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My eyes widen with eyebrow bent and my lips tighten as I desperately sign American Sign Language (ASL) to my teacher, “Bathroom!!” She simply responded in signs using Manually Coded English (MCE) system, “No, you may not go to the bathroom. You have to say it this way, ‘May I go to the Restroom’ then you may go.” I shrink my eyes and looked at my five years old hands, my identity, which my parents gave to me. I look up to the teacher and begin to sign, “Go bathroom can?” with my eyebrow bent in question. She responds, “No, you can not go to the restroom. You have to go back to your seat and sit down. Maybe I will let you go if you sign properly.” I sit down and before I can bear, the foul smell begins to fill the room. Teacher covers her nose and begins to smell each student. When she came to me, she was overwhelmed by the smell then put her hand on my ear and drags me into bathroom. She commanded, “You must clean yourself up and also you will not have lunch today.”
Since the late 19th century, American Sign Language was banned and not used generally in educational settings for deaf children in the United States even though it is a complete and natural language. Instead of using ASL in classrooms, MCE was introduced and taught. The United States Department of Health and Human Services explained, “MCE is made up of signs that are a visual code for spoken English. You may have heard of Morse code. Morse code is a system of dots and dashes that can be tapped out to form English words and phrases. MCE is a code for a language – the English language.”[1] Thus MCE is an ineffective method to teach deaf children because “[MCE] models are lacking in the grammar of manual/visual language” (Bahan, Hoffmeister, & Lane 1996). MCE is not based on any independent language, just like Morse code. Morse code relies on English to relay the message to the opposite party. It is much the same for MCE, as it depends on English to relay information to deaf people, even though they do not have fluency in, or do not fully understand spoken English due to lack of ability to hear it and pronounce it.
MCE systems are not natural language; instead, it was invented by “… borrowing signs from ASL and use them in an English-like signing system. Some of these systems invent new sign symbols to represent English words and their suffixes such as ed, ing, ful, or ness. These inventions are often not conceptually understandable to Deaf people because facial expression and body movement is not used to indicate grammatical functions in these systems.”[2] Imagine a school where Morse code was used, intending to educate students on various topics such as science and history. Students would not acquire much knowledge by using Morse code as it couldn’t be used to express a full context of such ideas. The situation with Morse code in education setting is exactly what occurs in every classroom where MCE is used.
Despite several attempts and researches made by educators and professionals, MCE is not a successful method when attempting to educate deaf children in schools. The “Forms of Manually Coded English such as SEE (Signing Exact English), developed by educators to represent English on the hands, are cumbersome to use, do not adequately represent either English or ASL” (Kluwin, 1981). MCE is not just “cumbersome” but it has “been designed to convey, insofar as possible, the detailed structure and grammar of the spoken language [English].”(Freeman et.al 1981)[3] Educators believe MCE will work effectively because it is, as they call it, a “visible English language;” however, MCE systems were created based on spoken English rather than a spatial, visual language. Deaf rely on their eyes to absorb information in their environment just as a hearing people rely on their ears to understand happenings and proceedings in their environment. It is natural for a hearing person to depend on their ears even when someone comes to him or her and uses his or her hands to communicate. It is natural for deaf people to depend on their eyes, not ears.
MCE is not ideal for development and use in communication or for language acquisition as Francois Grosjean at University of Neuchatel, Switzerland explains, “The total absence of language [orals], the adoption of a non-natural language [MCE systems] or the use of a language that is poorly perceived or known, can have major negative consequences on the child’s cognitive development.”[4] Thus MCE systems oppress deaf children, not allowing them to develop and use their native, easily accessed language, ASL. MCE is like a house with several different rooms but no foundation.
A Journey into the Deaf-world talking about language literacy stated: “There is no way the Deaf child can nativize from an MCE system to develop any true language, signed or otherwise.” (Bahan, Hoffmeister, & Lane 1996) Imagine ourselves writing and speaking in the Morse code system. Would we understand each other fully? I doubt it because all we could do is print dots and dashes; Morse code doesn’t contain expression, emotions, or tone of voice that naturally attracts the listener. Morse code doesn’t have any structured grammar; likewise, MCE doesn’t include any type of facial expression nor does it contain syntax, grammar, lexicon or any type of expressions that are necessary to emphasize the message.
MCE is not a language itself and should be replaced by ASL, as ASL is the most effective method to teach deaf children. The Deaf Community Advocacy Network stated that, “ASL is not based on, nor is it derived from, the English language, either written or spoken. ASL has its own grammar, syntax, lexicon, facial expressions, and body language.”[5] An author could paint a picture in English using various words and grammar. ASL can paint picture through various signs and concepts which is not possible for someone who uses MCE, just as it would be impossible to do with Morse code. ASL is “a visual, gestural language created by Deaf people and used by approximately one-half million Deaf Americans and Canadians of all ages” (Baker & Padden, 1978). Definitely, ASL is the third language most commonly used in the United States. The most important reason ASL should be taught in school is that it has a complete language structure like any other language such as Spanish, English, and so on.
I was born deaf and had access to ASL through my parents, who are also deaf. I also interacted with my three deaf brothers. Because I had a strong culture and ASL language influence in my childhood, I was able to succeed in schools and accompany other students in same grade level. However, I struggled because I was oppressed by educators who attempted to change my already developed language to a MCE system. MCE no longer needs to be used to teach the English language to deaf people. Instead, we should release ASL to deaf people as it belongs to them.
[1] “A Parent’s Guide to Hearing Loss”, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/ehdi/CDROM/index.html)
[2] “ASL, MCE, & PSE: Definition of Manually Coded English” Deaf Community Advocacy Network (DEAF C.A.N.!) [Sylvan Lake, Michigan] (http://www.deafcan.org/ASLMCEPSE.htm)
[3] Roger Freeman, Clifton F. Carbin, Robert J. Boese, Can’t Your Child Hear? A Guide for Those Who Care about Deaf Children, (Baltimore: University Park Press, 1981), p. 132
[4] “The Right of the Deaf Child to Grow Up Bilingual” Francois Grosjean, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland, Pg. 28, Winter 2000.
[5] “ASL, MCE, & PSE: Definition of American Signed Language” Deaf Community Advocacy Network [Michigan] (http://www.deafcan.org/ASLMCEPSE.htm)
