Advice.

bianca

bianca

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I am new to the deaf community and i would like to get more active in it also. I am currently taking an ASL 1 interpreting course in college. I am a very shy person first of all and of course find it even harder to communicate with deaf people. I know a bit of ASL but I am so nervous to try them out for the first time. I am going to my first deaf chat at starbucks pretty soon and I would like a bit of advice from anyone who has been to one of these events. thank you!
 
that's not such a bad idea
buuut, I don't wanna forget the signs I do know :P
thank you!
 
For your first couple of deaf coffee chats, it is best observe for a while, but do practice how to introduce yourself and say hi! My advice to you: Don't tune out, just because you can't follow the signs....there is more to sign language than just the signs themselves. Facial expressions and body language and other people's reactions tell a lot.
Practice reading those. You will be surprised how much you can pick up. Take a notebook and pen with you too. Then as you gather confidence from getting to know people you can begin to use signs that you know and gradually build up your fluency.

Practice finger spelling - by finger-spelling every word you see. Fingerspelling can be quite daunting to follow at first.
 
BecLak said:
For your first couple of deaf coffee chats, it is best observe for a while, but do practice how to introduce yourself and say hi! My advice to you: Don't tune out, just because you can't follow the signs....there is more to sign language than just the signs themselves. Facial expressions and body language and other people's reactions tell a lot.
Practice reading those. You will be surprised how much you can pick up. Take a notebook and pen with you too. Then as you gather confidence from getting to know people you can begin to use signs that you know and gradually build up your fluency.

Practice finger spelling - by finger-spelling every word you see. Fingerspelling can be quite daunting to follow at first.
Click to expand...

Good advice, but I hate finger spelling! :aw:
 
i am sure someone will try talking with you. sign at your own pace. i have been to deaf chats at coffee places or restaurants. don't get discouraged if you are not involved right away.sometimes the deaf just like to talk with someone proficient in signs because they don't get the chance to meet people.
so, sit back and absorb as much as you can. in time you will pick up more signs and then be more involved.
there are deaf, such as myself, who appreciate hearing people who want to learn sign and be friends with deaf.
what college are you going to for training? there are sometimes people dropping in here who are looking for colleges that have terp training.
 
BecLak said:
For your first couple of deaf coffee chats, it is best observe for a while, but do practice how to introduce yourself and say hi! My advice to you: Don't tune out, just because you can't follow the signs....there is more to sign language than just the signs themselves. Facial expressions and body language and other people's reactions tell a lot.
Practice reading those. You will be surprised how much you can pick up. Take a notebook and pen with you too. Then as you gather confidence from getting to know people you can begin to use signs that you know and gradually build up your fluency.

Practice finger spelling - by finger-spelling every word you see. Fingerspelling can be quite daunting to follow at first.
Click to expand...

wow, thank you that is wonderful advice! that really cleared the idea up for me, and now i actually feel a little less nervous. :ty:
 
DDU said:
i am sure someone will try talking with you. sign at your own pace. i have been to deaf chats at coffee places or restaurants. don't get discouraged if you are not involved right away.sometimes the deaf just like to talk with someone proficient in signs because they don't get the chance to meet people.
so, sit back and absorb as much as you can. in time you will pick up more signs and then be more involved.
there are deaf, such as myself, who appreciate hearing people who want to learn sign and be friends with deaf.
what college are you going to for training? there are sometimes people dropping in here who are looking for colleges that have terp training.
Click to expand...

Great advice also DDU, i really appreciate it! i will probably take a friend from class to join me so can both learn and also that way I'm not just sitting alone lookin like a creep. :eek3:
I am going to a community college in San Antonio.
 
I'm still very slow at reading and doing finger spelling, but i really admire those who can do it so fast and read it just as fast. i will get there soon, i hope
 
My advice? Try and explain, in writing like BecLak suggested, that you are a new student of ASL. In my experience most deaf or HOH people will try to accommodate you as much as possible.
Some of my first conversation at a deaf chat was me signing: "Hi, my name Juli. I shy, new student ASL." Most understood and were happy to help.
 
there are a bunch of texas deaf posting here on AD. keep on posting and joining in on the threads and you will get be making friends before you know it. if you plan on being a terp you are gonna be going against your shyness :shock:
but i used to hang out with students in a terp program in an east coast school and they were like you. shy at first but then got along. it can be a good community you join as a terp. but with the drama you get involved with at times maybe you can also major in theater? :giggle:
 
hahaha thank you very much DDU and Juli. I will most definitely have a pen and paper with me just incase. BecLak, i thought i had posted a reply to your wonderful advice but i don't know what happened to it. I guess it just disappeared?? But your advice really cleared things up for me and i actually feel less nervous now because of it! The whole body language and facial expression thing is something i am working very hard on. i had no clue that ASL required so much expression! i am a person who shows very little of it and when i do it seems to get miss read a lot. A drama course is actually required in the terp training lol. and oooh man am i dreading it!
 
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