Ulimi Olubonayo!

WALUFUNDA kanjani ulimi lwakini? Cishe ngokuzwa umkhaya wakini nabangane bexoxa ngesikhathi usewusana. Abantu abaningi ulimi balufunda ngokuluzwa futhi baludlulisa ngokukhuluma. Lapho bakha imibono nemiqondo, abantu abezwayo ngokushesha baphindaphinda amagama nemishwana ekhulunywayo engqondweni ngaphambi kokuba bayikhulume. Nokho, lapho umntwana ezalwa eyisithulu, ingabe ingqondo ingayakha imicabango ngenye indlela? Ingabe lukhona ulimi olungadlulisela kubantu imiqondo, ecatshangwayo noma engokoqobo, ngaphandle kokuba bakhulume?

Luyabonakala Kodwa Aluzwakali

Esinye sezimangaliso zengqondo yomuntu yikhono lethu lokusebenzisa ulimi nokuluvumelanisa nezimo. Nokho, uma umuntu eyisithulu, ukufunda ulimi ngokuvamile kuba umsebenzi wamehlo, hhayi izindlebe. Ngokujabulisayo, abantu banesifiso esijulile sokukhuluma nabanye, okusenza sinqobe noma yini ebonakala iyisithiyo. Lesi sidingo siye senza abantu abayiziThulu basungula izilimi eziningi zezandla emhlabeni wonke. Njengoba bethintana nabanye, bezalelwe emikhayeni eyiziThulu noma behlanganiswe yizikole ezikhethekile nawumphakathi, umphumela uye waba ukusungulwa kolimi oluyinkimbinkimbi oluhloselwe amehlo ngokukhethekile—ulimi lwezandla.a

UCarl wase-United States, walufunda kubazali bakhe abayiziThulu lolu limi.b Nakuba azalwa eyisithulu, wayekwazi ukuhlukanisa izinto, ukukhuluma ngezandla, nokuveza akucabangayo ngoLimi Lwezandla LwaseMelika (ASL [American Sign Language]) lapho esemncane kakhulu. Abantwana abaningi abayiziThulu abazalwa abazali abayiziThulu abakhuluma ngezandla, baqala ukukhuluma ngezandla lapho benezinyanga eziyishumi kuya kwezingu-12 ubudala. Encwadini ethi A Journey Into the Deaf-World, kuchazwa ukuthi “izazi zolimi manje ziyaqaphela ukuthi ikhono lomuntu lokufunda ulimi ngokwemvelo nokuludlulisela kubantabakhe ligxile ngokujulile ebuchosheni. Ukuthi lelo khono libonakala ngolimi lwezandla noma ngolimi olukhulunywayo akubalulekile.”

USveta wazalelwa eRussia eyisisizukulwane sesithathu somkhaya oyiziThulu. Yena kanye nomfowabo oyisiThulu bafunda uLimi Lwezandla LwaseRussia. Ngesikhathi ebhaliswa esikoleni sabantwana abaqalayo abayiziThulu eneminyaka emithathu ubudala, ikhono lakhe elingokwemvelo lokukhuluma ngezandla lase lithuthuke kakhulu. USveta uyavuma: “Ezinye izingane eziyiziThulu zazingakwazi ukukhuluma ngezandla futhi ngangizifundisa.” Izingane eziningi eziyiziThulu zazinabazali abeZwayo ababengakhulumi ngezandla. Ngokuvamile esikoleni izingane ezikhulile eziyiziThulu zazifundisa ezisencane, zizisiza ukuba zikhulumisane nabanye kalula.

Namuhla abazali abaningi abeZwayo bafunda ukukhuluma ngezandla nezingane zabo. Ngenxa yalokho, lezi zingane eziyiziThulu ziyakwazi ukukhulumisana kahle nabanye ngaphambi kokufunda esikoleni. ECanada, kwakunjalo ngo-Andrew, onabazali abezwayo. Bafunda ukukhuluma ngezandla futhi bakusebenzisa lapho bekhuluma naye esemncane, bemnikeza isisekelo solimi ayengakhela phezu kwaso eminyakeni eyalandela. Manje wonke umkhaya ukwazi ukuxoxa nganoma yini ngolimi lwezandla.

Abantu abayiziThulu bayakwazi ukwakha imiqondo, abayicabangayo nengokoqobo, ngaphandle kokuba kudingeke bacabange ngolimi olukhulunywayo. Njengoba ngamunye wethu akha imicabango ngolimi lwakhe, abantu abaningi abayiziThulu nabo bacabanga ngolimi lwabo lwezandla.

