Evaluering
An Evaluation of SigAm Bilingual Education Project for Deaf Children in China 2004 - 2009
The vast majority of deaf schools in China use the oral approach – while internationally there is an increasing recognition of a bilingual approach based on local sign language as the first language and local spoken and written language as the second and supporting language. Science indicates that children exposed to sign language at an early stage will learn in the same way as their hearing peers and reach the same cognitive, social psychological development. The first bilingual experimental class was established by Amity Foundation back in 1996 in Nanjing. The SigAm project started 2004 after a period of feasibility studies. It is a three partite cooperative project between the Signo and the local partners. The project covered 5 deaf schools in the Jiangsu province in East China. From 2007 the project expanded to four more schools in the western provinces of Guizhou and Sichuan. The purpose of the evaluation is twofold: Findings and recommendations will be used by schools and participating provincial authorities to improve and further develop approaches and methods in bilingual education. The evaluation will also be used by Signo and Amity to discuss the need for follow up and preparation of a new programme proposal.