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From:
Ronald Zapien Date: Wed Sep 16, 1998 8:12 pm Subject: Re: SW for Second Graders | |
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In addition to this, you should include lots and lots of synonyms. This is one of the real complaints about learning ASL or any sign system--the fear of dumbed down language. Many times this concern is merited because parents can't model more complex language structures because they don't know them. Just a thought. Cheryl Valerie Sutton wrote: > James Shepard-Kegl wrote: > >The advantage of SW -- the real miracle of SW -- is that the system > >potentially puts Deaf kids at a par with their hearing peers when it comes > >to learning to read and write in their native language. But, you have to > >level the rest of the playing field for this to work. That means the Deaf > >kids need the same quality stuff, in SW, that hearing kids get in English, > >etc. > > > >So, there should be stories with adjectives -- lots of them --, similes, > >metaphors and so forth. Sure, you need basic sentence structures, but you > >need relatives and conditionals, too. ASL uses all this all some form of > >grammatical equivalent. And, you need stories with depth -- stuff that > >really peaks the interest. > > ____________________________ > > Hello James! > Thank you for your inspiring messages. I have to catch my breath when > reading all of your accomplishments!! Congratulations :-) > > In regards to the SignWriting Literacy Project, it is something brand new > that is really quite different than the unique circumstances in Nicaragua. > > I am donating books to teachers who have never met me in person. Nor have > some of them ever seen SignWriting before. The whole concept of reading and > writing ASL is new to them, and they are asked to teach a subject they do > not know. > > So I had to create simple books, because the teachers are learning with > their own students. In fact, it is my guess that the students will teach > the teachers :-) > > Most of the teachers are Deaf themselves, but they are adults, not > children, and they were told all their lives in school that reading and > writing was only English. Now they have to adjust their thinking, and start > teaching the reading and writing of their native language, within two > weeks, without anyone near them who knows SignWriting. > > So, I will do all I can to help and to make the road a little easier. We > can start with easy flashcards, and then someday do the excellent > literature you talk about above. > > Keep up the tremendous work, James - Your points are well taken and I > predict that more and more literature will be someday written in ASL too - > we are just behind the Nicaraguans, that is all! > > Tomorrow is another day, and I must go back to the pile of papers on my desk - > > Have a great evening everyone! > > Valerie :-) > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > Visit the SignWritingSite: > https://www.SignWriting.org > > Valerie Sutton at The DAC > Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting > Box 517, La Jolla, CA, 92038-0517, USA > (619)456-0098 voice > (619)456-0010 tty > (619)456-0020 fax > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
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