THE EFFECT OF SIGN LANGUAGE BARRIERS AMONG DEAF LEARNERS: A CASE STUDY OF A SPECIAL SCHOOL IN MOTHEO DISTRICT SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of sign language barriers among deaf learners in the form of a case study which focused on one of the special schools for the deaf and the blind in the Motheo District. It consisted of seven educators (two males and five females), ten learners (six males and four females) and a class of grade eight learners who use sign language as their first language. This study employed a qualitative research method, namely a case study. The simple random sampling method was used in which each member of the population under survey had an equal chance of being selected. Data was collected by means of interviews, classroom observations and a literature review. Semi-structured questions were used when interviewing the educators and learners of the selected school in the Motheo District as they had knowledge of the statistics with regard to the performance related to the use of sign language as medium of instruction, as well as the causes of problems related to the low performance of the learners at their school. A qualified sign language interpreter was used to translate the data. The results of the study indicated that a lack of educator in-service SASL training, as well as learners acquiring language at school rather than from the time that they are still in their mothers’ wombs, and a lack of physical resources are responsible for the problems with regard to the system.