"What do you call a deaf person who does not speak?"
This chapter makes it very clear that all deaf people have the ability to vocalize, but then says that at most a profoundly Deaf child has only a 5% chance of developing intelligible speech. As a future speech-language pathologist this is a little discouraging. All I can hope is that I can make an impact on these children as well as others who have at some time had some hearing. I do understand why some people choose not to voice ever, If I was told that I sounded like an animal, or a freak I would be ashamed to vocalize as well.
This chapter said that "paradoxically, deaf children whose first language is Sign Language tend to develop better speech than those who are given intensive early oral training without exposure to signing." I think this is so interesting! It makes perfect sense though, the child already has a solid language background in ASL. I think more parents and professionals should be aware of this! I know that I will keep this information with me in hopes of relaying it to parents in the future.
I am really glad this chapter finally brought up Marlee Matlin, and her wonderful speech. This book does make a great point in saying that she has the luxury of the best articulation coaches, so parents of Deaf children should never try to relate their child to her. That would be like my parents comparing my writing to Jane Austin, or my acting skills to Aubrey Hepburn. Everyone is an individual.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Chapter 35 :)
"If you're Deaf how come you can talk?"
I found chapter 35 to be very interesting! The farther I get into the book the more I realize how intricate and complicated Deaf culture is, I don't mean this is a negative way- I am just shocked that voicing or not is such a controversial topic among both Deaf and hearing people.
The "Identification-by-communication-modes" seemed a little straight forward to me... so people actually use them to "classify" each other?
In the first mode it described the Deaf as sometimes using hearing-aids labeled "Deaf," I had never heard of this. I looked on the internet for more information but nothing directly related to this concept came up. How would hearing aids help a born-deaf person? Do they help them hear?
Another concept discussed in this section that determines the person's mode is their label. A person can be: Deaf, they can have deaf-speech, or a HH-voice, be ex-hearing,or hearing-in-the head. I had no idea that there were this many classifications for Deaf peoples speech, or lack there of. I don't think I would label people according to these though, I mean I do think it is interesting to know when a person lost their hearing and if they have any Deaf people in their family but I think that it is their choice to voice or not and no one should be judged or categorized on the quality or quantity of speech.
The portion about the interpreter not using their speaking voice when out to dinner with Deaf friends was interesting. I do not think I would use my voice in that situation, I feel like it would be rude and as the book mentions "it puts everyone in the party on equal footing."
In the first mode it described the Deaf as sometimes using hearing-aids labeled "Deaf," I had never heard of this. I looked on the internet for more information but nothing directly related to this concept came up. How would hearing aids help a born-deaf person? Do they help them hear?
Another concept discussed in this section that determines the person's mode is their label. A person can be: Deaf, they can have deaf-speech, or a HH-voice, be ex-hearing,or hearing-in-the head. I had no idea that there were this many classifications for Deaf peoples speech, or lack there of. I don't think I would label people according to these though, I mean I do think it is interesting to know when a person lost their hearing and if they have any Deaf people in their family but I think that it is their choice to voice or not and no one should be judged or categorized on the quality or quantity of speech.
The portion about the interpreter not using their speaking voice when out to dinner with Deaf friends was interesting. I do not think I would use my voice in that situation, I feel like it would be rude and as the book mentions "it puts everyone in the party on equal footing."
Chapter 34 :)
Speech
I understand the writer at the beginning of the chapter wanting the co worker to verbalize, but if she is not comfortable with it then my opinion is that speech should be forced or even suggested.
Something I found to be interesting in this chapter is that "oralists maintain that career opportunities are better for speaking deaf than for non-speaking (sign-dependent) deaf." I do understand this but the book makes an interesting point by questioning that if speech = success than does non-speech = second class citizenship? I definitely don't think so, my reasoning is that even if a Deaf individual does speak they still don't have the ability to answer phones or do that type of work so how much does Deaf speech really improve job outlooks for the person?
This chapter brought up the question of "How well can you modulate your voice if you can't hear yourself speaking?" I actually had an experience recently that gave me a tiny bit of insight on this concept. I had a very bad ear infection in both ears and it caused my hearing to be very poor. Not only was it frustrating, I could never hear my speaking volume and I felt like my speech articulation was completely off. I can not imagine trying to learn to articulate, and control speaking volume while being Deaf.
As a future SLP I do think some oral training is important, in emergency situations or other tricky times speech is useful and important, but I would never push anyone to speak in public if they did not feel comfortable.
I understand the writer at the beginning of the chapter wanting the co worker to verbalize, but if she is not comfortable with it then my opinion is that speech should be forced or even suggested.
Something I found to be interesting in this chapter is that "oralists maintain that career opportunities are better for speaking deaf than for non-speaking (sign-dependent) deaf." I do understand this but the book makes an interesting point by questioning that if speech = success than does non-speech = second class citizenship? I definitely don't think so, my reasoning is that even if a Deaf individual does speak they still don't have the ability to answer phones or do that type of work so how much does Deaf speech really improve job outlooks for the person?
This chapter brought up the question of "How well can you modulate your voice if you can't hear yourself speaking?" I actually had an experience recently that gave me a tiny bit of insight on this concept. I had a very bad ear infection in both ears and it caused my hearing to be very poor. Not only was it frustrating, I could never hear my speaking volume and I felt like my speech articulation was completely off. I can not imagine trying to learn to articulate, and control speaking volume while being Deaf.
As a future SLP I do think some oral training is important, in emergency situations or other tricky times speech is useful and important, but I would never push anyone to speak in public if they did not feel comfortable.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Chapter 33 :)
Speech-Language Pathologists
Chapter 33 was so insightful to me, I am currently working on my undergrad in speech-language pathology. Before taking this class I had never really thought about having Deaf and hard of hearing patients. I am no where near a proficient signer, but just from one semester of ASL I have learned so much about Deaf culture and signing. This chapter was a little discouraging for a future SLP to read.
I understand that "how the doctor or audiologist handles "breaking the news" can have profound repercussions to the parents and children" I think this is another reason that medical professionals should be more informed about Deafness and Deaf culture. I work with a few audiologists, and my mom does hearing screenings on the babies at the hospital. Since taking this class, I have began asking them how often they diagnose deafness and how the parents often react. My mom (she does hearing screenings about once a week) said that she was very shocked at the number of babies who fail the screenings. And one of the audiologists at UofL Hospital had so many heartbreaking stories about parents who took their child's deafness as a sort of death sentence. This is very sad to me, I read something the other day (I can't remember where) that said "deaf people can do anything a hearing person can except hear. I really like this saying, I wish more people would see deafness this way.
Anyways... now that I am off topic
I thought it was interesting how the book said that "speech pathologists take up where doctors and audiologists leave off" from this phrase I get the impression that we SLPs have a big job, not only with the child but with the parents. I understand how some can see speech therapy as a "monotonous grueling work," but I believe that with a good speech therapist it can be slightly intriguing and hopefully effective.
It was very warming to read that "most ASL-Deaf people are not opposed to speech training" I am glad to know that they see its importance, I do however wish that speech therapy with Deaf individuals had a better rep, I know that if I have heard how awful and boring something is, then I go into it with a closed mind and never allow that activity to have the chance to be enjoyable.
The portion of this chapter that discussed some SLPs views of the Deaf as being "defective" or broken is very sad. The exert about the person who was pinched for mispronouncing words is so awful as well. This chapter gave me more insight as to why some Deaf people have negative feelings towards SLPs, but it also was a reminder of how important it is to always encourage students and make lessons enjoyable/ effective.
Recollections:
I could go on and on about my feelings on the recollections in this chapter. Perhaps the most disturbing was the SLP who didn't appreciate the group of Deaf students signing, and found it distasteful. How could someone with a MASTERS DEGREE not recognize the beauty and complexity of ASL. Yes as a SLP I do think some speech is important, but I would never (even before taking ASL) discourage anyone from signing.
The recollection about honesty between the SLP and client was interesting to me. I understand the SLP wanting to encourage and praise their student, but it is not fair to the student to be lied too. I have the feeling that the speech therapist did not mean to mislead the girl, but she had gotten to know her well, and "Beckey" may have shown great improvement. I am sure cases like this happen, I bet the therapist could understand her because she had gotten used to her speech. Much like in 32 when they explained how the Deaf man read the lips of people he knew better than strangers.
Overall this has been one of my favorite chapters! Probably because it directly pertains to my future, but this is a chapter I will keep bookmarked for future reference.
Chapter 33 was so insightful to me, I am currently working on my undergrad in speech-language pathology. Before taking this class I had never really thought about having Deaf and hard of hearing patients. I am no where near a proficient signer, but just from one semester of ASL I have learned so much about Deaf culture and signing. This chapter was a little discouraging for a future SLP to read.
I understand that "how the doctor or audiologist handles "breaking the news" can have profound repercussions to the parents and children" I think this is another reason that medical professionals should be more informed about Deafness and Deaf culture. I work with a few audiologists, and my mom does hearing screenings on the babies at the hospital. Since taking this class, I have began asking them how often they diagnose deafness and how the parents often react. My mom (she does hearing screenings about once a week) said that she was very shocked at the number of babies who fail the screenings. And one of the audiologists at UofL Hospital had so many heartbreaking stories about parents who took their child's deafness as a sort of death sentence. This is very sad to me, I read something the other day (I can't remember where) that said "deaf people can do anything a hearing person can except hear. I really like this saying, I wish more people would see deafness this way.
Anyways... now that I am off topic
I thought it was interesting how the book said that "speech pathologists take up where doctors and audiologists leave off" from this phrase I get the impression that we SLPs have a big job, not only with the child but with the parents. I understand how some can see speech therapy as a "monotonous grueling work," but I believe that with a good speech therapist it can be slightly intriguing and hopefully effective.
