Perspectives of Turkish Teachers on Deaf Students’ Access to English as a Foreign Language Education

Year 2023, , 55 - 70, 19.12.2023

Cigdem Fidan

https://doi.org/10.37233/TRSPED.2023.0143

Abstract

In Türkiye, K-12 Deaf students often do not learn English as hearing students learn. This paper applies a qualitative approach and uses semi-structured interviews as the data source to analyze the perspectives of nine teachers of Deaf students on Deaf students' access to English as a foreign language education in Türkiye. In analysis, the study applies content analysis and considers Bourdieu's forms of capital, the theory of figured world, and social model of disability as the theoretical framework. The findings show that teachers of Deaf students in Türkiye have an ideology of Deafness as a culture, view Turkish Sign Language as the primary language of Deaf individuals, and support using sign language as a medium in Deaf education. However, teachers of Deaf students prefer postponing English as a foreign language education for Deaf students until Turkish Sign Language is fully acquired. The findings of the study suggest integrating Turkish Sign Language in K-12 Deaf education as a medium and designing education programs to teach English as a foreign language to Deaf students simultaneously without postponing learning any languages.

Keywords

English as a foreign language, Deaf students, teachers of Deaf students, Deafness as a culture, k-12 Deaf students.

Öğretmenlerin İşitme Engelli Öğrencilerin Yabancı Dil Olarak İngilizce Eğitimine Erişimine İlişkin Görüşleri

Abstract

Türkiye'de, örgün eğitime devam eden işitme engelli öğrenciler genellikle işiten öğrencilerin öğrendiği gibi İngilizce öğrenememektedir. Bu çalışma, nitel bir yaklaşım bağlamında yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeleri kullanarak dokuz işitme engelli öğrenci öğretmeninin Türkiye'deki işitme engelli öğrencilerin yabancı dil olarak İngilizce eğitimine erişimine ilişkin bakış açılarını analiz etmektedir. Çalışmada veriler içerik analizi yöntemiyle analiz edilmiştir. Bulgular, Türkiye'deki engelli bireylerin sağırlığı bir kültür olarak algıladıklarını, Türk İşaret Dili'ni sağır bireylerin birincil dili olarak gördüklerini ve sağır eğitiminde işaret dilinin bir araç olarak kullanılmasını desteklediklerini göstermektedir. Bununla birlikte, işitme engelliler öğretmenleri, işitme engelli öğrenciler için yabancı dil olarak İngilizce eğitimini Türk İşaret Dili'ni tam olarak öğrenilene kadar ertelemeyi tercih etmektedir. Çalışmanın bulguları, Türk İşaret Dili'nin örgün eğitime devam eden öğrencilerin eğitimine bir araç olarak entegre edilmesini ve herhangi bir dil öğrenmeyi ertelemeden sağır öğrencilere eşzamanlı olarak yabancı dil olarak İngilizce öğretmek için eğitim programları tasarlamayı önermektedir.

Keywords

Yabancı dil olarak İngilizce, sağır öğrenciler, sağır öğrencilerin öğretmenleri, bir kültür olarak sağırlık, örgün eğitime devam eden sağır öğrenciler

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