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Foreign language classrooms have historically used classroom lecture-based approaches for instruction. However, the flipped pedagogical approach was recently introduced into foreign language and other classrooms. Studies of the flipped classroom approach in spoken L2 classrooms have generally found a positive impact on student learning outcomes, perceptions and satisfaction compared with the traditional classroom approach. Cripps et al. (2021) found no difference in student learning outcomes and satisfaction between L2 American Sign Language traditional and flipped classrooms each taught by two different instructors. This study is a partial replication of Cripps et al. (2021) with both classes taught by the same instructor, using the traditional classroom data from the original study and comparing it to new data from the same instructor teaching in the flipped approach. Results show no major differences, suggesting that the flipped classroom approach is as viable as the traditional classroom approach regardless of the instructor.

This forum focuses on a journey in understanding and appreciating signed music as a performing art from deaf musicians. Signed music is an emerging inter-performative art form that includes lyrical and/or non-lyrical musical performances connecting to the culture of deaf people who communicate through signed languages. This forum follow-ups with the three signed music deaf musicians who participation in the Partition/Ensemble 2020 conference, which was held in Montreal, Quebec, in the summer of 2020, and was organized by the canadian Association for Theatre Research and the Societe quebecoise d'etudes theatrales. Deaf musicians from around canada convened in this plenary to discuss how they used their creativity, research, and scholarship to produce signed music works. The follow-up dialogue, in which Youssouf, Witcher, and Cripps participated, discusses their paths with new projects. They responded to three different questions: 1) What have we learned from the plenary? 2) Are there any new signed music pieces? If yes, expand on your piece; and 3) Are there any new works related to signed music (mentorship, research, etc.)? If yes, expand on your new work. Keywords: signed music, deaf musicians, mentorship, signed languages, performance arts Ce texte du forum se concentre sur le cheminement vers la reconnaissance et l'appreciation de la musique en langue des signes comme art vivant pratique par des musiciennes sourdes. La musique en langue des signes est une forme artistique d'interperformance emergente, composee de performances musicales lyriques et non lyriques liees a la culture des personnes sourdes qui communiquent par le biais de langues des signes. Le forum fait suite a la participation de trois musiciennes sourdes au colloque Partition/Ensemble 2020, a Montreal, au Quebec, a l'ete 2020, organisee par l'Association canadienne de la recherche theatrale et la Societe quebecoise d'etudes theatrales. Cette pleniere a reuni des musiciennes sourdes de partout au canada pour partager de la facon dont leur creativite, leurs recherches et leurs etudes sont mobilisees pour produire des oeuvres musicales en langue des signes. La discussion subsequente, a laquelle ont participe Youssouf, Witcher et cripps, porte sur leur cheminement vers de nouveaux projets. Les artistes ont repondu a trois questions : 1) Qu'avez-vous appris de la pleniere? 2) Avez-vous produit de nouvelles pieces musicales en langue des signes? Si oui, decrivez les pieces; et 3) Quels sont vos nouveaux travaux lies a la musique en langue des signes (mentorat, recherche, etc.)? En quoi consistent vos travaux? Mots cles : musique en langue des signes, musiciennes sourdes, mentorat, langues des signes, arts de performance, Signed music is an emerging inter-performative art form that includes lyrical and/or non-lyrical musical performances with strong linkages to the culture of deaf people who communicate through signed languages (1) [...]

Second language (L2) learning has largely occurred in the traditional lecture-based classroom setting. Studies show that the lecture format has an impact on student outcomes and perceptions of classroom learning. Negative impacts include insufficient time for reinforcement activities, reviewing lecture materials, and engaging in conversation between instructors and students. An innovative way to enhance L2 students' classroom outcomes and perceptions is the inverted classroom pedagogy. This study assesses whether the inverted pedagogy leads to more positive student perspectives and higher student outcomes compared to traditional pedagogy in L2 classrooms in American Sign Language (ASL). In this study, student outcomes and instructor and student perceptions of inverted pedagogy for ASL are assessed using a mixed method design with one controlled (traditional) and one experimental (inverted) advanced ASL class in a post-secondary setting. Results suggest that the inverted pedagogy is an approach that is as viable as the traditional approach for teaching and learning ASL as an L2 that enables students to engage in meaningful activities and conversations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how audience members reacted to The Black Drum, the first signed musical production produced by a deaf cast and crew. Signed music is an original form of art that uses non-auditory and visual compositions either in non-lyrics, signed language lyrics, or both (e.g., Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf, 2015; Cripps and Lyonblum, 2017; Cripps et al., 2017; Witcher et al., 2021). Three questions were asked to randomly chosen deaf community audience members who had seen this play: 1) Did you enjoy the play? (as an opening remark) 2) How is The Black Drum signed musical unique? and 3) Which signed music piece in The Black Drum is your favourite? Why? Responses from the audience members revealed their opinions and viewpoints on this featured musical that was designed to be fully accessible, as well as how music is accepted and embraced in the deaf community. The study on the audience’s responses to The Black Drum in the performing arts ecosystem will result in a greater understanding of what constitutes music in the deaf community as well as its applicability to the mainstream environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deaf individuals who use American Sign Language (ASL) are rarely the focus of professionals in speech-language pathology. Although society is widely thought of in terms of those who speak, this norm is not all-inclusive. Many signing individuals exhibit disorders in signed language and need treatment much like their speaking peers. Although there is validation of the existence of disorders in signed language, provisions for signed language therapies are rare. Spoken language bias is explored with a focus on the concerning history of therapies provided for spoken language only. This article explores attitudes regarding ASL along with how signed language reading can help identify and treat language learning disabilities among deaf children. Addressing the topic of signed language disorders aims at meeting the needs of individuals who are deaf, which could lead to professional training and treatment options in signed language pathology (e.g., aphasia, stuttering).