It was very warming to read that "most ASL-Deaf people are not opposed to speech training" I am glad to know that they see its importance, I do however wish that speech therapy with Deaf individuals had a better rep, I know that if I have heard how awful and boring something is, then I go into it with a closed mind and never allow that activity to have the chance to be enjoyable.
The portion of this chapter that discussed some SLPs views of the Deaf as being "defective" or broken is very sad. The exert about the person who was pinched for mispronouncing words is so awful as well. This chapter gave me more insight as to why some Deaf people have negative feelings towards SLPs, but it also was a reminder of how important it is to always encourage students and make lessons enjoyable/ effective.
Recollections:
I could go on and on about my feelings on the recollections in this chapter. Perhaps the most disturbing was the SLP who didn't appreciate the group of Deaf students signing, and found it distasteful. How could someone with a MASTERS DEGREE not recognize the beauty and complexity of ASL. Yes as a SLP I do think some speech is important, but I would never (even before taking ASL) discourage anyone from signing.
The recollection about honesty between the SLP and client was interesting to me. I understand the SLP wanting to encourage and praise their student, but it is not fair to the student to be lied too. I have the feeling that the speech therapist did not mean to mislead the girl, but she had gotten to know her well, and "Beckey" may have shown great improvement. I am sure cases like this happen, I bet the therapist could understand her because she had gotten used to her speech. Much like in 32 when they explained how the Deaf man read the lips of people he knew better than strangers.
Overall this has been one of my favorite chapters! Probably because it directly pertains to my future, but this is a chapter I will keep bookmarked for future reference.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Chapter 32 :)
"Can you Read my Lips?"
Chapter 32 addressed an issue I have been curious about, I know that not all
Deaf people can read lips but I wasn't sure if it was rude to ask. I was surprised at first when I read that all Deaf people could speech read, but after time i suppose a skill like this is learned with anyone. Another point this chapter made was that often even when the Deaf person indicates that yes, they can read lips people still exaggerated lip movements and speak slowly. This might sound bad, but I think I would do the same thing, but it makes perfect sense that speaking slowly and more exaggerated would only make communication more difficult.
I was really surprised to read that only 30% of all spoken sounds are visible on the lips. (As a future SLP I feel like I should have already known this lol) Also everyone makes sounds a bit differently. The concept of speech reading was a new one to me as well, I found it interesting that "speechreaders don't just look at the mouth; they look at the entire face: the eyes, the way the eyebrows tilt, or the brows knot when certain words are emphasized. They note changes in expression, shoulder shrugs, posture, and gestures. This is so much to notice, I know now why it is so difficult to speech read/ read lips. I have no doubt that it is exhausting.
I feel that I learned a lot from the words of advice section of this chapter. Men with full beards and thick mustaches being hard to speech read would have never crossed my mind, but I see how it would be difficult. Some advice that is more applicable to me as a female would be to remove sunglasses or hats that may cast a shadow on the face. Even as a hearing person I have trouble reading people's expressions when they have sunglasses on. My boyfriend always wears big aviator sunglasses and it bugs the crap out of me because I can't tell where he is looking (silly I know). Another good tip is that when asking if one can speechread, it is not necessary to point at the lips. I think this would be a bit instinctive, but it is good to know that this is not necessary. The last tip "What Comes Next" makes a great point in saying, "two persons who have a language or modal barrier and really want to communicate will usually find a way around it." My best friend in high school was born in Cuba, and while she spoke perfect English, her parents spoke none. Our senior year she was in a very bad car accident and when the paramedics tried to contact her parents (her only family in America) it was difficult, but eventually they understood that their daughter was in trouble and the doctors and nurses found ways to relay information to her parents.
Chapter 32 addressed an issue I have been curious about, I know that not all
Deaf people can read lips but I wasn't sure if it was rude to ask. I was surprised at first when I read that all Deaf people could speech read, but after time i suppose a skill like this is learned with anyone. Another point this chapter made was that often even when the Deaf person indicates that yes, they can read lips people still exaggerated lip movements and speak slowly. This might sound bad, but I think I would do the same thing, but it makes perfect sense that speaking slowly and more exaggerated would only make communication more difficult.
I was really surprised to read that only 30% of all spoken sounds are visible on the lips. (As a future SLP I feel like I should have already known this lol) Also everyone makes sounds a bit differently. The concept of speech reading was a new one to me as well, I found it interesting that "speechreaders don't just look at the mouth; they look at the entire face: the eyes, the way the eyebrows tilt, or the brows knot when certain words are emphasized. They note changes in expression, shoulder shrugs, posture, and gestures. This is so much to notice, I know now why it is so difficult to speech read/ read lips. I have no doubt that it is exhausting.
I feel that I learned a lot from the words of advice section of this chapter. Men with full beards and thick mustaches being hard to speech read would have never crossed my mind, but I see how it would be difficult. Some advice that is more applicable to me as a female would be to remove sunglasses or hats that may cast a shadow on the face. Even as a hearing person I have trouble reading people's expressions when they have sunglasses on. My boyfriend always wears big aviator sunglasses and it bugs the crap out of me because I can't tell where he is looking (silly I know). Another good tip is that when asking if one can speechread, it is not necessary to point at the lips. I think this would be a bit instinctive, but it is good to know that this is not necessary. The last tip "What Comes Next" makes a great point in saying, "two persons who have a language or modal barrier and really want to communicate will usually find a way around it." My best friend in high school was born in Cuba, and while she spoke perfect English, her parents spoke none. Our senior year she was in a very bad car accident and when the paramedics tried to contact her parents (her only family in America) it was difficult, but eventually they understood that their daughter was in trouble and the doctors and nurses found ways to relay information to her parents.
Chapter 31 :)
Children with Hearing Problems
I found chapter 31 to be very interesting, I am an assistant in a special needs classroom so the information in this chapter was especially relevant for me. The opening paragraph about the little boy with Deaf parents was very interesting to me. I feel like all semester we have talked about Deaf children with hearing parents, but not much about hearing children with Deaf parents. The fact that the boy was translating the ASL that he saw at home to spoken English is fascinating to me, this is a perfect example of why educators should be more informed about ASL and Deaf culture. I found through doing research for a CD class that often even children who are not Deaf can benefit from learning ASL and other signed languages or Augmentative and Alternative Communication. This chapter really emphasized how many resources there are out to find information about Deaf education. Some knowledge that was new to me is that "Maryland together with Washington D.C. has the nations heaviest concentration of Deaf organizations and agencies." I have used Gallaudet's online research resources for projects and research for projects in my Communication Disorders classes.
I found chapter 31 to be very interesting, I am an assistant in a special needs classroom so the information in this chapter was especially relevant for me. The opening paragraph about the little boy with Deaf parents was very interesting to me. I feel like all semester we have talked about Deaf children with hearing parents, but not much about hearing children with Deaf parents. The fact that the boy was translating the ASL that he saw at home to spoken English is fascinating to me, this is a perfect example of why educators should be more informed about ASL and Deaf culture. I found through doing research for a CD class that often even children who are not Deaf can benefit from learning ASL and other signed languages or Augmentative and Alternative Communication. This chapter really emphasized how many resources there are out to find information about Deaf education. Some knowledge that was new to me is that "Maryland together with Washington D.C. has the nations heaviest concentration of Deaf organizations and agencies." I have used Gallaudet's online research resources for projects and research for projects in my Communication Disorders classes.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Quiz
QUIZ
I thought the "Deaf Awareness Quiz" on page 185 was pretty easy. The only question that tripped me up a little was number 7, I think the wording is what did it because I understand MCE and some people still do use them. This quiz was over all a good review.
I thought the "Deaf Awareness Quiz" on page 185 was pretty easy. The only question that tripped me up a little was number 7, I think the wording is what did it because I understand MCE and some people still do use them. This quiz was over all a good review.
Chapter 30 :)
Information about deafness
The main place I have visited to get information on deafness and the deaf community has been the WKU libraries. I have found multiple interesting and helpful books in the Gary Randsdell Library on campus. I also frequently use the internet for information and signing tips. I would like to know more about laws and regulations that apply to deaf individuals, and I may seek out other libraries in the community.
The main place I have visited to get information on deafness and the deaf community has been the WKU libraries. I have found multiple interesting and helpful books in the Gary Randsdell Library on campus. I also frequently use the internet for information and signing tips. I would like to know more about laws and regulations that apply to deaf individuals, and I may seek out other libraries in the community.
Chapter 29 :)
A Movement to Close Residential Schools
Chapter 29 was FULL of so much information! I was very unfamiliar with residential schools and what they're all about before reading this chapter. I am still a little confused, there were so many pros and cons for each school; this chapter emphasized just how difficult it is for parents to choose a school for their Deaf child. It is sad to read that state budget cuts are causing the educational quality of residential schools to drop. I was also surprised to read that residential schools are not as challenging as schools for the hearing. But I feel like residential schools offer children the opportunity to meet and connect with other Deaf children, as well as become proficient signers because they are constantly immersed in Deaf culture and ASL.
I don't watch the news much, so I looked up news for residential schools closing on the internet. I found an interesting article about alumni rallying to keep a residential school for the Deaf open in Iowa. This article included many emotional quotes from students about the importance of this school to their education. Here is the link to the article: http://thegazette.com/2012/07/31/school-for-the-deaf-graduates-want-residential-campus-to-remain/
I definitely think that choosing the right school for your Deaf child is a struggle. I think it would be so hard to let a young child go away all week to a residential school, but I also think that this is a good way for Deaf children with hearing parents to become proficient signers. I think being a hearing parent it would be more difficult to choose an effective school because many hearing parents don't understand true ASL. Like the book says " check into the schools. Visit them. Ask tough questions." pretty much do your research!
