Abraham Solomonick

Jerusalem, Israel, e-mail: [email protected]

Abraham Solomonick was born on December 10, 1927, in Haradok, a Belarusian town nearVitebsk. In April 1974, Solomonick immigrated to Israel with his wife and two children, taking up residence in Jerusalem. In November of the same year, he began working at the Israeli Ministry of Education as a supervisor of Ulpans (centers for teaching Hebrew to adults from a wide range of countries). In this capacity, he was responsible for formulating the teaching methods and developing the study materials that were used in the Ulpans. Among his most important accomplishments were the composition of new teaching manuals and the setting up of language laboratories with visual and audio devices to help adults learn Hebrew. In addition to his linguistic activities, Solomonick is deeply involved in the field of semiotics. He has written a number of books and articles on the topic and spoken at international conferences. He is currently recognized as an expert in the field. Not only has he developed his own concept of general semiotics, he has also tried to apply it to various branches of semiotics, including linguistics, pedagogy, advertising, and cartography. Solomonick views general semiotics as the trunk of the tree of semiotics; every semiotic branch sprouts from this trunk, and all are united by the common laws and principles represented by the trunk.

Signs around us a school-subject based on Semiotics Semiotics is a science about signs, sign-systems and semiotic reality in general. Its very name speaks of it: smeon in Ancient Greek meant signs. By a sign we designate something which demonstrates not only itself (a gesture or a word, or a letter, etc.), but some additional external meaning. For example, a gesture may be understood as Come here!; the word table may denote a specific physical object; and the letter m may stand for the sound [m] in this or that language. Then we, human beings, by our mental reasoning, see beyond the sign and recognize the object that it represents. It clearly depends on our previous experience in practical life or in learning. Signs can be of various forms and qualities and they are classified according their bonds with the referents they represent (semantics), by their ties among themselves (syntax) or by their understanding by us, humans, who decipher them (pragmatics). Besides, they differ by their quantum of abstraction, a trait that is my own invention. We cannot think or express ourselves without signs. We still do not know, how our thoughts occur in the mind, but in revealing them overtly, human beings always refer to signs. There may be separate signs or signs in some kind of spread and configuration still they are invariably signs. The words comprising our languages are signs (they express something meaningful outside the language). Numbers in counting are signs. Images in painting are also signs, the same applies to notes in music, and so on. The external world around us is full of signs, and some of them I propose to teach at school. Although our environment includes not only signs (it consists also of things and other

material phenomena), signs occupy a special and important part in the whole composition. Sometimes a sign can stand by itself. Somebody offends you and you inadvertently go red in the face, so that people see by this sign that you are angry. This is an example of a lone sign. But usually signs are collected into sign-systems. Alphabets are sign-systems, denotations in geographic charts are given as sign-systems, the Periodic law in chemistry is expressed in the famous table of chemical elements, composed by Mendeleyev. It is also a sign-system. Sign-systems are much mightier then separate signs in expressing our thoughts, but we must analyze them separately from lone signs they are different semiotic entities, more composite and more complicated than single signs.

1. Ontological Reality
(First & the Second Nature)

3. Practical activity

4. Science

5. Arts

5. , 6. Mythology, religion, ideology

7. Education

4.

2. Semiotic Reality
signs and sign-systems

Still mightier is the third concept that of the semiotic reality. It denotes the whole sphere of our life compiled from all the sign-systems, which have been invented by mankind and introduced into our collective consciousness. It constitutes a special realm of human heritage, which we use for furthering our progress and especially for constructing the global treasury of our mental achievements. I would like to demonstrate how we do this in the diagram below. Here I wish to add a few words about it. The starting point in it is Ontological reality, which was given to us ready-made and existed before the advent of homo sapiens. When we appear in the world, we have to cope with it, finding and strengthening our own place within it. We do this by comprehending this reality, finding out its laws and rules of action and sometimes adjusting them to our needs. In this way, we make our existence more comfortable and bearable. In the process, we also change this kind of reality. It is constantly being up-graded, so

