Locations of L2/Ln Sign Language Pedagogy

Abstract

There has been tremendous growth in the teaching of sign language as a for- eign sign language in elementary/secondary schools, colleges/universities, private businesses, and agencies. While this surge has allowed students to ob- tain foreign language credit for personal or professional reasons, the accep- tance of teaching sign languages has had its challenges. Traditionally, sign language courses have been provided face-to-face using a variety of curricula in diverse departments, academic programs, and degree programs in different countries. This paper acts as a reference guide that provides locations of where sign languages are formally taught around the world, as well as learn- ing about Deaf culture. Historical and current pedagogical practices are also discussed. Looking ahead to the future, one growing trend is providing sign language courses online in a distance-learning format to meet the high de- mands of interested students and reach a wider population. Moreover, ex- amining the importance of utilizing well-trained and certified instructors, and implementing current pedagogical practices and materials that include ap- propriate cultural opportunities are needed to effectively teach sign language classes.