A Man without Words

Ildefonso, a Mexican Indian, was born deaf and had never been taught even the most basic language.

Susan Schaller first encountered him in a class for the deaf.

He was sitting alone in a corner of the room, arms locked, looking at once lost, intense, yearning and highly intelligent. "How does this man think without language?", she wondered.

She determined to teach him, refusing to acknowledge defeat, Schaller finally broke through the barrier to teach Ildefonso first that language existed and then how to use it.

This personal story is also an insight into the workings of language - and what it really means to be human