Linda.Iverson@f10.n130.z1.fidonet.org (Linda Iverson) (10/10/90)
Index Number: 11020 [This is from the Silent Talk Conference] Hi, William! Well, not being HI, I can't address the issue of sign language as a foreigh language, but I have some--well, I guess you might say philosophical problems with it. First, what if a totally blind person wanted to take this as a foreign language requirement? Would the school make provisions? Yes, you could take a reader or friend to class, but what about exercises where the teacher might say something and you had to respond. I assume this course is taught like foreign languages most of us know with labs, conversational practice, reading and writing. If they pick ASL what about the users of SEE/ If this is considered a foreign language--something used by our own U.S. citizens, could other dialects of this country become accepted and seen as a foreign language? Hey, I believe it should be taught, but is this putting a group of our citizens into a different category from the rest of us? I know I wouldn't appreciate braille being thought of as a special form of reading or writing. True, it is different from print, but it is not a foreign way of writing. Speaking of braille, I think it is taught as college credit nowadays. Well, just a thought. I for one would love to learn sign. It is being taught as an enrichment course at my son's school. Fran, if you read this, do you think my son would benefit from your program? One of the teacher's has a daughter who is deaf, but she doesn't use sign with her daughter though she knows it. This is a small school, so her daughter does well. She seems to fit right in with the other kids. Even though her daughter is deaf, I've found it interesting that her mother has always been a little patronizing to me as a blind person. I guess it goes to show we might accept the disability we know, but not stop and think people with other disabilities have ways of coping and do well. Hey, William, I really enjoyed talking to you and Marda the other day. If we get Miss Annie here it'd be fun to have a get-together. Please send me the info on netmail. Don't study too hard! Take care! Linda -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!130!10!Linda.Iverson Internet: Linda.Iverson@f10.n130.z1.fidonet.org
Stu.Turk@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Stu Turk) (10/10/90)
Index Number: 11023 [This is from the Silent Talk Conference] Linda Iverson of 1:130/10 wrote to William Hubbs: LI> philosophical problems with it. First, what if a totally blind LI> person wanted to take this as a foreign language requirement? LI> Would the school make provisions? Yes, you could take a reader LI> or friend to class, but what about exercises where the teacher LI> might say something and you had to respond. I assume this course = Blind people learn sign language by feeling the movment of the hands. A blind person would simply have a interpreter in class (something quite common for deaf people so they shouldn't see anything odd about an interpreter). The interpreter would sit in front of the blind person, facing him/her, and duplicate the signs the instructor is signing. Once the blind person learns the sign language they often serve as interpreters for the deaf. I belong to a group of deaf/blind people and most of the group uses signs (I'm one of the few that doesn't). -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!26!Stu.Turk Internet: Stu.Turk@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org