Izilimi Ezinhlobonhlobo

Emhlabeni wonke, abantu abayiziThulu baye basungula ulimi lwabo lwezandla noma banezela izici ezithile zezinye izilimi zezandla. Ezinye zezimpawu ze-ASL yanamuhla zathathwa oLimini Lwezandla LwaseFrance eminyakeni engu-180 edlule. Zahlanganiswa nalokho okwakuvele kusetshenziswa e-United States ngaleso sikhathi, futhi manje kubizwa ngokuthi yi-ASL. Kuthatha iminyaka eminingi ukwakha izilimi zezandla futhi ziyathuthukiswa esizukulwaneni ngasinye esilandelayo.

Ngokuvamile, izilimi zezandla azilandeli izici ezingokwenhlalo nezingokwendawo zezilimi ezikhulunywayo. Ngokwesibonelo, ePuerto Rico kusetshenziswa i-ASL, nakuba kukhulunywa iSpanishi. Nakuba isiNgisi sikhulunywa eNgilandi nase-United States, eNgilandi kusetshenziswa uLimi Lwezandla LwaseBrithani, oluhluke kakhulu kuyi-ASL. Futhi uLimi Lwezandla LwaseMexico luhlukile kwezinye izilimi eziningi zezandla zaseLatin America.

Lapho efunda ukukhuluma ngezandla, umuntu uhlatshwa umxhwele yizici ezicashile eziyinkimbinkimbi nezimpawu eziningi ezisobala. Izihloko eziningi, imicabango noma imiqondo kungavezwa ngolimi lwezandla. Ngokujabulisayo, kunomkhuba owandayo wokukhiqizela iziThulu izincwadi ngamakhasethi e-video, asebenzisa ulimi lwezandla olungokwemvelo ukuze alandise izindaba, izinkondlo, ezomlando, futhi afundise iqiniso leBhayibheli. Emazweni amaningi kunenani elikhulayo labantu abafunda ulimi lwezandla.

Ukufunda Lokho Okungakaze Kuzwakale

Lapho befunda, abantu abeZwayo ngokuvamile bancike ekukhumbuleni umsindo ukuze bakhumbule imisindo yamagama. Ngakho okuningi abakufundayo bakuqonda ngoba bake bakuzwa ngaphambili. Ezilimini eziningi amagama abhalwayo awayivezi imiqondo ayimelelayo. Abantu abaningi abeZwayo bafunda lesi simiso esibanzi noma indlela yokubhala ngokuyihlobanisa nemisindo yolimi olukhulunywayo ukuze baqonde lokho abakufundayo. Nokho, ake uzame ukucabanga ungakaze uwuzwe umsindo, igama, noma ulimi lukhulunywa konke ukuphila kwakho! Kungaba nzima futhi kukhungathekise ukufunda isimiso esibanzi samagama abhalwayo olimi ongaluzwa. Yingakho ukufunda ulimi olunjalo kuyinselele enkulu kubantu abayiziThulu, ikakhulukazi kulabo abangezwa nhlobo noma abangakaze bezwe ngisho nakancane!

Izikhungo eziningi zemfundo yezingane eziyiziThulu emhlabeni wonke ziye zakuthola kuyinzuzo ukusebenzisa ulimi lwezandla lapho umntwana esemncane ukuze kuthuthukiswe ulimi lwakhe. (Bheka amabhokisi asemakhasini 20 no-22.) Ziye zathola ukuthi ukufundisa ingane esencane eyisiThulu ukukhuluma ngezandla ngokwemvelo nokubeka isisekelo solimi kuyoba umgogodla wentuthuko enkulu ezifundweni, kwezenhlalo kanye nasekufundeni ulimi olubhalwayo kamuva.

Ikhomishane ye-United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization yemfundo yeziThulu yathi: “Akusamukeleki ukungalunaki ulimi lwezandla, noma ukugwema ukuhileleka ngokugcwele ekuluthuthukiseni ezinhlelweni zemfundo yezithulu.” Nokho, kumelwe sisho ukuthi kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iyiphi imfundo abazali abayikhethela ingane yabo eyisiThulu, kubaluleke kakhulu ukuhileleka kwabo bobabili abazali entuthukweni yomntanabo.—Bheka isihloko esithi “Ukuze Ngikhulumisane Nomntanami, Ngafunda Olunye Ulimi,” kuyi-Phaphama! ka-November 8, 1996.

Ukuqonda Ukuphila KweziThulu

Lapho izingane eziyiziThulu zikhula ziba abantu abadala abayiziThulu, ngokuvamile ziyavuma ukuthi ezazikufuna kakhulu kubazali bazo kwakuwukuba bakhulume nazo. Lapho unina owayesegugile eshona, uJack, indoda eyisiThulu, wazama ukukhuluma naye. Unina wazama ukumtshela okuthile kodwa wahluleka ukukubhala futhi wayengakwazi ukukhuluma ngezandla. Wabe esequleka futhi kamuva washona. UJack yamhlupha kakhulu leyo mizuzu yokugcina ekhungathekisayo. Leso simo samshukumisela ukuba aluleke abazali bezingane eziyiziThulu ngokuthi: “Uma nifuna ukukhulumisana okuhle nokwabelana imiqondo, imizwelo, imicabango nothando nezingane zenu eziyizithulu, khulumani ngezandla. . . . [Umama] wephuza. Ingabe nani nichitha isikhathi?”

