Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Tonight was the final class for ASL 2. The teacher did not instruct from the SN book. He told us that he will begin with that book in two week- during our first ASL 3 class. It looks like this class will exist because so far the limit of registered students as been completed. I will submit my regisration form with payment ($122.00) tomorrow afternoon.
The teacher gave us a brief test- signs and fingerspelling. He signed alot! In fact he signed a brief history of the railroad industry. I understood a good chunk of it. The history lesson was for twenty minutes (give-and-take). Visually I was tired. Your eyes have to grasp so much at one time. It was good. I enjoyed this class because it challenged me to focus.
I have learned so much but there is still so much more to go. The SN level 3 book looks like a very good resource so I am very happy about it. My goals are to keep increasing my sign vocabulary, be a more fluent signer, sharpen my reading skills- especially with fingerspelled words, as well as incorporate better facial and body expression.
I am glad that we have a week off between terms. I want to go back to my ABC book and review specific chapters prior to our first class. I learned from my personal study that mouth expressions have meaning. For example: The "th" mouth expressions mean "clumsily" or "out of control." I am not 100% comfortable with Classifiers as yet- I understand the concept completely, but yet doing classifiers does not feel too natural for me. I will focus on that aspect this week and the next as well. I will also try to attend a deaf gathering later this month or early the next: www.miamistagecompany.com
_
The teacher gave us a brief test- signs and fingerspelling. He signed alot! In fact he signed a brief history of the railroad industry. I understood a good chunk of it. The history lesson was for twenty minutes (give-and-take). Visually I was tired. Your eyes have to grasp so much at one time. It was good. I enjoyed this class because it challenged me to focus.
I have learned so much but there is still so much more to go. The SN level 3 book looks like a very good resource so I am very happy about it. My goals are to keep increasing my sign vocabulary, be a more fluent signer, sharpen my reading skills- especially with fingerspelled words, as well as incorporate better facial and body expression.
I am glad that we have a week off between terms. I want to go back to my ABC book and review specific chapters prior to our first class. I learned from my personal study that mouth expressions have meaning. For example: The "th" mouth expressions mean "clumsily" or "out of control." I am not 100% comfortable with Classifiers as yet- I understand the concept completely, but yet doing classifiers does not feel too natural for me. I will focus on that aspect this week and the next as well. I will also try to attend a deaf gathering later this month or early the next: www.miamistagecompany.com
_
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Monday's class was rather dull. We began our new book- Signing Naturally level three. The problem was that not one student had the book. The teacher used a projector and we did some exercises that emphasized classifiers. The teacher also signed a story and I was happy that I understood it. He told us that this new book is highly effective so I am looking forward to reading it.
Next Monday will mark our final class for this term. We need seven students for the advance class to be a reality. ASL 3 is still in doubt. I purchased the book regardless of what happens. I was going to buy it eventually regardless.
No new vocabulary for this class.
Next Monday will mark our final class for this term. We need seven students for the advance class to be a reality. ASL 3 is still in doubt. I purchased the book regardless of what happens. I was going to buy it eventually regardless.
No new vocabulary for this class.
Thursday, April 15, 2004
In our last class, the ABC book was finally completed! We will begin the new book Signing Naturally (level 3) next week. I just purchased the book tonight on the Internet. I hope I will get it before to the next class.
We learned many new things last class: Classifiers and outlining shapes. The important rule is to always describe the object you are outlining (drawing the shape of) at the beginning of the sentence. I will focus on those advanced chapters this week so as to prepare for the more advanced stuff coming up. Some of the signs in the last lesson of the ABC text were not in my ASL dictionary. I made certain to write notes on those signs in class.
