SW textbooks with all illustrations ?

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
November 19, 2006

Andre Thibeault wrote:

> And now, I ask you all, do you own a SW Textbook with all or more  
> illustrations ?, because if you did, it could help Deaf  
> professionals better understand the above.
>
> Best regards,
>
> André Thibeault

------------------

Hello Andre!

Thank you for sharing with us....and your question is a good one!


Five points...

1. I agree there should be more illustrations in the old Lessons in  
SignWriting textbook...No one would disagree with that! But I  
appreciate it, that Anny took the time to translate it into  
French...thank you for your hard work, Anny!




2. Yes...There are 2 OTHER textbooks with better illustrations, but  
the 2 books are NOT in French:

SignoEscritura, by Steve and Dianne Parkhurst
in Spanish and Madrid Sign Language
There is also an English translation of this book.

You can download chapters from SignoEscritura on the web:
http://www.SignWriting.org/spain

and

Handbuch zur GebaerdenSchrift, by Stefan Woehrmann
in German and German Sign Language
http://www.SignWriting.org/germany

I have permission from the publisher to translate the Handbuch into  
English, but I have not done that yet...

I can send you a copy of each book through the postal mail, but  
neither of these books are in French...




3. Learn one on one in private tutoring using Sign Language is best...
It is better to teach without any books at all if we can... One on  
one teaching of SignWriting, using Sign Language, in a private lesson  
is always the best way to learn SignWriting...That is why I hope to  
start teaching directly using ASL (the best I can as a hearing person  
with a hearing accent) directly one on one on videophones...

You and any of your Deaf teachers could have lessons with me on  
videophone, free, on Skype or other videophone technology, and I bet  
the need for a textbook would go away...then after that, Deaf people  
need to start creating their own materials that really work for  
them...I know that takes time, but right now, we can learn directly  
by videophone...




4. For teachers who already know SignWriting, why use textbooks at  
all with new students?
I personally do not use textbooks when I teach SignWriting. I start  
with a written story, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, written in  
SignWriting in ASL, and I hand the book to the Deaf person, and we  
have fun trying to figure it out together. When they read a sign  
correctly, I tell them that is exactly correct, and I explain one  
symbol in that specific sign, and then we go on to the next sign in  
the story...and they start reading...after awhile, they have read the  
whole story and feel pretty amazed...and this is with NO  
textbook..Later I go back to give them more details about  
symbols...after they are reading literature a little...

So you are correct, Andre, that the textbooks are more for those who  
do not have teachers...for long distance learning, and for reference,  
but real teaching needs to be more visual and more direct...



5. Make an appointment by videophone
I would be happy to meet your Deaf teachers face to face! I would  
suggest using Skype vidoephone that does not require any new  
equipment except for a camera on your computer...It is free:

Download Skype software for video conference
http://www.Skype.com

So write to me for an appointment to learn SignWriting by video...

Does your school have D-Link videophones?


Val ;-)
Sutton at SignWriting.org

tel 858-456-0098   fax 858-456-0020
D-Link Videophone: 66.27.57.178
Skype Name: valeriesutton
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