Fwd: Question for the Weakest Link game show

[Kelly Stack]

Dear Mr. Eilenberg,

I am copying your message to the Sign Language Linguistics email list,
which is a discussion list for issues regarding the linguistics of signed
languages.  I am hoping some of my colleagues may be able to add to the
discussion.

Sticking strictly to the questions you asked, it would not be correct to
say that someone who has been taught American Sign Language has been taught
English.  That would be similar to saying that if someone is taught French,
they have also been taught Chinese.  As to your second question, although
American Sign Language has been referred to in the past with other names, I
would say that most contemporary researchers refer to it as American Sign
Language or ASL.

Your first question assumes that it is possible to teach a natural human
language to a non-human.  There is no evidence that I am aware of that any
non-human has ever mastered a human language, including both spoken and
signed languages.  Therefore, to say that a primate has learned American
Sign Language would be (in my opinion) a gross misstatement of fact, and
would also be insulting to the human beings who use ASL in their daily
interactions.

In my opinion (and I hope my colleagues will offer their own opinions),
primates such as the ones you refer to have learned a symbol system that is
nowhere near as complex and powerful as human language.  I wish people who
have poured their resources and energies into teaching primates
communicative gestures would have instead devoted themselves to finding out
more about the native communicative abilities of animals, or to finding out
more about how humans acquire human languages.

Given that the question you want to ask would promote further
misunderstanding of ASL and its status as a natural human language, I would
like to ask you to consider NOT asking the question about primates, and
instead asking some other question, such as:

- Given that the left side of the brain controls language and the right
side controls spatial perception, which side of the brain do Deaf people
use for sign language?  (studies show it is the left side)
- Is sign language a universal language?  (No; there are hundreds, perhaps
thousands, of different sign languages that are mutually unintelligible.)
- If you have trouble learning languages, should you try to learn American
Sign Language?  (if you have trouble with spoken languages chances are
you'll have trouble with signed languages too)
- Can all Deaf people read lips?  (no)

I hope this has been helpful.

--Kelly Stack


>X-Sieve: CMU Sieve 2.2
>Reply-To: <beilenberg at weakestlinktv.com>
>From: "Ben Eilenberg" <beilenberg at weakestlinktv.com>
>To: <stack at ucla.edu>
>Subject: Question for the Weakest Link game show
>Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2002 16:27:01 -0700
>X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook CWS, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0)
>Importance: Normal
>
>Dear Professor Stack,
>
>My name is Ben Eilenberg, and I am a researcher for the Weakest Link game
>show.  We are researching a question involving American Sign Language, and I
>was hoping that I could consult with you about its content.  Basically, we
>are asking a question about the primates that have been taught American Sign
>Language at Washington State's Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute,
>and the issue raised during our read-through was whether that means that
>they have been taught English.
>
>I will admit that I am uncertain what the answer is.  I was hoping that you
>could answer two questions for us:
>
>1.  If somebody has only been taught American Sign Language, is it at all
>correct to say that they have been taught English?
>2.  Are there any other official names for American Sign Language?
>
>Thank you very much for your help.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Ben Eilenberg
>NBC - Weakest Link
>Research Department
>818-526-6369
>beilenberg at weakestlinktv.com