Chapter 29 was FULL of so much information! I was very unfamiliar with residential schools and what they're all about before reading this chapter. I am still a little confused, there were so many pros and cons for each school; this chapter emphasized just how difficult it is for parents to choose a school for their Deaf child. It is sad to read that state budget cuts are causing the educational quality of residential schools to drop. I was also surprised to read that residential schools are not as challenging as schools for the hearing. But I feel like residential schools offer children the opportunity to meet and connect with other Deaf children, as well as become proficient signers because they are constantly immersed in Deaf culture and ASL.
I don't watch the news much, so I looked up news for residential schools closing on the internet. I found an interesting article about alumni rallying to keep a residential school for the Deaf open in Iowa. This article included many emotional quotes from students about the importance of this school to their education. Here is the link to the article: http://thegazette.com/2012/07/31/school-for-the-deaf-graduates-want-residential-campus-to-remain/
I definitely think that choosing the right school for your Deaf child is a struggle. I think it would be so hard to let a young child go away all week to a residential school, but I also think that this is a good way for Deaf children with hearing parents to become proficient signers. I think being a hearing parent it would be more difficult to choose an effective school because many hearing parents don't understand true ASL. Like the book says " check into the schools. Visit them. Ask tough questions." pretty much do your research!
Chapter 28 :)
Deaf Education
After reading this chapter and learning about Deaf education in this book, I am even more on the fence about what I would do if I was the parent of a Deaf child. I know I would want them to learn ASL and as early as possible! I think the more difficult decision would be where to send them to school. I think I would definitely move to a larger city, because from what I have read there are more opportunities for a good Deaf education in bigger cities. I don't think I would home school my child because then they wouldn't get to interact with other children as often. But I think I would bring a tutor into our home to act as a positive language role model as well as help me and the child's father learn more ASL.
Charter schools sound like a favorable option, I like how they "combine the best features of deaf schools (a rich bilingual-bi cultural environment and an ASL -based-education) and mainstreaming." Another reason why I think I would choose a charter school is because they are "directly answerable to the parents for the progress and well-being of its students." I would want to be involved with my child's education which is something charter schools support, as well as an ASL-based learning environment which I am also in favor of.
After reading this chapter and learning about Deaf education in this book, I am even more on the fence about what I would do if I was the parent of a Deaf child. I know I would want them to learn ASL and as early as possible! I think the more difficult decision would be where to send them to school. I think I would definitely move to a larger city, because from what I have read there are more opportunities for a good Deaf education in bigger cities. I don't think I would home school my child because then they wouldn't get to interact with other children as often. But I think I would bring a tutor into our home to act as a positive language role model as well as help me and the child's father learn more ASL.
Charter schools sound like a favorable option, I like how they "combine the best features of deaf schools (a rich bilingual-bi cultural environment and an ASL -based-education) and mainstreaming." Another reason why I think I would choose a charter school is because they are "directly answerable to the parents for the progress and well-being of its students." I would want to be involved with my child's education which is something charter schools support, as well as an ASL-based learning environment which I am also in favor of.
Chapter 27 :)
Closed Captioning
Chapter 27 really made me think. I think this ordeal with closed captioning to be very interesting. Before taking this course and learning more about ASL, I just figured every Deaf person could read and that the closed captioning was nothing but helpful. I don't usually turn it on because it distracts me a little, I think that if there were interpreters on every channel people would get a little annoyed. I do think it would be great for deaf people to be able to have any channel signed to them in ASL. It would be nice if there was a way to have this ASL visible to only the Deaf, like the idea with the decoder boxes and micro chips discussed in this chapter.
The only time I ever watch television with captioning is at the gym or at a restaurant. Working out at the gym (on those rare occasions) is when I notice the most captioning errors. From a Deaf ASL user's standpoint I can't imagine how frustrating it would be to want to watch the news to find out what is going on in the world around you only to have jumbled short, often misspelled captioning. The event of 9/11 is what comes to mind for me, I was frightened and confused and I could hear the news reports. If I was Deaf and not very comfortable with English, 9/11 and the days that followed would have been even scarier and more confusing.
The matter of movie theaters having closed captioning is another tough and controversial matter. I think that theaters should be aware of the Deaf community and offer movies with captioning. Maybe not every theatre but atleast those in larger cities.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Chapter 26 :)
Why Don't Some Deaf People like to Read?
Chapter 26 was a longer chapter that was full of interesting, useful, and sensitive information. This chapter provides so much information on how Deaf-oral education and Deaf literacy education. There was lots of information about past unsuccessful methods for teaching English to ASL users, but I am really interested in the methods used currently to teach Deaf people English.
In the opening of the chapter there were a number of reasons listed that suggested why some Deaf people don't like to read. A couple of the reasons that really stuck out to me were that: there was a "language deprivation during the earliest years" of the person's life. This concept has been brought up multiple times in this book. I just can't imagine how difficult it would be to try to essentially be forced to learn two new languages (ASL and English) later in life after not being previously being exposed to any formal language. Another reason that stuck out to me was the idea that there is "low expectations for deaf students" in schools. This is really sad to me that the education system could have low expectations for a student! In my opinion I think that Deaf people are just as intelligent as anyone, they just learn differently. I mean of course spelling will be more difficult because you can’t encourage Deaf students to sound words out that they have never heard.
There were two common misconceptions about deaf people that this chapter outlined: the “silent book worm”, and “the illiterate dork.” I agree with the authors on this in the aspect that, the silent book worm misconception came from people thinking that the deaf couldn’t enjoy music, radio, television, or chats so they much love to read became adapted. The latter of the two misconceptions is much more ignorant and disappointing. I think I think this chapter presents the concept perfectly when it says “literacy skills are not a true gauge of intelligence.” I think this misconception came from hearing people seeing that some deaf people don’t like to read so they made the stereotype that Deaf people can’t read.
The “battle” of literacy versus speech-therapy is a little sad to me. I am a future speech-language pathologist so of course I think that speech- therapy can provide people with great benefits. After reading this chapter and considering the pros and cons of each I think literacy should come before or accompany speech therapy. I feel this way because reading will help Deaf people for their rest of their lives. Literacy will help Deaf people stay better informed, and possibly feel more comfortable writing and spelling. I have read that even if speech-language therapy is effective for Deaf individuals, they often never voice.
The story in chapter 26 about the Deaf man who struggled with reading was very eye opening for me. It breaks my heart that the hearing teachers looked down on their students. Deaf of hearing any educational professional should respect their students and encourage them. His suggestions for what may have helped him learn English better were so simple, it is disappointing that his teachers gave not positive feedback to their students, and especially accept the students ASL. I can not imagine having a teacher that did not accept my native language; it is a part of who I am. This story is another reminder of the importance of good quality and good hearted teachers.
Something I read in this chapter that I had never known before is that in the past, Deaf students were sent to the library as punishment!! This seems so crazy to me because if you punish a child in the library then how can you expect them to ever go to that place for knowledge or see books as being interesting? Another new concept mentioned in this chapter is that “many deaf viewers watch, but don’t understand TV captioning. But then again it goes so fast, and is English structure how could we?
Chapter 26 was a longer chapter that was full of interesting, useful, and sensitive information. This chapter provides so much information on how Deaf-oral education and Deaf literacy education. There was lots of information about past unsuccessful methods for teaching English to ASL users, but I am really interested in the methods used currently to teach Deaf people English.
In the opening of the chapter there were a number of reasons listed that suggested why some Deaf people don't like to read. A couple of the reasons that really stuck out to me were that: there was a "language deprivation during the earliest years" of the person's life. This concept has been brought up multiple times in this book. I just can't imagine how difficult it would be to try to essentially be forced to learn two new languages (ASL and English) later in life after not being previously being exposed to any formal language. Another reason that stuck out to me was the idea that there is "low expectations for deaf students" in schools. This is really sad to me that the education system could have low expectations for a student! In my opinion I think that Deaf people are just as intelligent as anyone, they just learn differently. I mean of course spelling will be more difficult because you can’t encourage Deaf students to sound words out that they have never heard.
There were two common misconceptions about deaf people that this chapter outlined: the “silent book worm”, and “the illiterate dork.” I agree with the authors on this in the aspect that, the silent book worm misconception came from people thinking that the deaf couldn’t enjoy music, radio, television, or chats so they much love to read became adapted. The latter of the two misconceptions is much more ignorant and disappointing. I think I think this chapter presents the concept perfectly when it says “literacy skills are not a true gauge of intelligence.” I think this misconception came from hearing people seeing that some deaf people don’t like to read so they made the stereotype that Deaf people can’t read.
The “battle” of literacy versus speech-therapy is a little sad to me. I am a future speech-language pathologist so of course I think that speech- therapy can provide people with great benefits. After reading this chapter and considering the pros and cons of each I think literacy should come before or accompany speech therapy. I feel this way because reading will help Deaf people for their rest of their lives. Literacy will help Deaf people stay better informed, and possibly feel more comfortable writing and spelling. I have read that even if speech-language therapy is effective for Deaf individuals, they often never voice.
The story in chapter 26 about the Deaf man who struggled with reading was very eye opening for me. It breaks my heart that the hearing teachers looked down on their students. Deaf of hearing any educational professional should respect their students and encourage them. His suggestions for what may have helped him learn English better were so simple, it is disappointing that his teachers gave not positive feedback to their students, and especially accept the students ASL. I can not imagine having a teacher that did not accept my native language; it is a part of who I am. This story is another reminder of the importance of good quality and good hearted teachers.
