Oral or Manual?

[Tremolo]

I am curious as to whether or not anyone here is deaf or knows a deaf person.

In my psych class we looked at deafness and the two types of education for them, oral or manual. Does anyone have any personal history here?

Oral education is where the teachers try to use whatever residual hearing is left to develop intelligable age appropriate interactions with normal society.

Manual education uses sign language like ASL or finger spelling.

There is a great debate raging in the deaf community as to which is better. The Deaf Community view themselves as a separate culture with a language barrier not as a pathological state.

Others argue ASL is useless because the rest of the world doesn't understand it.

Anyone have any experience or ideas here they could share?

Thanks!

Tremolo

 

[Tremolo]

No body can help out here?

Huh, oh well.

 

[Hamletmaschine]

I don't have any experience with this. There is a debate raging, from what I know, and it is as you put it in your post.

Maybe if you asked a question or explained what sort of help you're looking for, others might respond, though.

 

[Tremolo]

Thanks for responding hamlet.
I guess I was just looking for other people's perspective on the situation. I wondered if anyone could relate an experience they had.

Other than that I guess I was just talking to hear myself talk.

 

[lilfrk]

My best friend is deaf.

She learned through oral education. As she got older she took classes in lip reading and sign. I've never seen her use her sign language that much and she is getting ready to take another class in lip reading so that she can understand better.

PM or e-mail me if you want or need to know more.

 

[pennynam]

I wanted to learn sign language before I went overseas a few years back, because of the work I'd be doing. The problem was as I was told, that much like any language, it differs from country to country sometimes. You don't want to sing one thing to a person, only to have them tell you that they are highly offended that they were just told to fuck off.

Penny

 

[Wizard]

My Mother is deaf, and I have many, many, deaf friends................


My younger friends are all very fucking bright..............Big time.
They would be what you called "Manual education" They went to Western PA school for the deaf and that school don't kick out any dummy at all...................There dumest is still a pretty smart person........They excell at sports and school.you name it . With proper teaching they go far............



Now my Mother who is 71 and grew up in the country way to far to attend this school is no dummy but could have done so much better with other deaf folks instead of a regular school..........



Is this what you were looking for????


Pm me if you wish to know more............

 

[Tremolo]

Thanks for all the replies,

I am not really looking for any answers, I was just curious to see which system has or hasn't worked for people thats all.

I have to go to an exam now but I will be back later on.

 

[Wizard]

Hands down "Manual education" is much better............


Out of a small group I hang out with from time to time.............I think 3 out of the 5 are now going to school to be teachers..............

 

[Tremolo]

I would tend to agree. From what I have studied, ASL and other manual teachings give the student a good base in the structure of language. Trying to tell a deaf person how to say a word by speech sounds difficult at best.

Besides with ASL you can sign out suggestions on how to speak or pernounce words.

Deaf children can learn sign faster than hearing children can learn to speak. It is a shame that so many are left behind because parents force them into oral schools. Without developing language (and ASL qualifies) you can't even form proper thoughts. Cognitive development is often permanently stunted.