Half of the vocabulary list for the final chapter were signs for countries of the world. The teacher updated some of signs and pointed out that some were changed because of offensive descriptions. I noted that the sign for Cuba was not in the vocabulary list so I ask for it's sign. What resulted from my question made me angry. I wrote my feelings in an online Deaf forum:
Last Monday night, during my ASL class, the teacher was reviewing the last chapter of the ABC book. In that final chapter signs for countries were listed. The class went over the signs and as we practiced I noticed that the sign for Cuba was not in the chapter. I asked the teacher to please make the sign for Cuba. He gave me two signs: The b-hand on the forehead and another sign that made me uneasy. This is the sign:
The sign represents Cuban rafters at sea. When he first signed it I thought that it was the sign for sea turtle. I was wrong. When he told me what it represented I was shocked. To have a sign that depicts the life and death plight of the Cuban people is questionable. It would be like having a sign that depicts people dying in the Holocost for Jewish, or having a sign depicting slave workers for Africans, or having a sign depicting the 911 victims for Americans.
The sign for Cuban (Cuba) that depicts rafters is just plain wrong and offensive. Please stop using it. Such a sign will draw people away from each other instead of bringing them closer. The former sign (b-hand to forehead) is fine; the latter must be removed, in the view of this Cuban American.
Most agreed that such a sign was offensive. I left it like that.
Kirsten, my ASL 1 teacher, visited the class and told us about a Deaf play. She handed out information regarding the performance. It is a theatre version of Children of a Lesser God. Here is the information she handed us:
www.miamistagecompany.com
____
Vocabulary
Africa: open r-hand closed and moves down to right.
Australia: both f-hands move forward from hips.
#busy: b to y hand movement.
China: draw a "seven" on chest.
Italia: f-hand, with index and thumb touching, move hand downward and open index and thumb. Touch those fingers again at the end of the movement. Caution: Make certain to curve the movement in a little. If the movement is straight down, the sign means pussy.
India: thumb to forehead.
Japan: both hands move automatically; index/thumb open and close.
Israel: i-hand on chin.
Mexico: v-hand switch fingers on forehead.
Russia: index across chin then outward.
Cuba: b-hand on forehead.
_
We learned many new things last class: Classifiers and outlining shapes. The important rule is to always describe the object you are outlining (drawing the shape of) at the beginning of the sentence. I will focus on those advanced chapters this week so as to prepare for the more advanced stuff coming up. Some of the signs in the last lesson of the ABC text were not in my ASL dictionary. I made certain to write notes on those signs in class.
Half of the vocabulary list for the final chapter were signs for countries of the world. The teacher updated some of signs and pointed out that some were changed because of offensive descriptions. I noted that the sign for Cuba was not in the vocabulary list so I ask for it's sign. What resulted from my question made me angry. I wrote my feelings in an online Deaf forum:
Last Monday night, during my ASL class, the teacher was reviewing the last chapter of the ABC book. In that final chapter signs for countries were listed. The class went over the signs and as we practiced I noticed that the sign for Cuba was not in the chapter. I asked the teacher to please make the sign for Cuba. He gave me two signs: The b-hand on the forehead and another sign that made me uneasy. This is the sign:
The sign represents Cuban rafters at sea. When he first signed it I thought that it was the sign for sea turtle. I was wrong. When he told me what it represented I was shocked. To have a sign that depicts the life and death plight of the Cuban people is questionable. It would be like having a sign that depicts people dying in the Holocost for Jewish, or having a sign depicting slave workers for Africans, or having a sign depicting the 911 victims for Americans.
The sign for Cuban (Cuba) that depicts rafters is just plain wrong and offensive. Please stop using it. Such a sign will draw people away from each other instead of bringing them closer. The former sign (b-hand to forehead) is fine; the latter must be removed, in the view of this Cuban American.
Most agreed that such a sign was offensive. I left it like that.
Kirsten, my ASL 1 teacher, visited the class and told us about a Deaf play. She handed out information regarding the performance. It is a theatre version of Children of a Lesser God. Here is the information she handed us:
www.miamistagecompany.com
____
Vocabulary
Africa: open r-hand closed and moves down to right.
Australia: both f-hands move forward from hips.
#busy: b to y hand movement.
China: draw a "seven" on chest.
Italia: f-hand, with index and thumb touching, move hand downward and open index and thumb. Touch those fingers again at the end of the movement. Caution: Make certain to curve the movement in a little. If the movement is straight down, the sign means pussy.
India: thumb to forehead.
Japan: both hands move automatically; index/thumb open and close.
Israel: i-hand on chin.
