Dissertation Posted, Statistical Studies, Saudi Arabia and Jordan

[Valerie Sutton]

On Sep 25, 2007, at 3:18 AM, Bernadet Hendriks wrote:
> Hi Gerard,
> I must admist I didn't read through the entire PhD (certainly not  
> because most of it is still in Arabic and it would take me a lot of  
> time trying to read through it), but I skimmed through the English  
> translation. However I know from my experience of 6 years in Jordan  
> working with the Deaf that these al-Amal schools don't normally use  
> sign language...so my remark is more than just speculation. Also,  
> I'm not saying sign writing might not have been useful (I think it  
> could be very useful and I tried myself to teach it to a few Deaf  
> people in Jordan), but I am saying that I doubt these better  
> results stem from the use of sign writing only. If sign writing was  
> used, that means sign language was used, and that in itself may  
> have caused better results in the students. In the school where I  
> worked in Jordan bilingual education was introduced as a test and  
> this caused significantly better results in the reading skills of  
> students...without the use of sign writing.
> Greetings,
> Bernadet


Hello Bernadet and Gerard -

Your comments are important, Bernadet, because I also wondered about  
the level of Sign Language skills of the students to begin with, so  
this is good that you bring this up. Since you worked in Jordan  
yourself for 6 years, you are coming from a position of knowledge  
that most commentators would not have...and I am happy to know you  
even tried some SignWriting in Jordan with your Deaf friends  
there...smile...

I believe that both control groups were using some kind of signed  
language, and the only difference was that one group used SignWriting  
and the other group did not, however, I will check this with Dr.  
AbuShaira. It is very possible, that they were all orally trained  
Deaf students before the test...that is possible...which would mean  
they all were new to signing...and that is important information to  
know, you are right...

Did you know that Dr. AbuShaira also conducted the same kind of study  
in 2002 at a school in Saudi Arabia?...The results were highly in  
SignWriting's favor and the reaction from the school administrators  
and teachers is what really amazed me...so positive...This 16-page  
report on the Study in Saudi Arabia has been translated in its  
entirety, so no worries about learning to read Arabic:

SignWriting Research Study Saudi Arabia 2002, English Translation  
from Arabic
http://www.signwriting.org/archive/docs5/sw0487-AbuShairaSWStudy2002- 
English.pdf

So now the question is...Was the school in Saudi Arabia also oral to  
begin with? I do not know and I will try to find out...

Obviously we need many more research studies, in multiple cultures,  
and in other circumstances. One or two studies, are not enough, even  
at best...

A similar study on SignWriting was done in Nicaragua with the Deaf  
students in Bluefields, Nicaragua. Those students were definitely not  
orally trained... They only knew their unique sign language......That  
study is on the web, and Dr. AbuShaira points to it in his dissertation:

Literacy In Nicaraguan Sign Language
Assessing "Written Sign" Recognition Skills

...Janice Gangel-Vasquez 1997...
California State University Dominguez Hills
http://www.signwriting.org/forums/research/rese003.html


Thanks again for your comments...

Val ;-)

Valerie Sutton
Sutton at SignWriting.org



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