that each generation of humans reveals its own kind of ontological reality and begins its own cycle of dealings with it. Trying to adjust ontological reality and make it more comfortable for ourselves, we transplant it into our mind, where it is represented by corresponding signs and signsystems. There, in our mental universe, we work with signs instead of working with their counterparts in the real world. And only after projecting our mental images and conclusions back into reality do we transmit them into some physical substance. It is worthwhile to note that this process has always the same manner of implementation: from ontological reality it passes over into the semiotic one, and then back onto the ontology (sometimes it remains in the semiotic space for the sake of future generations). Their final promotion onto the ontology can take different itineraries, reflected in the scheme by the numbers from 3 to 7. They can choose their way to practical realization either through some everyday activity, or through scientific discovery, or through the arts, mythology and religion, or through education. Each of the choices has its own manner of treating the corresponding signs provided by the semiotic reality. And vice versa, the main function of the semiotic reality is to procure the appropriate signs to each option human beings pick up for the realization of their mental plans and intentions. In each case there are different signs and sign-systems. The semiotic reality is the highest superstructure in the realm of semiotics. It embraces all the other semiotic concepts of the lower level including those of signs and sign-systems. It constitutes a special plane of human existence where all signs and their systems are gathered, compared and analyzed. There they are chosen for proper use, there they are constantly weighed and improved, from there they are passed over to new generations of humans through formal and informal education. And it is from there that I want to construct a new school subject Signs around us. Now, this suggestion has a revolutionary character. Most of the disciplines in the school curriculum are taken from the corresponding branches of science: physics is a sort of replica of its scientific counterpart, the same refers to chemistry, history, languages and so on. Specific sciences are transformed into their teaching analogies and each time adapted for concrete audiences. This is typical for the bulk of school subjects. Only some of them originate from practical activities, like physical culture or singing. But even those are first polished by the corresponding educational approach (take, for example musical lessons). The music chosen for pupils has been first subjected to methodological criteria and, as a result, it is presented in the most suitable form for teaching. The possibility to generate topics from semiotic reality, instead of cloning them from the corresponding branches of science, changes the entire pedagogical approach. Imagine a chess game of two prominent players. After arduous and laborious toil, they create a masterpiece, that is written down in special signs. Now, it comes out in its final and complete form, and we can treat it in any way we choose. We can analyze only the opening gambits, or examine the middle-game or its end-game. We can even not scrutinize the game itself, but refer to the fate of the chess players, their vicissitudes and specifics. In short, after the matter is embodied in the form of signs, it can be approached from many different points of view, suitable for various audiences. We can construct from it the teaching material for pupils of different ages and inclinations. We can construct subject-matter for fifth-graders or for older students. We can interpret it more in depth or very superficially. What I suggest is taken from real life more than from the scientific domain. There are such and such strata of life (of course, including science, too), and from each of

them I choose signs and their systems to be presented to the pupils. That first of all gives me the opportunity to cover some topics which have never been presented in the school curriculum before. Take, for instance, such topics in my proposal as signs in our immediate environment or gathering collections. This approach is dominant in the detailed plan of my manual, and even when I address the scientific subjects, they are treated in this practical way. Let us observe the whole outlook of my proposal. It was aimed at 5th and 6th graders, but this point is open to discussion. It includes 12 topics and they are described in detail below. The preliminary program for the proposed subject Signs around us for Russian schools: Russian alphabet Cyrillic the history of the alphabet and its comparison with other alphabets (Greek & Latin). Glagolitza the historic rival of Cyrillic. Cyrillic writing and its development. How do we reveal the changes of the alphabet in the past? Modern Cyrillic and its weak and strong points. Other systems of communication with Cyrillic Morse system and flag signalization. Cryptography. Systems of Counting The sequence of natural numbers. Figure axis. Systems of counting. The decimal system and others. Arithmetic by Magnitzki (from the history of arithmetic in Russia). Non-decimal systems of counting, especially the binary system. The abacus. The Russian abacus. Lettering and other non-figurative systems of counting. The system in Cyrillic before the introduction of arithmetic. Gematria. Counting with fingers. Letters in other sciences, not in arithmetic (for example, in algebra, logic, biology). Body Language Gestures. Those accepted in Russia for greeting and farewell. Gestures in school routine. Posture as sign. Mimicking. Manners and etiquette. Manners at the table during meals. National traditions for appropriate behavior. Introduction of manners and punishments for its breach.