Kat Germain considers media accessibility strategies while translating signed music by Deaf artists, drawing on her experience as a visual translator/interpreter and audio describer for Blind and partially sighted audience members. Germain queries: What is the disparity between a Deaf artist's (nonvocal) work and a Blind audience member's experience of it? When does visual translation stop being a copy, and when does it become a work of art in its own right if the audience member's only experience is the audible translation, an unavoidably a creative act? Along with Germain, the panel (Deaf scholar/artist, Blind scholar/creator/audience member, and a sound engineer) discusses aspects of ethics and aesthetics of accessibility in the arts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pedagogy of Service-Learning is a new addition to the field of Deaf Studies. As a new and non-traditional course, the implementation of a Deaf Studies Service-Learning course is a challenging task. One challenge is to develop several multi-directional relationships between the faculty member, students, deaf consumers, and community partners from deaf-related rehabilitation agencies. Another issue is addressing the major challenges identified in the Service-Learning literature. Utilizing recommendations made by an experienced faculty member, these challenges are surmountable. This combination of in-class and out-of-class pedagogy enriches Deaf Studies students' learning experience serving the deaf consumers in "real world" settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For nearly a half a century, research has found that signed languages (e.g., American Sign Language, ASL) are comparable to spoken languages (e.g., English) when it comes to meeting the criteria of linguistic principles for a human language. However, there is limited research available on the topic of signed language disorders, even though they occur with a similar incidence to disorders in spoken language (Cripps et al., 2016: 110-12). The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness in diagnostic and therapeutic activities of two language professionals, Speech-Language Pathologists and ASL Specialists, working with deaf children who exhibit developmental signed language deficits. Pre- and post-research interviews with professionals and observations of professional-student interactions were conducted. This study occurred at a residential school for the deaf with an immersive ASL environment. Due to the lack of knowledge and resources available to language professionals working with deaf children, results suggest that deaf children are not receiving appropriate language intervention. Furthermore, current professionals identified that there is a specific need for a signed language professional, such as signed language pathologist, to specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with signed language delay and/or disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current website designs typically do not include sign language interpretation for deaf people. As a result, many deaf people lack access to critical information on the internet. A pilot study gathered input from deaf adults in one community to identify designs providing best access to information on the internet. The study included four different web design choices: (1) English text, spoken English, and captions; (2) shadowbox-format interpretation of print text and embedded signed language interpretation of video action; (3) thumbnail-sized sign language interpretation of video action; and (4) thumbnail-sized interpretation of the printed text and embedded sign language interpretation of the video action. A mixed research design was used. After demonstrations, deaf participants were surveyed and interviewed to identify which web designs were the most welcoming and provided the best opportunity for comprehension. The outcome suggested that deaf participants relied on signed language interpretation of the text to understand the message and favoured those designs that provided the most comprehensive access. This study provides support for further exploration of new designs incorporating the concepts of Universal Usability that will allow deaf people to fully access the internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deaf people who use signed languages are a cultural and linguistic minority. Previous studies involving healthcare and emergency medical service professionals and their interactions with deaf people within the United States and globally have demonstrated a disconnect and lack of trust. The researchers, in this study, explored an emergency preparedness and mass casualty response with deaf people at a university-run mass casualty simulation. Seven culturally deaf high school students from a local deaf school participated in this simulation. Deaf student responses on the survey reflected their experiences involving poor communication skills between health professionals, first responders, and deaf students. By adopting the whole community approach, the students' experiences reinforce the need to include cultural and linguistic education training led by deaf people to increase communication skills among health professionals and first responders in supporting deaf people in emergencies.