American Sign Language By Lena Ess What matters deafness of the ear, when the mind hears?
Victor Hugo to Ferdinand Berthier FIRST IMPRESSIONS "wha dat mommy?" "Don't stare sweetheart." "wha they doin?" "Hurry dear, time to go now." "But mommy wat dat? Wat are they...." Click went the seat belt on the car seat. Frustrated with perhaps the seat belt or her five year old daughter Mary breathed a sigh of relief having made it into the car before any other questions were asked about the people inside the grocery store. She knew only that the people using their hands inside had been doing that talk. A mystery she had always been curious about. Her mother had told her that same thing she had told her daughter once. When she was little she didn't understand, but obeyed her mother. All her life she questioned what those people did. Those people's hands grasped, clenched, released, and fists made arbitrary shapes. She was fascinated by there actions, but didn't have the courage to face the deaf people directly. He mother voice could still be heard in her mind. "Don't stare..." Maybe she thought she was doing the right thing by not explaining. Maybe she should have just told her daughter the truth, that she didn't know why deaf people did what they did. Maybe she should have.... Sinking lower into her car seat Mary drove away again from the question.
THE LANGUAGE OF THE DEAF-WORLD Part 1 The tie that has bound the Deaf together is sign language. "Nothing is more central to that culture and dearer to the hearts of the Deaf people than their language" (Lane, Hoffmeister, Bahan 42). Sign language is not just "pantomime or alternate forms of spoken languages" (Lane, Hoffmeister, Bahan 43). American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual gestural language created by the Deaf to communicate one with another is an natural way using the person's hands, face, and body language. ASL is not English. Although it may appear to some people that what an interpreter is translating to a Deaf person is a manual form of English, in reality it is quite different. It has its own grammar and a written form. It is not pictorial, because if it were everyone would be able to understand ASL. Also it is not limited. Some people think that English is a superior to sign because a person can describe one object with many words, and that ASL has only one word for one sign. If actuality it is the opposite. One sign can have dozens of different meanings. ASL has struggled for survival and evolved into its present form, despite hearing efforts to get rid of it. ASL is alive. It grows everyday and its true form is watched and guarded by the Deaf. They guard this language because many times the hearing have tried to change ASL to make it into a "true" language, much like English. ASL is a beautiful language that has inspired me to try to learn its delicate form, unique culture, and growing impact on our world society. Lane, Harlan, Hoffmeister, Robert, Bahan, Ben. A Journey Into the Deaf-World. New York: Dawn Sign, 1996.
THE LANGUAGE OF THE DEAF-WORLD Part 2 ASL has a many elements that have to be used in order to utilize its full potential. A couple of those elements are context and expression. After learning a few basic vocabulary words and the grammar of ASL, it is important to make sure that when you sign you are expressing yourself in the right context. If a person were to say to you in a monotone voice "stop," what would you think the person meant? Without hearing the tone of voice it is hard for anyone to be sure how the person really meant "stop" to come across. It could have been an angry "stop," a joking "stop," or an exhausted "I've been working all day stop." One can never really know unless they hear the entire sentence, or the tone of voice the speaker is using. ASL uses this principle only instead of vocalizing, the signer uses body and facial expressions to clarify the meaning of a sign. Even if you don't know the exact word the signer is using, if you can see the context of the sentence it is more likely the other signer will understand. Because one sign can mean many different things, context and expression are vital in using ASL. These concept are hard to grasp. I struggle with them even though I have been learning ASL for over three years. ASL is an art that unless used or practiced can easily slip away from a persons understanding. I would encourage anyone who is interested in ASL to take a class, got to a Deaf Ward, attend a social function at the Deaf community center, or anything that could give a further understanding into this magnificent culture and language.
