Bilingual Language Profiles of Deaf Students: An Analysis of the Written Narratives of Three Deaf Writers with Different Language Proficiencies

Literature on bilingual education suggests that the material used in teaching second language writing has an impact on the quality of the text. In addition, the material interacts differently with the level of bilingual proficiency of the students. This paper attempts to explore the written stories of three deaf students, which were produced under two different conditions: translation from a signed narrative vs. direct composition from a picture narrative. The three deaf students represent three language groups, with different proficiencies in Greek Sign Language and written Greek. It will be shown that a) each representative produces a unique writing style in accordance to his/her language proficiencies and b) each representative reacts differently to the stimulus material facilitating (or not) different aspects of writing. The narratives were explored in terms of their discourse and technical characteristics. Implications for deaf education and the teaching of writing are discussed. Copyright (C) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.