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Good article.

That's not what the OP asked at all.

You're probably correct in saying that this is what "most people" do, which could explain why "most people" are not proficient in more than one language. The very best way to learn any language is through total immersion. The second best way is formal instruction with a native speaker/signer...

The opposite extreme is what my instructors referred to as "funeral lips", a rather morbid reference to how morticians will sew a cadaver's lips together to prevent the mouth from grotesquely hanging open during a viewing. You'll often see novice signers concentrating so hard that they press...

You can theoretically learn anything from a book, but you probably won't be very proficient at it without practice and instruction.

You'll find a wide variety of signing styles and techniques in the Deaf community. Some people use their mouths hardly at all (including a minimal use of adverbials or mouth morphemes), others will mouth specific words for clarity, and others will mouth (and even vocalize) entire sentences...

How is it that someone managed to send you a personal message in a language you don't understand and that you don't know anyone personally who can translate it for you? Sorry, but this doesn't pass the "sniff" test, if you know what I mean.

Well, yeah, but this thread has wandered a bit. :D

Sometimes it's more than just the individual making the decision. It's a question parents need to ask themselves. "Do I want my child in speech therapy because it's good for him, or because it's good for me?"

That was my first thought. It wouldn't be the first time a student tried to pull something like this.

I agree, so I wonder why you thought to give such a definitive answer?

I think one of the problems is that too many people assume this is always the correct answer.

Read up on current research by Dean and Pollard about the demand/control schema which speaks directly to issues like these. No one can say, "You should always do X when Y happens," because every situation has a unique constellation of demands. What may be appropriate and effective in one...

My wife and I were discussing this topic today, and she asked a very profound question: Who gets the most benefit from speech therapy, the deaf person, or everybody around him?

In a perfect world, speech therapy should not be necessary. Interpret that however you wish. ;)

That woman doesn't deserve to be called an interpreter.

I'll also say that if you've only been learning for a few years then you're still a beginner. General rule of thumb is that it takes at least 10-years of concerted effort to master a skill, so don't become frustrated if you don't sign like a native after a few years. For that matter, I've...

I very strongly advocate letting the child take the lead, or at least paying close attention to how the child responds when making these kinds of decisions. My son was in speech therapy for a few years and was getting nothing out of it. He could mimic sounds like "oo", "oh", "ah", etc. but he...

Tell me, have you met many hearing parents encountering a Deaf child for the first time? My son is Deaf, so I have a lot of experience in this area. Invariably the reaction is, "Ah, the poor thing." For that matter, even Deaf adults get this response. It's not the least unusual for hearing...

That's an intensely personal decision. If you think the benefits of clearer speech are worth the time and effort of speech therapy then by all means, keep at it. If you think it's a lot of hassle with little if any benefit then don't. It's all about weighing the costs versus the rewards...