Click HERE for the presentation video with sign interpretation.
This presentation outlines the rationale for and describes the process of developing a parent American Sign Language (ASL) curriculum framework that is aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The CEFR holds much promise for innovation in sign language teaching and learning, as it is based in conceptions of the language learner as a social agent who develops general and particular communicative competences while achieving everyday goals. This is also known as an action-oriented teaching approach, which is in keeping with current trends in language education, specifically in seeking to address the needs of parent learners. Data is reported from a recent eight-month study of piloting an online teaching model for parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. A main theme that arose in this study was the role of mediation in terms of alleviating various barriers for participants, reducing otherness, and facilitating the linguistic and cultural dimensions of parents’ online ASL learning through cognitive and relational means.