Which is the first step in teaching the bilingual writing process involving ASL and English?

The first step in teaching the bilingual writing process involving American Sign Language (ASL) and English is pre-writing ASL brainstorming. This phase is essential because it allows students to express their ideas and thoughts in a visual and spatial manner that is natural for them, using ASL. Pre-writing activities in ASL encourage creativity and enable students to organize their thoughts before they transition to the mechanics of writing in English.

Engaging in brainstorming through ASL also helps students leverage their linguistic strengths, as they can conceptualize and plan their narratives or essays without the constraints that may come with writing in English from the start. Once students have a clear understanding of their ideas and the structure they want to convey, they can move on to the next steps of the writing process, such as translating their thoughts from ASL into written English. This approach fosters a strong foundation for bilingual writing, promoting fluency in both languages.