Deaf ESL Students - Gallaudet University

Her book didn’t come back to me
after that. After a while I requested it.
She brought it to me and I resumed
our dialogue.
2/24 I’m happy that you like
America. Do you study a lot? Do
you have a lot of homework?
The next day, she returned it.
2/28 I’m happy to be in America.
I want to learn.
It was not Claudette’s handwriting.
Someone else had written her
response. I wrote back anyway, hoping
that over time Claudette would understand
how dialogue journals work, and
how writing in journals would help her
to learn English.
ABOVE: Dialogue journals may be kept both in
the language of the home and the language
of the classroom. RIGHT: Claudette wrote this
note to the editor expressing her intention
clearly. When they met, she asked that her
name not be used in this article.
2/29 That is good, but you didn’t
answer my questions. Do you
study a lot? Do you have a lot
of homework?
In class, I shook my head. It’s your
job to do this, I told her. I pointed to
her gently and offered her the book
again. You write. She nodded. The
next day she made her first effort.
3/2 Im is good but you didn’t answer
my questions D you study a tol
At first it may have looked like gibberish,
but on further examination, it
was clear that Claudette was mimicking
me, trying to copy the text she saw.
This is normal for students. Copying
the work of others sometimes helps us
to construct our own sentences. I
responded the next night.
3/3 I don’t study because I am not a
student. I’m a teacher. Do you
study a lot?
3/6 I study many yes.
It was a start. We continued to write
throughout that year. The following
year another teacher resumed journal
writing with her. Claudette continued
to write in her journal and kept
improving her English. Two years later,
Claudette wrote the following during
winter vacation:
12/31 Big Hello!
I was very enjoying with my
host family and Monika and I
went to Reinhard’s house for the
party, she and I was very talking
so much. I was calling to
Monika. She still in touch with
me too.
My house parent was feeling
bad that my host mom Ann’s
friend was died on 31-12
[Claudette still wrote her dates
in the European fashion, day
first and then month] and she
had cancer. I had busy so much
and I helped to other people.
I was very happy that my host
mom Ann had birth boy and
Ann’s baby is very cute. I will be
going to Ann’s house this
Saturday because I would like to
see Ann’s baby.
I really was very happy that I
got a letter from my boyfriend
on Tuesday, I saw boyfriend’s
photo is very cute and he is very
fine.
I can’t wait to letter from my
family and I hope they will write
to me.
We went to Uncle’s house for
the party 25-12. I was enjoying
with Uncle’s house.
I want to ask you that how is
your Christmas? I hope you had
enjoy for Christmas.
I really was enjoying read
book “Harriet Tubman” and I
have other a book from home, I
always to read French and
English that I was writing to my
good friend by French.
Bye bye
Claudette
P.S. H.N.P.—happy new year
12 Spring 2000