Benefits of Using Signed Exact English in the Classroom

According to , Signed Exact English (SEE) constitutes a sign system that matches signs with the spoken English language. SEE gives parents of deaf children (90% of whom are both hearing) a way to begin communicating with their child with hearing impairment from birth. SEE provides support for the growing number of children who use cochlear implants, or who use residual hearing, allowing them to match what they see with what they hear and speak in a simultaneous communication environment.
Premises that Signed Exact English is based upon?
*Acquiring good English is a tremendously difficult task for a child born deaf.
*The most important factor in acquiring good English is an understanding of its syntax or structure.
*Normal input must precede normal output.
*The visual cues of speech reading are too small and ambiguous to make normal, natural language learning possible.
*Sign language is easier to see than speech reading or finger spelling.
*The feeling for structure is more important that the ability to spell the word in question immediately.
*The patterns or structure of English may easily be added to sign language.
*It is easier to sign all parts of a sentence than to sign some and spell others.
*Any specific sign should mean one and only one thing.
*English should be signed as it is spoken.
Benefits of using Signed Exact English in the classroom
In America, both written and spoken language occur in English word order. This includes all forms of print, such as textbooks, environmental signs, medication instructions, recipes, street signs (although many also have pictures), and monthly bills. Students need to acquire a strong language base in the same word order as the rest of society. Effective classroom instruction should utilize language that parallels society.
According to :
*All morphemes, or word parts, are signed, which makes the morphology or words visible to deaf children who cannot hear the word parts.
*SEE uses fourteen markers to clarify meanings and to represent English exactly, such as the possessives, plurals, "-ly", "-y", and "-ing", among others.
*Deaf children’s language shows signs of is delay, but not disorder. SEE follows children’s developmental stages. SEE proponents believe that deaf children learn semantic structures in the same order and in the same manner as hearing children do.
*Synonyms have unique signs (as opposed to other sign systems which use the same sign for synonyms). Instead of using the same sing for “pretty,” “beauty,” and “lovely,” for example, an initialized sign is used. This means using the hand shape of the first letter of the specific word in forming the sign. So the teacher would sign the “pretty” sign, but with the “b” handshape for “beauty,” and the “l” handshape for “lovely,” to distinguish the different words from each other.
Therefore, although other sign systems seem appropriate for casual conversation, classroom instruction should utilize Signed Exact English to improve deaf students’ reading skills and language base. The effective teacher of the deaf should sign and speak simultaneously. This technique will reach all of the students, both oral and signing, in the class. In addition, signing and speaking simultaneously helps the deaf student to associate the sound of the spoken word with the sign for that word. English word order should be utilized. Signing prefixes, suffixes, plurals, and verb tenses will clarify meanings. Signing different signs for synonyms will assist students in reading those words. Signed Exact English constitutes a more exact representation of the English language, and is most appropriate for classroom instruction.
Bibliography
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*:This article focuses on the pros of using SEE. SEE uses fourteen markers to clarify meanings and to represent English exactly. These markers include the possessives 's', the -ly, -y, a past participle form, and the verb form-ing, among others. Using SEE makes it easier for deaf children to learn to read because SEE uses the same order as the written form of English, unlike other sign language systems.
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*:This chapter discusses the ten tenants of SEE. Tenant Two emphasizes the importance of understanding syntax or the language structure of English. Tenant nine stresses that there should only be one sign for one word. For example, there should be different signs for the words “pretty,” “beautiful,” “beauty,” and “lovely.”
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*:This article discusses the sign language of five deaf preschool children whose language exhibits signs of delay, but not disorder. Intervention programs reflect a developmental language philosophy emphasizing that deaf children learn semantic structures in the same order and manner as hearing children. The process just takes longer for the hearing-impaired.
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*:This article gives the major pro of using SEE. The teacher signs all morphemes, or word parts. Students who are deaf need to see the signs for all word parts in order to comprehend what they read. Signed Exact English makes the morphology of words visible to deaf children who cannot hear the word parts.
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*:This article defines Signed Exact English as a signing system that matches signs with the English language. SEE signs show specificity. Instead of utilizing the same sign for several synonyms, as in other sign language systems, SEE aims to provide deaf students with the same level of exposure to the English language as hearing students receive. Every word corresponds to a specific sign. Initialized signs use the first letter of the word as the hand shape for the sign. This technique gives students clues about the spelling of the words. Signing specificity enhances comprehension by giving students more information and clarity regarding the speaker’s or writer’s intentions.

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