Support Filipino Sign Language Act of 2012 - House Bill 6079

#8: Anika -

There is no DepEd mandate that Filipino be used as medium of instruction in all Philippine schools, but they are pushing for the use of the mother tongue to be used instead (see http://www.deped.gov.ph/cpanel/uploads/issuanceImg/Enclosure%201.pdf).

Is SEE the mother tongue of the majority of Deaf people? NO.

Are there proofs that SEE is a better medium of instruction than FSL, nor proofs that it indeed helped the Deaf students have better English skills? I DONT THINK SO.

Yes, you are right that FSL does not follow a formal grammar --- if your basis is the written/spoken English. But as the Deaf people have been painstakingly making some misguided hearing people understand, FSL IS A VISUAL LANGUAGE THAT HAS ITS OWN SYNTAX AND GRAMMAR.

You are saying we leave the decision to the Deaf people regarding this issue? Yes, that's what we are doing --- and the Deaf are clamoring that FSL be used instead. But why is it that certain hearing people --- albeit not fully aware of the deaf's learning process nor fully understanding sign linguistics --- keep getting in the way of what the majority of the Deaf community want --- and pretending they know what is best for the Deaf?

Lastly, schools cannot be left out of this issue because this is where they will have their first formal exposure to sign language.