Unit 8
Lesson 1
Student’s Book pages 64-65
Communication
Before you begin
1 How do blind people read? Discuss with a partner.
The key words
|
The word / phrase |
The meaning |
The part of speech |
|
alphabet |
a set of letters arranged in a fixed order, used for writing a language |
Noun |
|
Braille |
a system of printing for blind people, in which each letter is represented as a raised pattern that can be read by touching it with the fingers |
Noun |
|
drumbeat |
(the sound of) a single hit on a drum |
Noun |
|
mass |
a large amount or number |
Noun |
|
media |
the internet, newspapers, magazines, television, etc., considered as a group |
Noun |
|
newspaper |
a regularly printed document consisting of large sheets of paper that are folded together, or a website, containing news reports, articles, photographs, and advertisements |
Noun |
|
picture |
a drawing, painting, photograph, etc. |
Noun |
|
signal |
an action, movement, or sound that gives information, a message, a warning, or an order |
Noun |
|
software |
the instructions that control what a computer does; computer programs |
Noun |
|
symbol |
a sign, shape, or object that is used to represent something else |
Noun |
While reading
The language of Braille
Communication, the sharing of information, ideas and thoughts, can take many forms. Before the development of writing, people communicated via smoke signals, cave paintings and drumbeats. The first systems of writing used pictures to convey meaning. Gradually, as language developed, alphabets evolved, using letters and symbols which represented sounds. These sounds in turn made up words.
The invention of the printing press in the 15th century led to the first forms of mass media: newspapers and magazines. Until then, it hadn’t been possible to reach thousands of readers at the same time. However, only sighted people could access these media.
This all changed in 1821 CE. It happened when an officer in the military in France was visiting the Royal Institute of the Blind in Paris. He wanted to demonstrate to the students a system of dots he had invented. These dots allowed soldiers to communicate without speaking. This method of communication caught the attention of Louis Braille, a young man who was studying at the Institute.
After many years of work, Louis Braille had improved and completed the system of raised dots, which became known as Braille. The characters consist of six tactile dots that can form 64 combinations, spelling out letters, numbers and symbols.
By 1868 CE, 16 years after Louis Braille’s death, blind people all over the world were using Braille every day. It has also been adapted to scripts in different languages. It enables blind people to read books, maps and labels, and even to press buttons in a lift. A wide range of national daily newspapers are available in Braille, too.
Nowadays, screen-reading software means that the text on a computer screen can be heard aloud. Digital talking books that simultaneously generate output in Braille are also available.
The text talks about:
-How mass media contributed to the invention of Braille.
-How soldiers had to communicate without speaking.
- Braille’s official system of communication.
-How technology nowadays helps blind people communicate.
- Braille is a practical way for the blind to communicate.
After reading
Why has Braille been adapted to scripts in different languages?
It enables blind people to read books, maps and labels, and even to press buttons in a lift.