Something I read in this chapter that I had never known before is that in the past, Deaf students were sent to the library as punishment!! This seems so crazy to me because if you punish a child in the library then how can you expect them to ever go to that place for knowledge or see books as being interesting? Another new concept mentioned in this chapter is that “many deaf viewers watch, but don’t understand TV captioning. But then again it goes so fast, and is English structure how could we?
Monday, November 19, 2012
Chapter 25 :)
Chapter 25 was full of very interesting and useful information! As a future speech- language pathologist, understanding the English language as well as speech sounds is very interesting to me. After our class discussion a few weeks ago about Deaf culture and reading this chapter, I now understand the importance of having positive language role models. This chapter emphasizes how important it is for children to know a language when entering school, as Deaf educator Sam Supalla points out"you can't learn a language in the classroom unless you already know a language."
This chapter really reinforced the importance of early deaf/ HOH detection. If the Deafness is detected in the neonatal unit, or in the very early toddler years then the parents (if the child is lucky) will begin learning ASL and signing to the child. As this chapter emphasizes, if the child is forced to start school with no language skills, it "can have a disastrous effects on their educational development."
I really like the point made in this chapter about "Deaf English," and how "it is not the writing of ignorant, unlanguaged persons, it's the writing of persons whose first language is ASL." I feel that if more people (teachers and parents) were better educated about ASL and its form then they would better understand how to teach as well as understand Deaf people's struggle with English.
The use of computers for promoting good literacy sounds very interesting to me. I would like to know more about how Deaf people con become computer literate without becoming English-literate. I feel like if the student learns to understand things from the computer it is a positive thing, because computers have become a big part of people's lives.
I think that the literacy gap would become smaller if more educators and families learned more about ASL. Just from past experiences, the better I understand/know someone the better I can teach them.
I think the reason so many children (both deaf and hearing) show up to school with language delays is because they do not have positive language models at home. The language you are exposed to as a child is proven to have a major impact on language development.
This chapter really reinforced the importance of early deaf/ HOH detection. If the Deafness is detected in the neonatal unit, or in the very early toddler years then the parents (if the child is lucky) will begin learning ASL and signing to the child. As this chapter emphasizes, if the child is forced to start school with no language skills, it "can have a disastrous effects on their educational development."
I really like the point made in this chapter about "Deaf English," and how "it is not the writing of ignorant, unlanguaged persons, it's the writing of persons whose first language is ASL." I feel that if more people (teachers and parents) were better educated about ASL and its form then they would better understand how to teach as well as understand Deaf people's struggle with English.
The use of computers for promoting good literacy sounds very interesting to me. I would like to know more about how Deaf people con become computer literate without becoming English-literate. I feel like if the student learns to understand things from the computer it is a positive thing, because computers have become a big part of people's lives.
I think that the literacy gap would become smaller if more educators and families learned more about ASL. Just from past experiences, the better I understand/know someone the better I can teach them.
I think the reason so many children (both deaf and hearing) show up to school with language delays is because they do not have positive language models at home. The language you are exposed to as a child is proven to have a major impact on language development.
Chapter 24 :)
"what's the real situation?"
Chapter 24 was a little discouraging, I understand that Deaf people don't want hearing people to take their jobs as teachers and interpenetrates of the Deaf but after reading this chapter I get the feeling that many Deaf people don't want hearing people to learn ASL at all. It is very sad to me however that hearing people want to learn ASL and take over Deaf peoples jobs for power. This just seems so wrong and unethical, I don't understand why someone would do this.
I also understand Deaf advocates side, of not wanting hearing people to learn ASL. I really liked the French example which was referred to from chapter 23, it mentioned "fad signs" and how they often "appear, blaze briefly, and die out." This chapter talked about Americans adding English words to French prefixes, this takes away from the beautiful French language. I can see how ASL relates, because hearing English speaking people add English twists onto ASL, which takes away from the unique culture of the Deaf.
Chapter 24 was a little discouraging, I understand that Deaf people don't want hearing people to take their jobs as teachers and interpenetrates of the Deaf but after reading this chapter I get the feeling that many Deaf people don't want hearing people to learn ASL at all. It is very sad to me however that hearing people want to learn ASL and take over Deaf peoples jobs for power. This just seems so wrong and unethical, I don't understand why someone would do this.
I also understand Deaf advocates side, of not wanting hearing people to learn ASL. I really liked the French example which was referred to from chapter 23, it mentioned "fad signs" and how they often "appear, blaze briefly, and die out." This chapter talked about Americans adding English words to French prefixes, this takes away from the beautiful French language. I can see how ASL relates, because hearing English speaking people add English twists onto ASL, which takes away from the unique culture of the Deaf.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Chapter23 :)
"Where did you learn Sign Language?"
I found this chapter to be very interesting! I have been asked at deaf events who my teacher is, but I have never really been drilled about it. I don't think that I would be too uncomfortable though, if more questions were asked, because as the book mentions often they are just curious. I do not think it sounds like gossip when they refer to effective and poor ASL teachers. I think this is more of a help to students and a nice gesture, because by recommending good teachers the Deaf community is opening up the opportunity to better learn ASL. I do understand that "ASL is the language of Deaf people" I understand that "it belongs to them and they feel protective of it." It saddens me to know that not all hearing people who are "native ASL-quality" have the best interests of Deaf people at heart. I really want to learn effective sign because I am going to be a speech-language therapist and I would like to one day have the opportunity to work with Deaf students and their families.
Something mentioned in this chapter that I was unfamiliar with before was the American Sign Language Teachers Association( ASLTA). I agree that this is a great organization that keeps ASL teachers sharp on their signing skills.
I really liked the passage in this chapter relating a tourist inFrance Western Kentucky University
I think if I were sitting down to dinner with a friend, and a person from another country asked to sit and talk because they were learning English, I would definitely welcome them. They are taking the time to learn our language and be a part of American culture, I would not wasn’t to turn them away.
I found this chapter to be very interesting! I have been asked at deaf events who my teacher is, but I have never really been drilled about it. I don't think that I would be too uncomfortable though, if more questions were asked, because as the book mentions often they are just curious. I do not think it sounds like gossip when they refer to effective and poor ASL teachers. I think this is more of a help to students and a nice gesture, because by recommending good teachers the Deaf community is opening up the opportunity to better learn ASL. I do understand that "ASL is the language of Deaf people" I understand that "it belongs to them and they feel protective of it." It saddens me to know that not all hearing people who are "native ASL-quality" have the best interests of Deaf people at heart. I really want to learn effective sign because I am going to be a speech-language therapist and I would like to one day have the opportunity to work with Deaf students and their families.
Something mentioned in this chapter that I was unfamiliar with before was the American Sign Language Teachers Association( ASLTA). I agree that this is a great organization that keeps ASL teachers sharp on their signing skills.
I really liked the passage in this chapter relating a tourist in
I think if I were sitting down to dinner with a friend, and a person from another country asked to sit and talk because they were learning English, I would definitely welcome them. They are taking the time to learn our language and be a part of American culture, I would not wasn’t to turn them away.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Chapter 22 :)
Watching ASL in Public
Now that I have been more formally introduced to ASL I am very eager to see people signing and even get the chance to be a part of it. As this chapter mentioned "signs can be read straight across a crowded room, a campus quad, or from a balcony window several stories up" so people who are deaf rely on people's non comprehension of ASL for confidentiality. Something I read in this chapter that I had never thought about before was signing in an environment (such as Gallaudet) where most people know ASL. It would be really hard to have a private conversation. One thing this chapter suggested was to use a jacket as a "sign-shield" I thought this was a clever way to visually whisper. :) Although I do think it would be hard to get used to, not being able to whisper in public. I think whispering is one of those things that we don't really realize how much we do. I think it would be a little frustrating to know that everyone always has the ability to know what you are saying in a public place.
I think that I would be afraid to "eye drop" in a conversation in public. I am a rather shy person and I think it would be too afraid that they would think I was being rude. If it looked like casual conversation I think I would at least say hello and see that kind of vibe I get before diving into a conversation.
I found the exert on name signs to be rather interesting, I am familiar with name signs but I do not have one. One question that arose while I was reading the information about namesign is... do people have more than one namesign?
Now that I have been more formally introduced to ASL I am very eager to see people signing and even get the chance to be a part of it. As this chapter mentioned "signs can be read straight across a crowded room, a campus quad, or from a balcony window several stories up" so people who are deaf rely on people's non comprehension of ASL for confidentiality. Something I read in this chapter that I had never thought about before was signing in an environment (such as Gallaudet) where most people know ASL. It would be really hard to have a private conversation. One thing this chapter suggested was to use a jacket as a "sign-shield" I thought this was a clever way to visually whisper. :) Although I do think it would be hard to get used to, not being able to whisper in public. I think whispering is one of those things that we don't really realize how much we do. I think it would be a little frustrating to know that everyone always has the ability to know what you are saying in a public place.
I think that I would be afraid to "eye drop" in a conversation in public. I am a rather shy person and I think it would be too afraid that they would think I was being rude. If it looked like casual conversation I think I would at least say hello and see that kind of vibe I get before diving into a conversation.
I found the exert on name signs to be rather interesting, I am familiar with name signs but I do not have one. One question that arose while I was reading the information about namesign is... do people have more than one namesign?
