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<DIV><FONT size=2>In order no to make an impression I was unhappy with the
symposium I would like to add other impressios :-)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The
symposium was a great experience to me even though for the majority of
time I did not have a clue about what was going on. I could understand Shane
and Stefan best but it was much more difficult to understand the others.
The international interpreters were doing a great job and I really admired them
but their sign language was so foreign to me... I know I had to prepare myself
for the symposium and I should have learn at least a bit of the international
sign but I had no time to as I had jobs to do plus I was preparing the
Polish-English-PJM phrasebook that I failed to finish by the symposium and I did
even lost it there :-).<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><FONT face="Times New Roman">At least I know
there were many errors in the phrasebook.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Moreover I could
not imagine what would the symposium be like as<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>it was the first time ever I got farther
than Berlin and be at an international meeting of the
Deaf,<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><FONT face="Times New Roman">And as you could
see, I was the only participant from <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">Central
Europe</st1:place>. As far as I know, there was even no Polish participant at
the congress in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Maastricht</st1:place></st1:City>. I regret so much that the countries
of Central and Easter Europe are still isolated in the respect of educational
innovations and science. I think the economic and mentalist aspects are the
greatest obstacle here. It happens so that I work much and I could afford to go
privately to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Brussels</st1:place></st1:City> (my Professor wants to give me some
reimbursement but I haven’t asked for it). And in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Poland</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
SignWriting is still just a curiosity and not a tool used to teach Deaf
children.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Romuald Szurik who
is the other Pole very interested in SignWriting, could not afford to go to
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Brussels</st1:City></st1:place>, he did
not even want to subscribe the SW List as he can’t read and write in English.
But he was very interested in the symposium and we met the next day after my
arrival, I related “everything” to him and I lent him Stefan’s book. He would
like to write such a book too. For the time being we agreed that I would be
translating the SW lessons into Polish and he’d make a SW home page in Polish
and Polish materials to teach SW and then we’d set the Polish SW terminology and
so on.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Romuald would like
the next SW symposium to be in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Warsaw</st1:place></st1:City>, organized by the Polish Sign Language
Institute (we both are members of the Institute that is still under
organization). But I got the idea out of his head as I think we are not prepared
to host such events yet. But on the other hand, organizing a SW symposium in our
part of <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> would attract Deaf educators and
sign linguists from other “isolated” European countries. But, as far as I know,
bilingual education of the Deaf is still a kind of extravagance rather than
something which importance the Deaf Educators and governing bodies are aware
of.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><FONT face="Times New Roman">But despite, we of
the University if <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Warsaw</st1:City></st1:place> and the Warmian and Mazurian University
of Olsztyn want to develop SW here. In August I’ll participate in a PJM camp
organized by the latter University and the <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Wroclaw</st1:PlaceName> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Oscadnica</st1:City>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Slovakia (Honza,
Tomas, can you come to Oscadnica?)</st1:country-region></st1:place>. And in
September the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Warsaw</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> will participate in the Festival of
Science and Romuald Szurik, Danuta Mikulska and I will present PJM and SW to
hearing audience (mostly teenagers).<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><FONT face="Times New Roman">And I’m also
starting to teach SW to the readers of Swiat Ciszy in the form of an installment
course.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><FONT face="Times New Roman">And I’m so happy I
could participate in the symposium and to meet all others. I’m happy I could
learn other sign languages and to speak languages other than Polish as I like
speaking but I don’t speak often. I only regret I could not practise writing
signs deeply.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Anyway, I love SW
and I'll continue to learn it by myself and with your help on the
List.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Lucyna</FONT></SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>GG 3618151 SMS +48505273292 MSN <A
href="mailto:deafie@gmx.net">deafie@gmx.net</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>