Lounge for Deaf people and their allies

always2late · 09-07-2012, 11:09 PM

This past Thursday I took my first class in Sign Language...and I LOVE it!! Our professor posted her syllabus online and after reading it, I have to confess, I thought the class was going to be a bit daunting. My professor insists that we do not speak in class...at all. Except for the first 5 minutes of class, and on our 10 minute break halfway through class, we are not allowed to speak...not to the professor and not to each other. I thought this approach would make learning more difficult..but on the contrary, I am finding it SO much easier!! We are "forced" to learn in order to be able to communicate. Of course, our professor is not being unrealistic...if someone has a question in class that we haven't learned enough to be able to sign properly, we are able to write the question down. As the professor explained, she wants us to start to get used to having to use alternate forms of communication...and not to rely on our voices.

DamonK · 09-07-2012, 11:54 PM

First, to all that repped me over my rant, thanks. It's helpful to rant and have people "get it".
I learned a new sign today. Err... Maybe I should explain. I started deaf ed at 3. I had resource and interpreters and deaf community til the end of 6th grade. After that, the decision was made to send me to all hearing school. I elected to not have a terp. I would be the only deaf kid there. I was already gonna have enough people staring without me dragging a terp around.

So, from 12 to 23, I didn't sign. Period. My family never learned. No reason to sign. I went back to school - college - again after one disastrous attempt, and met my terp....she saved me from myself. She still does. Most of the time, she refuses to speak English to me. Just ASL.

Funny enough, I was a music minor at one point. I played for 9 years. Then, a hearing guy...a teacher ruined it for me. I've never picked up an instrument since. I was in private lessons...a required class for music minors. He asked me if I could hear the difference between flats and sharps. I told him I couldn't. He told me I had no business minoring in music or playing. I believed him. I was 18.

I don't get to sign often. After such a lapse, many signs have been forgotten out of my easily accessible memory.

I imagine conversations in my head with various people. Always in ASL.

Today I remembered the sign for use.

always2late · 09-14-2012, 07:06 AM

Have I mentioned how much I'm loving my ASL class? I am learning SO much and I'm retaining it!! (will wonders never cease? Lol) Our professor is fantastic. The class is 3 hours long, but the time just flies by. I've been teaching my son and GHD what I've learned in class, and I find myself thinking in ASL now (well...for the signs we've learned anyway). I've been trying to incorporate the signs into my daily conversations...of course, I don't know enough to carry on a full conversation yet, but I find myself alternating between English and ASL when there is a word or phrase in a conversation that I've learned in ASL. I am so enjoying this class that I think I'm going to take phase 2 next semester.

Damon...thank you so much for your offer of help. I think I'm gonna definitely take you up on it as the class progresses.

starryeyes · 03-06-2013, 02:02 PM

Hi everyone!!

Just saying hi and bumping this thread. It's been awhile. Any new Deaf/hoh/allies members?

Smiles!

DamonK · 03-06-2013, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starryeyes

Hi everyone!!

Just saying hi and bumping this thread. It's been awhile. Any new Deaf/hoh/allies members?

Smiles!

I have been meaning to PM you.....

Know anything about BSL?

Thanks to watching two music videos in BSL, I'm now signing a combination of both and struggling to...I don't quite know the English word I would use here...err...I would sign the word different if that helps any.... I'm struggling which is ASL and BSL.

starryeyes · 03-06-2013, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DamonK

I have been meaning to PM you.....

Know anything about BSL?

Thanks to watching two music videos in BSL, I'm now signing a combination of both and struggling to...I don't quite know the English word I would use here...err...I would sign the word different if that helps any.... I'm struggling which is ASL and BSL.

I can count to 10 and I know the alphabet in BSL. That's about it! Haha.

I don't quite understand your other question? You are watching a video and you can't determine what is ASL and BSL?

DamonK · 03-06-2013, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starryeyes

I can count to 10 and I know the alphabet in BSL. That's about it! Haha.

I don't quite understand your other question? You are watching a video and you can't determine what is ASL and BSL?