Sekuyiminyaka eminingi abaningi bengakuqondi lokho abantu abayiziThulu ababhekana nakho. Abanye bebenombono wokuthi izithulu azazi lutho ngoba azizwa lutho. Abazali baye bazitotosa izingane zabo eziyiziThulu noma besaba ukuzidedela zizihlanganise nabantu bangaphandle. Kweminye imiphakathi abantu abayiziThulu baye bachazwa ngokungeyikho ngokuthi “bayizilima” noma “bayizimungulu,” nakuba abantu abayiziThulu ngokuvamile bekwazi ukukhuluma. Bamane nje abezwa. Abanye baye babheka ulimi lwezandla njengoluyisidala noma njengolusezingeni eliphansi kunolimi olukhulunywayo. Akumangalisi ukuthi ngenxa yokuthi abantu bantula ulwazi kulesi sici, ezinye iziThulu ziye zazizwa zicindezelwe futhi zingaqondwa kahle.

Ngesikhathi esemncane ekhula e-United States ngawo-1930, uJoseph wabhaliswa esikoleni esikhethekile sezingane eziyiziThulu esasikwenqabela ukukhuluma ngezandla. Yena nafunda nabo babejeziswa njalo ngenxa yokukhuluma ngezandla, ngisho nalapho bengaqondi ukuthi othisha babo bathini. Yeka ukuthi babekulangazelela kanjani ukuqonda nokuba baqondwe! Emazweni anemfundo elinganiselwe yezingane eziyiziThulu, ezinye zikhula zingafundile. Ngokwesibonelo, umlobeli we-Phaphama! entshonalanga ye-Afrika wathi: “Ukuphila kwabaningi abayiziThulu e-Afrika kunzima futhi kulusizi. Kubo bonke abakhubazekile, cishe iziThulu yizona ezinganakelelwa nezingaqondwa kakhulu.”

Sonke siyakudinga ukuqondwa. Ngeshwa, lapho abanye bebona isiThulu, bamane nje babone umuntu “okhubazekile.” Ukubazindlekela ngokuthi bakhubazekile kungasithibeza amakhono angempela esiThulu. Ngokuphambene nalokho, abantu abaningi abayiziThulu bazibheka njengabantu “abaphilile.” Bayakwazi ukukhulumisana kahle, bahlakulele ukuzihlonipha, futhi baphumelele ezifundweni, emphakathini nasezintweni ezingokomoya. Ngeshwa, ukuphathwa kabi kwabantu abaningi abayiziThulu kuye kwenza abanye bangabe besabethemba abantu abeZwayo. Nokho, lapho abeZwayo bebonisa isithakazelo esiqotho sokuqonda isizinda seziThulu nolimi lwazo lwezandla olungokwemvelo futhi bebheka iziThulu njengabantu “abaphilile,” bonke bangazuza.

Uma ungathanda ukufunda ulimi lwezandla, khumbula ukuthi izilimi ziveza indlela esicabanga ngayo nesihlaziya ngayo imiqondo. Ukuze alufunde kahle ulimi lwezandla, umuntu kudingeka acabange ngalolo limi. Yingakho ukumane ufunde izimpawu esichazamazwini solimi lwezandla kungeke kusize ngempela ekusebenziseni lolo limi. Kungani ungafundi kulabo abasebenzisa ulimi lwezandla nsuku zonke ekuphileni kwabo—iziThulu? Ukufunda olunye ulimi kubantu bomdabu kukusiza ukuba ucabange futhi uhlaziye imiqondo ngendlela ehlukile, kodwa engokwemvelo.

Kuwo wonke umhlaba, iziThulu ziyanuleka ngokusebenzisa ulimi lwezandla olunezici ezihlukahlukene. Woza uzozibonela mathupha ulimi lwazo lwezandla.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 20]

“INew York Izofundisa IziThulu Ngolimi Lwezandla, Bese Izifundisa IsiNgisi”

Leso sihloko esikhulu savela kuyi-New York Times ka-March 5, 1998. UFelicia R. Lee wabhala: “Kulokho okuphawulwa njengoshintsho oluyingqopha-mlando emfundweni yabafundi abayizithulu, okuwukuphela kwesikole somphakathi sezithulu kuleli dolobha sizoshintshwa ukuze bonke othisha bafundise ngokuyinhloko ngolimi lwezandla olusebenzisa izimpawu.” Uchaza ukuthi othisha abaningi “bathi ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi ulimi oluyinhloko lwezithulu lusebenzisa amehlo, hhayi umlomo, nokuthi izikole ezisebenzisa le ndlela izithulu eziyibona ingcono, ebizwa ngokuthi uLimi Lwezandla LwaseMelika, zifundisa abafundi kangcono kunezinye izikole.