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Chapter 21:)
Chapter 21- Interaction
I REALLY enjoyed chapter 21!! I have always wondered whether I should approach a Deaf person in public or not bother them, I would love to be able to learn new things from proficient signers, as well as use ASL in a non school setting but I am fearful of being rejected or interpreted as being rude. I liked the books guide about the correct setting to approach a Deaf person. I would definitely attempt to strike a conversation in a long grocery line or on a bus where I wasn't wasting their time. I do however see how Deaf people could take well- intentioned willingness to help as a sign of people thinking they are incapable of doing things on their own. This chapter mentions that some Deaf people look at people trying to help as being stereotyped as help-less or vulnerable.
I have never interacted with Deaf people in a public place, besides at the CiCi's Sign and Dine
event and the Church Event we attended as a class. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, my best friend/ neighbor growing up has Deaf grandparents and I have interacted with them. They are very understanding of the fact that I am just learning ASL, and they are excited to teach me new signs. I really enjoy these interactions, and I believe they do too. They are very independent, even in their old age and I could see how people always trying to help them could be interpreted as the public thinking that they are incapable of carrying out day to day activities. I look forward to learning more ASL and getting more confident in my skills do I will be able to communicate more effectively.
I REALLY enjoyed chapter 21!! I have always wondered whether I should approach a Deaf person in public or not bother them, I would love to be able to learn new things from proficient signers, as well as use ASL in a non school setting but I am fearful of being rejected or interpreted as being rude. I liked the books guide about the correct setting to approach a Deaf person. I would definitely attempt to strike a conversation in a long grocery line or on a bus where I wasn't wasting their time. I do however see how Deaf people could take well- intentioned willingness to help as a sign of people thinking they are incapable of doing things on their own. This chapter mentions that some Deaf people look at people trying to help as being stereotyped as help-less or vulnerable.
I have never interacted with Deaf people in a public place, besides at the CiCi's Sign and Dine
event and the Church Event we attended as a class. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, my best friend/ neighbor growing up has Deaf grandparents and I have interacted with them. They are very understanding of the fact that I am just learning ASL, and they are excited to teach me new signs. I really enjoy these interactions, and I believe they do too. They are very independent, even in their old age and I could see how people always trying to help them could be interpreted as the public thinking that they are incapable of carrying out day to day activities. I look forward to learning more ASL and getting more confident in my skills do I will be able to communicate more effectively.
Chapter 20 :)
Chapter 20 - ASL a Foreign Language?
I most certainly think that universities should offer and accept ASL a foreign language requirement. While ASL might not be foreign as in from another country, most people in America don't know much of anything about ASL which in my opinion makes it foreign. I think Dr. Wilcox describes this well by saying: "foreign is is the eye of the beholder". I think that learning ASL, and the culture will better students for the future not only in the workforce, but in life... which is what college is all about right?
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| http://www.pasadena.edu |
Chapter 19 :)
Chapter 19 - Total Communication
Much like chapter 18, chapter 19 was packed full of information. I have read, and reread this chapter and I am still not positive that I have completely grasped the concept. Please feel free to comment and correct me if I have interpreted the vocabulary in this chapter incorrectly.
Chapter 19 focused on three types of communication, total communication (TC), simultaneous communication, and Bilingual; Bi-cultural approach. Total communication is a method of Deaf education that can incorporate multiple aspects of communication. TC can include Sign Language, written language, sounds, pictures, lip reading, and/ or Fingerspelling. Total Communication can be tailored to the individual needs of the child.
Simultaneous communication is when the individual Signs while talking. The book mentions that this simultaneous communication is difficult and does not usually produce positive results. A Bilingual Bi-Cultural approach is a newer trend in Deaf education, this method uses ASL to teach English.
I think these three methods are easily confused because they all methods of deaf education. Each method incorporated some sort of outside source that stems from another language. I would think that unless the person is involved with Deaf Education, these practices sound so similar and could be easily confused and meshed.
Much like chapter 18, chapter 19 was packed full of information. I have read, and reread this chapter and I am still not positive that I have completely grasped the concept. Please feel free to comment and correct me if I have interpreted the vocabulary in this chapter incorrectly.
Chapter 19 focused on three types of communication, total communication (TC), simultaneous communication, and Bilingual; Bi-cultural approach. Total communication is a method of Deaf education that can incorporate multiple aspects of communication. TC can include Sign Language, written language, sounds, pictures, lip reading, and/ or Fingerspelling. Total Communication can be tailored to the individual needs of the child.
Simultaneous communication is when the individual Signs while talking. The book mentions that this simultaneous communication is difficult and does not usually produce positive results. A Bilingual Bi-Cultural approach is a newer trend in Deaf education, this method uses ASL to teach English.
I think these three methods are easily confused because they all methods of deaf education. Each method incorporated some sort of outside source that stems from another language. I would think that unless the person is involved with Deaf Education, these practices sound so similar and could be easily confused and meshed.
Chapter 18 :)
Chapter 18 "ASL or Signed English?"
Chapter 18 was a lot to take in, there was so much information in this chapter. I did really like the explanation of the Sign Language continuum, if I were to place myself somewhere on the continuum I would probably be in the middle. I somewhat know the true ASL syntax, but I am no where near an expert. This chapter discussed many different "types" of Sign, while it was a lot of information but the explanations of each different Signed Languages was helpful.
I like how this chapter emphasized that "ASL is not synonymous with "sign language. "" This chapter notes that "sign language can be loosely employed to mean any sort of sign- based communication."
Initialized Sign is when the ASL sign is made with the hand shaped into the first Fingerspelled letter of that word. For example purple is signed with the hand in the shape of a Fingerspelled "P." I could see how some people would think that initialized sign is bad, because it is like mixing the English alphabet with ASL. It could almost be like taking away the individually of the language.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Chapter 17 :)
Pidgin Sign English Chapter 17
I did not know anything about Pidgin languages before reading this chapter. I always thought the word "Pidgin" had a negative connotation with the word, but now after reading this chapter I have began to think otherwise. I learned from this chapter that pidgin means "a mixture of two or more languages," I think that in the case of ASL and English speakers, Pidgin Sign English it a good thing to break the communication barrier a little.
I do still want to learn true ASL, but it is nice to know that there is Pidgin Sign if i am ever unsure of what I am trying to say. I think the book described this concept perfectly by saying that Pidgin Sign "bridged the gap" between English and ASL. Something that came as a suprise to me while reading this chapter was that "hearing people rarely get to see "pure" ASL being used in their presance." I guess this is a way of being polite, I was just suprised to read this.
Switch Codes, are a way of signing that is more easily understood by English speaking people. Code Switching is when a Signer adjusts or changes their current style of Signing to one that the person they are communicating with can more easily understand.
I did not know anything about Pidgin languages before reading this chapter. I always thought the word "Pidgin" had a negative connotation with the word, but now after reading this chapter I have began to think otherwise. I learned from this chapter that pidgin means "a mixture of two or more languages," I think that in the case of ASL and English speakers, Pidgin Sign English it a good thing to break the communication barrier a little.
I do still want to learn true ASL, but it is nice to know that there is Pidgin Sign if i am ever unsure of what I am trying to say. I think the book described this concept perfectly by saying that Pidgin Sign "bridged the gap" between English and ASL. Something that came as a suprise to me while reading this chapter was that "hearing people rarely get to see "pure" ASL being used in their presance." I guess this is a way of being polite, I was just suprised to read this.
Switch Codes, are a way of signing that is more easily understood by English speaking people. Code Switching is when a Signer adjusts or changes their current style of Signing to one that the person they are communicating with can more easily understand.
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| http://lifeprint.com |
From what I have read, there is not too much difference in MCE and PSE. Manually Coded English uses ASL signs, but has the same grammar and syntax of English.PSE uses English word order with ASL signs,However, not all the English words are signed.
Chaptrer 16 :)
"Home Correspondence Courses in Basic Sign" Chapter 16
Learning sign in a rural area is a concept I had never thought of. As the book mentioned in many chapters, including this one, the library has lots of books and videos available. If the library in a certain rural community doesn't have a certain resource they can get it from another library. While I agree that books and videos are helpful, I strongly believe it is important for people who are wanting to learn correct Sign Language to be able to interact with proficient signers. One reason I feel this way is because as mentioned in the book, there are so many different regional signs and dialects that can not be learned through a generic video tape. Another good suggestion this chapter offered was to see if a near by community college offers a noncompetitive ASL class for non-degree seeking students.
Living in a rural area and wanting to learn Sign is one thing, but living in a rural area and being Deaf is a whole other thing!! I can not imagine how difficult it is for a deaf person in a small town to get the help and guidance they need. I am sure there aren't qualified schools available in a reasonable distance to cater to the educational needs of Deaf children. Deaf children need to be exposed to sign at birth and being improving their Sign in school, but the rural school might not have teachers who are qualified to effectively teach Deaf children.
I now see why Deaf people are more likely to live in a city setting. They benefit from the organizations, educators, and schools available in a more urban setting. Also in an urban setting there are more support groups and events for Deaf people to go to to interact with other Deaf people.
Learning sign in a rural area is a concept I had never thought of. As the book mentioned in many chapters, including this one, the library has lots of books and videos available. If the library in a certain rural community doesn't have a certain resource they can get it from another library. While I agree that books and videos are helpful, I strongly believe it is important for people who are wanting to learn correct Sign Language to be able to interact with proficient signers. One reason I feel this way is because as mentioned in the book, there are so many different regional signs and dialects that can not be learned through a generic video tape. Another good suggestion this chapter offered was to see if a near by community college offers a noncompetitive ASL class for non-degree seeking students.
