primitives debate sign language

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=381x328

An old bonfire rekindled itself, among the killer cobwebs of the deaf-and-hard-of-hearing forum on Skins's island.

First, the Iowa cyclone primitive, the primitive who's always threatening to see what he can do about shutting down web-sites:

HawkeyeX  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-19-08 03:25 AM
Original message

Do you know American Sign Language?
   
Have you integerated it as part of your life.

I did not really learn ASL until I was in college at 17. I didn't become fluent until about 5 years ago, after two years of living with a SO that's also deaf, and made it a part of my life. Mom already knows ASL, (as well as SO's mother), and Dad knows a little (basic signs, really).

Brother-in-law is also deaf, so my wife and her brother are very, very close (that, and they are the only siblings)

Roon  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Mon Jan-21-08 04:10 AM
Response to Original message

1. I only know enough to cruise deaf boys in the bar.LOL

You know, there's a legend, going clear back to the medieval era, and perhaps even before, about how deaf males are well-endo--ah, forget it.

recoveringrepublican  (588 posts) Mon Jan-21-08 02:10 PM
Response to Original message

2. I really need to learn
   
I'm late deafened. Hearing aids help just a tad for me to read lips. But it can be so exhausting to only rely on that. I meet so many people who sign, even if it's just the alphabet (which I sadly do not know!! lol), it would make my life so less tiring to be able to sign when I'm around others who also sign.

But here is the problem. Right now I have the money, but no time. In July I will have the time, but no money as I will no longer be working (will be having a baby!!! YAY!). I would like my kids to learn, more so my daughter (my loss is genetic, but only seems to occur in females, which I'm told is rare), just so they are fluent by the time they may need it (it starts late teens early twenties).

Anyone know of any good home teaching type stuff I could use? I would love to just know the basics for now.

The lowell primitive, the primitive always complaining that his glass is only three-quarters full, conveniently forgetting that for some, their own glass is empty, utterly dry:

Lowell  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Tue Feb-05-08 05:00 PM
Response to Original message

4. I've been taking classes with my granddaughter. It has been a rewarding experience. Bell was diagnosed as deaf after she turned about four. Everyone wondered why she never spoke and didn't respond. Now at seven we are both sharing this learning experience together.

kdpeters  Donating Member  (942 posts) Fri Mar-28-08 11:04 PM
Response to Original message

5. My partner is Deaf from birth and has a Deaf sister
   
So I started by learning from books on my own. Soon, I decided I wanted to really commit to learning it well so I enrolled in a two year ASL program of study at a community college. That also included a couple of linguistics of ASL classes and a couple of Deaf Culture/History classes and four semesters of ASL in one of the best known ASL programs in the country: Vista College in Berkeley, CA. If any of you have ever used the "Signing Naturally" courses and workbooks, then you've seen all of my teachers who created the courses and starred in the videos.

I would say I'm really very fluent for a hearing person who just started learning ASL in my 30's. I've had lots of study and lots of exposure and I've just fallen in love with the language. Last year, I quit my job as a software engineer, moved back to my hometown and will begin a two year program to become an ASL interpreter in the fall. Right now, I'm also substitute teaching at the School for the Deaf to try to keep from dipping into my savings while I'm in the program and to hopefully make constructive use of what I've learned. I would say I've very much integrated ASL into most every aspect of my life: home, work, and social.

HawkeyeX  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Tue Apr-01-08 12:13 PM
Response to Reply #5

6. Good for you! Hopefully you'll find some work as a freelance or staff interpreter.
   
once you complete your program and internship!

dwickham  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Tue Jun-17-08 11:33 PM
Response to Reply #5

7. Vista is that good?
   
I'm going to start classes at SF City College in the fall in ASL since I'm losing more and more of my hearing every day it seems, I need to learn soon!

I dunno.

Again, franksolich is like the presumptuous Democrat candidate; just as Barry "Goldwater" Obama cannot reasonably claim to be "black," given his unblack upbringing, franksolich also enjoyed certain, uh, benefits and advantages denied hard-of-hearing and deaf people.

And so franksolich has a different "take" on this sign language business, and it's mildly negative.

Not wholly negative, but at least mildly negative.

The only thing I regret is that while wandering around the socialist paradises of the workers and peasants, I encountered many people using sign-language, and as it's generally a universal language--the same signs meaning the same things in different languages (in this case, English and Ukrainian or Russian), and perhaps knowledge of sign-language might have been useful, in learning how the deaf and hard-of-hearing live in the socialist paradises of the workers and peasants.

But from their appearances, quite obviously not very well; much worse than here.

