The language рroblem

The language problem remains the paramount problem in a school for the deaf.

Language is the foundation of all academic progress. The language progress may be attained if language teaching is graded.

The language foundations are laid in the primary grades and developed in the intermediate grades and are learned through usage.

The language limitations of the average deaf child and consequently the problem of communication whether orally or by writing continues to be the biggest stumbling block in his school progress compared with that of his hearing playmates.

Language is developed first as an oral then as a written means of expression. Life emphasizes speaking and listening.

The hearing child learns a large part of his language through imitation, through hearing the conversation of others, of those with whom he associates, and those he hears on the radio.

It is said that a normal child has from 35 to 50 exposures to a word or an expression before it registers in his brain. The acoustically handicapped child lacks these advantages.

The deaf child cannot acquire a speech vocabulary in a short time. Ignorance of "his mother's tongue" deprives the child of the most efficient means of developing his mind as he has no auditory experience which comes to the hearing child without any effort on his part.

Every teacher, vocational and academic, regardless of the subject taught, should be a language teacher.

Grammatical drills should be based on errors actually made by the class or individual and should be effectively motivated, brief and interesting.

They should form the basis for his progress in the eli­mination of his errors. If we are to attain variety of ex­pressions and ability to comprehend the language of others, the vocabulary building will need to go hand in hand with language development.

There are three kinds of vocabulary: reading (sight), writing and speaking. In addition to the words encountered in reading and in other subjects and in dally experiences, we need a basic vocabulary for each grade compiled from the va­rious vocabulary lists and revised to fit the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing. The important thing is to make the children realize the value of words to choose them thought­fully and carefully.

If the child is sure of what he knows and can classify his vocabulary it means that he has a good language founda­tion.

It is necessary to develop the deaf child's feeling for language as much as possible. Reading is one of the means we can make use of for developing the deaf child's feeling for the language. A child's success in the advanced grades, his continued success in high school and in higher education de­pends to remarkable extent upon his reading ability.

Reading must be integrated with the entire school pro­gram.

The children are recommended to have free reading or leisure reading for their amusement. The children must read stories for the development of their imagination. The school library must be in possession of a great number of such books.

There are two kinds of reading: intensive reading which covers reading good selections in class under the guidance of the teacher. The selections are generally read twice.

The vocabulary expressions which may hinder the under­standing of the text are taught in advance by means of simple pictures.

A series of guide questions based on the contents of the reading material should be prepared and discussed before the second reading.

Extensive reading stresses the techniques of reading a relatively long text suitable for the deaf and hard of hear­ing.

There is a definite positive relationship between oral language development, reading ability and hearing loss.

T E R M S

to remain оставаться

paramount problem важная проблема

to attain достигать

language teaching is graded используется постепенное oбуче­ние языку

in the primary grades в начальных школах; в младших классах

the average deaf child обычный глухой ребенок

the biggest stumbling block самый большой камень преткновения

to associate зд. общаться

from 35 to 50 exposures to a word имеет от 35 до 50 контак­тов со словом

brain мозг

the acoustically handicapped child lacks these advantages у глухого ребенка отсутствуют

эти преимущества

ignorance незнание

to deprive лишать

efficient means эффективные средства

mind ум

auditory experience слуховой опыт

without any effort без особого труда

vocational teacher учитель по профобучению

regardless of the subject taught независимо от изучаемого предмета

grammatical drills грамматические упражнения

the elimination of errors исключение ошибок

to comprehend понимать

vocabulary building накопление словарного запаса

will need to go hand in hand with должно идти наравне с...

to encounter встречать

basic vocabulary основной словарь

to compile составлять

value of words значение слов

feeling for language чувство языка

free or leisure reading дополнительное домашнее чтение

development of imagination развитие воображения

to be in possession иметь в своем распоряжении, обладать

intensive reading объяснительное чтение

expression выражение

to hinder мешатъ

in advance заранее

by means of при помощи

guide questions контрольные вопросы

extensive reading самостоятельное чтение

to stress подчеркивать, выделять

a definite relationship определенное отношение

selection for its main thought выбор по основной мысли