Bridging communication: Using New Zealand Sign Language with non-deaf tamariki in early childhood education

Résumé fourni par la source

New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) is an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand, yet in education it is often positioned as relevant only for Deaf and hard-of-hearing learners. The NZSL Board highlights the importance of ensuring tamariki have access to language during the key language learning years. This article explores how and why early childhood education (ECE) kaiako use NZSL to support inclusion, enhance communication for tamariki with speech and expressive language impairment, and strengthen the status of NZSL as an official language. Kaiako described a range of practices, from using key word signs alongside speech to more immersive bimodal communication. Barriers included limited training opportunities, inconsistent resources, and dominant oral language ideologies. These tensions reflect broader language ideologies within education, where languages may be positioned as a problem, a right, or a resource, and where minority languages can occupy lower positions within societal language hierarchies. The study highlights how kaiako beliefs about language shape practice: when NZSL is viewed as a resource for tamariki, it becomes a bridge to communication and belonging for children rather than a specialised intervention. Implications for kaiako education and early childhood practice are discussed.

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