Discussing Bilingualism in Deaf Children: Essays in Honor of Robert Hoffmeister by Charlotte Enns, Jonathan Henner, and Lynn McQuarrie (review)

Abstract

It i s a g reat pleasure to review the book Discussing Bilingualism in Deaf Children in honor of Robert Hoffmeister. There are several reasons why I delight in doing this analysis. Among them, I highlight two: first, because the area of bilingual deaf education accompanies me throughout my professional life; second, because Robert Hoffmeister contributed directly to my own perception as a Coda, the child of deaf parents, and as a researcher in the field of Deaf studies. Carrying out an analytical reading of this work allowed me to visualize the breadth of Robert Hoffmeister’s legacy for deaf education in the United States and worldwide. The editors’ decision to organize the volume into three major parts, (I) Seaworthy Construction: Theoretical Underpinnings of Bilingual Deaf Education, (II) Launching the Voyage: Bilingual Teaching Strategies for Deaf Education, and (III) Sailing into the Wind: Challenges of Signed Language Assessment, was a perfect metaphor, especially considering that this volume honors Robert Hoffmeister. This teacher and researcher, the son of deaf parents, who dedicated his life to denouncing the errors and mistakes in how deaf education has been conducted, was able, at the same time, to succeed in managing his own anger by seeking an ecological balance through sailing. The volume and its organization are exquisite in the way they capture the man. The contributions to