James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack) (11/19/90)
Index Number: 11829 [This is from the Silent Talk Conference] The concept behind Total Communication seems noble enough. However, it is just another way to ignore the fact that the deaf child needs to have a visually based language to master before the second language (phonetic in nature) can be used with any degree of real success. Again and again, I will say this. The child is deaf! The ears don't work or work only marginally. The eyes are the logical choice for educational input. Common sense says a true language (as opposed to pseudo languages) is what the child needs F I R S T in order to open the way for the language of his/her dominant society's language to be mastered. ASL has all the characteristics of a true language. Its own rules, syntax, semantics, and even shares certain properties with other languages that English does not. Deaf people as a majority, even orally educated ones, SEE educated ones, gravitate to ASL as years flow by because it is natural to the deaf. It is visually based. It meets our needs and above all else, it is OURS. If oralism, SEE and Sign English are so effective, why is it that so many of the deaf who graduate from such programs do so with only a 3rd to 4th grade level of education? In those programs, ASL is openly suppressed. Many of the kids are not exposed to deaf culture. The are SEE and/or oral through an through. Yet they are not academically better as a whole. ASL cannot be blamed for this. You refer to your experience as a hearing impaired person. I admire your father for taking the time to help you as he did. So few are like him. I admire you for your accomplishments. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!300!14!James.Womack Internet: James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org