Is anyone here Deaf?

brittanyjeanxo
brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
edited October 3 in Chit-Chat
For the past week or so I've been going online to ASLU and learning ASL. I've surprisingly absorbed quite a lot so far and can sign many full sentences and even have a small conversation about family, names, and even some foods. It just got me curious; I'm hearing, myself, but is anyone on this site Deaf or familiar with Signed English or ASL? I would love to have some friends that are more advanced than I! Thanks!

Replies

  • spottedlee
    spottedlee Posts: 372
    For the past week or so I've been going online to ASLU and learning ASL. I've surprisingly absorbed quite a lot so far and can sign many full sentences and even have a small conversation about family, names, and even some foods. It just got me curious; I'm hearing, myself, but is anyone on this site Deaf or familiar with Signed English or ASL? I would love to have some friends that are more advanced than I! Thanks!
    Sorry but I just found your post,, I am deaf and I tend to use PSE most of the time, but can understand ASL and use it if I must.

    For your information, ASL is NOT signed English. It's a langauge of its own with its own grammar structure, similar to French.:bigsmile:

    Lee
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I'm not Deaf, but I work with Deaf and hard of hearing people and can sign, but I know Auslan (Australian Sign Language) which is quite different to American Sign Language (ASL).

    As the previous poster said, signed English is something entirely different - my understanding is that it's a system of encoding English using signs but is not a language as Auslan, ASL, BSL and other sign languages are.
  • crystalhealingrainbow
    crystalhealingrainbow Posts: 23
    I'm hard of hearing in my right ear, while my left ear is deaf. My name is Katie. I have knowledge of American Sign Language, Signing Exact English. If you were to watch someone who uses Signing Exact English signing a simple sentence, it gets very tiring on the eyes vs someone who uses American Sign Language whilst it is much shorter. In the Deaf community, there is culture that exists, shared experiences of being Deaf, jokes, stories, Schools for the Deaf.
  • spottedlee
    spottedlee Posts: 372
    I'm hard of hearing in my right ear, while my left ear is deaf. My name is Katie. I have knowledge of American Sign Language, Signing Exact English. If you were to watch someone who uses Signing Exact English signing a simple sentence, it gets very tiring on the eyes vs someone who uses American Sign Language whilst it is much shorter. In the Deaf community, there is culture that exists, shared experiences of being Deaf, jokes, stories, Schools for the Deaf.
    Nice meeting you Katie.

    I agree that SEE is ............. I hate it! I hate it! I hate it! :noway:

    As this poster "sort of" said, it's worthless to many of us and that we do prefer using ASL over SEE. I am active in Deaf community and I often see both ASL and PSE in use. It seems most of us who are middle-aged tend to use PSE because we are of generation when oral method was mandated in public schools (1940's to 1970"s.)

    If you are curious about PSE. Pidgeon Signed English is a hybrid between SEE (signed exact english) and ASL, it is more ASL than SEE. Many Deaf use it if need to. I personally like it because it allows me to lipread while watching signs that are used in ASL. Many rules in SEE are not used in PSE at all, such as endings (ed, ing, etc) or verb to be, and more. PSE is not English either.

    An interpreter confessed to someone when asked in a workshop 2 weeks ago that he prefers PSE over ASL when terping, but will sign ASL unless asked otherwise by the Deaf person. A dear friend of mine said the same thing and she works for Sorenson Video Relay as interpreter, but she swings between ASL and PSE. She will object if asked to sign SEE and give the job to another interpreter.

    SEE is rarely used out of classroom setting. Many schools still require SEE. And in a way, I can see why but I still hate it!

    If you want to find out the differnce between ASL, PSE, SEE, it can be found at
    http://www.listen-up.org/sign2.htm
  • crystalhealingrainbow
    crystalhealingrainbow Posts: 23
    For those, who are interested in learning American Sign Language or your Country's sign language, you can probably Google it or use You Tube videos. I have noticed a change in the college students who took ASL Classes instead of signing pure ASL, they are signing see sign, which is harder on the eyes. Apparently the colleges are switching over to Signing Naturally books, the signs in the books are hard to read, the sentences structure in the books doesn't even make sense. I suggest using Lou Fant's ASL Phrase book, or Learning American Sign Language books. Those books show how to make a true ASL sentence or understanding the Deaf community a bit better. Hope this helps- Katie
  • sandiki
    sandiki Posts: 454
    I, myself, can hear but both my parents are deaf. My father had spinal meningitis at 2yo. The high fever and infection caused total hearing loss. My mother contracted scarlet fever and resulted in partial loss at about 7yrs. Though, thanks to my uncle, her brother, lighting off a cherry bomb in close proximity caused her good drum to ruptured and destroyed what hearing she had w/o use of an aid. She can recall the sound of water, birds and those little things we all take for granted. So yes I am fluent in SL.
  • silvergurl518
    silvergurl518 Posts: 4,123 Member
    this is really fascinating -- thanks for all the info! i met a wonderful deaf man named bill at our holiday party last week and through his interpreters, we were able to carry on quite the conversation. i even learned a few signs in ASL--"nice to meet you," "wow," "thank you," and "you're welcome.'

    hi everyone!! :)
  • losermomof3
    losermomof3 Posts: 386 Member
    Hello!!! I am a CODA! Nice to meet everyone! My mom contracted measles when she was 18mts old and my father was born deaf. My uncle is hard of hearing. My brother and myself are hearing. My children are also all hearing. Great losing with ya!!!!
  • PapaverSomniferum
    PapaverSomniferum Posts: 2,670 Member
    Bump to mark thread.

    I work with a person who both visual and hearing impaired. We're both going to start classes soon to learn ASL for tactile purposes. I know very little ASL, and my client communicates with home sign so this is a big step for both of us.

    I'm really excited about learning this new language.
  • dannytheman
    dannytheman Posts: 63
    Huh?












    Sorry, had to do it!!
  • losermomof3
    losermomof3 Posts: 386 Member
    LOL..it took me a minute to get it!!!!
  • silcock69
    silcock69 Posts: 50
    Huh?












    Sorry, had to do it!!

    Thank god someone did it, I was getting worried i'd have to do it soon :embarassed:
  • losermomof3
    losermomof3 Posts: 386 Member
    Funny thing I hear it quite a bit...I guess I just didnt expect someone to say it here. HUH? How about that!
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