Chapter Seven
One of the most common questions I am asked is regarding name signs. What is a name sign? and how does one receive one? From my understanding, a name sign is a sign that represents you in the Deaf Community. It is appointed to you by a member of the Deaf Community and based on one of your physical characteristics or personality traits.
For example, one of my professors name sign was the "m" hand shape to her cheek. The reason this was chosen as her name sign is because her first name began with an m and she had very rosy cheeks.
I find it interesting how you cannot decide your own name sign but one has to be given to you. It is a sign of respect and when you are given one by a member of the Deaf Community it is a sign that you are part of a community and in essence a brotherhood.
What do you think your name sign would be?
Until next time...Happy Signing Everyone!!
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Friday, April 3, 2015
Chapter Six
Chapter Six
I am constantly amazed at what an expressive language American Sign Language is. Not only does it act as a wonderful way for people of all walks of life to communicate with one another bur it also serves as one of the most beautiful forms of performance art I have ever seen.
Simply by using facial expressions, body language and hand gestures (e.g. signs) one can convey any meaning or message they like. Seeing a story signed and or performed in American Sign Language (ASL) is one of the greatest forms of expression that has come out of this beautiful language, in my opinion.
As the final exam in one of my ASL classes, my fellow classmates and I had the opportunity to sign individual stories to one another and what an experience that was. We had about a month to prepare our stories and on the day of the final exam our professor would video tape them as they were performed on stage in the auditorium.
I truly enjoyed signing my story in front of my fellow classmates. I have always had a passion for performing so when it came time for this I found myself immersed in the process. Our professor encouraged us to become each character, through the facial expressions we picked, the signs we used even the space in which we took up.
You see, without putting emphasis on facial expressions and the meaning behind how each of the signs is expressed there would be no connection as to what was being expressed through ASL. It's similar to how in English we put punctuation on certain words or phrases.
The next time you see someone signing, take a moment to think about the amount of work and preparation it took to get their point across.
Until next time....Happy Signing Everyone!
I am constantly amazed at what an expressive language American Sign Language is. Not only does it act as a wonderful way for people of all walks of life to communicate with one another bur it also serves as one of the most beautiful forms of performance art I have ever seen.
Simply by using facial expressions, body language and hand gestures (e.g. signs) one can convey any meaning or message they like. Seeing a story signed and or performed in American Sign Language (ASL) is one of the greatest forms of expression that has come out of this beautiful language, in my opinion.
As the final exam in one of my ASL classes, my fellow classmates and I had the opportunity to sign individual stories to one another and what an experience that was. We had about a month to prepare our stories and on the day of the final exam our professor would video tape them as they were performed on stage in the auditorium.
I truly enjoyed signing my story in front of my fellow classmates. I have always had a passion for performing so when it came time for this I found myself immersed in the process. Our professor encouraged us to become each character, through the facial expressions we picked, the signs we used even the space in which we took up.
You see, without putting emphasis on facial expressions and the meaning behind how each of the signs is expressed there would be no connection as to what was being expressed through ASL. It's similar to how in English we put punctuation on certain words or phrases.
The next time you see someone signing, take a moment to think about the amount of work and preparation it took to get their point across.
Until next time....Happy Signing Everyone!
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Chapter Five
Chapter Five
Whether you are new to sign language or not one of the best ways to practice your skills is to find ways to completely immerse yourself in the language. Whether it be by going to Deaf events, attending classes or even something as simple as watching ASL videos on the internet. No matter which of these you choose, the more practice and experience you have the better of you will be, especially if you want to become an interpreter.
I am reminded of the first ASL immersion night I attended which was quite a fun experience and an eye opening one as well. The event was held at the college I had been attending and on the night of the event a crowd of people stood outside the door waiting to go in. The room was set up with tables with signs taped to the front with words like "cafe", "grocery store", or "bank" to symbolize the local places you frequent every day and our professors or members of the Deaf community would be behind each table pretending to be the employees of each establishment.
This was a voices off event, which meant that when it was your turn to walk up to each of these tables, the professor or member of the Deaf community would ask you a question in sign language such as "can I help you?" and you were to sign to them an answer that was clear and concise in order for them to understand.
