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<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00 size=6>Hi Val and
everyone,</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00 size=6></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00
size=6> Val, you ask me how did a Deaf
teacher-researcher give a SignWriting presentation on June
11th?</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00 size=6></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00
size=6> You know that Deaf pupils started
learning SW lessons from 8:45 am to 9:20 am, from Monday to Friday,
and from September 2007 to April 2008. A researcher filmed with a
camera in the classroom 6 times and she analysed the data collected. After
April, a Deaf teacher kept teaching them until June 2008.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00 size=6></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00
size=6> At the school, there was 20
professional participants (teachers, superintendent, consultant) who
didn't know any SW. A Deaf teacher-researcher taught them a
basic SW during 30 minutes and they tried to read a LSQ
sentence. Some participants were sucessful to answer correctly with
signs. It seems that they enjoyed learning and reading basic SW
symbols. </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00 size=6></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00
size=6> You should know that I selected one
example of many finding results from the data collected. First, the Deaf
teacher-researcher found that it wasn't easy for Deaf pupils to read
SW, but they could read some. Then, she noticed that they were
always interested in trying to read SW, and were often motivated.
She gave two different tests to Deaf pupils (written (SW) LSQ and LSQ photos, as
well as written (SW) LSQ and written French). She showed a videotape to
participants and asked them to observe one specific Deaf
pupil's behavior. The participants noticed that one Deaf pupil had a
very different facial attitude reading written (SW) LSQ, as compared to
reading written French. For example, when the Deaf teacher gave one
test (written LSQ and LSQ photos), one Deaf pupil read it, smiled and answered
fast. When the teacher gave another test (written LSQ and written French),
one Deaf pupil read it, was nervous, had a sad facial expression,
and refused to answer any questions. One Deaf pupil never
liked reading written French, but she accepted to read written
(SW) LSQ. I inform you that not only one Deaf pupil, but some Deaf pupils
didn't want to read written French. For Deaf pupils with an open
mind, it is positive and comfortable to read written LSQ.
</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00 size=6></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00
size=6> After the presentation, the next
day, a superintendent and a school principal asked a Deaf
teacher-researcher if she would like to continue teaching SW lessons to
Deaf pupils during the 2008-2009 school year. I hope the Deaf
teacher-researcher will accept.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00 size=6></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00
size=6> The Deaf teacher-researcher and I hope to
be able to give our presentation at Gallaudet University (SW linguistic Society)
if the committee selects us and accepts that our
presentation will be held during the Spring semester 2009, or the Fall semester
2009. We will show some videotapes to the
participants.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00 size=6></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00
size=6> Hand waving</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00 size=6></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ffff00
size=6> André</FONT></STRONG></DIV></BODY></HTML>