The fields of Deaf Education and Early Intervention are currently awash with discussions about Listening and Spoken Language (LSL). LSL is a communication approach striving to teach deaf children how to hear and talk without access to sign language. Generally marketed as ‘scientific’ and ‘modern’ with its utilisation of hearing technology, LSL obscures a familiar concept with a veneer of novelty. Using the concept of pentimento, this paper unpacks the layers of LSL to reveal the underlying original image of
Oralism – the anti-sign language pedagogy that emphasises only speech. This paper argues that LSL perpetuates an unproductive two-centuries-old conversation regarding the language(s) of development and instruction for deaf children, a conversation that frequently ends in needless trauma and harm for deaf children and adults. Despite copious research demonstrating the benefits of sign
language acquisition for deaf children and clear historical consensus from the Deaf communities that sign language enhances literacy, identity, comprehension, and indeed, even speech
outcomes – Oralists persist in painting over their ineffective philosophy with new branding such as LSL.