China:More than 200,000 deaf children able to "talk" with mouth after training

Miss-Delectable

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-05/30/content_3018523.htm

BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Over 220,000 deaf children now can "talk" with their mouths after being trained, and almost 40,000 ofthem are studying in elementary schools or kindergartens with healthy children.

These children gained their speaking abilities thanks to a special aid activity to help deaf children launched by the China Disabled Persons' Federation, which, so far, has involved over 42,000 deaf children from poor families.

Across the world, a total of 250 million people suffer from hearing problems at a medium degree. China has 20.57 million people with hearing or speaking disabilities, 800,000 of which areunder the age of seven. The number of people with hearing and speaking problems is the largest group among all disabled persons in China.

Currently, there are over 1,700 training centers for deaf children in China, which have trained over 10,000 specialists and over 100,000 patients.

The training is technically supported by the China Rehabilitation Research Center for Deaf Children, backed by provincial and municipal training centers, and based on communities and families.
 
DeafSCUBA98 said:
"healthy children" how odd they comment this
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I don't think the original article was written in American English. Also, the Chinese perspective on deafness is not as "enlightened" as the Western viewpoint (which isn't always so great either). It seems that China emphasizes the "deafness as a medical disability" philosophy, rather than "Deaf culture".
 
Chinese deaf children should be using ASL or Chinese Sign Language as well.
 
Actually, I find this WICKED WICKED if not impossible to believe. Chinese is a tonal based language. Like a word said in one tone of voice means something everyday, and if it's said in another tone of voice it means something else entirely. I only have moderate to severe loss, and I have MAJOR trouble with pronouncing stuff and even just modulating my voice!
 
Oh, and the healthy normal language is even employed (although not as blatently) here......just read any article on an oral program....they really love pushing the fact that their programs allow the kids to function "normally"....hell just check out the way auditory-verbal programs are promoted (your child will not have to learn Sign, Cued Speech OR even......SPEECHREADING!)
 
"...These children gained their speaking abilities thanks to a special aid activity."


It didnt say what kind of special aid??? Hearing aids? Cochlear Implants? Or what? I highly doubt that most of them can speak successfully due to the structure of Chinese language which is very auditory.
 
I know.....bet you anything most of them are either mild losses or the exceptional severe-profounders. I mean I know that a couple of the auditory-verbalists have held up kids who were able to learn to speak seven languages(like in the '60s) as proof that AV works.....
 
I too find this really hard to believe.. from what I have heard, Chinese is an extremely tonal language, my aunt can speak cantonese, and she told me the same written word can have 5 or more different pronounciations, which means different meanings.

You know what would be cool?? If ASL was taught to Deafies around the world, then even if they can only speak Chinese, Arabic, Tagalog or some other foriegn language, you can still sign with them!! Has anyone ever thought of this or tried to do it?

Teg
 
tegumi said:
You know what would be cool?? If ASL was taught to Deafies around the world, then even if they can only speak Chinese, Arabic, Tagalog or some other foriegn language, you can still sign with them!! Has anyone ever thought of this or tried to do it?

Teg
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why not create GSL then? Global Sign Language :lol:
 
Yeah, I bet most of them can only speak a handful of words at best.
 
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