Living in a rural area and wanting to learn Sign is one thing, but living in a rural area and being Deaf is a whole other thing!! I can not imagine how difficult it is for a deaf person in a small town to get the help and guidance they need. I am sure there aren't qualified schools available in a reasonable distance to cater to the educational needs of Deaf children. Deaf children need to be exposed to sign at birth and being improving their Sign in school, but the rural school might not have teachers who are qualified to effectively teach Deaf children.
I now see why Deaf people are more likely to live in a city setting. They benefit from the organizations, educators, and schools available in a more urban setting. Also in an urban setting there are more support groups and events for Deaf people to go to to interact with other Deaf people.
QUIZ 1 :)
Deaf Awareness Quiz
I thought the quiz was easy! I knew all of the answers, I feel like I retained most of the information well. I think I remembered the material because I enjoy reading it. I think For Hearing People Only is very interesting and because of this the information stays with me. The one question I was unsure of was number four. I wasn't as interested in the history information in the beginning of the book and question four was about Adde de'l Epee. Question ten about the ILY sign being used more since WWII was a bit tricky too because I remember the book did mention a soldier flashing the ILY sign on a tank during Operation Desert Storm.
I thought the quiz was easy! I knew all of the answers, I feel like I retained most of the information well. I think I remembered the material because I enjoy reading it. I think For Hearing People Only is very interesting and because of this the information stays with me. The one question I was unsure of was number four. I wasn't as interested in the history information in the beginning of the book and question four was about Adde de'l Epee. Question ten about the ILY sign being used more since WWII was a bit tricky too because I remember the book did mention a soldier flashing the ILY sign on a tank during Operation Desert Storm.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Chapter 15 :)
For Hearing People Only Chapter 15- " Should all hearing people learn to sign?"
the main focus of this chapter is the question of whether all children should be required to learn sign? I have been thinking about this idea every since first reading this chapter (which was about a week ago). I am completely for the proposal, as the book mentions "preschoolers are at the prime age for language acquisition." I wish I would have had the opportunity to learn sign as a child. My only concern with the matter is that children are going to learn or even be taught the HOLMS of singing or fingerspelling wrong. The book mentions in this chapter the importance of a good teacher, and often preschool teachers aren't required to have anything more than a high school diploma, and I don't know about you but I did not know how to correctly fingerspell before taking this ASL course. Yes there are videos and books out there that use very effective teaching methods, but I really believe that you need some interaction with a proficient signer to learn fingerspelling well enough to teach it.
I do think that it would be great to teach young children fingerspelling, and maybe a few basic signs but not more than that. I plan to teach my (very very future) children how to fingerspell, but I want to be sure they learn to do it correctly.
Chapter 15 gave some good reasons backing up their thoughts about the importance of learning sign, one of my favorites is that it improves "hand-eye coordination and manual-dexterity skills."
One thing I learned in this chapter is that fingerspelling is not the same is Sign Language, I did not know that Fingerspelling had a different origin.
the main focus of this chapter is the question of whether all children should be required to learn sign? I have been thinking about this idea every since first reading this chapter (which was about a week ago). I am completely for the proposal, as the book mentions "preschoolers are at the prime age for language acquisition." I wish I would have had the opportunity to learn sign as a child. My only concern with the matter is that children are going to learn or even be taught the HOLMS of singing or fingerspelling wrong. The book mentions in this chapter the importance of a good teacher, and often preschool teachers aren't required to have anything more than a high school diploma, and I don't know about you but I did not know how to correctly fingerspell before taking this ASL course. Yes there are videos and books out there that use very effective teaching methods, but I really believe that you need some interaction with a proficient signer to learn fingerspelling well enough to teach it.
I do think that it would be great to teach young children fingerspelling, and maybe a few basic signs but not more than that. I plan to teach my (very very future) children how to fingerspell, but I want to be sure they learn to do it correctly.
Chapter 15 gave some good reasons backing up their thoughts about the importance of learning sign, one of my favorites is that it improves "hand-eye coordination and manual-dexterity skills."
One thing I learned in this chapter is that fingerspelling is not the same is Sign Language, I did not know that Fingerspelling had a different origin.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Chapter 14 :)
For Hearing People Only Chapter 14 "Fingerspelling"
Chapter 14 talks about finger spelling, it talks about ways to strengthen your hands, as well as practice methods to become a better finger speller. The opener of this chapter is a statement from an ASL student. This student says that he is having trouble "reading" other's fingerspelling, he also says that his fingerspelling is slow. I can really relate to this student, I know the letters and their forms but it is difficult for me to read other's fingerspelling when they are signing very fast. I try to look for the "shape" of the word, as my professor taught our class but it it still difficult. The student in the beginning of chapter 14 also mentioned that he was a slow finger speller. I can relate to this as well, I practice often in front of a mirror and I seem to me getting quicker and more accurate but when I start fingerspelling to another person in class or lab I get nervous and mess letters up.
As I mentioned, I do practice often in front of the mirror this method is mentioned in the book. I would like to begin practicing with another person, I need to get more comfortable signing with others because I get nervous and forget the basics. This even happened during the midterm when another person wasn't even in the room! I just need to find a way to relax and just sign. I like the suggestion in the book, to set "aside a half- hour every day for practice." I was thinking while reading this chapter about practicing in front of my web cam so that I could re watch it and try to catch any errors that I might not if I were just in front of the mirror.
One concept this chapter talked about was hand strength. It mentioned doing "exercises" like squeezing a stress ball to strengthen the hand. Eventually strengthening the hand will hopefully help me become a better fingerspeller.
Fingerspelling is hard for me because I get so nervous. When I am signing with the mirror I don't worry about if I am going to slow or if if mess a letter up, but when i begin signing with another person I get stressed out over each letter i mess up, or I worry about spelling too slow. I just need practice more so I become more comfortable while signing.
Chapter 14 talks about finger spelling, it talks about ways to strengthen your hands, as well as practice methods to become a better finger speller. The opener of this chapter is a statement from an ASL student. This student says that he is having trouble "reading" other's fingerspelling, he also says that his fingerspelling is slow. I can really relate to this student, I know the letters and their forms but it is difficult for me to read other's fingerspelling when they are signing very fast. I try to look for the "shape" of the word, as my professor taught our class but it it still difficult. The student in the beginning of chapter 14 also mentioned that he was a slow finger speller. I can relate to this as well, I practice often in front of a mirror and I seem to me getting quicker and more accurate but when I start fingerspelling to another person in class or lab I get nervous and mess letters up.
As I mentioned, I do practice often in front of the mirror this method is mentioned in the book. I would like to begin practicing with another person, I need to get more comfortable signing with others because I get nervous and forget the basics. This even happened during the midterm when another person wasn't even in the room! I just need to find a way to relax and just sign. I like the suggestion in the book, to set "aside a half- hour every day for practice." I was thinking while reading this chapter about practicing in front of my web cam so that I could re watch it and try to catch any errors that I might not if I were just in front of the mirror.
One concept this chapter talked about was hand strength. It mentioned doing "exercises" like squeezing a stress ball to strengthen the hand. Eventually strengthening the hand will hopefully help me become a better fingerspeller.
Fingerspelling is hard for me because I get so nervous. When I am signing with the mirror I don't worry about if I am going to slow or if if mess a letter up, but when i begin signing with another person I get stressed out over each letter i mess up, or I worry about spelling too slow. I just need practice more so I become more comfortable while signing.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Chapter 13 :)
For Hearing People Only Chapter 13 "ILY"
Chapter 13 was so interesting!!! It was like I learned something new about the ILY sign in every sentence. I didn't know that ILY wasn't ASL, it is so commonly used I guess I took for granted that it was true ASL.
Jimmy Carter being in touch with the deaf
community is another new concept to me. I think it is awesome that the
(former) President of the United States took the time to acknowledge the
deaf community in a language that they could understand, and the whole
world could see. It is unfortunate however, that VP Walter Mondale
attempted to show ILY and accidentally flashed the similar sing for
"bullshit."
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| http://www.alldeaf.com |
Another event described in this chapter involved a soldier
during Operation Desert Storm standing on a tank and flashing the "I
LOVE YOU" sign. Perhaps my favorite event in this chapter was the one involving a young girl who had learned the I LOVE YOU sign on Sesame Street. Reading
this story gave me the chills, this girl saw a deaf couple standing on
the side of the road flashing the ILY sing, the girl yelled to her father to stop and help the people they are deaf! Stories like these are amazing, this chapter has made me even more sure that I will never regret my decision of taking ASL.
The ILY sign has become commercialized through television and its use by influential people as well as the hearing community in general trying to find a common ground with the deaf community. When I think about English being commercialized, it becomes a hard concept to grasp. I see English everywhere so I guess in a way every language has some aspect of commercialization.
Chapter 12 :)
For Hearing People Only Chapter 12 "I want to learn bigger signs"
Chapter 12 was very short, but full of useful information. I liked the story in the beginning about the girl meeting two deaf children at cheer camp, I can relate some what to this situation. Growing up my best friend/ next-door neighbor had deaf grandparents who lived in the home with him. I recently visited their home and I was so excited to finally after all these years be able to communicate formally with them. As we got into conversation I realized how many common words I didn't know. I have learned a lot in ASL but, like the girl in the story I became eager to learn "bigger" signs. On this same visit, I noticed a diploma on the wall that I had never paid much attention to in the past.... it was a diploma from Gallaudet University! I have known the Arnold family my entire life, I have always known Charlie's mom taught deaf students but a degree from Gallaudet!!!? WOW! Without taking ASL I would have never known how big of an accomplishment it was to receive a master's degree from Gallaudet University, a degree with Ronald Reagan signature on it!
