ISSUES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL AND INTERPERSONAL DISCOURSE FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE HEARING-LOSS

English instruction for children with hearing loss has traditionally f ocused on teaching about language conventions, with much less attentio n to learning language, or to learning through language-especially its discourse features. The author argues that language intervention, thr ough the collaborative efforts of speech-language pathologists and tea chers, should promote communication interactions that emphasize Englis h discourse that facilitates interpersonal and school language learnin g. Particular focus in this article is on issues of teacher talk, talk around print, self-talk in problem-solving, and the uses of narrative and descriptive discourse in interpersonal and school contexts.