Mexico: v-hand switch fingers on forehead.
Russia: index across chin then outward.
Cuba: b-hand on forehead.
_
Monday, April 05, 2004
I feel a bit under the weather so I will miss class tonight. This is the very first time I have ever missed class. If fellow students would like to send me their class notes I would be very happy. I know from the last session that the class will review the last two chapters of the ABC text. It is mostly about classifers; I don't really have any questions regarding those final lessons.
_______
Below are statements regarding interpreters/interpreting from a deaf friend.
Please understand that my experience with interpreters
DOES NOT speak for all deaf opinions. Like relay
operators, you have your good ones- you have your bad
ones. Have you talk to deaf people on relay Carlos?
I really feel you need to do this to experience this
aspect of our culture. And as interpreter, you WILL
be using relay with clients.
Interpreters, I have three big complaints about SOME
(not all of them) 1) Although they are train in ASL
and some in PSE and SEE, I question some of their true
skills. I guess because of the lack of interpreters-
there is rush to get them working quick! Plus like
you say before of your teacher- some ASL teachers
don’t care about their profession and it shows in
their teaching. I have had instances where I have
been in meetings or group activities where more than
one person talks at once, and interpreters leave out
what others add, people’s comments. I only know this
because I either lip read something they don’t sign,
or because a response from speaker does not make sense
base on what he just say. So I figure- someone must
have asks them a question. Jokes, etc that are made-
that interpreters THINK may not translate well (deafie
vs hearie jargin) so they don’t tell you, or it’s
modify. I have had interpreters take “pauses” in the
middle of speeches, and completely stop interpret. Or
they will sign, “question from the audience” and not
interpret the question!! GRRRRRR!!!!
2) Also, yes I know there are some big words/terms
that are no signs for, but there are some terms that I
would expect a qualify interpreter know the signs for
and they are instead fingerspell words. I notice that
with a lot of new tech. terms. I sign to an
interpreter after a function “Do you know e-mail
address for information?” She did not know the sign
for “e-mail” that I was use. And I repeat the phrase
over a few times. So finally, I fingerspell
e-m-a-i-l. This was about two years ago.
Interpreters need to stay update with new signs in our
community.
3) I have MANY hearing friends who were deaf studies
majors or sign language majors. For those that were
sign majors- I was really disappoint with their
“exposure to deaf culture”. Now for some, they either
were in program because of deaf sibling, parents, or
friends. But for those that had no deaf people in
their life that lead them to the career choice, I
worry for them. I ask my friends about how they would
learn deaf culture. They had to go to three deaf
events a semester. Just three, Carlos. They could
include a movie about deaf, a captioned movie, etc.
I’m sorry but watch a movie and going to a movie where
it’s dark and YOU DON’T SIGN or interact with others
is stupid!!!! That’s not exposure to deaf culture. I
would LOVE for hearie students of sign to go to deafie
happy hours. That is TOTAL deaf culture, Carlos!!! We
laugh, tell jokes, catch up on current events, deaf
community, and talk of hearies. It is raw deaf world,
Carlos. I think every interpreter student should go
to a big deaf event and see what it’s like to be
outsider. TO feel left out. The scene in Children of
A Lesser God- where they go to deaf party. And the
two hearies stand in the kitchen- confused and
isolated. I love that scene. I have even question
some of my friends classmates about deaf issues. Many
of them did not know about CI’s, etc. Do you feel you
are learn a lot about deafness in your class, Carlos?
You need to get in with deaf culture. PLEASE ask me
anything about deafness, culture, anything!
Interpreters need to be surround by deafness, and know
their client. And I’m sorry if this sounds rude- but
deaf culture should be teach from the deaf, not from a
hearing person who does not know our culture- that
learns it from a book.
It’s like calling an American “Mexican” restaurant-
“authentic”. Don’t get me started Carlos… grrr….
If you do become an interpreter Carlos- remember that
deaf feel isolate in classes, etc because of
communication differences. Take the time to speak to
the people you interpret for, ask them afterwards if
they understand, or if are any questions. Don’t
assume. Watch their expressions, if they seem
confuse- address it at the end of signing. Get them
involve with the group. I take a class at hearing
school one summer, and need an interpreter. I feel so
detach from the class.
http://www.theinterpretersfriend.com/
http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/writing/letter/interpreter.html
Thank you Elise for your words!
