James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack) (03/28/91)
Index Number: 14516
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
The real problem with deaf education is that the hearing dominated
profession refuses to recognize that deaf people are deaf, have
their own language and that language could be used to further the
education of the deaf. They refuse to do this because English
based systems are easier for the hearing. They are so busy trying
to make us something we ARE NOT that they don't care what we ARE.
When ASL is mentioned, it gets insulted. It gets called pig latin,
not a real language and God knows what else. This is historical of
dominant members of a society oppressing and suppressing the
progress of minority members of the society. You destroy a
language, you destroy the people whose language it is. You neuter
and dis-empower them. You take away their sense of self. Behold
Total Communication! Many programs that began it have dropped it
for something else. Research shows it is not effective. Part of
the reason is that is in inherently impractical to apply in the
manner theory calls for it to be applied and as result it is not
applied in the manner envisioned. Even if were, SEE'ers and MCE
people would say ASL ruined it. Watch what happens. Several kids
know ASL. You use it with them. Because deaf kids take to it
know ASL. You use it with them. Because deaf kids take to it
rather naturally, those who don't use it will rapidly learn it
from their peers who do use it. ASL will quickly become the
dominant sign language used by the kids ( at least among each
other) and it will be well internalized and quickly. Kids are like
linguistic sponges when the input medium (ear or eye) in not
hindered or impaired. The teacher in theory would find a need to
use ASL with each kid more and more, but that is not what happens.
The teachers are often hearing and have little or no ASL ability.
They make TC a fallacy by virtue of lacking this skill. So they
use an MCE system which most kids don't internalize because the
input medium required for English is the ear. Go ahead try it.
Tell a kid this: A WONDERFUL BIRD IS THE PELICAN. HIS BEAK CAN
HOLD MORE THAN HIS BELICAN. BUT I WILL BE DARN IF I KNOW HOW THE
HELICAN! This is not spelled correctly, yet if spoken, you get a
guffaw from many a hearing kid, but not a deaf child. You don't
because the eye is not the NATURAL medium for English. However,
the eye is very much the NATURAL medium for ASL. ASL is more
readily assimilated by deaf children because the brain is not
fighting against an unnatural phenomenon forced on it. Dr. Stacks'
research showed that MCE has something in it that the brain simply
refuses to process and this cause most truly deaf children to
struggle as they do with English. He found that ASL lacked this
element and was easily assimilated. I believe he located the area
of the brain that was specifically affected. He concluded that for
most deaf people, MCE was hindering and not helping the deaf.
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