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.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
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.
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