Revisioning the deaf community: the journey to developing a mixed-modality multilingual identity

In the Irish context, interest in learning Irish Sign Language (ISL) is expected to increase with the passing of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017. Therefore, we must consider the views and perceptions of L2-M2 (second-language, second-modality) learners in this changing landscape. Researchers have documented the inaccurate perceptions that prospective students have prior to undertaking their sign language studies. Peterson (2009) points out how American Sign Language is misconstrued by students and argues that learners often have no meaningful contact with the Deaf community prior to enrolling on courses. As a consequence, learners conflate deaf culture with mainstream culture and do not distinguish between the two. Kusters (2014) states that this is not solely due to minority language status but also because oral-auditive languages are viewed to be superior. 

This research study explores the extent to which being a sign language learner contributes to the formation or (re)negotiation of a multilingual identity. Fisher et al. (2020) hypothesised that in the right conditions, a classroom environment allows for a participative multilingual identity to be formed.This paper documents the narratives, told via interviewing, of twenty-one novice university learners of ISL and their changing perceptions over the first year of their studies.