DEAF MUTE. 19 of the alphabet is introduced. The one-handed and two-handed alpliabets are shown in the figures. Almost all pupils find the acquisition of articulation, or lip-reading, easier than that of the manual alphabet. In teaching by articula- DEAT MUTE. 1 Nasal passage open jk Glottis, closed (J Point of ton^e i '^ Lips Q vocalizing open (aspirate)
Throat aspirate (whisper) TWO-HANDED ALPHABET. tion, the pupil watches the lips and tongue of the teacher, and, by imitation of the motions seen, is able to speak. Consonants are taught first, and tlien the vowels. Buring the pro- nunciation of some sounds, the pupil grasps the teacher's throat and imitates the vibration and position of the muscles. This metliod is very slow, and pupils gain more genera! knowledge and with greater ease by the use of the sign language. In the celebrated Clarke school at Xorthampton, ]Iass., the old method of articula- tion was employed for a considerable time, but lias been displaced by the Bell system. The method of teaching articulation by visible speech was invented by A. Melville Bell, professor of vocal physiology in Edinburgh, who introduced it in 184S. It was perfected and first used in the schools of Great Britain in 1860. In 1872 it was introduced into the Xorthampton school by A. Graham Bell, the son of the inventor of the method. The Bell system consists of a series of phonetic characters based on the position of the vocal organs when in action. The charac- ters suggest to the eye the mechanism of speech in the formation of every possible sound that can be uttered. The following explanation of the system and of the characters is taken from Bell's Enqlish Yisihle Speech in Tirclie Lessons (Washington. D. C, 189.5). I)r. Bell adds that these explanations are for teachers only : for learners do not require to know the theory of the svstem. A curved line means a consonant. A straight line means a vowel. A line within a curve means a vocal consonant. COSSOXAXTS The direction of the curve denotes: To left I ^ ^ J formation by back of tongue. To right I ^ ' I formation by lips. Convex above I f 1 j formation by top of tongu«. Concave above ( ^J J formation by point of tongue. The varieties of curves denote ; Primary | ^ ^ ) central emission of breath. C) ivided I 'J Jsii Divide side emission of breath. Mixed Mixed divided Shut , 1 wil 1 cal Na; (0) .central emission of breath. 1 with modifi- cation by two parts of the side emission of mouth, breath. oral stoppap:e of breath with emission through the nose. is^y oral stoppage of breath. VOWELS A point or a hook on a straight line denotes the vowel positions of the tongue. Thus : On left side of line I I j. back of mouth.