“Bathi abafundi abayizithulu kufanele baphathwe njengabafundi abazi izilimi ezimbili, hhayi njengabafundi abakhubazekile.”

UProfesa Harlan Lane, waseNortheastern University, eBoston, wathi: “Ngicabanga ukuthi [lesi sikole saseNew York] sihola phambili emzabalazweni.” Watshela i-Phaphama! ukuthi umgomo oyinhloko uwukufundisa isiNgisi njengolimi lwesibili lokufunda.

[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 21]

Luwulimi!

Abanye abantu abeZwayo ngephutha baye baphetha ngokuthi ulimi lwezandla luwuhlobo oluyinkimbinkimbi lokusebenzisa izimpawu zomzimba. Luye lwachazwa ngisho nangokuthi ulimi lwemifanekiso. Nakuba ulimi lwezandla lusebenzisa ubuso, umzimba, izandla nendawo ezungezile, izimpawu eziningi azihlobene kakhulu noma azihlobene nhlobo nemicabango eziyidluliselayo. Ngokwesibonelo, oLimini Lwezandla LwaseMelika (ASL [American Sign Language]), uphawu oluhumusha igama elithi “yenza” lusebenzisa zombili izandla ezifingqiwe, esinye siphezu kwesinye bese umuntu eyazisonta. Nakuba lolu phawu luvamile, alukudluliseli ngokucacile olukushoyo kumuntu ongakhulumi ngezandla. OLimini Lwezandla LwaseRussia (RLS), uphawu oludlulisela umqondo othi “ukudinga” lusebenzisa izandla zombili, isithupha ngasinye sithinte umunwe ophakathi bese zihambisana zizungeza. (Bheka izithombe ezikuleli khasi.) Ngakho, ngenxa yemiqondo eminingi engacacile, akunakwenzeka ukuba nomfanekiso ocacile. Izimpawu ezihlukile yilezo ezichaza izinto ezisobala, okuyizimpawu ezichazayo, njengezimpawu ezimelela “indlu” noma “umntwana.”—Bheka izithombe ezikuleli khasi.

Okunye okuphawula ulimi ukusebenzisa ulimi oluvamile olwamukelwa umphakathi. Izilimi zezandla zakheke ngaleyo ndlela. Ngokwesibonelo, igama eliyinhloko emshweni we-ASL ngokuvamile lishiwo kuqala, bese kulandela okushiwoyo ngalo. Futhi, ukulandelanisa izinto ngokwesikhathi kuyisici esiyinhloko sezilimi eziningi zezandla.

Ukubukeka kobuso ngokuvamile nakho kufeza ingxenye olimini njengokuhlukanisa phakathi kombuzo nomyalo, umshwana oncikile, noma amagama alula. Izici ezibonakala olimini lwezandla ziye zalwenza lwaba nalezi zici kanye nezinye eziningi eziyingqayizivele.

[Izithombe]

Ukuthi “yenza” nge-ASL

Ukuthi “ukudinga” ngeRLS

Ukuthi “indlu” nge-ASL

Ukuthi “umntwana” nge-ASL

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 22]

Izilimi Zangempela

“Ngokuphambene nemibono eyiphutha eyandile, izilimi zezandla azizona izimpawu zomzimba, izinto ezisungulwe othisha, noma izimpawu zolimi olukhulunywayo emphakathini. Zitholakala noma yikuphi lapho kunomphakathi wezithulu khona, futhi ngalunye luwulimi oluhlukile noluphelele, olusebenzisa izici ezifanayo zolimi ezitholakala ezilimini ezikhulunywa emhlabeni wonke.”

ENicaragua “izikole zagxila ekufundiseni izingane [eziyizithulu] ukufunda izindebe zokhulumayo nokukhuluma, futhi njengakuzo zonke izimo lokhu okuzanywa kuzo, imiphumela yayingemihle. Kodwa kwakungasho lutho. Ezinkundleni zemidlalo nasemabhasini izingane zazizisungulela izindlela zazo zokukhuluma ngezandla . . . Ngokushesha le ndlela yaphenduka lokho manje okubizwa ngokuthi iLenguaje de Signos Nicaragüense.” Isizukulwane sezingane ezincane eziyizithulu sesisungule ulimi olushelelayo olubizwa ngokuthi i-Idioma de Signos Nicaragüense.—The Language Instinct, kaSteven Pinker.

[Izithombe ekhasini 23]

Lena enye indlela yokuthi “Ngemva kokuba eye esitolo, waya emsebenzini” nge-ASL

Isitolo

yena

hamba

qeda

iya

umsebenzi