James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack) (11/19/90)
Index Number: 11828
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Ann,
Now let's move on to Total Communication. Total communication
is a philosophy and not a method. You can't teach Total
Communication to preschoolers as you suggest. The concept
behind total communication is that an educator uses the
communication method best suited for the child to foster that
child's learning.
If a kid came to you knowing only how to read and write, had
no signing ability , lipreading ability, that is what you
used. If the kid was primarily a lipreader that is what you
used. Total Communication by virtue of what it truly is
unworkable. If we had the resources and teachers to go one on
one with each kid to meet their needs, fine. We don't. We
dump them all in one classroom. Consequently, it is
physically impossible for a teacher to teach all the kids
together by using total communication. Each kid's needs are
different. You can group them together according to
communication needs, but they may be so dissimilar in
academic level that you would be hindering the process of
some, overwhelming others etc. Their social maturity or the
presence of other factors would also make lumping them
together purely according to communication needs prohibitive,
yet this is what happens if you insist on a total
communication approach as defined by your apparent
suggestion.
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!300!14!James.Womack
Internet: James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.orgJames.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack) (11/19/90)
Index Number: 11831
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Don't blame ASL for deaf failure. If it is so faulty, why do
deaf people cling to it so tenaciously? Why doe sit refuse to
go away? Why has 200 years of suppression failed to dislodge
it? Because it is our cultural medium, just as any language
is the cultural medium of any people. No people give up this
core identity glue willingly. You'd have to kill each
and everyone of them to terminate it. When bilingual
education should have been taught, it wasn't. Rather English
was crammed down the throat by means of the eyes. Well, 200
years of failure shows it does not work. Now what? More of
the same under a different name? ASL has historically been
denied entrance into the classroom. Whatever you do, do not
blatantly blame ASL for deaf education's failure. Why?
Because in all honesty, ASL had nothing to do with it. It was
not permitted to.
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Internet: James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.orgVixen@f11.n203.z1.fidonet.org (Vixen) (11/20/90)
Index Number: 11887
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Hi James,
I must tell you that I thought you presented your positions
regarding ASL, deaf Culture and communication in an intelligent and
clear fashion. I have followed this thread most closely and with
great interest.
For myself, I do believe in Total Communications methods, but as
some already know, I am a strong advocate of ASL. My caveat on
Total Communication is that it should be something that is optional
and available for those who can benefit by it. I don't believe it
should be forced.
When I began learning ASL, I was also taught a little bit about its
history as well as deaf culture and things relevant. My instructors
felt that it was important that I know more than just the
language.
I was taught much of what you have spoken of here. That many
hearing educators and systems tried to suppress ASL for any number
of reasons, including labeling it an inferrior form of
communication. I also learned that many hearing persons or
institutions expected the deaf person/ student/ child to do things
"the hearing way" or as you have said, without the use of ASL.
I have even seen some of this attitude in my own life experiences.
When a hearing person/system wants to put the deaf individual in
the position of finding a means of communication more easily
understandable by the hearing person/system. I realize that there
are more hearing people than deaf, but somehow, I have always been
annoyed by this.
I was also taught to respect this wonderful language and that as
you have pointed out, is so much a part of being deaf for so many
and that much of the deaf community will and does cling tenaciously
to ASL.
You commented that a "Deafie" might think of Annie as a deaf person
with a hearing mind. I wonder, if people like some of my (hearing)
ASL instructors are "Hearing with the ability to think as a
deafie!" (To all reasonable limits of course.)
For me, a sign system that is based on standard english might be
easier to learn and I might be able to string my signs together
easier and quicker, because proper ASL syntax has never come easily
to me. Still, I prefer the language as it is.
I think Total Communication is fine once the deaf
child/student/person has a basic visual language to communicate
with. I thought you raised a lot of good points concerning this.
Keepin' the faith!
. Vixen
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Internet: Vixen@f11.n203.z1.fidonet.orgAnn.Parsons@f207.n260.z1.fidonet.org (Ann Parsons) (11/28/90)
Index Number: 12001
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Hi there,
I am learning so, so much! Thanks for all the knowledge. I think that what I
remember the most is the attitude of the hearing community toward ASL in the
past. It reminds me vividly of the book by Kkewellen, How Green Was My Valley.
It's a book about Wales and in it there's a scene of a little girl, about six.
She is standing by a fence in a playground and she's crying. The reason she's
crying is that her teacher has punished her. Around her neck is a rope.
attached to the rope is a heavy board which hangs in front of her knees. On
the board is written in big black letters "I MUST NOT SPEAK WELSH IN SCHOOL" I
wish everybody unlimited and freely chosen communication methods!
Take care, see you on-line.
Ann P.
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Internet: Ann.Parsons@f207.n260.z1.fidonet.orgJames.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack) (11/28/90)
Index Number: 12009
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
That Welsch girl you referred to sums up whathas gone on withthe deaf
for two centuries in America.
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Internet: James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org