3 Helen Keller and Dactylology

Hi, anyone! Do you know Helen Keller? Oh, God, please! Just throw yourself to the pond if you don’t know her.. haha *peace. Okay, for everybody who doesn’t know her, I’ll tell you a brief profile of her.

Helen (with a doll) and Anne

Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The story of how Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, broke through the isolation imposed by a near complete lack of language, allowing the girl to blossom as she learned to communicate, has become widely known through the dramatic depictions of the play and film The Miracle Worker.

Helen Adam Keller was born as a normal girl in Tuscumbia, Alabama, USA, in a place known as “Ivy Green”. Her father and mother were people who have well-known name in public. Helen was verdict a disease when she was 19 months old and she had to suffer from it. She had been deaf and blind before she knew how to read and write. She grew as a ‘wild’ and impolite girl.

Helen Keller’s new life began on March 1887 when she was about 7 years old. A woman came to her, named Anne Mansfield Sullivan from Tuscumbia and became her teacher. She was a-20-year-old-woman, graduate from Perkin School-a special school for blind people. She got her sight back after passing some operation. She came to Keller’s family according to the suggestion from Alexander Graham Bell who was Anne’s acquaintance.

Miss Sullivan started her task to change Helen to become a good and success girl. She began her teaching by giving a doll made by children from Perkin School. By spelling d-o-l-l through her hand, she could connect the object and the letter. Helen learned quickly. Day by day she could even reach 30 new words a day. And now, she’d got well known in the world. She is full of inspiration!

So, what is actually the relation between Helen Keller and my posting today? Let me tell you.

When I was in 3^rd semester, my friend suggested me to watch the film about her. That film was giving inspiration to all of people who watch. It has long time I watched that film, but now I’m interested in learning dactylology. And you know what? dactylology is a method used by Anne Sullivan to teach Helen Keller. =D

Dactylology (or Finger-spelling) is the representation of the letters of a writing system, and sometimes numeral systems, using only the hands. These manual alphabets (also known as finger alphabets or hand alphabets), have often been used in deaf education, and have subsequently been adopted as a distinct part of a number of sign languages around the world. (Wikipedia)

Based on my opinion, there are so many kind and improvement in the development of dactylology, because according to various sources, I conclude that there are several differences in some shape of fingers to represent the letter.  Here I’ll give you the comparison picture of ‘old dactylology’ and ‘new dactylology’. Check check check ‘em out! 

Old Dactylology

New Dactylology

 

Now, let’s guess, what word is it?

??????????

 

Jengjengjeng……jengjengjeng……..

Kiewwww… You’re right! L.O.V.E., So easy, huh?! ;D

 

(*wait. Why did I choose that word? Ridiculous.)

as you know, learning dactylology gives several advantages for you. Wanna know? Here here.

• You have additional capability in language
•  You can communicate with your friends or teach them if they have difficulties in speaking. (I’m sorry, i.e. deaf or blind, *I’m serious*)
•  You have new knowledge, and the important thing is.........
•  If you want to tell something secret to your friend (s/he has also to be tacit ‘bout it), just use dactylology, because not everybody know and wanna learn about it. So, let’s try! =D

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Okay, that’s all about Helen Keller, dactylology, and me. For the comments, I’ll be waiting (“,)

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