Juan Pablo Bonet (1573-1633) was a Spanish priest and pioneer of education for the deaf. He published the first book on deaf education in 1620 in Madrid titled Reuccion de las letras y arte para ensenar a hablaralos neudos ("Summary of the letters and the art of teaching speech to the mute"). Many people thought oralism originated in Germany. Oralism originated in Spain. Juan Pablo Bonet felt that articulated speech or oralism was the best way to educate deaf chidlren. His intent was to further the oral and manual education of deaf people in Spain. However, Bonet's system of signs and manual alphabet has influenced many signed languages, such as Spanish Sign Language, French Sign Language and American Sign Language. Juan Pablo Bonet taught th phonetic values of the letters emphasizing the correct postitions of the lips and tongue needed for clear articulation. He also taught manugal signs and finger alphabets
References:
www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/722993/Juan-Pablo-Bonet
www.thefreelibrary.com/A+Silent+Minority+Deaf+Education+in+Spain+1550-1835-a054258717
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Pablo_Bonet
Posted by Ingrid Flemming on July 4, 2009