Seeing Language in Sign: The Work of William C. Stokoe Review

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(More customer reviews)Seeing Language in Sign, by Jane Maher, held my attention to the last page. It is a true story about one of the most influencial hearing individuals in Deaf Society. William Stokoe was a true hero in his brilliance, committment and sacrifices to bring the true nature of American Sign Language to light. His story is inspiring and infuriating, as the reader learns of the obsticles placed in Stokoe's way as he strove to prove that ASL is a true language, full of all the richness and bredth of any spoken language. I was moved to tears several times and as I read the last page I wanted to meet this incredible man in person. The author wrote in such a manner that I felt as though I knew him personally. In my opinion, he deserves the Nobel Prize in Education. This book is a MUST READ for anyone who is serious about understanding ASL and Deaf Culture.

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In 1955 William C. Stokoe arrived at Gallaudet College (later Gallaudet University) to teach English where he was first exposed to deaf people signing. While most of his colleagues dismissed signing as mere mimicry of speech, Stokoe saw in it elements of a distinctive language all its own. Seeing Language in Sign traces the process that Stokoe followed to prove scientifically and unequivocally that American Sign Language (ASL) met the full criteria of linguistics--phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and use of language--to be classified a fully developed language.

This perceptive account dramatically captures the struggle Stokoe faced in persuading the establishment of the truth of his discovery. Other faculty members ridiculed or reviled him, and many deaf members of the Gallaudet community laughed at his efforts. Seeing Language in Sign rewards the reader with a rich portrayal of an undaunted advocate who, like a latter-day Galileo, pursued his vision doggedly regardless of relentless antagonism. He established the Linguistics Research Laboratory, then founded the journal Sign Language Studies to sustain an unpopular dialogue until the tide changed. His ultimate vindication corresponded with the recognition of the glorious culture and community that revolves around Deaf people and their language, ASL.

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The Mask of Benevolence: Disabling the Deaf Community Review

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(More customer reviews)I found this book to be engaging almost from the beginning; it is meticulously researched, well organized, logical, yet passionate in its defense of an oppressed language minority. One could certainly argue that Mr. Lane short-changes his opponents by not really addressing their arguments on the benefits of mainstreaming Deaf children, but the purpose of this book is not to present both sides of the issues; the purpose is to demonstrate the oppression of the Deaf language and therefore their culture. It provides strong evidence that the Deaf child is a minority, not an invalid, and that the tendency of hearing parents to see mainstreaming as the only option is a dangerous mistake. This is deep reading and scholarly writing, at times to the point of near inaccessibility to a mainstream audience. However, it is convincing and eye-opening if one is willing to put the effort into reading it.
Sadly, the reader from New Jersey seems to have missed the point of this book. By condemning Mr. Lane as refusing to "recognize that different lifestyles are better for different people," he fails to see that Mr. Lane defends the Deaf as a different lifestyle that deserves to be recognized! This book is not saying that no Deaf (especially late-deafened adults) should try to learn lip-reading or consider cochlear implants. It is simply saying that those Deaf who wish to take part in Deaf culture, who wish to be Deaf, should be given that option as well.

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At Home Among Strangers: Exploring the Deaf Community in the United States Review

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(More customer reviews)At Home Among Strangers is a well-written historical overview of the Deaf community in America and of Deaf activism. Jerome Schein is a hearing academic who studies the Deaf community from a sympathetic but somewhat distant perspective. It contains a lot of good information about Deaf organizations and events that hearing people are largely unaware of, so if you are a hearing person who wants to learn more about the Deaf community, this isn't a bad place to start, along with other books and classes in ASL.

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Now available in paperback; ISBN 1-56368-141-2

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