To learn new signs, I have turned to the internet in the past. I usually use Signingsavvy.com, but after a discussion we recently had in class about the accuracy of online sites on ASL I have decided to seek out other methods. I am not a very accurate signer in the first place, so I definitely need to study accurate methods to improve my ASL skills. Like I said, I am a little slow when it comes to correctly learning signs, so I really liked the suggestion in chapter 12 about turning to the public library for help. I had never considered turning to the library before, so maybe trying to watch a video and having the ability to re watch certain signs and their structure will benefit me. I definitely will use this resource as an advantage over winter term so I can be sure to not lose the signs I have learned this semester.
I liked how this chapter went over the signing space. I was taught this in the beginning of ASL but it was a good reminder. I would say that I am pretty comfortable with the signing space, although occasionally my signs tend to drift out to the side. Another point made in this chapter was to be sure and leave enough space between you and the signer so that they can have a good view of your "signing space" and vice-verse. This is a concept I had never given much thought to before reading this chapter.
Chapter 12 was very short, but full of useful information. I liked the story in the beginning about the girl meeting two deaf children at cheer camp, I can relate some what to this situation. Growing up my best friend/ next-door neighbor had deaf grandparents who lived in the home with him. I recently visited their home and I was so excited to finally after all these years be able to communicate formally with them. As we got into conversation I realized how many common words I didn't know. I have learned a lot in ASL but, like the girl in the story I became eager to learn "bigger" signs. On this same visit, I noticed a diploma on the wall that I had never paid much attention to in the past.... it was a diploma from Gallaudet University! I have known the Arnold family my entire life, I have always known Charlie's mom taught deaf students but a degree from Gallaudet!!!? WOW! Without taking ASL I would have never known how big of an accomplishment it was to receive a master's degree from Gallaudet University, a degree with Ronald Reagan signature on it!
To learn new signs, I have turned to the internet in the past. I usually use Signingsavvy.com, but after a discussion we recently had in class about the accuracy of online sites on ASL I have decided to seek out other methods. I am not a very accurate signer in the first place, so I definitely need to study accurate methods to improve my ASL skills. Like I said, I am a little slow when it comes to correctly learning signs, so I really liked the suggestion in chapter 12 about turning to the public library for help. I had never considered turning to the library before, so maybe trying to watch a video and having the ability to re watch certain signs and their structure will benefit me. I definitely will use this resource as an advantage over winter term so I can be sure to not lose the signs I have learned this semester.
I liked how this chapter went over the signing space. I was taught this in the beginning of ASL but it was a good reminder. I would say that I am pretty comfortable with the signing space, although occasionally my signs tend to drift out to the side. Another point made in this chapter was to be sure and leave enough space between you and the signer so that they can have a good view of your "signing space" and vice-verse. This is a concept I had never given much thought to before reading this chapter.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Chapter 11
For Hearing People Only Chapter 11
I really found chapter 11 to be quite interesting, one thing that particularity held my attention was the note about the sign- critics, I had never considered the placement of signs to have any correlation with a "masculine zone" or a "feminine zone." I don't really have an issue with signs relating to intelligent, and brilliant being in the "masculine zone", I feel like these signs were put into use during a time when men were thought to be the superior sex.To change this many signs just because some people think they may be connotative is a little overboard in my opinion.
I do however agree with certain shifts in language, I think it is good that ASL is a fluid language and changes with the times.
I think that the original signs for Korean, Chinese, and Japanese were not offensive signs when they were first being used. Signers were simply describing the people they saw, but as the times changed this came to be an inappropriate gesture. Now when someone makes squint eyes to portray an Asian or Chinese person it seems as if the signer is making fun of someone who looks different (or even the same) from them.
There are many words in spoken English that were once used by hearing people that have become black listed, for example "dumb" was once used to describe people who can not speak. Over time this word has adapted another more negatively connoted meaning, so it is no longer acceptable in the US to describe mute people using the word "dumb."
It is important for signs to change over time, just as it is for spoken language. Words adapt different meanings from generation to generation and sometimes it really is necessary to re thing the formation or even the use of signs.
I really found chapter 11 to be quite interesting, one thing that particularity held my attention was the note about the sign- critics, I had never considered the placement of signs to have any correlation with a "masculine zone" or a "feminine zone." I don't really have an issue with signs relating to intelligent, and brilliant being in the "masculine zone", I feel like these signs were put into use during a time when men were thought to be the superior sex.To change this many signs just because some people think they may be connotative is a little overboard in my opinion.
I do however agree with certain shifts in language, I think it is good that ASL is a fluid language and changes with the times.
I think that the original signs for Korean, Chinese, and Japanese were not offensive signs when they were first being used. Signers were simply describing the people they saw, but as the times changed this came to be an inappropriate gesture. Now when someone makes squint eyes to portray an Asian or Chinese person it seems as if the signer is making fun of someone who looks different (or even the same) from them.
There are many words in spoken English that were once used by hearing people that have become black listed, for example "dumb" was once used to describe people who can not speak. Over time this word has adapted another more negatively connoted meaning, so it is no longer acceptable in the US to describe mute people using the word "dumb."
It is important for signs to change over time, just as it is for spoken language. Words adapt different meanings from generation to generation and sometimes it really is necessary to re thing the formation or even the use of signs.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Chapter 10 :)
For Hearing People Only Chapter 10
I had never given the idea of there being accents in Sign Language much thought before reading chapter 10. After giving the question much thought, I couldn't imagine how there wouldn't be different accents. People from all parts of the country have different dialects of English, and use different synonyms and phrases so I would assume ASL does too. One real life example that came to me was Stacey (my ASL 101 teacher) she is from California, and is now teaching in Kentucky. Stacey signs her numbers a little different from people here in KY, and I am certain there are other differences that I will notice the more I learn. One thing I found interesting in chapter 10 was that there is "white- collar ASL and blue- collar ASL). I found it cool that there is "linguistic snobbery" even in the deaf community.
Chapter 9 :)
For Hearing People Only Chapter 9
The concept of laughing at a joke is one thing that I had never really appreciated before reading this chapter. I hadn't given it much thought that deaf people didn't understand jokes the same way hearing people can. So many jokes rely on sound and puns that people who are deaf from birth cant understand.
Another interesting topic that was brought up in chapter 9 was the issue of deaf children's standardized test scores, this is another concept that I had never thought about. After reading the chapter and thinking about ASL and glossing I do not think it is fair to have deaf children take the same standardized tests as hearing children. I think a separate test should be made, at the same difficulty level, but maybe a visual form of the test could be made on video.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Chapter 8 :)
For Hearing People Only Chapter 8
This short chapter had lots of information in it that was new to me! One fact I found to be particularly interesting is that "ASL is said to be the only language in the world that is transmitted from child to child." I was surprised to read that until recently the only ASL classes offered were to hearing college students at post-secondary institutions. I definitely think that Deaf students should be able to take ASL as a class. There are many different dialects of ASL and rules that even a Deaf person who knows ASL wasn't aware of. I speak English and I can take as many English courses as I please, how should the policy be any different for a Deaf student speaking ASL.
This short chapter had lots of information in it that was new to me! One fact I found to be particularly interesting is that "ASL is said to be the only language in the world that is transmitted from child to child." I was surprised to read that until recently the only ASL classes offered were to hearing college students at post-secondary institutions. I definitely think that Deaf students should be able to take ASL as a class. There are many different dialects of ASL and rules that even a Deaf person who knows ASL wasn't aware of. I speak English and I can take as many English courses as I please, how should the policy be any different for a Deaf student speaking ASL.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Chapter 7 :)
For Hearing People Only- Chapter 7
Before reading chapter 7 I did not realize that glossing was not simply written ASL. When I am confused or don't know a sign, I go to the internet to see a video for clarification. I have never used an ASL dictionary, but I have gone to my course workbook for reference on certain signs and it was difficult for me to understand what the signs were supposed to look like in 3 dimensional form. Learning the grammar for ASL I think would be even more difficult from a dictionary, because it would be hard to depict sentences through pictures of people signing and there is no true way to "write" ASL. I think that the closest way of writing ASL however is through Glossing.While I don't find the ASL dictionary to be very helpful, in 1965 when Dr. Stokoe published the book, I am sure it was a remarkable accomplishment. The first ASL dictionary was not Dr. Stokoe's only great accomplishment, he also devised the 5 parameters of Sign Language which we are still learning today (HOLMS). The concept of HOLMS, in my opinion helps explain signs better than a dictionary could.
Chapter 6 :)
For Hearing People Only Chapter 6
For the most part chapter 6 wasn't much help to me. I have found that learning the grammar and syntax of ASL to be a difficult concept to grasp. In chapter 6 all the talk of "SMVO, MSVO,SVOM..." etc confused me more than I think it helped.
In high school I took 3 years of Latin, I loved the language but learning it proved to not be such an easy task. Learning ASL is reminding me of Latin, in both languages the topic is in the beginning of the sentence, I am sure there are more similarities but it has been a few years since I have studied Latin. ;)
One part of chapter 6 I did find rather interesting was the part about Manually Coded English Systems. I agree with the book in the aspect that yes MCE systems would be easier for Hearing English speaking people to understand, but I think that implementing a system like MCE would take away from Deaf culture. I do however think that Manually coded English systems could be a good way to teach Deaf children English, I think the best answer here would be for children to be familiarized with MCE systems so they read lips.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Chapter 5 :)
For Hearing People Only Ch. 5
America and Brittan share a spoken language (English), so I assumed that both ASL and BSL were nearly the same signed language. I was wrong! After reading chapter five and I learned that they are actually very different, BSL uses a two- handed alphabet opposed to ASL which primarily utilizes only the signers dominate hand.
