Visual language.
Does this above phrase sound familiar--and it would be a great surprise if it didn't--it's because we spend our lives immersed in language oppression. There's no escaping it. Like hydrogen atoms and common-cold viruses, language oppression is everywhere in the Deaf world. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) position statement regarding "visual language" reads:
Cochlear implant surgery is a beginning, not an end. The surgery decision represents the beginning of a process that involves a long-term, and likely, life-long commitment to auditory training, rehabilitation, acquisition of spoken and visual language skills, follow-up, and possibly additional surgeries. Whatever choices parents make, the primary goal should be to focus on the "whole child" and early language development/literacy and cognitive development. The absence of visual language opportunities can result in developmental delays that can be extremely difficult to reverse. Since the first six years are critical for language acquisition and usage, concurrent acquisition of visual and written language skills should be stressed.
I can no longer keep silent about the policial correctness of visual language. I find it to be totally absurd. American Sign Language (ASL) is never compromised as visual language. The NAD use of the phrase "visual language" is irresponsible and ridiculous. Where is the study to back it up? What then is visual language? What does NAD mean by visual language? At first, the term seems contradictory. Visual language, in its broadest sense, is not the same as George Veditz's sign language.
When we use a noun as an adjective to modify another noun, we are speaking of its specialty. Just like a mountain bike is a bike designed specifically for riding up mountains, sign language is a language designed for signing with hand configurations, palm positions, initial and ending locations, non-manual expression, and modifier movements.
NAD has marginalized ASL by invoking visual language in its position statement. Today more and more Deaf people with cochlear implants (CI) came out to claim ASL as their primary language for information, knowledge and communication. More and more ASL users came out to claim that visual language is but an euphemism for Signing Exact English (SEE).
NAD needs to show us a study that proves ASL is a serious or even measurable cause of information, knowledge and communication of Deaf people of all ages. When it comes to think about last year's protests, "visual language" was an irony worth noting. The former provost of Gallaudet University, Dr. Jane K. Fernandes, thought there were researches that supported her ability to take core vocabulary from ASL in combination with signs representing the grammatical features of English visually. It was how she promoted visual language in the university mission statement.
Analyzing the meaning of "visual language" in both NAD and Gallaudet University mission statements with a critical eye would allow you to begin to free ASL from the manipulation of the oppression; it is an important stop toward living an examined life.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
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13 comments:
Where is the research to show that more and more CI users are claiming ASL as their primary language? This certainly is not the case of young children who have received CIs and are learning a spoken language through audition.
My fellow anonymous,
Let's oppress Carl Schroeder. I am sick of him, and I am sure you are, too! Good job! ASL sucks!
There are many claims seen in pro-CI adveristments like deaf youngsters also learn ASL.
We really need Carl Schroeder more than ever.
We must make the CI surgery on deaf youngsters, pre-18 to be criminalized.
Do you consider yourself to be a real coward by using "anyonmous" alias?
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
From the NAD website at www.nad.org/ASLFAQs:
"Sign language is a visual language. This means that the brain processes linguistic information through the eyes instead of ears."
See what the NAD says about ASL at www.nad.org/asl.
See also the NAD Position Statement on ASL and Bilingual Education at www.nad.org/aslpositionstatement.
I appreciate accuracy and political correctness. With respect to languages, which adjective(s) do you use to categorize and/or describe living human languages, such as:
English, German, Chinese, etc., are --
"spoken languages"
"oral languages"
"written languages"
"____ languages"
American Sign Language, British Sign Language, etc., are --
"signed languages"
"sign languages"
"manual languages"
"visual languages"
"_____ languages"
Would you say that American Sign Language is NOT a "visual language"?
Curious
12:35 Anon: Why in the world would you even visit this blog if you think ASL sucks!
ASL evolved to its modality - a "visual-gestural" language, as people like to say. That means that it is molded to its form - concise and has many nuances to convey meaning. Please show me how a sign system is equivalent to that. It's not.
-- Kate
What planet are you from anonymous? You are the oppressor here and you suck! I am sick of people like you so just get the fuck out of here if you can't accept ASL as a language. You should be ashamed of yourself!
