[sw-l] BELGIUM: New SW Literacy Project and new web area...

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
October 13, 2004

Kathleen Heylen wrote:
> What can I tell you about Belgium? Better ask me what I can't tell you 
> about Belgium because it is such a fascinating country ;o) We ARE the 
> capitol of Europe ;o)

This is absolutely fascinating, Kathleen! Thank you for sharing with 
us. So Belgium is the capital of Europe? grin...a side note....I come 
from California and I know some Californians feel we are the capital of 
the USA...but the rest of the USA does not agree - ha!! smile...

But now I realize maybe Belgium is the head of the European Community? 
is that right? In 2004 I believe you have a Dutch president of the EU? 
http://www.eu2004.nl/

> And we have some beautiful city's to visit. Like; Antwerp, Brussels, 
> Brugge, Gent, Liège, Namur, ...

oh yes! They are beautiful! I have been to Brussels, Brugge, Gent, 
Leige, and Antwerp...I love Belgium...


>  It is so that we officialy have 3 languages: Flemish, French and 
> German.

I had no idea that German was spoken in Belgium!

> Flemish is the upperside close to Holland where people understand us 
> pretty good because they speak Dutch. Brussels is situated in 
> Flanders, but used to be and still mainly is French (Wallon) speaking.

So there is a French-speaking city in the middle of Flanders, and the 
French dialect is called Wallon ? smile...

> The lower side of Belgium is near to France and this is where the 
> people live that we call 'Wallon'. This used to be the 'rich' part of 
> Belgium in the early 19th century, but that changed about 70 years 
> ago. Now Flanders is the economic drive of Belgium. Some people in 
> Flanders want to be seperated from the Wallon part. I myself dont see 
> me going on a trip and telling people i'm from the independant 'state 
> of Flanders'. Who ever heared of Belgium, so WHO will know what 
> Flanders is? :s

Oh. Wow. I see. I think Belgium is fascinating as one country with many 
regions and languages!


> And then there is a VERY small part of German speaking people in 
> Belgium, but they are such a smal part that they are fogotten about 
> frequently. (shame on us!)

Do they use German Sign Language, or is it a separate Belgian-German 
Sign Language?

>
> So far the general situation of Belgium. Now for our other languages 
> that do exist in Belgium but are not recognized are the signed 
> languages. There is a Flemish Signl anguage in Belgium wich consist 
> also of many dialects as you can see on the website of the University 
> of Ghent. ( http://gebaren.ugent.be/ )

All those dialects can be written in SignWriting, as you know...


> There is also a 'French' Sign Language or better said 'Langue des 
> Signes Wallon'. I'm sorry i dont have any information on the existence 
> of 'Germang Sign Language' in Belgium. (Deutche Gebarensprache)

You answered my question above...thank you!

> I know the signlanguage in Wallonië is recognized to use in the 
> schools, but not as an official language. There are actions at hand to 
> promote the recognition of Flemish signlanguage. 
> (www.doofactiefront.be) this site is availible in English as well ;o)

Great!


> Now for my school. Being it is situated in Brussels you will think, 
> Jeezus all those languages?? No, it is true at my school there are 
> Flemish speaking and signing people aswell as Wallon speaking and 
> signing people. This used to be all mixed up, but a few years ago the 
> two groups where seperated. So now the children learn 2 languages: 
> Flemish SignLanguage (FSL) and Dutch (Flemish) written and/or spoken. 
> This is how we see Bi-lingual education. The children are brought up 
> in there mothertongue Flemish signlanguage and learn to read and write 
> (speak) Dutch. I myself teach FSL (VGT - Vlaamse Gebarentaal) and 
> d/Deafculture together with Sara (my sweet friend and Deaf 
> coöperator).

I see. Very interesting. So you have the school divided into two 
sections...one section for the Flemish and the other the French 
(Wallon)? So do the Deaf kids inter-mix on the playground? Because we 
could also write their Wallon Sign Language too, and then the kids 
could learn each other's signed languages! Just a thought...but for the 
future...smile


> We teach the children the grammar and sytaxis of VGT and do this by 
> using SignWriting. What is our population? Well all the children run 
> trough our classroom, no matter there hearingloss. Some student have 
> more ours VGT a week then others.
>  
> I would love to get some information on other people using SignWriting 
> in Belgium, the people i know dont really use it or are not working as 
> educators. My french is not as good as I would want it to be. So i get 
> more information in English and Flemish then French. It's more 
> difficult for me to read a book in French then in English. But i will 
> do my best to work with my Belgian partners ;o)
>  
> More news WILL follow ;o)
> Greetings Kathleen
>  ps: hope i don't make to many mistakes (my spelling isn't that great)
> pps: i have a disk that has a DOS program for SignWriting (Kristof De 
> Weerdt gave it to me ;o)


Please send my best wishes to Kristof! Your English is excellent - no 
problems at all! I will send you some contacts in Belgium -

it may take a few days before the web area is ready and I will write 
when it is!

Val ;-)
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