Martin Conroy is an experienced teacher of sign language to adult second language learners. He also teaches ISL to deaf children and their non-deaf parents and siblings. He established the CSL Studies School of ISL in 2001 and provides Deaf Awareness Training to those working with the general public or working in specialist settings with deaf people. He has a particular interest in the development of teaching materials and a bilingual teaching approach in education. He is interested in the development of appropriate services and their impact on the psychological and emotional development of young deaf children. Bilingualism and the creation of a bilingual environment for families to enable them to learn effective communication with their children and siblings is a major area of interest. Martin is developing sign language clubs, family groups, and working to promote an active engagement for families with the Deaf Community through shared participative events as one vehicle through which families will be exposed to Deaf culture and ISL. Martin is a member of the Sign Language Association of Ireland, SLAI.
Evelyn Conroy has been actively involved in the Deaf Community for 16 years. Evelyn is a registered qualified interpreter (R1) with the National Service Provider for sign language interpreting services, Irish Sign Link. She studied Deaf Studies and interpreting at Trinity College Dublin and the University of Bristol. She also obtained a Masters in Applied Linguistics at Trinity College. An experienced interpreter of 10 years in a wide range of settings Evelyn has made a significant contribution to the development of the profession of sign language interpreting in Ireland. Her work includes lecturing on interpreting, ethics & professionalism, culture and language and she has developed a particular interest in Discourse Styles and Translation. She is now gaining wider recognition through her writings and has several published articles and contributions to chapters on language and the deaf community. Evelyn is currently engaged in several part-time teaching posts at the Centre for Deaf Studies, Back to Education Initiative Projects under the VEC in Galway amongst others. She offers a consultancy service with a focus on intercultural communication and accommodation and mutual respect for the language and culture of deaf people working with or interacting with mainstream services. Evelyn is a member of IASLI, the Irish Association of Sign Language Interpreters and EFSLI, the European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters and is a part-time lecturer at the Centre for Deaf Studies, TCD, Dublin.
The ethos of the CSL Studies School
The ‘school’ in CSL Studies School refers to a school of thought or an ideology. English may be the Lingua Franca for the multicultural majority of people living in modern Irish society; however, ISL is often the preferred language of the minority community of Deaf people. We promote the integration of the two communities by the mutual respect of each other’s language and culture. Providers becoming more ‘Deaf Aware’ may be the best way to facilitate and promote equitable participation in education, health and other key public services. We provide a consultancy service on how best to facilitate deaf people in the provision of your service or in the work environment, etc. We also provide the training to develop your communication skills with deaf and deaf/blind people.
We have a range of courses with core content and a structured approach to delivery. In addition to these,
courses may be designed to suit the needs of a specific
