From: Stephen Slevinski (slevinski@gmail.com)
Date: Sun Jun 13 2010 - 08:16:07 CDT
Hi Adam,
I couple of example.
First, underwater divers have a form of sign language they use for
communication. Imagine a handbook of common signs. It would be a great
quick reference they could put in their pocket.
Second, imagine taking a sign language class at school. To learn a new
vocabulary, it would be really silly to write the English name for the
signs you learned. You'll get home with a list of spoken words and
forget what the sign was. The sign for dog isn't the word "dog".
Having the written sign language would be a great study aid.
Third, imagine a person who's first language is sign language. They not
only use sign language to communicate with others, they also use sign
language to think. The voice in your head is there because the language
center of your brain is wired to the primary auditory cortex. Native
signers have a different brain configuration. The language center of
their brain is wired to the primary visual cortex. They think in sign
language.
If a native signer wants to write a letter, they could think and write
in their primary language. This is an easy and natural process. If
they wanted to write in a spoken language, unless they are extremely
fluent, they'd think is sign language, translate what they were
thinking, and then write the spoken language. The translation step is a
hindrance in writing.
Regards,
-Steve
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