David,
This identification reminds me uncomfortably of deaf schools' attempts to
abolish sign language, teaching their charges speech, "real language"
instead. Even if the results of such a project had not been quite so dismal,
one would have to have reservations.
A friend of mine had the experience of having his hands tied behind his back
at school so that he couldn't sign. He was also repeatedly told that signing
was "only for handicapped people" and that it was a "sin".
When we found out that our second daughter, Florence, in arms at the time,
was deaf, we, in our innocence, all learned sign language at home. When she
started school we were told that it was forbidden and that we shouldn't as
much as point at things. This we ignored. Our subsequent daughters all
signed from about the age of three months.
I love speech, but language is more.
best
Randolph Healy
----- Original Message -----
From: "david.bircumshaw" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "brit poets" <[log in to unmask]>; "T. R. Healy and L.
MacMahon" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, October 06, 2000 6:36 AM
Subject: Re: the price of poetry
> I'm puzzling over that one - not 'identifying language and speech?' Are't
> they the same? Or have I lost the track here, or summat?
>
> fascinated too, if bemused
>
>
> dave
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: T. R. Healy and L. MacMahon <[log in to unmask]>
> To: BritnIrishpoets <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2000 2:02 PM
> Subject: Re: the price of poetry
>
>
> > I'm fascinated by this discussion. May I make a small plea and ask that
we
> > don't routinely identify language and speech. I'm not being pedantic and
> > intend no slight on what I see as a valuable - and high quality! -
thread.
> >
> > best
> >
> > Randolph Healy
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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