🚀 go-pugleaf

Actually, language development is a very complex issue.  There is some
evidence that all babies learn to babble in the same language.  Over time,
they drop sounds that they do not hear in their environment.  So, soon, we
only hear and respond to the phonemes that are in the language that we will
learn.  (This is in part why young children learn multiple languages so much
more easily than adults.  They can still hear the language!)

Children learn a primitive grammar before they learn to read, but much of it
is not the formal grammar of adults.  (Correcting the grammar of young
children is relatively pointless because they don't hear the difference.)

With reading and writing, we learn much more complex forms of sentence
construction that allow advanced language.  The more a child (or adult)
reads, the better they can use language.

In terms of speech versus Braille, however, there are significant
differences between auditory language and printed language.  It is possible
that we use the same portions of the cortex for Braille as for print
language.  I don't know of any studies that show either way.  But we do use
different portions of the cortex for auditory and visual language.  (This is
why we use combined auditory and visual cuing for people with learning
disabilities.)  Spoken language doesn't reinforce the proper use of
punctuation: when to use a colon, and when a semicolon.  Spoken language
doesn't use capitalization, and doesn't discriminate between words that
sound the same, but are spelled differently.  Much of this learning is
sub-cortical. (That doesn't look right...)  Braille users get much of this
information, and so gain access to a richer level of language than do people
who use screen readers.

Denis Anson, MS, OTR
Assistant Professor
Computer Access Specialist
College Misericordia
301 Lake Street
Dallas, PA 18612

RESNA
The International Organization of Assistive Technology Professionals

Member since 1989



-----Original Message-----
From: * WEB http://www.rit.edu/~easi
[mailto:EASI@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU]On Behalf Of William Hersh
Sent: Monday, April 19, 1999 9:48 AM
To: EASI@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject: Re: Braille and literacy


Isn't it true that we learn language and grammar before we learn to read and
write? BEfore we learn the alphabet?