Perspectives of Turkish Teachers on Deaf Students’ Access to English as a Foreign Language Education

Authors : Cigdem Fidan

Pages : 55-70

Doi:10.37233/TRSPED.2023.0143

View : 66 | Download : 55

Publication Date : 2023-12-19

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :In Türkiye, K-12 Deaf students often do not learn English as hearing students learn. This paper applies a qualitative approach and uses semi-structured interviews as the data source to analyze the perspectives of nine teachers of Deaf students on Deaf students\' access to English as a foreign language education in Türkiye. In analysis, the study applies content analysis and considers Bourdieu\'s forms of capital, the theory of figured world, and social model of disability as the theoretical framework. The findings show that teachers of Deaf students in Türkiye have an ideology of Deafness as a culture, view Turkish Sign Language as the primary language of Deaf individuals, and support using sign language as a medium in Deaf education. However, teachers of Deaf students prefer postponing English as a foreign language education for Deaf students until Turkish Sign Language is fully acquired. The findings of the study suggest integrating Turkish Sign Language in K-12 Deaf education as a medium and designing education programs to teach English as a foreign language to Deaf students simultaneously without postponing learning any languages.
Keywords : Yabancı dil olarak İngilizce, sağır öğrenciler, sağır öğrencilerin öğretmenleri, bir kültür olarak sağırlık, örgün eğitime devam eden sağır öğrenciler