Makaton

[Paul Hopper]

Dear Colleagues,

Re. Sherman's posting on ASL: By coincidence I was about to post an inquiry to FunkNet on a related matter. So that my own posting doesn't distract from the important questions in Sherman's message, I'm presenting my own inquiry as a separate thread.

I have just returned from the UK, and a big thing over there is "Makaton". It's a combination of spoken English and manual signs borrowed from British Sign Language. It was developed originally for learning-disabled kids (autistic, retarded), where it was so successful that teachers have been introducing it into the normal classrooms, and it has become something of a fad, spreading into the playgrounds and streets among grade-schoolers. My question is: does anyone know of any _linguistic_ studies of Makaton? Its grammar, etc.?


"Cheers",

Paul




> Dear colleagues,
> 
> I wonder if I could solicit your assistance. I am forwarding to this list
> an email message I received from P. Vincent Riley, who contacted me for
> assistance regarding the issue of accepting American Sign Language (ASL)
> in fulfillment of foreign language requirements. As you'll see from his
> message, he had been in contact with an organization called the American
> Academy for Liberal Education.
> 
> If you will read through the message from Jeff A. Martineau with that 
> organization, you'll see that he and his organization hold some 
> astoundingly misinformed ideas about ASL: that it is a visual form of 
> English, that it is universal (does he not see the contradiction in those
> two statements?), that it is "not a separate frame of reference for
> thinking."
> 
> No matter your position on whether ASL should meet foreign language 
> requirements -- I happen to think it should, but I also recognize that
> reasonable people might disagree on exactly which languages should meet
> undergraduate FL requirements -- I hope you will agree that these kinds of
> misinformed views need to be corrected. If you agree would you consider
> writing a message to Mr. Martineau?
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> -- Sherman Wilcox, Ph.D. Professor and Chair Department of Linguistics 
> University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 87131
> 
> http://www.unm.edu/~wilcox 505-277-0928
> 
> 
> 
> Begin forwarded message:
> 
>> From: "P. Vincent Riley" <vriley2 at yahoo.com> Date: March 22, 2007
>> 7:45:24 PM MDT To: wilcox at unm.edu Subject: ASL and foreign languages:
>> Critical Update
>> 
>> Dear Professor Wilcox,
>> 
>> I am forwarding to you the following communication from me to Jeff A.
>> Martineau, the Director for Higher Education for the American Academy of
>> Libereal Education, an organization that accredits the general education
>> component of college and university courses, as well as liberal arts and
>> liberal studies programs.
>> 
>> Neumann College, which has appeared on your list for a few years, for
>> example, has recently elected to drop recognition of ASL as a substitute
>> for the foreign language requirement. One reason given was that they 
>> would not be able to receive accreditation of their liberal arts
>> programs from the AALE, and they want that accreditation for their
>> liberal arts and general education programs (although they already have 
>> regional acceditation for the institution).
>> 
>> When I checked with the AALE about their position, it was finally
>> confirmed. The reasons given for their position seem rather ill-informed
>> to me, because I have reviewed Sheryl Cooper's 1997 doctoral thesis, and
>> I assumed that it and other evidence that you refer to on your web site
>> contradict the assertions made by Mr. Martineau.
>> 
>> If other institutions that are also not well-informed about the unique
>> linguistic nature of American Sign Language and the culture that
>> practices it, and instead believe that it is a branch of American English
>> tied to American culture, I fear for the progress that has been made in
>> recognizing ASL at academic instituions.
>> 
>> On the other hand, I am pleased to note that some states have started to
>> call for recognition of the academic status of ASL.
>> 
>> I hope that you and other linguistic and social scientific scholars can
>> assist the AALE in making well-informed decisions for the betterment of
>> all our institutions of higher education.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --- "P. Vincent Riley" <vriley2 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:46:37 -0700 (PDT) From: "P. Vincent Riley"
>>> <vriley2 at yahoo.com> Subject: Re: ASL and foreign languages To: "Jeff A.
>>> Martineau" <jmartineau at aale.org> CC: Jeffrey Wallin <jwallin at aale.org>
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Mr. Martineau,
>>> 
>>> Thank you for the courtesy of your reply.
>>> 
>>> As you occupy a pivotal role in your institution, I will try to see
>>> that some of the assertions in your letter regarding ASL are addressed
>>> by competent linguistic scholars.
>>> 
>>> Noteworthy among these are the following:
>>> 
>>> "[ASL} is really a visual form of English."
>>> 
>>> "[ASL] not a separate frame of reference for thinking, as reading or
