LINGUIST List 7.1340

Fri Sep 27 1996

Qs: Nepali, ASL, ESP in reading materials on computer sciences

Editor for this issue: Ann Dizdar <dizdartam2000.tamu.edu>

Directory

1. bill.wellsucl.ac.uk, Nepali
2. Glen Dolberg, ASL
3. Walkyria Magno e Silva, ESP in reading materials on computer sciences

Sarah Murray is an experienced speech and language therapist currenly
working for VSO in Nepal. Last year she completed the MSc in Human
Communication in this department, with distinction. She has written to
me asking to be put in touch with phoneticians or linguists with an
interest in Nepali. She is particularly interested in developing a
phonological assessment procedure for Nepali-speaking children, and
also in word order and verb-argument structure. If you can help,or
know of anyone who might, her address is:

c/o VSO Field Office
P.O. Box 207
Lazimpat
Kathmandu
Nepal.



Bill Wells


Bill Wells, MA, DPhil
Head of Department
Department of Human Communication Science
(formerly The National Hospital's College of Speech Sciences)
University College London
Chandler House
2 Wakefield Street
London WC1N 1PG

Tel. 44 0171-837 0113
Fax: 44 0171-713 0861
E-mail:bill.wellsucl.ac.uk

Dear Friends,

I would like very much to receive opinions (nation-wide, world-wide)
on the question of to what extent we in the professional world of
linguists should equate learning ASL with learning any foreign
language.

Currently on my campus (San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton, CA) this
question is being hotly debated and the three of us who teach
linguistics do not feel that learning ASL is more than half equal to
learning a foreign language. In our view learning ASL is perhaps more
like learning a dialect of English, instead of like learning a
completely new foreign language. Our colleagues in other disciplines
do not agree with us, and obviously,because they teach all of the
other subjects, they far outnumber us.

We NEED input from the rest of the community of linguists. Are the
three of us wrong? Or can you substantiate our views.

PLEASE respond SOON!

Thank you very much.

Glen A. Dolberg

*U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U*
 						
							
 						Dr. Glen A. Dolberg	
									
									
	gdolbergsjdccd.cc.ca.us
 San Joaquin Delta College (209) 474-5329
 5151 Pacific Ave. (209) 477-0745
 Stockton, CA 95207
*U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U* *U*

Are the difficulties students of computer sciences have when reading
materials on their specific area centered on vocabulary, structure, or
background knowledge? What do you think?