Errr... I will be having a conversation...signing...and a sign isn't recognized, so I look it up, and its BSL. Though I don't know a ton of it, the fact that they are randomly popping up, I wonder if I had some BSL when I was little and learning.

Interesting tidbit: the sign for disappoint in ASL is the same sign for cold in BSL.

Anyone else find that ironic?

09-07-2012, 11:09 PM	#1
always2late Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: m'lady Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NJ Posts: 2,000 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,834 Thanked 6,231 Times in 1,462 Posts Rep Power: 21474854	This past Thursday I took my first class in Sign Language...and I LOVE it!! Our professor posted her syllabus online and after reading it, I have to confess, I thought the class was going to be a bit daunting. My professor insists that we do not speak in class...at all. Except for the first 5 minutes of class, and on our 10 minute break halfway through class, we are not allowed to speak...not to the professor and not to each other. I thought this approach would make learning more difficult..but on the contrary, I am finding it SO much easier!! We are "forced" to learn in order to be able to communicate. Of course, our professor is not being unrealistic...if someone has a question in class that we haven't learned enough to be able to sign properly, we are able to write the question down. As the professor explained, she wants us to start to get used to having to use alternate forms of communication...and not to rely on our voices. __________________ Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there ~ Rumi

09-14-2012, 07:06 AM	#3
always2late Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: m'lady Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NJ Posts: 2,000 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,834 Thanked 6,231 Times in 1,462 Posts Rep Power: 21474854	Have I mentioned how much I'm loving my ASL class? I am learning SO much and I'm retaining it!! (will wonders never cease? Lol) Our professor is fantastic. The class is 3 hours long, but the time just flies by. I've been teaching my son and GHD what I've learned in class, and I find myself thinking in ASL now (well...for the signs we've learned anyway). I've been trying to incorporate the signs into my daily conversations...of course, I don't know enough to carry on a full conversation yet, but I find myself alternating between English and ASL when there is a word or phrase in a conversation that I've learned in ASL. I am so enjoying this class that I think I'm going to take phase 2 next semester. Damon...thank you so much for your offer of help. I think I'm gonna definitely take you up on it as the class progresses. __________________ Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there ~ Rumi

03-06-2013, 02:02 PM	#4
starryeyes Senior Member How Do You Identify?: a round peg in a square hole Preferred Pronoun?: Guess... Relationship Status: Seat taken Join Date: May 2011 Location: Rocky Mountain High Posts: 2,491 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,199 Thanked 10,050 Times in 2,076 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	Hi everyone!! Just saying hi and bumping this thread. It's been awhile. Any new Deaf/hoh/allies members? Smiles! __________________ "It's ok to make mistakes. It's ok to fall down. Get up! Look sickening....and make them eat it!" - Latrice Royale Starry

09-07-2012, 11:54 PM	#2
DamonK Senior Member How Do You Identify?: . Preferred Pronoun?: . Relationship Status: . Join Date: May 2010 Location: . Posts: 2,199 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,527 Thanked 7,762 Times in 1,881 Posts Rep Power: 21474854	First, to all that repped me over my rant, thanks. It's helpful to rant and have people "get it". I learned a new sign today. Err... Maybe I should explain. I started deaf ed at 3. I had resource and interpreters and deaf community til the end of 6th grade. After that, the decision was made to send me to all hearing school. I elected to not have a terp. I would be the only deaf kid there. I was already gonna have enough people staring without me dragging a terp around. So, from 12 to 23, I didn't sign. Period. My family never learned. No reason to sign. I went back to school - college - again after one disastrous attempt, and met my terp....she saved me from myself. She still does. Most of the time, she refuses to speak English to me. Just ASL. Funny enough, I was a music minor at one point. I played for 9 years. Then, a hearing guy...a teacher ruined it for me. I've never picked up an instrument since. I was in private lessons...a required class for music minors. He asked me if I could hear the difference between flats and sharps. I told him I couldn't. He told me I had no business minoring in music or playing. I believed him. I was 18. I don't get to sign often. After such a lapse, many signs have been forgotten out of my easily accessible memory. I imagine conversations in my head with various people. Always in ASL. Today I remembered the sign for use.