Listen to Me: Hearing Children’s Perceptions and Attitudes towards Irish Sign Language (ISL) and the Deaf Community

Abstract

This article examines the extent to which Irish primary school children perceive ISL as a language in its own right, their perceptions of the d/Deaf community’s use of ISL and their attitudes towards learning ISL in school. Following an extensive literature review, quantitative and qualitative data was gathered through the distribution of anonymous questionnaires. The sample group consisted of thirty-two pupils from 3rd to 6th classes in a mainstream primary school in Dublin Ireland. The children had some prior knowledge of basic ISL and Deaf culture. The findings highlight a positive perception of and attitude towards both ISL and the Deaf community. The majority of children perceived ISL as a legitimate language and recognised that it was a language used by the Deaf community. There was also a positive attitude towards ISL with children reporting that they enjoyed learning it and it wasn’t too difficult to learn. The study adds to the current body of research around ISL and the Deaf community in Ireland and the value of listening to the many voices that exist in our classrooms