<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">SignWriting List<div>December 27, 2008</div><div><br></div><div>Hello Eyasu, Stefan and everyone!</div><div><br></div><div>I too join Stefan in wishing you congratulations! You have worked so hard on your new Ethiopian Sign Language and Deaf Culture program at Addis Ababa University, and now it is a reality! That is a big step forward ;-))</div><div><br></div><div>And thank you for posting this information to our SignWriting List members, and permission to post on the web...I will add this information to:</div><div><br></div><div>SignWriting in Ethiopia</div><div><a href="http://www.SignWriting.org/ethiopia">http://www.SignWriting.org/ethiopia</a></div><div><br></div><div>and regarding a teacher for SignWriting, which you mentioned, if there is funding, we could send a teacher to Ethiopia, but if there is no funding, we can make arrangements to learn through the internet, web, email, telephone, videophone and Skype...we just need to setup a special appointment with your students to get started...</div><div><br></div><div>Or start asking questions on the SignWriting List...I added some new Ethiopian handshape symbols to our International SignWriting Alpabet (ISWA 2008). I realize there are probably other handshapes that you will need, when writing Ethiopian Sign Language Literature, but at least there are more handshapes already constructed for you...take a look at the symbols in SignPuddle:</div><div><br></div><div>SignPuddle for Ethiopian Sign Language</div><div><a href="http://www.signbank.org/signpuddle/index2.html#sgn-ET">http://www.signbank.org/signpuddle/index2.html#sgn-ET</a></div><div><br></div><div>And I am happy to ship more SignWriting books and dvds to you in 2009...</div><div><br></div><div>Eyasu sent me two reports in PDF format...I will send them next message to the SW List...</div><div><br></div><div>Thank you, Eyasu, and happy holidays everyone!</div><div><br></div><div>Val ;-)</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>---------------</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On Dec 26, 2008, at 3:00 PM, Stefan Wöhrmann wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div lang="DE" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="Section1"><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; ">Hi Eyasu,<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; ">thank you very much for your report. Congratulation – what an achievement.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; ">All the best to you and your friends<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; ">Stefan ;-)<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><hr size="2" width="100%" align="center" tabindex="-1"></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; font-weight: bold; ">Von:</span></font></b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; "><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:sw-l-bounces@majordomo.valenciacc.edu" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">sw-l-bounces@majordomo.valenciacc.edu</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>[<a href="mailto:sw-l-bounces@majordomo.valenciacc.edu" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">mailto:sw-l-bounces@majordomo.valenciacc.edu</a>]<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Im Auftrag von<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b>Eyasu Tamene<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Gesendet:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Freitag, 26. Dezember 2008 18:16<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">An:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu</a>; Valerie Sutton<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Betreff:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>[sw-l] Sign Language News from AAU, Ethiopia!</span></font><o:p></o:p></div></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> <o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> <o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><p style="margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" color="#000099" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); ">Dearest Val and the listers,</span></font><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" color="#000099" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); ">My sincear greetings and a beloved Merry Christmas from Addis to you and all around you.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" color="#000099" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); ">It has been quiet a long time since I got in contact with the list. However, I have been following the listers discussion behind the scene. Val, I really appreciate your kind patience and enthusiastic concern to the development of SW.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" color="#000099" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); ">My piece of information is that we, the Department of Linguistics, Addis Ababa University have launched Ethiopia's first BA in Ethiopian Sign Language and Deaf Culture program by having the first batch of 26 students. 20 of them are Deaf and the rest 6 are hearing students. On this occassion I would like to present my heartfelt thanks to all who have been so much supportive in giving us thier comment while designing the syllabus</span></font><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" color="#000099" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); ">The Department of Linguistics, Addis Ababa University, has resumed a class on Ethiopia's first regular BA program in Ethiopian Sign Language and Deaf Culture today Dec. 2, 2008. Currently we have well experienced Deaf and hearing teachers who can be capable of holding the courses. Besides, we shall have interpreters in each class. The beginning of the program has become an inspiration to the many people who are involving in the area. The program has got the following as major objectives:<br><br>- To train sign language teachers who are able to teach language courses at the secondary and tertiary level<br>- Train sign linguists who can conduct research in Ethiopian Sign Language in order to promote the use, status and functions the language.<br>- Train sign language interpreters for the various government organizations as well as NGO's that deal with the life of the deaf in one way or another.</span></font><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><font color="#000099"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "><br>- Promote collaborative research on Ethiopian Sign Language with other institutions of higher learning both locally and internationally etc.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" color="#000099" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); ">Besides, be informed that in all courses of linguistics SW is included as one means of teaching how to write signs. I will be informing all my students to join the SW list and learn better. I hope they will be contacting you soon. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" color="#000099" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); ">We hope that this three year program will be extended to the Masters levels soon. In addition we would like to invite all concerned readers to take a stake in this process.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" color="#000099" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "><br>Best Regards,<br>Eyasu</span></font></p></div></div></div></span></blockquote><br></div><div>---------</div></div></body></html>