kind of a symposium report by Lucy

Thu Aug 11 14:58:45 UTC 2005

Hello List!
Nobody have written a report on the symposium in Brussels yet, so, I, encouraged by Valerie and Stefan, have written some remarks. They look like complaints but they are no complaints, just remarks by a person who didn't really realize what was going on. Hopefully they will be helpful for future reference

Well, before the symposium we were told via e-mail that there would be two workshops groups at the symposium, the spelling one held by Stefan and Sara, and the computer workshops held by Lars and Daniel. Well, I wanted to participate in all the workshops in order to write an article for Swiat Ciszy afterwards. But Kathleen informed me it wouldn't be possible as the spelling and the computer workshops would take place simultaneously, so I wrote to Kathleen I would be sitting on spelling the first day and on computers the second day.

But on place I saw a list at the white board with my name put under the spelling workshop for both the first and second days. I told Kathleen there was a mistake and she said I should correct it, so I transferred my name to the computer workshop that was to be held the second day.

Well, the first day I was sitting for the spelling lesson held by Stefan and Sara. I could follow Stefan very well but what he was teaching I and most of other participants were familiar with. Stefan was teaching so as if we were kids. It was valuable in a way as we could see how children are taught but for on the other hand it was boring to us. A film showing the teaching of SW to young pupils would be as valuable too but we (at least I) wanted to discuss some deeper issues.

Well, the same day there was also a computer workshop by Lars and I went to it as I just wanted to see what would happen there and so on and I hoped to learn something too as some time before I had downloaded Lars' program but it did not work on my computer. But it was so that Lars was speaking English, and one of the ISL interpreters was interpreting Lars but I could not follow him as both the interpreters spoke (signed) a language quite foreign to me. Daniel was sitting there by me and I asked him to do something with Python so that it could work but he failed.

(at last Lars helped me during a break - thank you, Lars!)

The next day there was new grouping but I had only a faint idea of it and in order to make sure of the groups (as far as I could understand, there were 3 groups then) I asked Stefan, using some signs and English words, if he was going the teach the basics again. He agreed so I followed another group as I didn't want to exercise the basics in the childish way again.

I know very well I was not prepared very well for the meeting but the fact was also that I did not know how I should be prepared as it was the first international SL users meeting in my life. 

After all, I hoped for some more written English information as written English is the easiest way to communicate with foreigners. Those who could not understand the International Sign, could hear and understand spoken English and I could not understand either this or that. I felt adrift. (Val told me she was expected to prepare more materials in SW but do not forget: in order to read in ASL you must know ASL!)

I think, if I participated in the Maastricht congress, I would have some time to learn the International Sign as I did in Brussels but the symposium lasted only 2 days, too few to learn much although the third day, after the symposium, it was much easier to me to communicate with Daniel, Ingvild and Ulrike at the hotel and in the city of Brussels (I met Daniel in the city on Saturday). But communicating in person is not the same yet as "listening" to a speech...

Stefan, you were confused because I did not ask for more when you saw my signs written incorrect. Well, it was during the break and I did not want to take your time, I know we all were tired, more or less. Most of you came from Maastricht, some (including me) did not sleep very well at that hotel in Groot Bijgaarden and some few (especially me) came from afar, by air and I did not felt very well after the flight, especially after the flight from Brussels to Warsaw, unfortunately. 

And now I have a problem.

I have promised my boss to write an article about the symposium for the Swiat Ciszy magazine. In order to do it I need your help (or does anyone want to be a co-author of it?)

1. What is the exact number of participants and what countries did they
represent? (I've got a list but it's incomplete or out of date, perhaps).
2. What about the European SignWriter Organisation? Has it been already
established? Was it a SW or ESWO symposium at all?
3. When and where will be the next SW/WSWO symposium?
4. What were the main issues raised by the participants?
I would be grateful if you answered these questions in brief. I may have some more questions later.

Lucy

GG 3618151 SMS +48505273292   MSN deafie at gmx.net
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