ASL as a second language II

[andrealynnj]

(I posted this in General, and repeat it here in the hopes of reaching more folks)


I am wondering whether I can learn ASL to any proficiency.

I sat and watched a conversation between two Deaf mothers about the rash or one mother's 9 month old baby. I caught little snippits of the conversation, but only enough to know they hadn't changed the subject. I remember having a similar experience my first weekend of my year in Honduras. It was only after living a year completely immersed in the language and with no recourse to people speaking english did I emerge fluent. I have had very few oppotunities in my life to interact with Deaf people. How can I achieve even proficiency in ASL when I have so few opportunities interact with Deaf people? How can I help my daughter to proficiency without consistent exposure to people who are at least skilled signers?

Can people who learned ASL as adults and achieved proficiency in the language share some thoughts? Also, I would love to hear the thoughts of parents for whom learning ASL is more than just a transition to when their child learns speech?

[aligreat]

Short answer: Yes, you can learn ASL fluently. For the long answer read on...

I have known adults who learned ASL so well that you would think that they are Deaf. One time I was at Barnes and Noble ASL story time, and my jaw dropped when this one man started talking to me. He signed so well that I thought he was Deaf. One ASL teacher that I know learned ASL because he had a deaf girlfriend. The only way you would suspect that he is hearing is that he doesn't make the little noises that most deaf people make, simply because they can't hear themselves making them.

When I was taking ASL as my foreign language for my BS degree 15 years ago I met a woman, who signed fluently. There were a few students who were trying to figure out if she was hearing or Deaf. She started laughing at us, and I signed "YOU HEARING." She signed "WHY THINK THAT?" I replied "YOU LAUGH HEARING." She got upset and spoke for emphasis saying, "Deaf people laugh!" I replied, "You laugh like someone who has heard herself laugh. It is more controlled. I wish I could laugh as freely as a deaf person."

Most ASL classes require students to attend a deaf event. If you actually use your sign you will learn more easily. I don't know if this event is still repeating, but there was a Deaf Coffee Social on the 1st & 3rd Fridays of the month at the Starbucks at 2727 Mariposa St (between 17th & 18th) in San Francisco. I take my little ones to the Coffee Social on Tuesdays in Martinez. (The staff at Starbucks will usually give me a cup of whipcream to feed the girls.) Barnes & Noble on Mowry in Fremont has ASL story time the first Wednesday of each month, and my little ones love it. This month at the Barnes and Noble in San Jose they are starting to have ASL story time the 2nd Wednesday of each month.

Gallaudet University has intensive courses over the summer so that you can get the "immersion" experience with ASL. The university I attended (in Utah) has foreign language houses to give you the study abroad experience here in the US. They added ASL after I was finished. :(

Your monthly brunches are an excellent place to start. You seem to already know several deaf people. Ask them about events they attend. There is also a yahoo group called something like Deaf California News. If that's not it let me know, and I can look it up for you.

Hope this helps. ;)

[andrealynnj]

Short answer: Yes, you can learn ASL fluently. For the long answer read on...
[omitted]
Hope this helps. ;)

Yes it does.

Thank you for your encouraging answer to my post re ASL as a second language. I was feeling frusterated and wondering whether my attempts to learn ASL were rational. Not many people in my friends of family (OK none) really understand why I am doing what I am doing. I guess I don't either. I only know I am happy doing it.

Thank you. I will persist. That is what this forum is great for, I guess. Encouragement, advice, companionship.

Thank you.

[aligreat]

Ironically enough, my family was not supportive of me learning ASL 15 years ago. Growing up in California, the most logical foreign language to take is Spanish, which I took in high school. My parents thought that I was wasting my time learning ASL when I didn't even know anyone who was deaf. After Cassia was born it became apparent that I had done the right thing. Now my parents, sister, and husband are all taking ASL classes. I just wish that I had kept up with my signing for all of those years. It is frustrating when I know that somewhere in my little brain is the vocabulary I need to communicate something, but I just can't remember it. However, I have found that the more I sign the more I remember. When I first met my husband's ASL teacher, he asked me if I was deaf. I took that as a compliment.

Keep up the good work. You never know whose life you might touch...or who might touch yours.