AW: [sw-l] Some more questions...

[Stuart Thiessen]

Hi, Stefan.  SignFont is a little used notation system devised by a
deaf person here in the US. It was specifically designed for ASL.  It
had a few symbols for face expression, but had the same limitations as
the Stokoe system.  It didn't make any distinctions about palm
orientation. For example, the ASL signs for dessert and date would be
written exactly the same using the SignFont system. If there was no
such thing as SignWriting, SignFont would probably be the system I
would be using or tweaking.  But I am very thankful for SignWriting
because it is much better than the SignFont system ... IMHO.

Right now, I only know of one school in Arizona that is using the
SignFont system. From what I understand, they are (or were) just using
it enough to introduce kids to English and then throwing it away and
only using English afterwards.  There used to be information on the
web, but now you can't even find information on the web.  I really
don't know of anyone who is using it actively.

Thanks,

Stuart

On Apr 28, 2005, at 1:09 PM, Stefan Wöhrmann wrote:

> Hello Cathy,
>
> I loved to read your article -
>
> well I did not sent extra information - just because I thought that the
> hundreds of pages of my website  www.gebaerdenschrift.de  would be
> enough to
> get an impression about the possibilities and chances --
>
> What I understand better - the longer I use SW at school is --
>
> I have got no idea any more that any teacher of deaf children could
> believe
> that there is an alternative to using the written form of the strong
> language (SignLanguage) in order to teach the Spoken Language.
>
>
> At least all hearing students learn a foreign language with modern
> multimedia - documents - and of course there are written texts,
> explanations
> for grammar, vocabulary lists (left column first language - right row
> second
> language)
> So - since I use GebaerdenSchrift this way in my curriculum my
> students show
> wonderful progress ...
>
>
> This aspect of building a powerful and simply wonderful bridge between
> the
> two systems is not mentioned that clearly in your article.
>
> Same aspect the other way round. So many hearing people would love to
> learn
> SL - but after having finished the courses on level 2 or 3 they get
> lost -
> many of them - I bet that most of the foreign language courses reach a
> better level of competence compared to SL - courses due to the fact
> that so
> far there haven´t been written documents of this exceptional quality -
>
> Now with hundreds and hundreds of phrases, questions, dialogues, role
> plays,
> stories hearing people will get a good chance to develop a feeling for
> the
> grammar and variety of SL.
>
> What about the SL instructors - now they get the chance to prepare
> materials
> for instruction and tests! They can exchange email - questions on how
> to
> sign /translate a given sentence --- about special signs for persons,
> cities
> , countries ..
>
> What you need to use SW as such a powerful tool is to become a skilled
> reader and writer. SignPuddle is a great tool - but you need a program
> that
> allows to write print media within seconds - With the good old SW44 DOS
> program we can use a database of more than 10.000 entries - but we
> need a
> dictionary that allows to collect many more signs.
>
> So we are waiting with high spirits for people like Daniel Noelp
> (Switzerland) and Lars Majewski (Germany) to create Computer-Programs
> that
> allow this kind of typing.
>
>
> How long does it take - to learn ... (Ha - depends on you and your
> background! -)
>
> It takes less than a week to become a pretty good reader - if you would
> visit one of my workshops (smile!)
>
> But on the other hand - Yes it takes a long time to become a skilled
> writer.
>
>
> It would be best to take a class and to do afterwards your own homework
> (study the given materials - email lessons, textbooks, documents,
> documents
> that are written by skilled scribes such as Valerie Sutton!  - and
> write
> them again. Copy these documents. Read them again. Try to memorize the
> spelling and do it by hand. Again - and again - and again -
>
> Just do it -- (smile) here and there and everywhere . (see attachment
> - we
> made pavement drawings this morning at our school!)
>
> Write down hundreds and hundreds of handshapes in all different
> orientations.
>
> The Parkhursts offered valuable ideas how to develop writing skills.
>
>  Then it is absolutely neccessary to ask skilled scribes for their
> opinion
> if you want to become a skilled writer.
>
> In the beginning all of us made a lot of
> mistakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>
> And without hundreds of feed-back - messages I would not know many,
> many
> details --
>
> And though you can give anybody the bonus of understanding - I prefer
> to
> understand the meaning and standards of the given Symbol set in the
> IMWA.
>
> So what I would suggest in the beginning is to write signs with no
> meaning
> but kind of general movement quality - ( left index finger touching
> left
> shoulder -
> flat hand rubing at the back of your head, hands clapping parallel to
> the
> floor 3 times .... )
>
>> From my point of view newcomers need kind of orientation about the
>> general
> rules - (which can be taught easily) but more of that they need kind of
> company to understand many little details that are not so obvious in
> the
> beginning.
>
> In the end the scribe has to decide what he wants to express with his
> document. His reason to write a special documents determines the way he
> tries to get along. How many details - mouthgestures - or Mundbilder -
> bodyshifts - dynamics ...  If for example I write a document for my
> deaf
> students at 4th grade I want them to become competent to translate
> this idea
> into the Spoken Language -
> So every sign needs to be identified clearly which is almost
> impossible for
> the German Sign Language if you neglect the mouthmovements that go
> along
> with the signing ...
>
>
> In the end - it would be great if you would add some SignWriting -
> symbols
> to your article -
>
> What about a nice TT - font headline as an eye catcher this gives a
> first
> orientation about that you are writing about "Sutton SignWriting"
>
> (And just by the way - what is SignFont????? )
>
>
> Anyway - thanks for your article -
>
> Stefan Wöhrmann   (teacher of deaf students in Germany)
>
>
>
> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: owner-sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
> [mailto:owner-sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu] Im Auftrag von
> cathyh at bda.org.uk
> Gesendet: Donnerstag, 28. April 2005 18:16
> An: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
> Betreff: [sw-l] Some more questions...
>
> Hello
>
> I've put together an article using the information members of this
> group
> sent me. I have attached it for your interest. I'd also really
> appreciate
> it if some of you took the time to read it and check for any factual
> mistakes
>
> I also havbe another question: What advice would you have for those who
> want to take up SignWriting? Can it be self-taught, or are you best to
> go
> to a class? Where would people be able to find a class?
>
> Once you start learning, how long does it take to learn?
>
> Thanks for your help and hope to hear from you soon!
> Best regards
> Cathy
> <just do it.jpg>