Newsletter No. 319

第 319 期 2008 年 6 月 4 日 No. 319 4 June 2008 梁淳謙（健聽童）家長： 淳謙放學後不會拿書本來看，我也沒督促他溫 習，然而他的語文測試成績卻有進步！這計劃不單讓淳謙多接觸一種語 言，更能拓闊他的接觸面。 Parent of Leung Shun-him, a hearing student: My son does not like to read after school. But quite unexpectedly, this sign bilingualism and co-enrolment language project has helped his literacy development! Not only does it enable him to learn one more language, it also expands his social circle. 研究手語語言學的亞太區樞紐 Asia-Pacific Hub of Sign Linguistics Research Issues of Integrated Education There used to be four deaf schools in Hong Kong. Since the Government implemented integrated education, students with special needs have been integrated into mainstream schools. Deaf schools were either shut down or transformed into mainstream schools. The Lutheran School for the Deaf is now the only school specializing in serving deaf students. Close to 3,900 deaf students are admitted to mainstream kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. Unlike deaf schools, the average teacher–student ratio of mainstream schools is 1:20 to 1:30. As a result, the special needs of deaf students may be neglected. As they progress to advanced levels, deaf students find it increasingly difficult to learn exclusively by lip-reading. Prof. Tang said, ‘Many schools have only one deaf student. This student may experience tremendous difficulty communicating with hearing students. And as there aren’t any other hearing-impaired students, he/she may suffer from isolation and develop an inferiority complex.’ Sign Language Helps Learning Prof. Tang continued, ‘Sign language is a visual language with a full-fledged grammatical system. Research has shown the advantage of using sign language to facilitate the development of spoken languages in the education process for deaf students, both in speech and language literacy. Sign language is given great importance in many overseas countries where parents are free to select spoken language, sign language or the bilingualism education model for their deaf children. Some mainstream schools in the US, Australia and Europe even have sign language in their curriculum.’ JC-SLCO emphasizes the early development of language through sign language. Researchers from the Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies will conduct a longitudinal study on sign language development, oral language development, literacy development of both hearing and deaf students as well as class process. Six to eight deaf students will be enrolled each year. The first batch of six deaf students completed their studies at Peace Evangelical Centre Kindergarten in Ngau Tau Kok, and were admitted to Kowloon Bay St. John the Baptist Catholic Primary School in September 2007. Communication Made Possible Although the programme is still running, the oral language and literacy of the deaf students have already shown improvement. They enjoy playing and learning with hearing students and that increases their confidence. For the hearing students, their abilities in memorizing, expressing, and paying attention have been enhanced by using sign language to visualize the knowledge they learnt. Prof. Tang said, ‘In the past, deaf students may not understand a word even when it was repeated a dozen times. But now with the help of sign language, teachers, parents and students can communicate.’ 中文大學率先於1993年起開展手語語 言學的研究，這些研究工作促成手語 及聾人研究中心於2003年成立。同 年中心於亞太區進行手語研究培訓工 作，至今在香港、越南、菲律賓、柬 埔寨、印尼及斯里蘭卡等地方成立研 究培訓項目，並製作手語詞典及手語 教材、發展手語教學大綱及課程等， 現時該中心已開始協助一些亞洲大學 成立手語研究培訓課程。 中心近年亦發展手語獲得研究，探索 聾童學習語言時的各種現象，中心不 僅參與國際性的手語研究項目，更在 內地協助中國聯合國兒童基金會發展 聾童雙語教育項目。多年研究及培訓 已漸見成果，現時中大已開辦香港手 語和手語獲得的科目予本科及研究生 選修。 Since 1993 The Chinese University of Hong Kong has been developing sign linguistics research. Research efforts over the years necessitated the establishment of the Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies in 2003. The centre launched ‘The Asia Pacific Sign Linguistics Research and Training Programme’ which is aimed at establishing research in the Asia-Pacific region by generating teams of professionally trained sign language researchers. Today, research projects and training teams have been set up in Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. Dictionaries and textbooks of sign languages have been compiled and sign language curriculum and courses developed. The centre is now helping Asian universities to set up sign languages research and training programmes. The centre also studies the acquisition of sign language and the development of deaf children in language acquisition. In addition to international research collaborations, the centre is coordinating sign bilingualism in deaf education for the UNICEF in China. Courses on Hong Kong sign language and sign linguistics are offered by the centre to undergraduate and postgraduate students respectively. 陳芷瑩（聾童）家長： 雖然芷瑩主要用手語來汲取知識，但她可以用 口語把在學校所學的告訴我，與健聽同學溝通能用口語，面對聽障同學 則用手語，真的是雙語共融呢！ 這個計劃對芷瑩幫助很大，她不單能應付學習，亦擴大了朋友圈子，她現 在每天上學都很開心。 Parent of Chan Tsz-ying, a deaf student: Tsz-ying’s signing is very fluent now and she can understand a lot. In school, she can talk with the hearing kids and sign with the deaf kids. How inclusive this model of education is! Tsz-ying is happy in school and she manages her studies well.’ 譚嘉豪 Tam Ka-ho （聾童 deaf student ） 陳沛康 Chan Pui-hong （健聽童 hearing student ）