Training Courses on Deaf Education and Deaf Awareness
Educators of the Deaf attending the Bilingual Bicultural Approach module under the Certificate in Teaching Students with Hearing Loss by the National Institute of Education in November 2020
DEAF EDUCATION COURSES
In 2013, the Ministry of Education adopted the Bilingual Bicultural Approach as the means of instruction for Deaf children in Singapore. A Bilingual Bicultural or Bi-Bi deaf education program uses Singapore Sign Language (SgSL) as the native, or first, language of Deaf children, and English is learnt as a second language. The bicultural aspect of Bi-Bi education emphasises Deaf culture and strives to create confidence in deaf students by exposing them to the Deaf community and its language.
For a child to benefit from the cognitive advantages of bilingualism, the development of both languages needs to be nourished in all social and academic interactions. A developmental bilingual programme addresses the social and academic language needs of diverse deaf learners while also providing instruction in content areas.
As the Bilingual Bicultural Approach aims to develop proficiency in two languages, this requires deliberate and careful planning in the use of the two languages. The effective use of bilingual practices are based on the planned allocation of the two languages in the classroom, where teachers select and establish bilingual practices and strategies regarding the students’ linguistic skills, as well as the content at hand.
DEAF AWARENESS COURSES
The Deaf Awareness Courses provide appropriate and relevant information about sign language, Deaf culture, Deaf people, as well as communication and accessibility issues faced by the Deaf. The topics include:
- Deaf culture and community
- Language and communication strategies
- Issues/barriers that Deaf people face
- Accessibility for Deaf people
- Basic SgSL and alphabet fingerspelling
Courses on Deaf Education and Deaf Awareness are listed below. Each module will run when a minimum number of 8 participants is reached.
For more queries or information on course dates, kindly contact us at :
Email : barbara@sadeaf.org.sg
Mobile : 97627674
Register your interest here:
| Title/Course | Brief Synopsis | Target Participants | Total number of hours/days/mode of training | Cost per person |
| Deaf Awareness Programme 1 | This programme aims to provide an introduction to deafness and basic information on communication with Deaf people. | Sped 1 to 6 and mainstream educators | 1 hour (Physical) | $30 |
| Deaf Awareness Programme 2 | This programme will dispel some of the myths and misconceptions about deafness and provide information about the Deaf community. Participants will also receive practical information on how to communicate with Deaf people. | Sped 1 to 6 and mainstream educators | 2 hours (Physical) | $50 |
| Deaf Awareness Programme 3 | This programme aims to provide appropriate and relevant information about Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People. It also includes a short introduction to Singapore Sign Language (SgSL). | Sped 1 to 6 and mainstream educators | 3 hours (Physical) | $70 |
| Introduction to Deaf Education | Participants will be introduced to the history of Deaf Education in Singapore, the start of Bilingual Bicultural Education, reasons for adopting a BiBi Approach, and more. | Sped 1 to 6 educators and mainstream teachers | 6 hours (Physical and Online) | $180 |
| Supporting Students with hearing loss in mainstream classrooms | Participants will learn about hearing loss, its effects on language acquisition, and strategies for supporting students with hearing loss in classrooms. | Sped 1 to 6 educators and mainstream teachers | 6 hours (Physical and Online) | $180 |
| Singapore Sign Language (SgSL) course for Educators | Participants will acquire knowledge/skills of SgSL features and grammar and apply these when interacting with students with hearing loss. | Sped 1 to 6 and mainstream educators with SEE or SgSL certification | 12 hours (Physical) | $360 |
| Bilingual-Bicultural Approach | Participants will be introduced to Bilingual Bicultural strategies, understand their application, and acquire a framework for effective teaching approaches to support SgSL and English language use. | Sped 1 to 6 and mainstream educators | 24 hours (Physical and Online) | $720 |
| Co-Teaching Strategies | Participants will acquire knowledge of different co-teaching approaches and understand when to use them. | Sped 1 to 6 educators and mainstream educators | 6 hours (Physical) | $180 |
| The Basic Grammatical Rules of Singapore Sign Language | Participants will appreciate the grammatical rules of SgSL and develop skills to use these rules in communication. | Sped 1 to 6 and mainstream educators with SgSL certification | 12 hours (Physical) | $360 |
| Teaching English in the Bilingual Bicultural Approach | Participants will develop skills in using SgSL as a foundation for guiding children in reading and writing in English, and in transferring skills between languages. | Sped 1 to 6 and mainstream educators who have completed Bilingual Bicultural Approach Module | 12 hours (Physical) | $360 |
| Hearing Loss Bilingual Grammar Curriculum | Participants will develop skills in Sentence Component Grammar Instruction and other aspects of supporting language development among students with hearing loss. | Sped 1 to 6 and mainstream educators who have completed Bilingual Bicultural Approach Module | 12 hours (Physical and Online) | $360 |
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