‘What’s the sign for “Catch 22”?’: barriers to professional formation for deaf teachers of British Sign Language in the Further Education sector

In 2007, Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills standards (QTLS) were introduced for all teachers working in UK further education institutions, with the expressed aim of improving professional standards within the sector. British Sign Language (BSL) teaching is largely delivered by deaf native signers through evening classes at local FE colleges, but the majority hold no formal teaching qualifications. Therefore this initiative provided BSL teachers with an opportunity to enhance their skills and practice, but also presented a formidable barrier to achieving Qualified Teacher status. Two research projects undertaken by the University of Central Lancashire in 2009 and 2010 assessed the suitability of training courses designed to help FE teachers achieve these new qualifications, with particular emphasis on whether these courses meet the specific pedagogic needs of deaf learners. The shortcomings in training provision that were found illustrate the invidious position deaf learners find themselves in, on the one hand wanting to enhance their skills and qualifications whilst at the same time being effectively barred from doing so by a lack of adequate and appropriate training opportunities. This article highlights some of the experiences of deaf BSL teachers seeking to gain these awards and illustrates the ways in which the delivery of training courses fails on virtually every level to respond to the different learning requirements of sign language users.     

Exploring alternative assessments for signing deaf candidates

Attitudes to sign languages or language policies are often not overtly discussed or recorded but they influence deaf young people's educational opportunities and outcomes. Two qualitative studies from Scotland investigate the provision of British Sign Language as accommodation in public examinations. The first explores the views of deaf pupils and staff about the official system for face-to-face interpretation of exam papers. The second investigates a centrally translated digital paper with embedded video questions. Discussion focuses on contrasts between the USA and UK approaches to accommodations, raising issues of standardized technical terms in signed languages, the right to respond in sign, and candidate choice.