Wallis, John, 1616-1703,

Teaching language to a boy born deaf : the Popham notebook and associated texts / John Wallis ; edited and introduced by David Cram and Jaap Maat. - First edition. - xvi, 327 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Includes bibliographical references (pages 313-323) and index.

I. The Popham Notebook --
II. The Education of Alexander Popham --
III. Aftermath and legacy --
A Transcription of the Popham Notebook --
First Letter to Boyle on teaching language to the deaf --
An appendix concerning persons deaf and dumb --
Second Letter to Boyle on teaching language to the deaf --
Supplement to the Philosophical Transactions of July, 1670 --
A defence of the Royal Society --
On teaching language to the deaf --
An exchange of letters on the method of teaching the deaf --
A short essay on speech.

This book presents an edition of a previously unpublished notebook used by the seventeenth-century polymath John Wallis to teach language to the "deaf mute" Alexander Popham. Under the terms of the law Popham would not have been able to inherit his family title and property if he had remained unable to speak. This is one of the most famous cases in the history of deaf education. This notebook, which has recently come to light in the Popham family mansion, provides fascinating insights into the details of the instruction. It is a rare example of a manual tailor-made for the instruction of a known individual and its author is one of the foremost scientists of the period. If it had not been lost the work would have been a key document in the dispute between John Wallis and William Holder, both distinguished fellows of the Royal Society, on whose method had been successful in teaching Popham to speak. 'The Popham Notebook' provides essential evidence towards the resolution of a debate that has been widely discussed ever since. David Cram and Jaap Maat place the work in its personal, social, and scientific contexts. They include a range of additional contemporary texts and provide a clear text with helpful annotations. The edition provides the means for a thorough reassessment of the work's contemporary value. Their introduction also includes a discussion of the theoretical issues underpinning the teaching of language to the deaf.

0199677085 9780199677085

2017941293

GBB7F6782 bnb

018493123 Uk


Popham, Alexander, 1648-1707.


Deaf--Education--Early works to 1800.
Deaf children--Language--Early works to 1800.
Deaf--Means of communication--Early works to 1800.

HV2469.E5 / W35 2017

940.2 371.914 WAL;1