On the oral education of the deaf and dumb : a paper read at the teachers' conference, Jan. 10th, 1878 / by William van Praagh.

  • Van Praagh, William.
Date:
[1878?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the oral education of the deaf and dumb : a paper read at the teachers' conference, Jan. 10th, 1878 / by William van Praagh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    on being placed in a school. Hearing children bring with them a mass of knowledge acquired through conversation; in fact they have already gathered a knowledge of spoken language in the nursery, in their homes, or in their immediate surround- ings. The teacher has merely to develop powers already acquired, and the foundations for his work are prepared. Now, take the case of a deaf child. All the knowledge ac- quired by the hearing child, quite naturally, without trouble, is lost to him, and the teacher has to commence from where the mother began with the baby. Pray do not think, as some people do, that the deaf-and-dumb child lacks power of intellect—far from it; it makes its own language, forms means to express its wants by means of a language of natural signs, which (natural signs) are the first means of communication between teacher and pupil. The expression “Deaf and dumb ” is a misnomer, though, strange enough, in almost every European language we find the same term. Discard the idea from your mind that this means a double affliction. The only defect is “ deafness,” and dumbness is the unfortunate result. Even ninety-nine out of every hundred deaf-mutes can be taught to speak. It has been often stated, erroneously, how- ever, that the schools on the German or oral system pick their pupils and only admit the most intelligent children. I must strongly deny this. Every deaf-mute (unless he be an idiot) can share in the advantages of speech. This being so, why should we deprive the deaf and dumb of speech, “ which elevates man above the beasts, enabling him to think and to reason”? Deaf children can be taught to speak, to think, to act and to judge, as we do ; they can be made good and use- ful members of society, but only through the assistance of their hearing fellow-creatures, who should treat them kindly, converse with them as much as possible, and hold up their rights in society. But, now, how do we proceed ? Not by quackery (or miracles) as some people look upon the work of instruction of the deaf, but by a systematic method of teaching. Let me ask you this : Do you remember how you have been taught to speak ? Is it not strange that, as a rule, we do not think of the simplest process of mental progress in infancy? Remember, mother or nurse, carrying baby on her arms, re- peats—who would venture to say how many times ?—the same word ; the child tries to imitate, badly at first, perfectly after a little time. Baby stretches out its tiny hands to the object