James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack) (04/15/91)
Index Number: 14873
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Years ago it was argued that humans have a special ability to
possess a language. All humans were thought to have the unique
innate ability to possess a language though the language used might
vary from one group to another. Animals do not have this same
ability. It was also thought that language was limited to the speech
mode. This raised the question of whether or not deaf people have
the ability to possess a language. Deaf people are humans but they
do not speak. Should deaf peo ple be considered as having the
ability to possess a language?
In the last 20 years, there has been a great deal of
discussion focused on this question. The question is really an old
one but it hasn't been until recently, the last 20 years, that
scientists have been able to answer this question. It has been
through the study of sign languages such as ASL and other foreign
sign languages that language is no longer considered specific to one
modality. Until sign language was studied it was thought that
language had to be orally produced and auditor ily perceived.
Speech was thought to be the only vehicle for language production
until the 1970's when it was recognized that language can be
manually/gesturally produced and visually perceived. At this point,
ASL was recognized as a true language in its own right.
Researchers found evidence that sign language had all the
essential components that other spoken languages have. With this new
information, scientists broadened their view of what constituted a
language to include not only spoken languages b ut also signed
languages. This was a shocking revelation to scientists who had
originally viewed language as specific to the aural/oral modality.
At the University of Arizona where I work, approximately 500
students a semester pass through my program to learn ASL as a second
language. Ten years ago no classes were offered. Now universities
across the country have adopted the study of ASL as equivalent to
the study of a foreign language in fulfilling the requirements of
foreign language study for graduation. Times have really changed!
Interestingly enough the number of hearing students taking ASL
classes across the country has
continued to increase and increase to the point that the number of
hearing students studying ASL now outnumbers the number of deaf
people who use ASL! Now ASDB, like many other schools throughout
the country, is discussing the use of ASL in its pr ogram.
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!300!14!James.Womack
Internet: James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org