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From: James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Asl as a conceptual la
Message-ID: <15846@handicap.news>
Date: 30 May 91 04:02:36 GMT
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Index Number: 15846

[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

Tim, I believe teams of professionals who are seeking a proper place
of respect for ASL as a language are forming rapidly. Researchers in
this area include people like Dr. Stacks who have or had no previous
connection with the field of deafness. Consequently, they enter the
area with unabiased perceptions (in theory). These and other researchers
tied to the field of deafness are making new discoveries every year.
Interestingly, the more learned about ASL, tehmore they question the
"virtues" and historical importance of spoken languages (English in

particular). The funny thing is that "English" seems to be the odd-ball
of languages in that a lot of attributes shared by most languages aren't
part of English. There is some half-amused speculations that English
may not be a "true" language. I find this funny. As a native English
user, it is almost insulting but also kind of funny when you look at
the haughtiness of English speakers concerning their language. Kind
of:

 "We ain't what we thought we was. We ain't what we thought we'd be.

and one musta wonder then just what we is."

:-]

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