Translanguaging and the No Voice Policy in L2 Sign Language Contexts

Abstract

This article draws on translanguaging theory and research to consider a common pedagogical practice in American Sign Language (ASL) as a second language (L2) classroom, the No Voice policy (i.e., spoken language use is forbidden). The No Voice policy serves important cultural and practical purposes, but by nature limits learners’ access to their entire linguistic repertoire, which raises questions about the overall impact of the policy on learners’ language development. Current literature about pedagogical translanguaging has not yet addressed practices that integrate (and, by extension, limit) selective modalities; we evaluate this gap and propose several directions for future research on the topic.Moreover, previous discussions of translanguaging practices involving recognized minority (e.g., Basque, Welsh, Irish) spoken languages are not wholly comparable to sign languages, which are not yet official or fully recognized languages in most countries and are therefore additionally vulnerable.We take into account the impact of ASL L2 learners on the language community, as many learners go on to become interpreters and allies to the deaf community.
 Keywords: American Sign Language as a second language, hearing adult learners, selective modality, pedagogical translanguaging, minority language

Assessing the Impact of Gesture Instruction on Hearing Adult University Students Learning American Sign Language as a Foreign Language

“…This is meant to immerse students in the visual language world, familiarize them with deaf social and cultural norms, and foster students' understanding of their hearing privilege. It is believed by some instructors that this approach results in more proficient signers who present a less English-influenced form of ASL (Tanner & Doré, 2019). The policy is also political.…”

“…Students also vary by prior experience with ASL or other languages, and familiarity with the deaf community (Tanner & Doré, 2019). They enroll in sign language class for both personal and professional reasons (Mayberry, 2006;Tanner & Doré, 2019;Woll, 2013); some want to become interpreters or speech therapists, others want to communicate with deaf friends or family members, and some are simply curious about the language (Tanner & Doré, 2019). Student motivations for learning vary widely, but most students of ASL aim to use their language to interact in some way with members of the local signing community (McKee et al, 2014).…”