A FEW FACTS... * 90% of Deaf Children are born to hearing parents * ASL is the 4th most used language in the U.S. * Currently, the hearing control the majority of Deaf educational programs * Sign Language uses both hemispheres of the brain * The American Deaf community has over 500,000 members * Deafness is NOT a disability
A SIGN IN MY LIFE Opening the door slowly, I peeked inside the high school drama room to see what was going on. I had no class that hour, and nowhere to go. As I walked in my eyes scanned a fast conversation, whip-sh sounds like corduroy rubbing together. My drama teacher invited me in to watch. Stunned, I entered slowly. Briefly the class paused to acknowledge me nodding up and down then returned on to the high paced "arms race." There communication moved with emotion and intensity. They were indisputably using sign language. And being ever so positive in my sign language comprehension abilities, I seated myself to grasp the happenings of the class. What I received was my real sign language class. Reality 101. Trying to follow the dialogue was difficult. "Together... theater...why...performance... exercise... food... work...bird.. twenty-one... where?... happy...nice...clean...story...kids..." cried the inefficient translator in my head. "What in the heck is going on?" My confidence crashed, spiraling downwards toward a never ending hole of darkness. Embarrassed, my crushed soul tried to leave. But my eyes encountered my teacher's and before I could cry in exasperation he said, "How did you like the class?" Then something happened. It was as if something took over my voice box because I didn't want to say "It was great! Can I join!" Taken aback the teacher paused reflectively. Scratched his chin, eyes squinted downward, and like a dog wondering what you will say next, tilted his head to his side. "What is he examining me for?" "That would be great!" And he turned to talk to another student. "Kim, could you go down to the office and get a class registration form for..." "What had I done?" The room was filled with fifteen Deaf students, members of the Deaf Community. They were the real thing. No more practice, I had to really use the language. My hands became sweaty, nose began to itch, eyes became glassy. I rung my hands over and over wishing they would disappear, wishing I was gone, wishing I was... But it was too late. A Deaf class member was coming right for me. The theme of jaws raced through my head. "Da da...Da da, da da da da da da da da da da da da. "SHARK!" "Whats up?" The Deaf girl signed. "Name you?"
MARSHMALLOW If I had to describe one pivotal moment in my entire sign language experience that changed my life forever it would be when one day I became a marshmallow. One of my favorite games that we played was called Your Game. Your Game consisted of the following traditional introduction. "Now play game that you play with us. It's called Your Game. One of you in audience tells us object, verb, place, and become suggestion we will." The class, including me, then went down the line each saying what part of the suggested thing we were to become. After each of the class members gave their part in the building of the object we would clap our hands together and begin. The trick of this game is to work together without spoken words, create a story, make it interesting to watch, have fun during the process, and in a sense think as one body and mind. However simple this process may look on stage, I can testify it all took many hours of practice and confusion before everyone would work together. It was our first performance. The time came. An audience suggestion given. Microwave. This word was in turn signed toward the deaf students and me, and going down the chain of command they went. From the first person being a door, next person being a light, another a turkey, one a little girl, and then to me. Thinking fast I signed the first thing that came to my mind when I heard the word microwave. "Marshmallow!" Why a marshmallow? Because in those split seconds of decision making I remembered a childhood experiment. Nostalgic childhood drama flooded my mind. I was a messy child and loved to see things blow up. One day I decided to put different things in the microwave. The neatest reaction I got was when I put the marshmallow into the microwave. I put a marshmallow on to a paper plate and pressed the power button. It was fascinating. The marshmallow grew, squeaked, shrank, and grew again all in a matter of one minute. On my impressionable young mind this event had a lasting affect. This deeply embedded memory flashed quickly through my mind. After our hands clapped and the microwave pieces came together I, then the marshmallow, put myself inside the microwave door. The little girl then pressed the button and I went from being a cushioned ball of sugar to an exploding phenomenon. I even imitated the sound I remembered. Both hearing and deaf in the audience laughed, applauded, and gave looks of approval to our small art on the stage. The feeling gave me a sense of accomplishment. I had been able to communicate in both languages and have each of them understand me. Everyone appeared pleased and I knew I had accomplished my goal. Top Ten Things I've Learned From ASL 10. Never say you understand when you don't 9. Deaf People RULE! 8. Listerine is not required 7. Learning concepts is better then words 6. American Sign Language is not English 5. One sign can have many meanings 4. How to sign "slower please" 3. You can talk with your mouth full 2. Facial expressions are required 1. You can't learn everything in one day, no matter how much you want to!
HELLO DARKNESS, MY OLD FRIEND... "Breath in...and out..." I thought before entering the classroom. "Relax! I mean, relax me, good think" I signed. My feet clunked up the metal stairs, grabbing the cold doorknob with my hand. I pulled it open and entered the room. Silence rang through my ears, but not a quiet silence, a Deaf silence. The kind of silence that is noisy to a hearing ear. The classroom trailer floor creaking, the hearing aids making an eeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkk, a foot being stomped on the floor to get the attention of a student. A clapping sound, hands being thrown together in a mush pot of language. Smelling a cafeteria lunch being prepared at ten in the morning. Swallowing my own spit down, hoping it would chase down my fear, I peeked around the corner and saw a few exceptional children. A muffled cry, but no one was covering the childs mouth. Another stomp, a whine, an exasperated sigh. I was unsure of all that was going on. A look. The teacher got up and walked toward me. "May I help you?" She said. Why isn't she signing to me? Maybe I'd better innate it. Mrs. Laurie you?" I signed. "Yes, help you me?" "Volunteer me, one month." Please I thought let her be nice, let her be kind, let her be... "Yes, come sit, explain me."
