1.
Why do you want to learn SignWriting?
SignWriting
is the written form of SignLanguage.
We want to teach the children the
difference between the two languages
they live with, Flemish Signlanguage(FSL)
and Dutch (written or spoken). If
we want to teach the children FSL
we would want to write it down, it
would be a mistake to write it in
Dutch but with the grammar of FSL.
SignWriting is also very visual, for
ex: if you want to actually show the
children the difference between two
sign. They can mark it on the board!
2. What have been some of your past
frustrations when teaching?
Not
being able to have something on paper
about FSL. The children forgot what
I told them about FSL because they
had no means of remembering, like
writing it down. The children didn’t
really think FSL was a full language
because they where always given Dutch,
in books and on paper.
3. Are you hoping that SignWriting
might help? If so, in what way?
I
hope it will make the children realise
FSL is as good as Dutch, it has the
same components and difficulties.
It is a FULL language, that is unique
and beautiful.
4. The SignWriting Teacher's Forum
has a free web page for you and your
students, to use in anyway you wish,
just as long as it relates to SignWriting.
For example, you can post your opinions
about SignWriting, or you can post
student's writing assignments. How
would you like to use your web page?
I
hope to use the site together with
the children to show that they or
not the only deaf children who use
SignWriting. I would like to send
in some of there assignments because
I saw on the site that there is no
information on the Belgium hyper-link
for SignWriting. Seeing it is being
used in Belgium, Flanders, I would
like to see it on the internet, to
inform other teachers in Belgium.
5. Please write any other information
about your students...
I
have used SignWriting for one year
last year with my younger pupils.
I work in a bi-lingual school in Brussels,
the children use Flemish SignLanguage
and learn Dutch as a second language.
We used to just sign away without
teaching the grammar of FSL. When
I first started lessons in FSL grammar
I wanted to write something down and
didn’t know how. A friend of
mine told me about SignWriting and
I started using it. I found it to
be of great value. The children love
it and learn it very easy.
Sara
and I are the two teachers who work
with SignWriting in the classroom,
some of the other teachers use it
to but never in full sentences, only
single signs/words.
Sara
is a deaf teacher in our school who
is an assistant at the moment but
is planning to get a degree in teaching
for primary school. I (Kathleen) am
a hearing teacher who uses FSL fluently
and is active in the Flemish Deaf
community. |