This was quite a challenge for me, especially since at this time I was still a novice signer and my skills or better yet my confidence was not at a place where I felt comfortable in this situation at all. However, as the evening progressed and I continued through each one of the exercises that were presented I found myself feeling very proud and happy that I had decided to attend.
ASL Immersion events are probably one of the best things you can attend in order to practice your skills as a signer as well as give you a glimpse into a silent world that people in the Deaf community live in every day which turns out to be not so silent after all.
Until next time....happy signing everyone!
Whether you are new to sign language or not one of the best ways to practice your skills is to find ways to completely immerse yourself in the language. Whether it be by going to Deaf events, attending classes or even something as simple as watching ASL videos on the internet. No matter which of these you choose, the more practice and experience you have the better of you will be, especially if you want to become an interpreter.
I am reminded of the first ASL immersion night I attended which was quite a fun experience and an eye opening one as well. The event was held at the college I had been attending and on the night of the event a crowd of people stood outside the door waiting to go in. The room was set up with tables with signs taped to the front with words like "cafe", "grocery store", or "bank" to symbolize the local places you frequent every day and our professors or members of the Deaf community would be behind each table pretending to be the employees of each establishment.
This was a voices off event, which meant that when it was your turn to walk up to each of these tables, the professor or member of the Deaf community would ask you a question in sign language such as "can I help you?" and you were to sign to them an answer that was clear and concise in order for them to understand.
This was quite a challenge for me, especially since at this time I was still a novice signer and my skills or better yet my confidence was not at a place where I felt comfortable in this situation at all. However, as the evening progressed and I continued through each one of the exercises that were presented I found myself feeling very proud and happy that I had decided to attend.
ASL Immersion events are probably one of the best things you can attend in order to practice your skills as a signer as well as give you a glimpse into a silent world that people in the Deaf community live in every day which turns out to be not so silent after all.
Until next time....happy signing everyone!
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Chapter Four
Chapter Four
The very first Deaf event I ever attended was a very interesting experience. It was to be held at one of the local pizza places in the area and a few of my classmates and I were eager to attend. Our professor had explained to us earlier that having experience in the Deaf Community not only would make us better signers but it would provide us with an opportunity to learn from a wonderful group of people so off we went.
When we arrived at the event, and approached the table where the group had been situated I found myself feeling like I had butterflies in my stomach. Seeing the sheer speed in which some were signing made me feel very intimidated. How did they learn how to sign that fast? Would I ever be able to sign at that speed? What if noone understood me when I signed? After all, I was still a novice signer at this point and my interactions with Deaf people were few and far between.
Then again, my comfort zone had been tested ever since I started in this major so why should this time be any different? And, how did I expect to grow as a signer or even as a person if I didn't do things outside of my comfort zone every once and awhile?
This in mind, I found myself loosening up quite a bit and the evening turned out to be a lot of fun. Looking back on this event, I am extremely glad that I went because it was an experience I will never forget and one I am very glad that I had.
If you are considering learning sign language or becoming an interpreter please keep this in mind. The more experience you have in the Deaf Community not only will help you achieve either one of these goals by helping you practice your skills but it will also give you a chance to meet and interact with an amazing group of people that you may not have had the chance to meet anywhere else.
Until next time...happy signing!
The very first Deaf event I ever attended was a very interesting experience. It was to be held at one of the local pizza places in the area and a few of my classmates and I were eager to attend. Our professor had explained to us earlier that having experience in the Deaf Community not only would make us better signers but it would provide us with an opportunity to learn from a wonderful group of people so off we went.
When we arrived at the event, and approached the table where the group had been situated I found myself feeling like I had butterflies in my stomach. Seeing the sheer speed in which some were signing made me feel very intimidated. How did they learn how to sign that fast? Would I ever be able to sign at that speed? What if noone understood me when I signed? After all, I was still a novice signer at this point and my interactions with Deaf people were few and far between.
Then again, my comfort zone had been tested ever since I started in this major so why should this time be any different? And, how did I expect to grow as a signer or even as a person if I didn't do things outside of my comfort zone every once and awhile?
