Teaching and Learning Signed Languages ― International Perspectives and Practices

This international collection of research from the field of signed language teaching fills a gap in the applied linguistics literature. While signed language teaching has rapidly established an accepted place in the academic domain of second language teaching, pedagogy has widely been shaped by conventional practice, available teaching curricula, and findings from descriptive linguistic research. In general, developments in curriculum, teaching approaches, and assessment have been relatively unmediated by applied, empirical research on learning and teaching. Teaching and Learning Signed Languages contributes to expanding an emerging research literature on contemporary practices and issues in the teaching and learning of signed languages. Eleven chapters by authors in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America address the following themes:

Training of sign language teachers
Contexts for sign language teaching and learning
Application of digital tools at the research and teaching nexus
Learner perspectives
Effects of first and second language and modality in SL instruction
Formative assessment

David McKee is Director of the Deaf Studies Research Unit in the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. David has taught sign language and Deaf Studies since the 1970s in USA and in New Zealand, and trained Deaf sign language teachers in New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region.

Russell S. Rosen is Lecturer in Teaching of American Sign Language. She has published research articles in Deaf Studies, ASL Teaching, and Disability Studies, presented papers in national and international conferences, and is a board member at several educational and social institutions.

Rachel McKee is Programme Director of Deaf at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. She has co-founded programs in sign language interpreting and Deaf Studies, including sign language teaching, and is qualified as an NZSL and ASL interpreter. Research publications span description and use of NZSL, and interpreting.