the book and note any differences between the hearing and deaf cultures inherent in the text.

Let's learn about the next cultural factor: ASL and English text analysis.

ASL and English Text Analysis

Our second cultural factor is the relationship between ASL and English. Deaf people live in a daily environment of two languages. They read English and communicate in ASL. They experience the translation process in both languages on a daily basis.

We will now analyze Rosie's Walk. You will see the pages, and the video explaining Rosie's Walk, and then you will view the ASL Storytelling of Rosie's Walk.

Rosie's Walk Explanation

In English, prepositional phrases are used to indicate location and relationships of two objects. For example, in English we may read words like “in”, “around” or “over”.

ASL Storytelling: Rosie's Walk 

When using ASL, each hand may be used to play a role in indicating location and relationships of two objects.

Concept is being incorporated in the utterance. Take a minute to practice signing the phrases in Rosie’s Walk. Individual ASL prepositional signs CAN be used for emphasis after using the LCL.

Next, let's learn about the last Cultural Factor: Rhyme and Rhythm. 

The Dancing Fly Book

Watch the video. 

The Dancing Fly Explanations

Notice how the “C” classifier handshape sign is used consistently to represent each noun in this next demonstration (jam, ham, fan, man, bread, table, counter, and face).

Next, you will watch the Dancing Fly in ASL and reflect how the video showed Rhyme and Rhythm in ASL.

Dancing Fly & Handshape Rhyme

Self Reflection: What other handshape rhyme do you think could be used for the text on the slide such as bread, table, counter or head? Can you think of another handshape that will allow for these words to be rhymed and show rhythm?

Not all ASL signs and text can be used for rhyming and rhythm – it may depend on the classifiers.

Now, in the next section, you will have the opportunities to practice language and cultural factors with several books.

Open Your Mouth

Practice the three language and cultural factors of visual orientation, ASL to English text analysis. and rhyme and rhythm with the following three books: Open Your Mouth, Who's In the Shed, and I Love Spiders.

Start with "Open Your Mouth." 

Who's in the Shed? 

Watch the "Who's in the Shed?" video. 

I Love Spiders

Watch the video below, "I Love Spiders." 

Self Reflection: How did you do? Were you able to incorporate all the three cultural factors in your reading? Was one book easier to do than the other? What things that could impact the ability to incorporate the three cultural factors in your storytelling? 

In this learning plan, you learned about the 15 Principles for Reading to Deaf Children and the research on how it was developed. You viewed videos and examples of how to apply these principles. You had some opportunities to practice your ASL storytelling. 

After the 15 Principles, you learned about the three Language and Cultural Factors in ASL storytelling. They were Visual Orientation, English and ASL Text Analysis and Rhyme and Rhythm. Benefits and examples were shown in  how they can support you in your application of the 15 Principles for Reading with Deaf Children, whether it is your child, family member, student, or someone you know.