ASL class and Deaf Culture classes

[dereksbicycles]

I had an interesting video chat with 2 ASL students. One of them went to a school that offered ASL 1-4. That school also offered Deaf Culture class. Other school only offered ASL 1-2 and did not offer a Deaf Culture class. It makes me wonder about other schools. DO you think that schools that offers ASL classes should offer Deaf Culture class?

 

[dogmom]

I've taken ASL classes and the classes that were taught by Deaf automatically and from the beginning - included Deaf culture.
Examples: bluntness- my teacher for her, said use of "hearing impaired" like use of N-word....I brought up audism last week in my current class and teacher had discussed with hearing about it, showed film where Deaf adults discussed experiences and identity. She said to the students - you like to be Deaf or hearing? I said- nothing wrong with being d/Deaf.
We also talked about Deaf schools as well as she gave various examples of how are other blunt-related differences hearing /Deaf. Most if not all the other students are new to the majority of info. she presented. I'm very happy I have learned about many things before, because I've been on this forum and also had experiences with Deaf friends.

Took class taught by hearing man in college that sucked. All about - learn this sign for that word.... "Sign a song" kind thing.

I think culture and the language are all together and should not be separated.

 

[Reba]

...I think culture and the language are all together and should not be separated.

Exactly. I think cultural information should be included in language classes.

The only reason for a separate culture class is perhaps to do some real in-depth study and reading about the culture that goes beyond basic instruction.

I also enjoy ASL classes where guest lecturers from the deaf community are invited in to tell their life stories or present deaf story telling and poetry. It also helps the students see that there is variety is signing styles (don't get stuck in the "my teacher signs it this way" syndrome).

 

[Stakie]

ASL class should be the same as any other language class, you learn about the culture from hence it came along with the actual language.

 

[honey.toronto]

The program metalangel and I just graduated from included a course in Deaf Culture, where we discussed Deaf arts, services, accessibility,Audism, and about being allies within the Deaf world. We also had a couple of different guest speakers: one from the Canadian Hearing Society, about assistive devices like flashing alarms; the other was a man with Usher's Syndrome, who also teaches a class in the college's Deaf-Blind Intervenor program.
I think it might have been my favourite class in the whole program, our instructor was really engaging, and presented the information in class well.

 

[mncopeland1]

I think it is important to have a combination of learning the language and the culture. I was taught by a deaf teacher and so I learned both. One thing I learned from him was that he was straight forward or blunt. In the hearing society, he would have probably been considered rude, but with what he taught us about the community that he grew up in, it was easy to see that culture is totally different between deaf and hearing.

So basically, yes, I think there should be a deaf culture class as well as the sign language classes. My school offers ASL 1-3, we tried to get a 4th class but not enough people requested it. It says my school offers Deaf Culture but I have never seen it available.