Signs of Honor and Esteem Ethics and its origin. Religious sources of Ethics, the Ten Commandments. Initiation of ethical norms in Russia. Some signs of the ethical traditions giving way to women and older people. Rules of behavior while shopping. Rules of behavior at school and in the classroom. Formulas of esteem: standing up while greeting adults, giving the right of speech, etc. Congratulations with different holidays. Buying presents on Mothers Day. Making presents. Flowers as presents. Ikebana. Religious holidays for the leading three religions. Signs in the immediate surroundings Signs in the street. Traffic signs (examples). Street indicators, signboards and advertisements. Trademarks and other explanations for different products. Clothes, hairdressing, tattoos and piercing as signs. Signs of Products Quality, Maintenance and Use Instructions for the things you buy and for the services you receive. Markings on food-products. Clothes labels and tags (signs of quality and of maintenance). Instructions for furniture assembling and use. Signs on electrical tools and instruments. Some words inscribed on the radio, on the installation and use of washing machines, refrigerators and air conditioners. Instructions for mobile phones and computers. Signs in Games and Sports Table games: lotto, dominoes, sudoku, draughts and chess. Signs in sport, like the flags of different sporting societies and sports. Sporting badges. Local sports heroes. Olympic symbolism: national flags, medals and award ceremonies. Referees signals in different kinds of sports. Flag signals. Classifications of sportsmen and referees. Collecting and Collections What is collecting, its values and main types? Collections of badges. Typical classification of badges in collection groupings for countries, chronology and classes. Numismatics. On the short history of money and coins. Money in Russia. Philately. From the history of stamps (general and national). Postcards collecting (postcards and commemorative cards).

Signs in different Sciences Terms and terminology a concise introduction. Some signs in astronomy and meteorology (from weather forecasts). Some signs in geography (from charts and map indications). Scales. Some signs in chemistry (from elements indications). Some signs in physics (for example electric designations, but inside formulas). Genetic signs of the nucleotide components in biology. Signs in Music Musical Notation and some prominent signs in it. The notes of the octave. Some chief characteristics of notes and their designation (pitch, frequency, duration and others). Additional signs clefs, chords, bar, tempo, etc. Some musical instruments, both widely used and nationally traditional (in pictures and as real samples). Some Russian composers (their lives and excerpts from their works). Signs in Arts Pictures and drawings as esthetic pieces. Composition and harmony as their chief components. From the history of national Arts. Early Russian icons and frescos. Realistic paintings and the romantic school. Russian landscape art. Abstract paintings. Applied Russian arts: bone carving, lace-braiding and lacquer-painting. Artistic photography. Some samples of this, both world famous and nationally known. National State Symbolism The main State-symbols: Coat-of-arms, Flag and Anthem. The history of the Russian coat-of-arms. Modern Coat-of-arms. Some additional symbols, like scepter and orb. The history of the Russian state Flag. Flag of the President of Russia. Military and Sea fleet flags. Flags of some other nations. The Russian National Anthem. The history of the Anthem. Its words and music. Main State ceremonies and their symbolism. The inauguration of the Russian President (to utilize some documentary film). State citizenship and the documents of citizenship (birth certificate, passport and pass voyage). The second deviation from the usual approach to composing school subjects is even more far-reaching than the first. The discipline I suggest not only presupposes but demands teaching not by a single teacher, but rather by a team. There are not many teachers, that can take on such a project and carry it out successfully. Yet it may be easily taught by different teachers (or not even by teachers, but by a group where each member is proficient in this or that topic).

Moreover, it is preferable to organize the stage of the experiment in this way, when the same professional staff agrees to write the corresponding chapter in the future manual for the following stages of its implementation. Note, please, that the whole program is built along national dimensions, so that it can be converted into any countrys framework. In our case, we have to apply it for Romanian needs. And, last but not least, any point in my proposal is open to suggestions and improvements. It is too new and a daring plan to be considered as final and untouchable. Besides, we did not begin to apply it to the Romanian context and to local conditions. Thus, I am waiting and will be grateful for your concern and remarks. Moreover, I am eager to accept any personal consent to help us in the realization of the project. March 2012