MY FATHER'S TWO WORDS His footsteps on the wood cabin floor creaked with Greg's father rushing over it. His old shoes, dirty from the barn, shook the dust underneath the wood floor. Breathing hard, anger flared from his nostrils. Frustration flowed from his fingertips. He grabbed Greg on the shoulders from behind forcefully turning around his terrorized face to me at his own. Greg's small nine year old body shook vividly, eyes about to pop out of their sockets, heard nothing of his father's abrupt entry in the middle of the day. His father put one had on Greg's body and raised the other in the air. Greg braced for impact of an incoming blow but, instead received a unanticipated substitute. Two words. Or rather two unpolished signs. "Hurry...Trouble!" Greg loved the environment of his deaf residential school. Greg loved the language environment at the dorms. It was the only place he could truly express himself and knew he was understood. In the classrooms sign language was strictly forbidden. The children were sent there to learn how to communicate in a hearing world. Back in the 1930's it was believed that without speech a Deaf person could never make it in the real world. His one weekend a month that he was able to spend at home was a mixed blessing. Greg had a seven brother's and two sisters, two of which were also deaf. Greg and his deaf brother and sister could communicate openly with each other. However, Greg's mother and father refused to learn sign language. His parents depended on their children's lipreading ability and speech skills to communicate. Conversations were hard. Many misinterpretations were had between them. When you lipread, you only receive forty percent of the information. However Greg's father did learn sign language, two word of it at least. But, Greg really never cherished those words a lot. Hurry and trouble were all the signs his father took the time to learn. Perhaps it was all he felt he needed to communicate to his son.
CAUGHT IN THE UNDERTOW Buoyant and free, gliding across Earth's water blanket. Competent. Comfortable. Naturally strong and sure. Boats cross sea to sea steadfast and most with a direction. Deaf children are being caught in the undertow current of our world society. The Deaf are pushed under many educational standard, have pity felt upon them for their "disability" and are graduated from high school without many skills. Because of the many methods experimented on them to help them learn English, many Deaf children have a lack of American Sign Language. They are split between a hearing and Deaf culture. They are placed in between two shores. A shore of the hearing and a Shore of the Deaf. Without the use of ASL a deaf person cannot dock on either. ASL is like a boat, strong and mighty, sailing over cool waters. ASL leads them to the shore of their choice. Helping them stay afloat through the wicked storms that occur so naturally. As different methods are tried to change ASL, experiments tried upon them. ASL is a strength for the Deaf and the foundation of their culture. It provides them with an identity and a reason to stay in the boat through it may be tossed about and has been tossed about. Through opposition many deaf have and will become strong sailors against the current driving them out to sea. They will someday rule more of their own educational systems. They will help children construct boats for Deaf children from the moment they are born. The Deaf will decide their own future someday. They will soon own all their own construction companies, or schools , to make the boats that carry ASL across the treacherous sea of life.