This in mind, I found myself loosening up quite a bit and the evening turned out to be a lot of fun. Looking back on this event, I am extremely glad that I went because it was an experience I will never forget and one I am very glad that I had.
If you are considering learning sign language or becoming an interpreter please keep this in mind. The more experience you have in the Deaf Community not only will help you achieve either one of these goals by helping you practice your skills but it will also give you a chance to meet and interact with an amazing group of people that you may not have had the chance to meet anywhere else.
Until next time...happy signing!
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Chapter Three
Chapter Three
As the semester went on and we delved deeper into this beautiful language something became very clear to me. This class was a wonderful example of a group of people coming together for a common purpose to achieve a common goal. Every week for twice a week we would come together for two hours to learn how to communicate using a language that has come to have meaning for so many people.
Plus, while working towards this goal we were all having fun in the process and there is a lot of beauty in that.
As the semester went on, the nervousness that I had felt in the beginning seemed to have melted away and I found myself amazed. I never thought I would have the opportunity to learn ASL let alone be going to school for it while getting to meet others who were doing the same thing.
I am very happy to have had that opportunity and the fact that it was a stepping stone towards what I am able to do now is something that I will always be grateful for.
Until next time...Happy Signing!
As the semester went on and we delved deeper into this beautiful language something became very clear to me. This class was a wonderful example of a group of people coming together for a common purpose to achieve a common goal. Every week for twice a week we would come together for two hours to learn how to communicate using a language that has come to have meaning for so many people.
Plus, while working towards this goal we were all having fun in the process and there is a lot of beauty in that.
As the semester went on, the nervousness that I had felt in the beginning seemed to have melted away and I found myself amazed. I never thought I would have the opportunity to learn ASL let alone be going to school for it while getting to meet others who were doing the same thing.
I am very happy to have had that opportunity and the fact that it was a stepping stone towards what I am able to do now is something that I will always be grateful for.
Until next time...Happy Signing!
Monday, March 30, 2015
Chapter Two
Chapter Two
I am reminded of the first time I walked through the door of my very first ASL class, There was an excitement in the air as I took my seat and looked around the room at my fellow classmates who were waiting for the professor to arrive. They all had the same look of joy on their faces while whispering quietly to each other.
What would this semester be like? What would the professor be like? The answers to these questions would soon be answered as a few short moments later two women walked into the room, one dressed in black, the other in casual attire. They both stood to face us while introducing themselves as our professor and the interpreter she would be using for the duration of today's class.
As I watched the exchange between the two of them I found myself feeling nervous. Would I be able to sign as fast as the interpreter? How long would it take for me to become fluent in this language? Even though it was only the first day of class, all of these questions were swimming through my mind like a strong ocean current that I wished would cease and desist.
Thankfully, as the class went underway the sun broke through in my mind and I began to fully enjoy what I was doing and as a result began to soak up every ounce of this language that I had only begun to learn.
People always ask me how long does it usually take to learn ASL? To be honest, everyone is different but if you are passionate about this language and if you are having fun as you learn then my answer would be, no time at all =)
Until next time....Happy Signing Everyone!
I am reminded of the first time I walked through the door of my very first ASL class, There was an excitement in the air as I took my seat and looked around the room at my fellow classmates who were waiting for the professor to arrive. They all had the same look of joy on their faces while whispering quietly to each other.
What would this semester be like? What would the professor be like? The answers to these questions would soon be answered as a few short moments later two women walked into the room, one dressed in black, the other in casual attire. They both stood to face us while introducing themselves as our professor and the interpreter she would be using for the duration of today's class.
As I watched the exchange between the two of them I found myself feeling nervous. Would I be able to sign as fast as the interpreter? How long would it take for me to become fluent in this language? Even though it was only the first day of class, all of these questions were swimming through my mind like a strong ocean current that I wished would cease and desist.
Thankfully, as the class went underway the sun broke through in my mind and I began to fully enjoy what I was doing and as a result began to soak up every ounce of this language that I had only begun to learn.
People always ask me how long does it usually take to learn ASL? To be honest, everyone is different but if you are passionate about this language and if you are having fun as you learn then my answer would be, no time at all =)
Until next time....Happy Signing Everyone!