_
_______
Below are statements regarding interpreters/interpreting from a deaf friend.
Please understand that my experience with interpreters
DOES NOT speak for all deaf opinions. Like relay
operators, you have your good ones- you have your bad
ones. Have you talk to deaf people on relay Carlos?
I really feel you need to do this to experience this
aspect of our culture. And as interpreter, you WILL
be using relay with clients.
Interpreters, I have three big complaints about SOME
(not all of them) 1) Although they are train in ASL
and some in PSE and SEE, I question some of their true
skills. I guess because of the lack of interpreters-
there is rush to get them working quick! Plus like
you say before of your teacher- some ASL teachers
don’t care about their profession and it shows in
their teaching. I have had instances where I have
been in meetings or group activities where more than
one person talks at once, and interpreters leave out
what others add, people’s comments. I only know this
because I either lip read something they don’t sign,
or because a response from speaker does not make sense
base on what he just say. So I figure- someone must
have asks them a question. Jokes, etc that are made-
that interpreters THINK may not translate well (deafie
vs hearie jargin) so they don’t tell you, or it’s
modify. I have had interpreters take “pauses” in the
middle of speeches, and completely stop interpret. Or
they will sign, “question from the audience” and not
interpret the question!! GRRRRRR!!!!
2) Also, yes I know there are some big words/terms
that are no signs for, but there are some terms that I
would expect a qualify interpreter know the signs for
and they are instead fingerspell words. I notice that
with a lot of new tech. terms. I sign to an
interpreter after a function “Do you know e-mail
address for information?” She did not know the sign
for “e-mail” that I was use. And I repeat the phrase
over a few times. So finally, I fingerspell
e-m-a-i-l. This was about two years ago.
Interpreters need to stay update with new signs in our
community.
3) I have MANY hearing friends who were deaf studies
majors or sign language majors. For those that were
sign majors- I was really disappoint with their
“exposure to deaf culture”. Now for some, they either
were in program because of deaf sibling, parents, or
friends. But for those that had no deaf people in
their life that lead them to the career choice, I
worry for them. I ask my friends about how they would
learn deaf culture. They had to go to three deaf
events a semester. Just three, Carlos. They could
include a movie about deaf, a captioned movie, etc.
I’m sorry but watch a movie and going to a movie where
it’s dark and YOU DON’T SIGN or interact with others
is stupid!!!! That’s not exposure to deaf culture. I
would LOVE for hearie students of sign to go to deafie
happy hours. That is TOTAL deaf culture, Carlos!!! We
laugh, tell jokes, catch up on current events, deaf
community, and talk of hearies. It is raw deaf world,
Carlos. I think every interpreter student should go
to a big deaf event and see what it’s like to be
outsider. TO feel left out. The scene in Children of
A Lesser God- where they go to deaf party. And the
two hearies stand in the kitchen- confused and
isolated. I love that scene. I have even question
some of my friends classmates about deaf issues. Many
of them did not know about CI’s, etc. Do you feel you
are learn a lot about deafness in your class, Carlos?
You need to get in with deaf culture. PLEASE ask me
anything about deafness, culture, anything!
Interpreters need to be surround by deafness, and know
their client. And I’m sorry if this sounds rude- but
deaf culture should be teach from the deaf, not from a
hearing person who does not know our culture- that
learns it from a book.
It’s like calling an American “Mexican” restaurant-
“authentic”. Don’t get me started Carlos… grrr….
If you do become an interpreter Carlos- remember that
deaf feel isolate in classes, etc because of
communication differences. Take the time to speak to
the people you interpret for, ask them afterwards if
they understand, or if are any questions. Don’t
assume. Watch their expressions, if they seem
confuse- address it at the end of signing. Get them
involve with the group. I take a class at hearing
school one summer, and need an interpreter. I feel so
detach from the class.
http://www.theinterpretersfriend.com/
http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/writing/letter/interpreter.html
Thank you Elise for your words!
_
