Ch 21

             Chapter 21 talks about hearing people signing to deaf people in public.  Depending on the deaf people some may enjoy a hearing person joining a conversation and may be flattered, but others may disregard them and do not like the idea. It is okay to maybe join a conversation if there is a long wait at a grocery store or maybe a bus stop, but if it’s at a bank or doctor (a setting more serious) it is best that you not join the conversation.  It is however good to join a conversation if you can clearly see that a deaf person needs help or there is a huge communication malfunction.

               I myself could see how it could be both flattering and annoying. If a Spanish speaking person came up to a friend and I and tried to join the conversation by speaking faulty English I could consider it annoying, or depending on my mood I  would take it as a compliment that they are so intrigued.

               “Nowadays, deaf people tend to be better educated and more self-confident” (137). In previous years deaf people have been dependent on hearing family member or fiends. Times have changed and deaf people are just as educated and sophisticated as any other person. 

Works Cited

Morre, S. Matthew, and Linda Levitan. For Hearing People Only. 3rd Ed. Rochester, New York: MSM Productions, Ltd.,2003.Print.

Ch 20

              When I came to WKU and found out that ASL was accepted as a foreign language I was so happy.  I have some friends that when I say I am taking ASL for my foreign language they give me a weird look. I know what they are thinking, “That’s not a language, or foreign.”  I won’t lie, I myself thought the same way. Before taking ASL I was not aware of the culture.  I am really glad that I took the class because I have learned so much. I honestly don’t think people mean any harm when they state or think that ASL is not foreign or a language, they are just ignorant about the topic.

               “Writing systems have been designed for ASL but the community of ASL users hasn’t yet accepted them yet, and maybe never will” (132). When I found out that ASL could be wrote down I thought it was fascinating. I am a little confussed as in to why they don’t want to write literature, but I am sure there are some valid points they have, In my opinion if Navajo can be accepted as foreign language ASL should be universally accepted as a foreign language. I am sure ASL is a lot more commonly used than Navajo.  

Works Cited

Morre, S. Matthew, and Linda Levitan. For Hearing People Only. 3rd Ed. Rochester, New York: MSM Productions, Ltd.,2003.Print.

Ch 19

            Chapter 19 talks about Total Communication (TC). I remembered this term to a small extent. When we dedicated a class period to discussing Deaf Culture I remember how we talked about how signing was banned and this term came up. TC is “a philosophy incorporating the appropriate aural, manual, and oral modes of communication with and among hearing-impaired persons” (127). I think the fact that at one time they banned signing I ridiculous. Not all people acquire the same needs. I myself am legally blind and I can in a way put myself in a hard hearing persons shoes. I am not blind, but I have nowhere near 20/20 vision. My needs are going to be different than a blind persons and a person with perfect vision. “TC philosophy, attention must be aid to individual needs of each deaf child” (129). I totally agree with that statement, but in reality that hardly ever happens.

               I also learned that TC could be referred to as “Simultaneous Communication”. I don’t think that I could sign and talk at the same time. I am kind of glad that I was not taught that way because I can see where it would get confusing. I also would rely on my ears instead of focusing on the signs. 

Works Cited

Morre, S. Matthew, and Linda Levitan. For Hearing People Only. 3rd Ed. Rochester, New York: MSM Productions, Ltd.,2003.Print.

Ch 18

            Chapter 18 talks about ASL and signed English. There are many differences between the two. I learned that a sign-language continuum is “a diagram representing the entire population of sign-language users from the purest Signing-Exact-English approach to the purest ASL approach, and all possible blends or variations in-between” (123). In other words ASL is on one side of the spectrum while English is on the opposite side. Signed English is in-between but more towards English. In order to tell the difference between the two you must pay attention to the rhythm. Both have their own rhythm and different syntax. I think that I maybe could tell the difference. I always look for the topic, because in ASL it usually comes first (after time).

               “ASL, it should be emphasized is not synonymous with ‘sign language’” (124). Before learning ASL I categorized all sign language into one category. I was not aware that there were various types. When someone asks me what classes I am taking I always say ASL, I stopped saying sign language. I have realized that a lot of people are unaware that there are different types of sign language. 

Works Cited

Morre, S. Matthew, and Linda Levitan. For Hearing People Only. 3rd Ed. Rochester, New York: MSM Productions, Ltd.,2003.Print.

Ch 17

               Chapter 17 I found very interesting. In this chapter Pidgin Sign English (PSE) was discussed and described. PSE “is an impromptu blend of American Sign Language and American English signs. It’s commonly used when ASL-Deaf people communicate with hearing (or deaf) people who are not fluent in ASL, but who know some sign and fingerspelling” (119). I think that it is really cool that we have found a way for deaf and hearing people to communicate without either having to be excellent in the others language. By combining a little of both from each language a happy medium is formed and allows people to communicate. The syntax of the language is all very different. As an example:

Signed Exact English: I AM GOING TO THE SCHOOL

Pidgin Sign English: I AM GO TO THE SCHOOL

ASL: SCHOOLTHSAT ONE I GO NOW

Most hearing people never see ASL one hundred percent, because deaf people switch the way they sign according to the person they are trying to communicate too. I myself find it all to be really confusing, but that’s primarily because I am only an ASL 1 student at the moment. I do fin it to be really cool that a deaf person can switch the way they sign in order to communicate. I am glad that I am learning ASL though, I feel like I am grasping the pure language of the deaf community.

 

Works Cited

Morre, S. Matthew, and Linda Levitan. For Hearing People Only. 3rd Ed. Rochester, New York: MSM Productions, Ltd.,2003.Print.