Read a persuasive paper on this topic by this author. Shaun Roundy English 120-5 24 April 1998 Let Your Hands Do The Talking Have you ever been walking down a hall and seen two people gesturing to one another, their arms flailing uncontrollably? Seemingly performing an ancient African ritual? Their hands moving in and out of sync, their face expressing different emotions. Have any of these occurrences ever bothered you? Have they sparked some interest? These hand gestures combined with facial expression and body language are called sign language. More specifically American Sign Language, or ASL. If college students like yourselves would take a sign language class you could better understand ASL, why it's used, and how to use it yourself. What Are They Doing? "It is the visual-manual language of a visual people, Deaf people. It is the thread that binds the members of the Deaf-World to one another, and to Deaf people across the ages. It is signed language" (Lane, Hoffmeister, and Bahan 42). Most people are probably aware that most Deaf people use sign language to communicate, but most don't understand why. Deaf individuals could not communicate one with another without sign language. They could write their words on a piece of paper back and forth, but it's hard to express feelings, thoughts, ideas, sentiments, and other emotions on paper. It is faster, easier, and much more comfortable for the Deaf to use sign language. Oliver Sacks has said that "Sign is the equal of speech, lending itself equally to the rigorous and the poetic- to philosophical analysis... with an ease that is sometimes greater then that of speech" (20). ASL is the language of the Deaf community, and is the core of their culture. Sign language uses body language, facial expressions, and your hands to create a living language. This language is an incredible art, producing feeling and thoughts that the Deaf can use to communicate with one another and when this art is learned by a hearing person, it can open new doors to each others culture. The Abbe de L'Epee, one of the first hearing teachers of the Deaf said this about sign language: "The universal language that your scholars have sought for in vain and of which they have despaired, is here; it is right before your eyes, it is the mimicry of the impoverished Deaf. Because you do not know it, you hold it in contempt, yet it alone will provide you with the key to all languages" (Lane 42). Another Language? "Foreign language acquisition is necessary to be an educated, sentient person with empathy for foreign peoples and cultures, and a capacity to experience the world through other eyes, other words, and from other orientations" (Crosby 183). One of the main goals of any college student is to expand their world, try new things, and perhaps start finding out what they want to do and become. One purpose of a second language study is to let the student enter into another culture, and broaden his or her perspective. By looking at other languages and cultures, like ASL, a person can learn more about themselves and other people. You can develop conversational skills that will not only aid in the new language, but will give you a greater understanding of your native language. The cultural behaviors and sensitivity you master in learning ASL will help you to act in a way that is comfortable to the Deaf people and their culture. ASL also furnishes tools to continue to learn the language in their community. Why ASL? We can all relate to time spent in high school and college studying other languages and wondering when we'd ever use them. With ASL it's a different story. You can converse within the boundaries of your own town or city. As hearing people learn about deafness- the language and culture- they will feel less threatened when they are approached by Deaf individuals. And when students see them in the halls performing their "rituals," they won't be confused. "ASL is a subtle, elegant, powerful language of a rich, complex culture" (Smith 82). "The plethora of recent state and federal legislation which has opened professional and educational doors for Deaf people has stirred a desire to learn sign language in an ever-widening circle of people" (Kanda and Fleischer 86). There are a lot of Deaf people in the state of Utah. It’s a beautiful visual language. Teach it to your children. You can also learn to read peoples’ lips and qualify for secret intelligence. Then, of course, there is always the mandatory language CREDIT. Everyone else is taking a spoken language. Do something different. You can talk through windows. You can communicate across a crowded room. You can meet new people. Why Take an ASL Class? Each year in California an estimated 10,000 students enroll in a sign language class. In Utah, the statistics are becoming increasingly similar. "While ASL is well over 200 years old and is America's fourth most commonly used language, it has only recently been widely taught in schools and colleges" (Smith 69). Learning ASL in class is structured and gives the basics for starting to understand the language. Learning ASL out of class can improve your signing skills immeasurably. But where is the time outside of class? If you schedule at least a half an hour once a week to study the language, your ability to communicate with the Deaf will improve vastly. This time is nothing more than an episode on TV. How do you study ASL? There are many ways to study including just talking to a Deaf person. Any attempt, even if you are slow and unsure, is appreciated as an act of trying to understand the person. Just breathe, get some courage, and go say hi. Ask them what their name is, where they go to school. Then tell them about yourself, because they will ask. The first time I ever tried to talk to a person who was Deaf I felt nervous. What if I signed something wrong and when I meant to say, "how are you", I signed, "you look ugly"? My thoughts almost took over my entire system, but somehow I did it. I conversed, in very rough sign, to a Deaf person. Learning any language is tense, and becoming nervous is normal. But when studying ASL, you can’t be afraid of the Deaf and their culture. Other ways to study are to form a study group, surf the Deaf World Web, or go to a Deaf community activity. Forming a study group can be helpful so that you get other people’s opinions and insights on the language. There is almost always someone in the class who knows more about ASL than you; study with them and most often they will share themselves and what they have learned to get to the point they are at. Surfing