A Quick History of Sign Language

The history of the sign language is littered with shocking events. Repeatedly in history, some not long ago, deaf people have been severely oppressed. At one point, they have even been private of their fundamental rights. How their language, sign language, was treated during these oppressive times is directly related to why the deaf in one place such emphasis on sign language today.

The first person to complain about people Deaf Aristotle. He theorized that people are able to learn by listening to the lyrics. Deaf, then, were considered incapable of being educated.

Deaf people were denied their basic rights because of this claim. They were not allowed to marry or own property. The law has been described as "non-persons".

During the Renaissance Europe, demand has finally been challenged. After 2,000 years of believing that deaf people can not be educated, the researchers made their first attempt to educate the deaf. This history of the Deaf was the beginning of the development of sign language.

The Beginning of <b> <l'éducation deaf / b>

An Italian doctor named Geronimo Cardano recognized that to learn, you do not hear. He concluded that using the written word, deaf people can be educated.

Spain Pedro Ponce de Leon at the same time has been the education of deaf children. He was a Benedictine monk and was successful with his methods of teaching.

Juan Pablo Bonet was inspired by the success of Pedro Ponce de Leon and used its own methods to teach the deaf. He a Spanish monk and used earlier methods of teaching the deaf, which included writing, reading, speech reading, and his own manual alphabet. manual alphabet Juan Pablo de Bonet represented the different speech sounds and was the first known manual alphabet system in history of sign language.

Until the 1750s, organized the education of the deaf did not exist. Created in Paris by Abbé Charles Michel de l'Epee, a French priest, was the first social and religious association for the deaf.

There is a popular story that was told throughout the history of the deaf about the Abbe de L'Epee. The story claims that everything was The Sword visiting a poor district of Paris, he met two deaf sisters. The mother had wanted educated in religion, and she wanted Sword teach them. The Sword was inspired to educate them after discovering their deafness. Shortly after that meeting, he devoted his life completely in deaf education.

In 1771, Abbe de L'Epee founded the first public school for the deaf. The school name was the National Institute for Deaf and Dumb Young (National Institute for Deaf and Dumb). Children from across the country to attend this school. Children who have attended the Institute has been signed and the house creating a sort of "sign language at home" with their families. The Abbe de L'Epee learned these home signs and used them to teach children French.

The Sword signs learned from his students formed the standard sign language taught Sword. More schools for the deaf have been established and that children brought this standard language kindergarten in their communities. This language has become the standard first standard signed language in the history of Deaf and is now known as Old French Sign Language. More and more deaf students are becoming educated to this standard language widely throughout Europe.

The Abbe de L'Epee established twenty-one schools for the deaf and is now known as the "Father of sign language and deaf education."

The Abbe de L'Epee is also often recognized as being the inventor of sign language. This is incorrect. Sign language was invented by deaf people. Even before they are formally educated, deaf children have signed with their families using home made signs. However, the Abbe de L'Epee was the first to bring together these signs and create a standard sign language to educate deaf.

Abbe de l'Epee argued that the Sign language was the natural language of the deaf. However, a German educator named Samuel Heinicke thinking. He supported the oral method of education of deaf children. Oralism is the term used for educating the deaf using a system of speech and lip reading, instead of the language signs and fingerspelling. Samuel Heinicke taught his students to speak, not sign. As he spoke, he had his students feel the vibrations of his throat.

Oralism was the first major roadblock after all the positive developments in the history of sign language. Abbe de l'Epee is known as the "Father of Sign Language" and Samuel Heinicke is known as the "Father of oralism.

<b> American Sign Language / b>

American Sign Language is traced back to 1814. Dr. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, a minister of Hartford, Connecticut had a neighbor named Mason Fitch Cogswell. Cogswell had a nine year old girl named Alice who was deaf. Gallaudet met Alice and Gallaudet wanted to learn communicate.

Gallaudet did not really know anything about raising a deaf child. Thus, it has raised enough money Travel to Europe to learn their methods of deaf education.

Gallaudet met Abbé Roche Ambroise Sicard, who was L'Abbe Epée's successor and head of the National Institute for Deaf-Mutes in Paris. Gallaudet also met Jean Massieu and Laurent Clerc, two teachers made deaf from the same institution.

Gallaudet studied with Sicard, Massieu, and Clerc at the Institute. He studied their methods of teaching and took private lessons from Clerc.

Preparation for returning to America, Gallaudet asked Clerc to join him. He knew that Clerc would help open a school for the deaf in the United States. Clerc agreed to travel with him to America.