>>> speaking a foreign language or being immersed in a foreign culture."
>>> 
>>> "ASL is part of the American culture and is in fact a form of English."
>>> 
>>> Should any of my contacts try to address these to you at the American
>>> Academy of Liberal Education, I will suggest that they indicate their
>>> affiliation. It is clear that a great deal of education lies before
>>> us.
>>> 
>>> Once again, thank you for clarifying the position of the AALE.
>>> 
>>> Sincerely,
>>> 
>>> --- "Jeff A. Martineau" <jmartineau at aale.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Mr. Riley,
>>>> 
>>>> I am sure you can understand why one might have reservations about 
>>>> responding to inquiries that have no name or affiliation.
>>>> 
>>>> It is my understanding that in fact my name and affiliation do
>>>> appear at the bottom of all emails. I will take it for
>>> granted
>>>> that in this case it did not.
>>>> 
>>>> I am the Director overseeing our Higher Education division.
>>>> 
>>>> With regard to ASL v. spoken foreign languages,
>>> your
>>>> are correct, the Academy has not previously seen ASL as an adequate 
>>>> replacement, in part because it is really a visual form of English.
>>>> It
>>> is
>>>> the way one communicates, it is not a separate frame of reference for
>>>> thinking, as reading or speaking a foreign language or being immersed
>>>> in a foreign culture. ASL is part of the American culture and
>>> is
>>>> in fact a form of English. One might envision a universal form of
>>> sign
>>>> language that went beyond these borders.
>>>> 
>>>> However, any college can attempt to make an
>>> argument
>>>> within their self-study as to why the various components, together,
>>>> form a curriculum that does in fact meet the Standards and Criteria.
>>>>  The Board of Trustees, which makes all final decisions with regard
>>>> to standards would certainly take up such a debate, though without 
>>>> knowing the program more specifically, I can not offer a judgment as
>>>> to the over quality of a program that included ASL as an option to
>>>> foreign languages. Bear in mind, that our requirement is that all
>>>> students in the program must meet the requirements, e.g., all
>>>> students are required
>>> to
>>>> meet the language component.
>>>> 
>>>> I hope this offers some guidance.
>>>> 
>>>> Regards,
>>>> 
>>>> P. Vincent Riley wrote:
>>>>> Dear Sir,
>>>>> 
>>>>> Thank you for taking the time to not respond to
>>>> our
>>>>> email. Although you did indicate an affiliation,
>>>> your
>>>>> email was no more signed than our own. Hence, we
>>>> will
>>>>> not respond to your email either.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I am surprised that a request for simple
>>>> information
>>>>> is subject to such bureaucratic rigor. It seems
>>>> like
>>>>> an interesting higher education management
>>> system.
>>>>> 
>>>>> For your information, the email system on your
>>> web
>>>>> site did not seem to function properly when I initially tried to
>>>>> contact your organization. It
>>>> might
>>>>> be wise to place a notice on your contact page
>>>> that no
>>>>> response will be given to contacts initiated
>>>> without
>>>>> an affiliation and a signature.
>>>>> 
>>>>> As I am an educational consultant who retired
>>> from
>>>>> Northern Marianas College, I no longer am
>>>> affiliated
>>>>> with that institution.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> --- "Jeff A. Martineau" <jmartineau at aale.org>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> --------------------------------- Dear Sir,
>>>>> 
>>>>> We do not respond to emails that are not signed
>>>> and
>>>>> without anaffiliation.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>> 
>>>>> P. Vincent Riley wrote:      I have been
>>> informed
>>>> by
>>>>> others that the AALE refuses to regard American
>>>> Sign
>>>>> Language as a "foreign language" for purposes of generaleducation
>>>>> when it accredits institutions
>>>> and/or
>>>>> programs.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Since it has been well-documented that deaf
>>>> culture
>>>>> is a unique culture, and that ASL has its own grammatical
>>>>> structure and"vocabulary," I am
>>>> curious to
>>>>> know the basis for the AALE's position,if, in
>>>> fact, I
>>>>> understand it correctly.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I know of an institution that is dropping the acceptance of
>>>>> ASLcourses in fulfillment of the "foreign language" requirement,
>>>>> because its administration believes it must do this to
>>> receive
>>>>> accreditation of its liberal arts general
>>>> education
>>>>> program by the AALE.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Thank you for your consideration.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> P. Vincent Riley Jr. Educational Consultant Oceania Pacific
>>>>> Educational Networking P.O. Box 501916 Saipan, MP 96950-1916 
>>>>> (484)-886-9128
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> P. Vincent Riley Jr. Educational Consultant Oceania Pacific Educational
>>> Networking P.O. Box 501916 Saipan, MP 96950-1916 (484)-886-9128
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
> 
> 
>