American Sign Language

[Blabj]

Do English Sign Language speakers (users?) get the upper hand because they sign all the U's in words and use S where appropriate instead of Z?

I might learn ESL :D

[Telamond]

It's very seldom that people sign each letter in the alphabet when they speak. Usually it's words or shortened sentences (a bit like 13-year old on AOL). My bf usually signs with his sister, their signs are sometimes confusing because they've got their own signed vocabulary that they use when signing.

Or did you mean SEE (signed exact english)? Where you sign the english spoken grammar?

But ESL is usually used for English as Second Language. ^^;

[Aerides]

Honestly, I would suggest just enrolling in a couple of ASL courses at your local community college.

After the first half of this thread, I read this as "I would suggest trolling a couple of courses..."

[Norellicus]

Blarg you are the most inconsiderate person ever. I hope you get deafed and then you'll understand how they feel like. Fuck your dad.

[Zansho]

you should get a cochlear implant

Spoiler: show

http://i44.tinypic.com/14tbfjn.jpg

Cochlear implants are amazing, to be sure. For a select few individuals, they can work wonders and change their lives for the better. But they're not a magic bullet that will cure deafness. In fact, the majority of the deaf community shun those things, as we view it as the "hearing" attempt to fix something that is in no need of being fixed. We view deafness as something that's normal, and we have a language that gives us our culture, shared experiences and common backgrounds. Cochlear implants is an affront to all of that.

One of the things that pisses me off to no end is when parents put cochlear implants into BABIES. That's not fair to the child, as he/she has no say in what happens to them and it simply cannot be undone. Perhaps if the child was somewhat older and capable of sentient thought - sure, let them make that decision for themselves, as they will be the ones to live with that thing for the rest of their lives. Additionally, they'll be viewed as outcasts by both communities - not really accepted by the hearing community because of that device protruding out of their skull, and not really accepted by the deaf community for the same reason, but also for the "attempted fix."

Let's try it the other way. Suppose that a deaf couple have a hearing child, and they're upset and torn and want their child to be like them. What would be YOUR thoughts, if you found out this couple had the doctor perform a surgery that made the baby lose their hearing? That's how we deaf feel about cochlear implants.

[Cyn]

Yes but... life without music.. is no life at all....

Do you have sign language music?

[Zansho]

lol, yeah. It's kind of interesting really, there are some "ASL" rappers, you'd have to search around on google to find them, but they're out there.

And it's dead useful being deaf. I can feign ignorance to a cop and get off getting a speeding ticket. Once, I did 95 on a 65 MPH zone, the cop pulled me over (and I was on highway labeled 95) and I basically signed that I thought the highway sign was the posted speed limit. The sign was even visible when he pulled me over, lol.

[Jodwahh]

Let's try it the other way. Suppose that a deaf couple have a hearing child, and they're upset and torn and want their child to be like them. What would be YOUR thoughts, if you found out this couple had the doctor perform a surgery that made the baby lose their hearing? That's how we deaf feel about cochlear implants.

Holy fucking what.

[archibaldcrane]

Deaf community members crying about people trying to give people the gift of limited hearing via cochlear implants makes me rage so fucking hard.

Deaf isn't normal. It is a disability. It's not wrong to help people gain limited hearing and allow them to participate more fully in hearing society. Deaf people who shun other deaf people with cochlear implants should be executed.

I hope I'm making my point loudly enough.

[tyven]

ITT people that are too good to hear

[Day]

what you say tyven?

[guartz]

Sounds like something from a D&D campaign.

"You cast mass restoration and cure the village of deafness"

"Suddenly, the priest from the temple of the Deaf Ear runs out, screaming at you"

"Defilers! You have corrupted our holy being with your vile magics"

Roll initiative.

[Seraph]

This is as stupid as people in slums hating on those who choose to get an education. Fucking forbid a person might actually want to expand their horizons and be able to hear and use ASL.

[Kaisha]

Onto the actual subject (feels like that one episode of House all over again), is there much need to take a course on the language? Was looking at what my college offered, and they had A good 4 years worth of classes for it. I'm assuming that's for if one wanted to be fluent in it.

I just wouldn't mind the bare-jist for when I'm doing performances where speaking isn't appropriate.

[Jujubie]

It's really easy to learn. We taught our 2 year old to sign when she was like 6 months old. Nothing complicated, but she could tell us what she wanted and what not.

My daughter signing "more" when Daddy was feeding her Taco Bell nachos. Love when the little ones can communicate before they learn to speak.

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k...90425-1815.jpg

[Ryko]

My mother tried to get me to lose weight once, I took offense that she would be so unsupportive of my culture. Us knights of the kreme that is krispy will not be oppressed by you people.

[Zansho]

That's not the case. Cochlear implants RARELY work. They have something like a 15% success rate even with the best possible candidates, and doctors perform them for only one reason - money. A cochlear implant costs in excess of 100k, PER ear.

And before you go on about being normal, hearing with a cochlear implant IS NOT normal hearing. It's completely different than how you or anyone else hears, and having a magnet with wires and whatnot sticking out of your skull is "normal?" Don't kid yourselves, you'll still be thinking of that person with a cochlear implant as disabled, regardless of how well he/she hears.

And that "holy fucking what?!" response I got a few posts back is exactly the response I wanted. I wanted to make you guys think about the other side of the coin, instead of being so closed minded and assume anyone who does not think or feel like you do must be an abomination. Take a class on Deaf Culture sometime at your local community college, and you'll see why.


@ the person who thinks deafness is a disability - I can't speak for others in the Deaf community, but I certainly don't consider myself disabled. I have my own business, live pretty well, and have a robust method of communication that allows me to express myself in ways YOU wouldn't think is possible. Technology is a wondeful thing. Just because someone isn't like you, doesn't mean they're disabled, you're just too blind to see past your own shortcomings.

[Woozie]

My school wont let me graduate until I take 2 years of ASL (because I didn't take a language in high school and I keep dropping out of every single language class I try in college), so right now my 3 year old god-daughter is tutoring me so that I'll be ready in the fall.

[Dimmauk]

My school wont let me graduate until I take 2 years of ASL (because I didn't take a language in high school and I keep dropping out of every single language class I try in college), so right now my 3 year old god-daughter is tutoring me so that I'll be ready in the fall.

Take Ebonics. Its like when I took Spanish. I still failed that class though. FML.

[Correction]

Just because someone isn't like you, doesn't mean they're disabled, you're just too blind to see past your own shortcomings.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2rom5g7.jpg