The American Asylum for Deaf-Mutes (now known as the American School for the Deaf) was established in 1817 Hartford, Connecticut. This was the first public school for the deaf in America.

Deaf people from across the United States went to school. As the abbot of the school's Epée's in Paris, children brought signs they learned at home with them. From these signs and symbols of French sign language who taught Gallaudet, American Sign Language was created.

<b> <Collège Deaf / b>

In 1851, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet died. However, his two son, Thomas and Edward Miner Gallaudet Gallaudet succeeded him and continued to work in deaf education.

Edward wanted to establish a college for the deaf but funding always stopped him. In 1857, however, Amos Kendall donated acres of land to establish a boarding school in Washington DC called the British Institution for Deaf and Blind and Edward wanted to be the superintendent of the school.

Edward accepted the offer, But still want to create a college for the deaf. Thus, he presented his idea of a deaf college in Congress and Congress has passed legislation in 1864 allowing the British Institute to grant degrees.

The Division Columbia College Institute (the National Deaf-Mute College) opened in 1864. Throughout the history of the Deaf, was the first college for the deaf.

The National Deaf-Mute College was renamed in 1893 and again in 1986 for the name it still bears, Gallaudet University. Gallaudet University was the first and is still the only liberal arts university for the deaf in the world.

<b> oralism versus sign language </ b>

Sign language is spreading widely and has been used by both deaf and hearing people. However, supporters of oralism believe that deaf people need to learn to talk to function in society.

The institution for the improvement Education of deaf-mutes was founded in New York in 1867 and the Clarke Institution for Deaf-mute was founded in Northampton, Massachusetts. They started the education of deaf children using oralism only. If this were not enough, these schools encouraged all schools for deaf people to use only the approach and oralism. Teaching methods oralist speech, listening and lip reading spread quickly to schools across the country.

Alexander Graham Bell is one of the strongest supporters of oralism. In 1872, he founded a school Boston. This school has trained teachers to use oralism to teach deaf children.

Bell established the Association U.S. to promote the teaching of speech to the deaf, Inc. in 1890. This association is now called the Association of Alexander Graham Bell for the Deaf.

From 1880 to 1990, the sign language debate between oralism intensified. Meeting in Milan, Italy in 1880, International Congress on Education of the Deaf met to address this issue. Many leaders in education attended the conference which is now known as the Milan Conference.

Oralism won the debate at this conference and Congress then adopted a statement that "the incontestable superiority of speech over sign of the integration of deaf-mute into society and to give better mastery of the language. "

Because of this conference, the use of sign language in education deaf has declined significantly over the next decade. Some activists wanted to eradicate completely oralism sign language.

In 1920, 80% of deaf children were taught using the oral method. Teachers of deaf children were once 40% deaf and 60%. In the 1860s, only 15% of teachers of the deaf were deaf.

Outside the classroom, however, sign language was still widely used. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was established in the United States and supported the method of sign language education deaf. NAD argued against oralism say that this is not the right choice for the education of many deaf people. They have acquired and retained the support the use of sign language alive during this period.

Amid this great debate, William Stokoe, a hearing Gallaudet professor University, published his allegation that proved American Sign Language is a real language. He proved that ASL is a distinct language of English and has its own grammar and syntax.

American Sign Language was finally regarded as a language national importance.

Congress issued the Babbidge Report in 1964 on the oral deaf education who said oral teaching was a "dismal failure". This quote dismissed the decision was made in Milan.

In 1970, a movement that has not begun to choose between education signed or spoken. This movement was called Total Communication and attempted to combine several methods of deaf education. Total Communication gave deaf people the right to information by all possible means. This method of teaching can includes speech, sign language, fingerspelling, lipreading, pantomime, computers, pictures, facial expressions, gestures, writing, hearing aids, and reading.

The changes that have occurred throughout the history of sign language makes sign language and life of people deaf they are today. Deaf people have experienced great difficulties, as well as major achievements to bring sign language, sign language, the respect it deserves.

About the Author

The fact that deaf people have a history is only one reason why they also have their own culture–Deaf Culture. You can also learn sign language, the natural language of the Deaf, for free at http://www.start-american-sign-language.com.

Michelle J. has a Bachelor’s degree in Deaf Studies from California State University, Northridge. She has a passion for American Sign Language and Deaf Culture and wishes to share her passion with the world for free on her website.

Grayson, Gabriel (2003). Talking With Your Hands, Listening With Your Eyes: A Complete Photographic Guide to American Sign Language. Square One Publishers: New York.

Van Cleve, John Vickrey. (1999). Deaf History Unveiled: Interpretations from the New Scholarship. Gallaudet University Press: Washington, D.C.

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