Please escuse my ignorance
Francoise Herrmann (fherrmann who-is-at igc.apc.org)
Thu, 12 Oct 1995 16:54:14 -0700
Hi everyone, I am still thinking about the North American
neurosis, and the possiblities of language uses other than speech.
It seems to me, that except for biological in-equipment, that in
everyday life (e.g.; at the supermarket) it would be hard to ask
for groceries using a piano, a camera, mathematical symbols or
musical ones. These may function like language in that they are
cognizing and expressive devices, but perhaps secondary to speech
and speech based systems (like ASL?). I am wondering whether the
arguments that Delpit makes (I have not read the work quoted)
might not refer to the valuing (prescriptive tradition) in
language use and in particular with respects to standard and
non-standard forms of language use. Kids in Brittany, for example
used to have to wear clogs around their necks for speaking Breton
(in lieu of French -and presumably one brand of it). THat is,
without reducing available tools for expression, I cannot imagine
that someone would argue against oral expression. How does one
live in society without oral language? The case is in the making
for ASL, but for everyone else? And I mean on a really mundane
level.
Francoise Francoise Herrmann fherrmann who-is-at igc.org