<div dir="ltr">Hoi.<br>Does this professor have scientific evidence that his Sign Font overcomes the fact that learning to read and write in a mother tongue has a benefit that lasts for the whole of a person's academic career ???<br>
<br>There are many people and places where languages are discriminated against with the argument that the dominant language provides more economic benefits. This may be true. At the same time it is equally true that the languages discriminated against are the ones that people actually speak. Given that academic research shows us that a second language is more easily mastered when primary skills like reading and writing are taught in the mother tongue, it should be obvious that SignWriting provides the method of teaching such a primary skill.<br>
<br>I am really grateful that we are becoming more adept at getting the message of SignWriting out. <br>Thanks,<br> Gerard<br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 4:20 AM, Gagnon et Thibeault <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:atg@videotron.ca">atg@videotron.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div bgcolor="#000000">
<div><b><font color="#ffff00" size="6" face="Arial">Hi Val and
everyone,</font></b></div>
<div><b><font size="6" face="Arial"></font></b> </div>
<div><b><font color="#ffff00" size="6" face="Arial"> One Deaf
teacher-researcher and I gave our SignWriting (SW) presentation at the
conference in Calgary (Western Canada) on July 23rd. Most
participants attending this conference were Deaf. Although we knew
that most were against the SW, we showed some video clips to them. They
had different reactions and saw the different behavior and facial attitude
towards written French and written (SW) LSQ. Another video clip showed
that when one Deaf student read written LSQ, raised his hand, stood up,
walked up to the wallboard, and told the story of written LSQ to 10 Deaf
students while his body showed pride and self-esteem. One Deaf
teacher-researcher gave one example of self-esteem to Deaf participants.
When he read written French, he never showed pride and self-esteem because he
never raised his hand and never gave a story of the written
French to Deaf students. After finishing our presentation, two Deaf
Californians met us. One was a professor at the CSUN and supported us.
The other one, who was a preschool teacher at the school for the Deaf in
Fremont, CA, admitted that he insisted on using the SW and said to us: "video
clips impact me". He told us that our SW presentation was wonderful.
He will try to be open-minded using the SW.</font></b></div>
<div><b><font size="6" face="Arial"></font></b> </div>
<div><b><font color="#ffff00" size="6" face="Arial"> However, 4
Deaf teachers have been teaching Deaf students at the school for the Deaf in
Milton, in Bellevue, in London (province of Ontario, Central Canada). They
will learn a Sign Font this fall because Dr. Sam Supalla (Deaf professor at The
University of Arizona) will show them how to teach a Sign Font using reading and
writing. They believe that a Sign Font is better than a SignWriting
because Deaf students learn a bridge between Sign Font and written English
if they gain sufficient vocabulary of English words, and then they don't use
Sign Font anymore and are skilled to read and to write English. They
told us that learning SignWriting is a waste of time because the Deaf
community doesn't use it and Deaf people who are skilled to read and to write SW
cannot obtain jobs in a hearing society.</font></b></div>
<div><b><font size="6" face="Arial"></font></b> </div>
<div><b><font color="#ffff00" size="6" face="Arial"> Although
the Deaf community in general does not support SW and (I believe) SF (Sign Font)
neither. One Deaf teacher-researcher keeps teaching SW to Deaf kids. We
tried to persuade Deaf and hearing participants to spread SW, however
we weren't successful and we keep fighting.</font></b></div>
<div><b><font size="6" face="Arial"></font></b> </div>
<div><b><font color="#ffff00" size="6" face="Arial"> Val, don't
be upset. I believe that you have gained a lot of your
experience in the past and the present about/through insisting on and struggling
for a SW. Good news for you, Steve who has been developing a Sign Puddle
stays hard at work. Also, Adam who supports you keeps up lots of energy creating
animated GIFs. I am always looking forward to learning Sign Puddle 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, & 9 in the future. </font></b></div>
<div><b><font size="6" face="Arial"></font></b> </div>
<div><b><font color="#ffff00" size="6" face="Arial"> Best
wishes,</font></b></div>
<div><b><font size="6" face="Arial"></font></b> </div>
<div><b><font color="#ffff00" size="6" face="Arial">
André</font></b></div>
<div><b><font size="6" face="Arial"></font></b> </div></div>
<br><br>
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