At Gallaudet, February 4, 2009, Mr Robert Johnson presented research that explored bilinguality, bilingualism, and Deaf education. Please note that this blog is not exact representation and is just this attender's understanding.
Mr. Johnson presented that bilinguality focuses on a person's ability to use two languages; whereas, bilingualism, is an institutional suppression (or non recognition) of one's native language and an institutional dominance of the majority language. (How many of us know of individuals who may use Spanish fluently but because of being in an English-dominant environment, suppress their Spanish)? Seeminly bilingualism is yet another negative "ism" in society.
Then Robert Johnson discussed the difference of a minority bilingual and an elite bilingual. Society negatively views a Deaf person whose primary language is ASL with English as a secondary language as a minority bilingual. Whereas, society views positively a non Deaf (hearing) person whose primary language is English but may have acquired or learned American Sign Language as a secondary language. This is the elite bilingual.
When it comes to communication and language access, there is now pressure to attend to the needs of immigrants here in America rather than just letting them sink or swim. This requires a paradigm switch from the "ethical" dialogue to education; specifically "Communication Education".
The reason there needs to be a switch, Mr. Johnson argues, is that with "ethical" dialogue all one needs to do to throw a monkey wrench into the mix is to say, "Well, I disagree with your ethics," and well, that's the end of the issue. Efforts to overcome barriers would have come to a screeching halt. Therefore, "Communication Education" is the counter.
VERY INTERESTING!!!!!!!
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