Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrolment Pre-school Programme in Macau

Thanks for the support of the Galaxy Entertainment Group Foundation, a three-year project entitled “GEG Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrolment Pilot Scheme” was established in Macau starting from 2018. The Centre collaborates with the Catholic Diocese of Macau to launch the SLCO Programme in a baby crèche "Crèche Infantário de Nossa Senhora do Carmo" and a kindergarten "Colégio Diocesano de São José (5ª)". The project aims at developing a sustainable Sign Bilingual and Co-enrolment model at preschool level in Macau, providing bilingual inputs of sign and spoken language that support the whole-person development and cater the special needs of young DHH children from age 1 to 6.

Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrolment Kindergarten Programme

The Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrolment Kindergarten Programme is implemented in Peace Evangelical Centre Kindergarten (Ngau Tau Kok). It provides deaf and hearing students a sign bilingual learning environment which enhances classroom participation. In addition to daily contact with hearing students, deaf students will also continuously develop their oral language and literacy through learning support sessions and language training by speech therapists.

Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrolment Primary School Programme

The Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrolment Primary School Programme is currently collaborated with Oblate Primary School. Deaf and hearing teachers will cooperate in co-teaching. Deaf students will receive additional learning support from teachers and language training from speech therapists. The teaching method of using both sign language and spoken language enable all students to participate actively in class, learn subject knowledge effectively and help in language development.

The school also promotes sign language learning of teachers and students. Some deaf and hearing students are trained to be "Junior Sign Interpreters", which enables students to use their sign language ability to serve as interpreters for deaf classmates.

Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrolment Secondary School Programme

In 2013, the Centre brought the rationale of “Sign Bilingualism” and “Co-enrolment” into Notre Dame College. The aim of the programme is to nurture deaf students’ competence in Chinese, English and Hong Kong Sign Language, and nurture the inclusive attitude of deaf and hearing students. In 2019, the programme had the first batch of sign bilingual deaf and hearing students completed their secondary education in the programme.

Baby Crèche Programmes

The Centre started its collaboration with The Society for Protection of Children to introduce sign bilingual education at their five day crèches in 2013, and among them, the Air Cargo Community Day Crèche continues to enroll deaf infants and provides them individualized support under the support of the SLCO Programme. The programme is now supported by SLCO Community Resources.

Programme website