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.
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