[Xmca-l] Primitive or Ideal?

[Andy Blunden]

In the light of recent discussion about the role of the ideal in the 
development of language, and the notion of "primitive man," this old 
primitive thought it might be a good idea to read up on the case of 
Nicaraguan Sign Language. So, I've bought this book off Amazon. Does 
anyone know of criticisms of this author?
Andy
------------------


  The Emergence of Deaf Community in Nicaragua: "With Sign Language You
  Can Learn So Much" by Laura Pollich
  <http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?an=Laura+Polich&cm_sp=det-_-bdp-_-author>

The sudden discovery of Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL) enthralled 
scholars worldwide who hoped to witness the evolution of a new language. 
But controversy erupted regarding the validity of NSL as a genuinely 
spontaneous language created by young children. Laura Polich's 
fascinating book recounts her nine-year study of the Deaf community in 
Nicaragua and her findings about its formation and that of NSL in its 
wake. Polich crafted "The Emergence of the Deaf Community in Nicaragua" 
from her copious research in Nicaragua's National Archives, field 
observations of deaf pupils in 20 special education schools, polls of 
the teachers for deaf children about their education and knowledge of 
deafness, a survey of 225 deaf individuals about their backgrounds and 
living conditions, and interviews with the oldest members of the 
National Nicaraguan Association of the Deaf. Polich found that the use 
of a "standardized" sign language in Nicaragua did not emerge until 
there was a community of users meeting on a regular basis, especially 
beyond childhood. The adoption of NSL did not happen suddenly, but took 
many years and was fed by multiple influences. She also discovered the 
process that deaf adolescents used to attain their social agency, which 
gained them recognition by the larger Nicaraguan hearing society. Her 
book illustrates tremendous changes during the past 60 years, and the 
truth in one deaf Nicaraguan's declaration, "With sign language you can 
learn so much."
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Andy Blunden*
http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/