2.4.2. Towards bilingualism and the sociocultural approach

During the 1980s and 1990s, sign language gradually gained recognition in Spain, first as an educational resource, then as a language enabling full access to the curriculum. This shift reflects a broader paradigm change: moving away from an exclusively medical view of deafness toward a sociocultural approach centered on linguistic rights, deaf identity, and bilingual education.

This debate is especially relevant given that most deaf children are born into hearing families. Schools and deaf associations thus become key agents for transmitting sign language (CNLSE, 2020).

Since the 1990s, Spain has developed various bilingual educational initiatives that incorporate sign language alongside oral language in more balanced conditions. Research on sign languages, family attitudes, school commitment, international cooperation, and deaf activism have all supported this approach (Muñoz Baell, 2009). Many of these projects have transformed former special education centres into mainstream schools with bilingual programs and established shared bilingual education models in inclusive centres. However, implementation has been uneven and geographically limited (Alcina Madueño, 2021a; Pérez Martín et al., 2019).

Spain's first bilingual education experiences gained momentum through the initiative of the Spanish Confederation of the Deaf (CNSE) and support from the Ministry of Education and Science, which signed a cooperation agreement in 1994 on educational support for deaf students. This agreement brought deaf advisors, also known as Spanish sign language (LSE) specialists, into schools and marked a milestone in promoting educational policies based on multilingualism.

Aroca-Fernández, E. (2025). Socio-historical background: Sign language community: Deaf education: Towards bilingualism and the sociocultural approach. In S. Villameriel García (Ed.), Gramática de la Lengua de Signos Española (GramLSE) / Grammar of Spanish Sign Language (GramLSE). Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad-Centro de Normalización Lingüística de la Lengua de Signos Española. Retrieved Month DD, YYYY, from https://cnlse.es/es/recursos/gramlse/ingles/index/socio-historical-background/sign-language-community/2-4-deaf-education/2-4-2-towards-bilingualism-and-the-sociocultural-approach