DUMB AND DEAF. 



187 



1 How they 

 under";.. n! 



' the Speech 

 of othtrs. 



is extremely imperfect. There is not a distinct letter 

 for each simple sound, and for each mode of beginning 

 and ending ; but some sounds and modes are represent- 

 ed by one letter, and others by a combination of letters ; 

 sometimes one letter or combination is the mark of se- 

 veral different sounds or modes ; and sometimes one 

 sound or mode is expressed by several different letters 

 or combinations. It is this, among other circumstan- 

 ces, which renders the pronouncing dictionary so ne- 

 cessary even to natives of our own country, and which 

 occasions so much difficulty to the foreigner, and to 

 persons in the situation of the deaf and dumb. 



With a view not to perplex the pupil in his first les- 

 sons in elementary sounds, we would recommend, that 

 only one mode of representing each sound be clrosen ;:t 

 the commencement; the various other modes will be 

 pointed out afterwards, when the uses of the different 

 letters of the alphabet are fully exemplified. Thus the 

 letter c may be selected, to represent the 4th Laryngceal 

 sound in the first instance ; and it may be afterwards 

 shewn, that the same sound is often expressed by a, at, 

 ay, ea, and e i. 



After the scholar has acquired the power of pronoun- 

 cing the sounds in their separate state, he is next to be 

 instructed in the mode of combining them together in- 

 to syllables ami words. This, upon trial, will be found 

 to be easier than might have been expected. 



But the rapidity of the pupil's progress in speak- 

 ing, and the ultimate proficiency at which he arrives, 

 will be found to vary exceedingly in different cases. 

 There are very few who can be taught to pronounce 

 distinctly all the Laryngwal sounds ; one or two of these 

 being almost always unattainable. But it is not al- 

 ways the same sound that presents this difficulty to 

 the learner; in one pupil it is the 1st, in another the 

 3d, in another the 4th, and so on. Nor is it easy to 

 instruct the Deaf and Dumb in that gentle running of 

 syllables into each other, that modulation of the voice, 

 and that variety of accent and of pause, which are ob- 

 served in the articulation of perfect and harmonious 

 Speech. On these accounts, their pronunciation is, in 

 general, accompanied with a kind of monotony and 

 broken aspiration, if we may use this expression, 

 which renders it somewhat unpleasing. In some in- 

 stances, however, these defects exist in a surprisingly 

 small degree ; and we have ourselves seen boys who 

 had only begun to articulate about three years before, 

 whose softness and distinctness of utterance were alto- 

 gether wonderful. At all events, it is gratifying to 

 know, that, however imperfect their speech may be, 

 when compared with that of others, it is, in most in- 

 st-mces. sufficiently distinct to be quite intelligible to 

 their friends, and even to strangers, after a little time ; 

 and consequently thus answers the leading purpose for 

 which it is intended. 



The same lessons by which the Deaf and Dumb are 

 taught to articulate, and the same experience which gives 

 them facility of Speech, instructs and improves them, 

 also, in the power of interpreting by the eye the words 

 of others. The quickness with which they come at last 

 to exercise this faculty, is quite remarkable. " It is 

 truly astonishing," says Dr Watson, " and would hardly 

 he-credited by any one who had not seen it, how readi- 

 ly deaf persons, who have themselves been taught to 

 speak, catch words, and even long sentences, from the 

 mouths of those who address them. Yet, in this sort 

 <>f conversation, it is indispensible that the speech 

 should be immediately directed to the spectator, (we 



must not call him auditor,) who must have an oppor- Dumb and 

 tunity of observing every motion of the muscles, (as Peaf - 

 far as these can be seen externally,) and countenance, """""V 

 in order to make out the discourse. On this account, 

 it is impossible for a deaf person to understand the con- 

 versation of a mixed company, a discourse from the 

 pulpit, or a harangue to an assembly, where the speak- 

 er does not immediately address him." ( Work quoted 

 at p. 180. p. 121.) 



We might add some very good observations, to the Precautions 

 same purport, from the writings of De L'Epce ; but we necessary 

 shall content ourselves, at present, with quoting only a l ? adt ' res - 

 few sentences, in which the Abbe, with characteristic smg ' 

 benevolence, pleads for the observation of proper indul- 

 gences towards the Deaf and Dumb, from all those who 

 wish to address them in Vocal Speech. After stating the 

 precautions to be observed in speaking to them, and re- 

 marking, what indeed often surprises the by-standers, 

 th;it there is no necessity, in doing so, for the least emis- 

 sion of the voice, he observes, // c st vrai que tons ceux qui 

 p-'.rlent vis-d-ris cles sottrds et mttets, lie prennent pus tonics 

 les precautions que nnits venons d'exp/iquer, ct c'cst re qui 

 Jail qu'its ne sont pas aussi clairement enlendus. Si les 

 sourds el muels nenlendent pas antant qu'ils le pourroient, 

 ce n'est pas Icur finite, mais cellcs des personnes qui par- 

 lent dcvant eiti, et qui ne prennent pas les precautions ne- 

 cessaires pour sefaire entendre, 



En vain rcpondroit on qitc ces personnes ne savent pas 

 les dispositions qu'elles doivent meltre dans leurs organes, 

 pour rendre scnsibles aux sourds et muels les paroles 

 qu'elles prononcent : sans don'.e elles ne le savant pas, et 

 c'esl pour elles tine espece de must ere ; mais elles les met- 

 tent machinalement (ces dispositions) dans leurs organes, 

 sans qi/oi elles ne pourroient parler, et les sourds et 

 muets (instruits) les apercevront toujours, tant qu'on 

 ouvrira, la l/ouche autant qu'il sera necessaire, et qu'on 

 parlera lenlement en ap'puyant separement sur c/iaqife syl- 

 labe. 



Nous avons cette complaisance pour les etrangers qui 

 apprennent notre fatigue, et qui commencent a Fentendre '. 



et a la parler ; cl de leur coU Us font la mcme chose avec 

 nous, tant que la Icur nc nous est pasfamiliere. Pourqnoi 

 n'en userions-nous pas de mcme avec les sourds et muets 

 nos frcres, nos parens, nos amis, nos commensaux ?" 

 (Encyclop. Methodique Arts et Metiers, torn. v. p. 311. 

 4to. Paris, 1788.) 



The last department of the education of the Deaf Explanation 

 and Dumb which we proposed to consider, the Explana- of the mean - 

 tion of the meaning of words, is both the most interest- 

 ing to the teacher, and the most agreeable to the pupil. 



The method of procedure in this department, which 

 has been practised by Dr Watson, accords, with a very 

 few exceptions, so completely with that, which, after 

 considerable reflection on this subject, we had ourselves 

 set down as the best, that there is little left for us to do, 

 than to state this method, as nearly in that excellent 

 author's words as possible ; and to recommend its adop- 

 tion to all those who would attempt the instruction of 

 the Deaf and Dumb. 



In commencing the Explanation of the meaning of Mode of 

 words, those terms ought, of course, to be selected at procedure, 

 first, which are easiest to be understood. Now, of all 

 the words of a language, the names of the objects that 

 surround us admit of the most direct application, and 

 they most naturally present themselves to begin with. 

 The teacher, therefore, shews a word, by which some 

 familiar object is called ; as body, head, face, &c. and the 

 scholar is made to cepy it, on his slate, and is taught 



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