the Deaf World Web, or any site on the internet that has information, news, and other stories on the Deaf community is helpful to see the very current issues they are facing. Going to a Deaf community activity is also fun. In Utah there are several Deaf wards in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Throughout the country there are Deaf community centers and clubs where the Deaf meet and socialize. Look up a local one in the phone book. You will have the opportunity to meet new people, do fun things, and practice ASL at the same time. However, it is best to call the Deaf community center in your area before you go to an activity. Just like anyone else, the Deaf like their privacy and prefer politeness to someone just showing up and expecting a cultural experience. It’s All Just a Bunch of Pictures- It’s Too Easy! A lot of college students might take ASL because it looks easy. Some of the college students I talked to thought of ASL as just a bunch of basketball plays, only you could sign more than numbers. Some feel that it is not a real language, because real languages are spoken. A few people think that ASL is just a bunch of pictures that you make with your hands. Others thought they knew all the sign language they ever needed to know because they could swear with one of their middle fingers. One student claimed that "flipping the bird" was the most universal and widely understood sign. However immature these answers to my survey seemed, they were at least honest. Yes, ASL does include being able to sign numbers, but there is so much more to this language. If you were to take the time to study ASL, you could see that it can express all of the worlds’ languages, and then some. Sign language uses more than one finger, and if you really want to, you could learn how to swear with more than one finger. ASL is not just a bunch of pictures expressed with the use of hands. If sign language was pictorial it would be immediately understood and easy to learn; it is not. ASL has its own grammar unlike spoken languages. When a person studies ASL they must begin to think in ASL. That is why most teachers of ASL don't begin teaching you the English word equivalent of a sign. They will most often draw a picture of the concept they are trying to explain, sign it, then have the class sign it with her. For instance, a teacher could draw a picture of a tree on the board, sign a sign for tree, then you would sign it yourself. In a sense you are speaking in concepts, not just pictures. You have to use your brain in a completely different way than you are used to. It’s Too Hard! Sign language is not hard, but it's not easy either. It's just as difficult as any other language and requires the same level of dedication. When you take a language class, or any other kind of class for that matter, you have to commit to studying to get a good grade or succeed. With ASL, if you study the language, how it's used in real life, and how the Deaf themselves use it, you can succeed in mastering the language. Job Opportunities? I've seen the challenges which confront Deaf people on a daily basis, and believe me, the communication barrier that exists between hearing and Deaf persons is the largest obstacle to be overcome. "This barrier prevents access to full participation and freedom by Deaf people within society at large" (Selover 153). As mentioned before, there are many Deaf people in the United States. Because the Deaf can do anything but hear, there is a need for sign language interpreters. I know of many companies in Utah who hire out interpreters who sometimes have to turn the Deaf people away because they don't have enough interpreters available to work for them. There are technical devices the Deaf can use, but can machines really substitute for common human interaction? I Don't Know Any Deaf People The Deaf community in the United States is clearly a subculture, by definition, but it is one which has been shown to have its own quite distinctive cultural characteristics. ASL is the foundation of the Deaf community. The study of American Deaf culture offers the student three special educational advantages. Unlike the great national cultures which the foreign language student usually confronts, American Deaf Culture is among us. The Deaf have no specific place they all call home because they live among the hearing and other people who are not Deaf. They live among all of us. The second advantage is that an understanding of the Deaf community depends crucially on an understanding of their language. If you do not understand the language of the Deaf, you can not understand them. Third, ASL exposes the student to a different mode of communication. ASL is visual, and students learn that the Deaf hear with their eyes, not their ears. Whether or not you know a Deaf person is not relevant. How many people who learn French, German, or Russian actually know a person of that culture? The fact is, your chances of having an opportunity to actually use ASL in the United States, or Utah, are great. The opportunity to use any other language is definately not as prevalent. The opportunities with ASL are endless! I Don't Have Time! "Time is what we want the most, and what we use the worst" (McKenzie 516). As college students many of us struggle to go to school, go to work, take care of ourselves, and have a social life. As busy as this lifestyle may seem, within the school category there are basic requirements for any major. One of those requirements is to learn a foreign language When you are thinking about a course to take, ASL is an exceptional choice. It offers a lifetime of opportunities. Jump In the Water! Fear is a driving factor in everyday life. Some people fear more then others, but trying new things is the big fear of all humanity. Stalling with time is usually their antidote. The Deaf culture is not just a culture, it's an experience. Once you have mastered the language, you are accepted into the culture. ADVICE Most Deaf people are very blunt. If your hair looks funny, your clothes don’t match, or you need some more deodorant, they will let you know. Their bluntness is often mistaken for rudeness, but they see it as honesty. Don't be offended. The benefits of sign language can be anything you would like them to be. The benefits could be a future profession, a wider and more diverse group of friends, an increase in knowledge, or just being able to use your brain in a completely different way. What an amazing concept! American Sign Language, do it today.
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