[Rebel]

You know, there's a legend, going clear back to the medieval era, and perhaps even before, about how deaf males are well-endo--ah, forget it.

 

Frank made a joke. 

[Chris_]

I know some ASL. 

But my sister, the ASL interpreter says I have "stiff hands."  I guess that means I speak ASL with a Gringo accent ;)

[VivisMom]

My daughter knows some basic signs-enough to tell me what she wants. I have to say, I love it-makes it so much easier for me and for her.

I would love to be able to take an ASL class, if only for my own personal edification.

[franksolich]

I would love to be able to take an ASL class, if only for my own personal edification.

Well, as mentioned before, madam, it has certain advantages, if you travel overseas.

I don't know what foreign languages you know, but because sign-language is a reasonably universal one cutting across all linguistic boundaries, if you encounter deaf people who know it, you wouldn't have to learn Chinese or Farsi or Malawian or Samoan, to understand it.

[BlueStateSaint]

My daughter knows some basic signs-enough to tell me what she wants. I have to say, I love it-makes it so much easier for me and for her.

I would love to be able to take an ASL class, if only for my own personal edification.

The day-care place where my wife and I have our daughter (a Christian day care, BTW) has teaching ASL to the kids as part of the curriculum.  I like that.  'Course, I'll hafta learn it.

[VivisMom]

I would love to be able to take an ASL class, if only for my own personal edification.

Well, as mentioned before, madam, it has certain advantages, if you travel overseas.

I don't know what foreign languages you know, but because sign-language is a reasonably universal one cutting across all linguistic boundaries, if you encounter deaf people who know it, you wouldn't have to learn Chinese or Farsi or Malawian or Samoan, to understand it.

After many attempts to learn a foreign language (Spanish, Latin, Italian), I've given up hope. It's not my forte. I know several key phrases in a couple of languages-enough to get me where I need to go.

The conventional wisdom is that hearing children who learn ASL are ahead of their peers when it comes to language development. As soon as the baby starts to say words other than mama, dada, and kitty, I'll let you know if it's true. 

[MrsSmith]

In our former church, we had a couple members who were fluent in ASL.  They would sign the songs and the sermon.  It was very beautiful to watch.

[morningAngel]

You know, there's a legend, going clear back to the medieval era, and perhaps even before, about how deaf males are well-endo--ah, forget it.

this intrigues me..tell me more.. 

actually I have to disagree on the ASL being a universal language.  it is American Sign Language.  My dentist is also fluent in sign language (making it much easier for me to swear at him while in the chair) and travels with the doctors without borders kinda thing, and has inadvertently insulted people several times being the representative sign interpreter! 
my daughter's ability is way beyond mine as she has two classmates for the past three years that communicate with ASL.  I am the school's emergency back up interpreter on a volunteer basis and will struggle through as best I can.  Explaining the death of a goldfish to a four year old was particularly rough on my skills. 
on of the advantages of teaching ASL to your child is that I can "yell" at her across a crowded room and not be one of the screaming herds of mothers. 

[franksolich]

You know, there's a legend, going clear back to the medieval era, and perhaps even before, about how deaf males are well-endo--ah, forget it.

this intrigues me..tell me more.. 

actually I have to disagree on the ASL being a universal language.  it is American Sign Language.  My dentist is also fluent in sign language (making it much easier for me to swear at him while in the chair) and travels with the doctors without borders kinda thing, and has inadvertently insulted people several times being the representative sign interpreter! 
my daughter's ability is way beyond mine as she has two classmates for the past three years that communicate with ASL.  I am the school's emergency back up interpreter on a volunteer basis and will struggle through as best I can.  Explaining the death of a goldfish to a four year old was particularly rough on my skills. 
on of the advantages of teaching ASL to your child is that I can "yell" at her across a crowded room and not be one of the screaming herds of mothers. 

There's other sorts of sign-languages for the deaf; ASL is NOT the only one.

It's a burning issue in the "deaf community," about which one to use, although ASL is heavily favored.

But they all have common roots, and it's only slightly more difficult than understanding someone speaking with a different accent, such as from Boston.  It's not universally universal, but it's pretty universal, the meanings behind the motions.

As mentioned before, I have no opinion on the matter, and so will hold my peace.

[Miss Mia]

My daughter knows some basic signs-enough to tell me what she wants. I have to say, I love it-makes it so much easier for me and for her.

I would love to be able to take an ASL class, if only for my own personal edification.

When my nephews were little they were taught some sign language.  They couldn't speak much, but they could sign what they wanted or "thank you."