Carl is preserving ASL by trying to make it official to recognize and spell out this long oppressed three letter word. The use of visual language is lame and vague! Visual language may include SEE, MCE, etc. which can be considered as artificial languages so it leaves us for broad interpretation. It is just not politically correct to use this term period!
There are more CI users and oralists telling their stories about claiming ASL if you have paid attention to the posts via deafread.com .
Dear Anonymous,
Do you know enough ASL to say that it sucks?
Let's not bash or smear any language unless you know enough of it.
"Not a coward" and say who am I,
John Egbert
Visual language is a subtle term. The language I was born into is Gebarentaal. It is an interesting compound term. First, ge- and -en are affixes (prefix and suffix respectively) for a verb baar (sign), and it is often used for the perfect tense. The term taal means language. As I understand from this Dutch term, Gebarentaal is used till it's completed before interpretation and translation becomes materialized. It's therefore impossible to attempt to interpret Gebarentaal simultaneously into the Dutch language.
Carl,
I have used the wording, visual language, but not for the reason of being political correct. It is my strategy to enter the minds of people that are in the "mental block" mode... so I can get my foot in the door and convince them that ASL is the main language for deaf children.
But nonetheless, you got me thinking and will say...visual language(ASL).
Hope you understand that I am between a rock and a hard place,... meaning that being political correctness(a rock) and a radical(a hard place), I will not be able to achieve my goals for every deaf children to learn ASL in America...before I am six feet in the ground.
Strategically yours,
John Egbert
Deaf-Blind people cannot see ASL. They have to feel the hands of a signer. Pure and simple.
Okay, I'm staying out of the debate about whether the term 'visual language' is purposely vague. That could go on forever.
I do, however, want to address the person who said CI implantation before 18 should be illegal.
I realize you don't see your hearing condition as a loss or a debilitation. However, anybody who is born hearing and loses it does, even if they adjust to the loss, it's still a loss. So try to have some consideration for other perspectives in this. If a deaf child who is CI eligible is born to a pair of hearing parents (which I assume is the usual case when a CI would be considered, since Deaf parents would have much less issue with a deaf child than hearing) I'm pretty sure, despite the difference between CI and natural hearing, that the child would have a much more comfortable family life and consequently overall life if they were given the CI. Again, this is not to say there is anything ugly/horrible/unlivable about being deaf, just that a hearing couple with a hearing child will have fewer obstacles.
Maybe it's time that we all start letting our convictions and frustrations go a little and start to listen to others. Give the other point of view some thought, discuss it. I've learned many things in the last few months about Deaf Culture, but the one thing I still don't understand is the absolute hatred of CI/hearing/etc. I'm not saying everybody does/has this, not by any means. I realize it probably isn't that many, but as is evidenced here, they seem to be very vocal in their minority.
I have no opinion on most of these matters; I read these blogs out of respect for my friend, and an interest in how his life runs. It just bothers me that some people are so completely closed minded to the perspectives of others. I’m sure if you read around you can find many places where I’ve said this same thing.
Just my two pennies,
Dennis
Dennis,
Cochlear implants provide *synthetic*, not authentic hearing. It's not all it's cracked up to be.
It's way, way overblown. It's too much of a psychological risk for a child. It turns them into handicapped people. They need authentic language and normal cognitive experiences and opportunites.
Have we all lost our minds? Isn't it obvious that deaf babies need ASL?
B
Radicalism will destroy any community. There are a billion Muslims in the world, ALL are hated (by many) now because less than 20 radical Muslims conspired to hijack planes on 9/11.
There are (perhaps) a billion Christians in the world who are hated by the Muslim world because of a few radical evangelists who curse and condem the Muslim religion.
The ASL radicals - in their take-over protests at Gallaudet against Jane K. Fernandes - have put the Universities accreditation and funding at risk.
The ASL radicals ("criminalize implantation of children under 18") have alienated the hearing world who pay the taxes that support our core cultural institutions (deaf schools and Gallaudet).
Could even the NAD survive if every hearing donor quit contributing to the organization?
Moderation in all things, my chiuldren. Moderation, reason, respect for differences of opinion. As noted in other posts, for SOME children, a CI is the best option.
Just as we demand the right to use ASL and interpreters paid for by hearing people's taxes, we must grant the same rights of self-determination to individuals and families that make different choices.
Eschew the radicals before they destroy our community and our history.
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