i want to re-ask one of sasha’s queston: are they fluent in their language? it’s like helen keller … it didn’t matter what she can do until she understood “water” and along with it, the concept of language. if they are still learning the alphabets by grade 11, i assume not. and that shocks me. so glad you’re there and especially that you’re going to do something about it.

Are you sure you know EVERYTHING after just a couple days? HMMM. A great challenge for you! Im sure the kids like you already. How do they adapt to a foreigner? How is the teacher/student ratio at RSS?

Post #8 has some good points.
Also, please answer Adamzsis. I ditto her questions and comments. must run in the family.:)

Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the report! I look forward to seeing further thoughts. It took me about a year before I could fully comment on the state of British education… be open to surprises.

N,

I can’t answer for Adam but I can say that in terms of Deaf education getting students to copy rather than learn has a long and well-documented history. Since the language being read or written is, for Deaf students, often as much of a dead language as Latin, it does happen.

1) Have you looked into the connection between reading and writing. It’s quite interesting. There is a current debate about if there is in fact a connection between the two. The issues in connection with this could directly relate to your situation.
2) Do you have ESL experience?
3) It’s apparent that there is a gap between visual (signed) communication and the written word; however I disagree completely with the following observation:

“careful trickery (through looking at what words are in the same in the question as in the text), a skill in being able to copy, and a HUGE amount of guesswork”

It seems apparent the children understand grammar if they are able to compose in the way you are stating they can. It is the “gap” (3) that could use assessing. A good place to start would be to assess whether they can spell (writing) in their own language and spell in SSL. Is the spelling carrying over between the two native languages? The answer to this could potentially set you looking in the right direction….

Small baby steps.

Regards,
N~

BTW, try not to storm the Prime Minister’s office in protest during your first month on the job. Wait till the 2nd month. ;-}

Great commentary. I realize Internet there is actually a luxury and you can’t really type away to your heart’s content but I hope at some point, you’ll be able to tell us more about the fascinating learning process of communicating with the students, with the volunteers, and with the locals. It’d be somewhat of a humbling experience. Deprived of direct pure ASL is humbling, I think. Do tell us the name sign they gave you!

Love your insights and your ability to craft close-to-perfect assessment of what’s happening in front of you (or behind you too!).

Keep writing, keep absorbing, and keep learning.

xo

Does this mean you may be returning to Sri Lanka after January?

im glad to see sri lanka is treatin you well and that u are enjoying all the rich expierences it and Rohana School for the Deaf has to offer you. Im beyond thrilled. All the little perks and things you have observed amuses me greatly (like the whole ashok leyland on the trucks, the many maids who serve you 3 full meals a day in the beautiful home etc).

maybe you could try to visit one or 2 other deaf schools and see how they are doing with english, and hopefull give u some more insight into the best way to teach them english. more knowledge always help. but you’re right- are they even fluent in their own native language?

its been a great joy reading your blogs.. makes me miss ceylon and india a lot… ill be in there in a few months, eh? keep us updated!

*hugs* lotsa love, sasha