In chapter 5 BSL is described using adjectives like "beautiful,expressive, and vivid." British Sign Language sounds like a fascinating language to learn, but the right opportunities would have to arise for me to want to learn it. I am having a hard enough time learning ASL, I think trying to learn BSL would be more confusing that helpful to me at this point.
In chapter 5 it was noted that in Britain the term "Deaf and Dumb" is still used by society, while as we know here in America the phrase has been black listed. The book mentions that after the Congress of Milan in 1880 " the quality of British deaf education went downhill, and BSL went underground." After this there were hardly any deaf teachers, this began a sad time for BSL. In my opinion BSL never recovered from this tragedy, and BSL users have been stereotyped as being less than hearing citizens. This is why I think the term "Deaf and Dumb" is still openly used in Britain.
There is one particularly influential person who I believe with more time could have turned around Britain's outlook on the deaf community; this person is the exceptional late Princess Diana. I have always admired Princess Diana for her awareness of public affairs and devotion to charity, on thing I did not know about princess Diana was that she knew BSL! I think it is remarkable, especially in Britain that a public figure such as Diana took the time to learn BSL. I think more public officials should take the initiative to at least know some Sign Language. I know that I would not want to be addressed by a public official in a language I could not understand.
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| http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/217/deafnsmart.jpg/ |
In chapter 5 BSL is described using adjectives like "beautiful,expressive, and vivid." British Sign Language sounds like a fascinating language to learn, but the right opportunities would have to arise for me to want to learn it. I am having a hard enough time learning ASL, I think trying to learn BSL would be more confusing that helpful to me at this point.
In chapter 5 it was noted that in Britain the term "Deaf and Dumb" is still used by society, while as we know here in America the phrase has been black listed. The book mentions that after the Congress of Milan in 1880 " the quality of British deaf education went downhill, and BSL went underground." After this there were hardly any deaf teachers, this began a sad time for BSL. In my opinion BSL never recovered from this tragedy, and BSL users have been stereotyped as being less than hearing citizens. This is why I think the term "Deaf and Dumb" is still openly used in Britain.
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| http://tagdeaf.coms-princess-diana-to-know-some-bsl/ |
Chapter 4 :)
For Hearing People Only Chapter 4
Abbe de L'Eppe is so important to ASL because he was "the first hearing person to learn from the deaf. He went into the deaf community"to learn it's language, to let deaf people teach him." He founded the world's first free public school for the deaf. Abbe Roach- Ambroise is also known for going into the deaf community, he was "the first known educator to bother to learn from the deaf themselves." Abbe went on to write a two volume book on deaf education, which was adapted for American use.
Without these great men who knows if ASL as we know it (or are learning) would even exist!
Abbe de L'Eppe is so important to ASL because he was "the first hearing person to learn from the deaf. He went into the deaf community"to learn it's language, to let deaf people teach him." He founded the world's first free public school for the deaf. Abbe Roach- Ambroise is also known for going into the deaf community, he was "the first known educator to bother to learn from the deaf themselves." Abbe went on to write a two volume book on deaf education, which was adapted for American use.
Without these great men who knows if ASL as we know it (or are learning) would even exist!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Chapter 3
For Hearing People Only Chapter 3
I am legally blind without any type of vision correction, when I was a child my parents and doctors feared I would lose my vision completely they tried getting me into the Kentucky School for the Blind so I could learn braille. Thankfully I was able to have surgery and everything went as planned, I still have issues regarding my vision but from this experience I was able to learn a very small amount of braille. For me the thought of braille being confused with Sign Language makes no sense, I have always known that braille is for vision impaired people, and Sign Language is for deaf people.
I think it is an important thing to remember though that "blind people are visible to us in a way that the deaf aren't" this is a statement I had never thought of before.
I have always thought of blind people as being so strong willed and intelligent because I personally vaguely remember trying to learn basic braille even with a small amount of vision and it was extremely difficult. I have so much respect those who have no vision and have learned braille and carry out everyday tasks just like everyone else.
Just the thought of being blind or deaf scares me, so the idea of being blind and deaf is terrifying. If I were to lose two senses it would be extremely hard to cope. I know how difficult it was to try to learn braille as a child and now I have all of my senses while am trying to learn Sign Language and it is still very difficult for me. If I was do be deaf- blind I would definitely need lots of one on one help and training not just for knowledge and communication, but also psychologically. I couldn't help but ask why me? It seems that we (or I know I do) take for granted such things as vision and/or the ability to hear.
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| luc.devroye.org |
I think it is an important thing to remember though that "blind people are visible to us in a way that the deaf aren't" this is a statement I had never thought of before.
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| lifeprint.com |
Just the thought of being blind or deaf scares me, so the idea of being blind and deaf is terrifying. If I were to lose two senses it would be extremely hard to cope. I know how difficult it was to try to learn braille as a child and now I have all of my senses while am trying to learn Sign Language and it is still very difficult for me. If I was do be deaf- blind I would definitely need lots of one on one help and training not just for knowledge and communication, but also psychologically. I couldn't help but ask why me? It seems that we (or I know I do) take for granted such things as vision and/or the ability to hear.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 For Hearing People Only
Chapter 2 of For Hearing People Only was a rather short chapter, but it was filled with lots of insightful information. For instance I always just assumed that Sign Language was an international language that could be understood by all signers from various parts of the world. After reading chapter two I felt a little silly for thinking that way, I mean there is not one universal language for all hearing people, so why would Sign Language be any different?
While reading chapter two the Spanish language seemed compariable to Sign Language in the aspect that there are various dialects and accents within the same language. For example a Spanish speaking person from Cuba will not be able to decipher the Spanish spoken by A Latino from Mexico just like American Sign language can not be understood by someone speaking Australian Sign Language. However for Sign Language there is to some extent an "International Sign Language" called Gestuno, it is not widely used except for at national gatherings. One event I could think of where Gestuno could be used would be at the Deaflympics.
One of my favorite quotes in this chapter says: "the impulse to communicate is universal. For deaf people, the impulse to sign is universal." For me this quote hits home even more the idea that deaf people are no different than any one else.
Chapter 2 of For Hearing People Only was a rather short chapter, but it was filled with lots of insightful information. For instance I always just assumed that Sign Language was an international language that could be understood by all signers from various parts of the world. After reading chapter two I felt a little silly for thinking that way, I mean there is not one universal language for all hearing people, so why would Sign Language be any different?
While reading chapter two the Spanish language seemed compariable to Sign Language in the aspect that there are various dialects and accents within the same language. For example a Spanish speaking person from Cuba will not be able to decipher the Spanish spoken by A Latino from Mexico just like American Sign language can not be understood by someone speaking Australian Sign Language. However for Sign Language there is to some extent an "International Sign Language" called Gestuno, it is not widely used except for at national gatherings. One event I could think of where Gestuno could be used would be at the Deaflympics.
One of my favorite quotes in this chapter says: "the impulse to communicate is universal. For deaf people, the impulse to sign is universal." For me this quote hits home even more the idea that deaf people are no different than any one else.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Chapter 1 :)
Chapter 1: For Hearing People Only
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| http://hsdcstore.com |
Before taking a sign language class, or doing any research on deaf culture I knew very little about the language or its users. The only time I have ever been in close contact with non hearing individuals was with my lifelong my best friend. His grandparents were both deaf, there were a few occasions where I was present at family dinners or holidays with Charlie and his grandparents would be there, to my surprise they looked and acted just like any other grandmother or grandfather. As a child I was fascinated with this unknown language, while I could not understand a word of sign language at the time their expressions and body language seemed to tell stories as if they were speaking clear English. While reading For Hearing People Only, and as I learn more about all of the history and culture behind ASL it makes me more and more thankful for the opportunity to learn this language and culture.
Before I actually had the opportunity to take ASL I always thought that sign language was English in a visual form, just in the first week of class I have been fascinated with how complex the language is. Through reading For Hearing People Only I have learned the deep history of ASL and how it struggled to even become recognized as a language.
One fact I found particularly interesting in Chapter 1 was that "people using ASL can communicate comfortably with each other across a football field" it also goes on to say that sign language is commonly used in underwater communication. Another tidbit about Sign Language I had not thought of before is that it can not be picked up by bugging devices. I found this information insightful because it gives some positive aspects of Sign Language, and some takes on the language that are commonly not addressed or thought of.
In Chapter 1 of For Hearing People Only it is stated that "some "well meaning" hearing teachers told their students that it was considered "animal-like"" to sign as well as claiming that it was "inferior English." I can not fathom how those students felt after being told that their only way of non written communication was " animal-like," especially by an educated individual. Comments like this are sure to shatter student's self esteem, and crush their outlook on life. I would be ashamed of my self, and would not want to learn anymore after hearing thoughts like this.
After finishing Chapter 1 I have become more aware of how much I take for granted the teachers, facilities, and schools that are available today for students people with different needs. on page 40 it is said that in the early 1800's even if your family was wealthy there were only two options for deaf children regarding schooling; either "you sent your child overseas to the famous Braidwood Academy in Edinburgh Scotland, oh hired a private tutor." While neither of those options would be easy, if your family was poor the child either stayed home, or went into an asylum where they would get not schooling what so ever! As the chapter progresses it reveals that bringing Sign Language to America and having good educates and institutions with the appropriate funding was a long difficult fiasco.
I plan on putting my Sign Language skills to great use, unlike the early educators mentioned in the HPO book. I am a Communication Disorders major and I will hopefully have the opportunity to work with hard of hearing individuals from all backgrounds and ages. I love working with the elderly population so communicating or even teaching signs to all walks of life interests me.
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