Sunday, March 29, 2015
"An Untitled Journey" Chapter One
"An Untitled Journey"
Chapter One
I have always wanted to write a book but to be honest I never knew what I would write about or even whether people would read it. Then today an idea struck me. What if I started to write this just for the soul purpose of enjoying it. What if I began writing simply to see where my thoughts take me and in so doing perhaps the book would effortlessly write itself?
With this in mind let us begin on this journey together shall we? Okay.
Both my grandmother and great grandmother were both deaf and as a young child I always had the desire to communicate with them. That's why when it came time to decide what I wanted to do after graduating from high school majoring in Sign Language Interpretation seemed like the logical fit. Of course, that's not what I wanted to do in the beginning....
Allow me to explain, I come from a very musical family. Both my father and eldest brother played guitar and were gracious enough to teach me how to play at a very young age I even had the chance to write and perform a song with my father which is one of the proudest accomplishments of my life and I am very grateful to have had that experience with him which is why after graduating from high school I wanted to go to school for music.
However, the colleges in the local area only had majors in music education and since my heart was into the performance aspect of the art form and not the teaching of music, that made that decision easy for me. It was only after that that I remembered being in eighth grade learning sign language from an interpreter who had been working with a deaf student in our class.
Every day at recess I would see them communicating to each other through sign and so one day I mustered up enough courage to ask the interpreter what they were doing. She intern was kind enough to teach me a few signs and thus my fascination, passion and love for sign language began.
I never thought that that moment would be the catalyst towards helping me decide the path I would take in my professional life. I remember thinking this when I walked into meet my college professor for the first time. It hadn't dawned on me at the time that he would be Deaf. That's why it came as quite a shock when he started to move his hands in such a way that I had never seen before up until this point.
I had no knowledge of ASL at this point and found it hard to understand what he was trying to communicate to me. By the look on his face, I could see he was frustrated while looking around for an interpreter to help him speak with me. As I walked back to my car after the meeting had concluded, I knew that the sooner I began learning ASL the better.
I'll tell you more about that later....have a great day!
Happy Signing!
Chapter One
I have always wanted to write a book but to be honest I never knew what I would write about or even whether people would read it. Then today an idea struck me. What if I started to write this just for the soul purpose of enjoying it. What if I began writing simply to see where my thoughts take me and in so doing perhaps the book would effortlessly write itself?
With this in mind let us begin on this journey together shall we? Okay.
Both my grandmother and great grandmother were both deaf and as a young child I always had the desire to communicate with them. That's why when it came time to decide what I wanted to do after graduating from high school majoring in Sign Language Interpretation seemed like the logical fit. Of course, that's not what I wanted to do in the beginning....
Allow me to explain, I come from a very musical family. Both my father and eldest brother played guitar and were gracious enough to teach me how to play at a very young age I even had the chance to write and perform a song with my father which is one of the proudest accomplishments of my life and I am very grateful to have had that experience with him which is why after graduating from high school I wanted to go to school for music.
However, the colleges in the local area only had majors in music education and since my heart was into the performance aspect of the art form and not the teaching of music, that made that decision easy for me. It was only after that that I remembered being in eighth grade learning sign language from an interpreter who had been working with a deaf student in our class.
Every day at recess I would see them communicating to each other through sign and so one day I mustered up enough courage to ask the interpreter what they were doing. She intern was kind enough to teach me a few signs and thus my fascination, passion and love for sign language began.
I never thought that that moment would be the catalyst towards helping me decide the path I would take in my professional life. I remember thinking this when I walked into meet my college professor for the first time. It hadn't dawned on me at the time that he would be Deaf. That's why it came as quite a shock when he started to move his hands in such a way that I had never seen before up until this point.
I had no knowledge of ASL at this point and found it hard to understand what he was trying to communicate to me. By the look on his face, I could see he was frustrated while looking around for an interpreter to help him speak with me. As I walked back to my car after the meeting had concluded, I knew that the sooner I began learning ASL the better.
I'll tell you more about that later....have a great day!
Happy Signing!
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