Bilingualism

"Bilingual" Historically, When Gallaudet and Clerc started the first school for the Deaf in America, in 1817, bilingualism was accepted as the norm. Since 1880, Deaf Education has focused on English-only instruction and/or total communication. The changing trend today is toward bilingual education, in which both English and American Sign Language are valued. The English words that appear on the poster are a quote that says, "A soldier will fight long and hard for a colored ribbon." The words translate into an image of where the war took place in Iwo Jima. Bilingual Deaf people also use ASL in their heads to help them create the image. Bilingualism is really important for deaf people to understand and embrace. In this changing world, more and more Deaf schools are starting to use bilingual education to improve Deaf people's view of the world.