ASL or ESL?

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millythekid

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So, I enrolled in a class (the closest one I could find to my location) for sign language. But today I found out that the teacher doesn't teach ASL and that she mostly teaches signed English for the purpose of helping children who can't communicate and for special needs. Not so much for the deaf community. The class is out of state for me and it will cost around $400 to take it. She said she suggests me taking it anyway but I really want to learn ASL first. What does the Deaf community think?

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As a hearing person who has experienced instruction in both ASL and signed English (it's not called ESL), I strongly recommend you hold out for an ASL class. If you learn signed English first you'll have to "unlearn" it when you take up ASL. It's a lot harder that way.

In interpreter training, we learn all the levels of ASL before we learn English signing and transliteration.
 
Yeah, it's not called ESL. That may have been the teacher's choice to call it that. It sounds an awful lot like SEE (Signed Exact English). This won't work well with ASL and it seems like a wasted $400, IMO. (And, really, $400? That's A LOT!)
 
I thought that seemed odd she was calling it that. She was an older woman and said she has been doing this for years and quit teaching ASL because it's not as practical as signed English.

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And yeah, $400 seemed like a helluva lot to me too

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I'm having am extremely difficult time finding anyone that can teach me ASL other than the Internet. And as awesome as Internet is I need someone in front of me instructing me.

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millythekid said:
I'm having am extremely difficult time finding anyone that can teach me ASL other than the Internet. And as awesome as Internet is I need someone in front of me instructing me.

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Who are you going to use it with once you learn it?
 
millythekid said:
I thought that seemed odd she was calling it that. She was an older woman and said she has been doing this for years and quit teaching ASL because it's not as practical as signed English.

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Red flag!
 
millythekid said:
And yeah, $400 seemed like a helluva lot to me too

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I took my classes in college, and they weren't any where near that expensive. The books are expensive.
 
Thank you all for your help. My family is going to be Learning with me so that they can communicate with me since my hearing is nearly gone. I have SSD but my good ear is failing.
The books she used were like ten bucks. For a course that expensive seemed so odd to me. I'm glad I didn't go through with it. I would have had to drive an hour every Tuesday to get to the class too.

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Plus, my hearing loss is genetic and my doctor said it was likely my children will be hard of hearing. I want to be able to communicate with them, when I have children that is.

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I've had Deaf teachers for my ASL classes and one <first "sign language" class> Hearing teacher for what turned out to be more PSE/signed English....Deaf with ASL was much more valuable.
 
It seems like it would be more valuable that way, signed English just seems like it used for small children who can't speak yet. I did find a girl who went to school to be an ASL interpreter, unfortunately she is moving but she said she would ask her friends (who graduated with the same degree) if they would be will to help me.

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I prefer ASL better than SEE (Signed Exact English). Sometimes, I used SEE when I am talking to myself when I am reading articles or comments on Facebook. But when I am with Deaf people, I signed ASL better than SEE. :)
 
Save your loot snd ssve your time...dont bother eith that esl, or what ever it is that lady pushes...
Its rather clear by what she told you she doesnt know what the hell shes on about, and is just biased.
ASL kid, thats what you need.
Stick around here and youll catch someone to help you...
But do yourself a favor and ditch that lady faster rhen a bad habit....
ASL will set you free girl.....
 
So, going by your location you're in Joplin, Missouri? I looked around. This independent living center offered sign langage classes at one time, it may still offer them http://www.ilcenter.org/contact.html You can email them and also see if they can give you leads.

http://dagswmo.webs.com/ This place is a little more than an hour away from you, it's a deaf awareness group that teaches sign language. You can probably either take their lessons or contact them about finding classes closer to you

There are other options that I found online, you just have to look through them all to see what's real and what's just found by a bot.
 
millythekid said:
So, I enrolled in a class (the closest one I could find to my location) for sign language. But today I found out that the teacher doesn't teach ASL and that she mostly teaches signed English for the purpose of helping children who can't communicate and for special needs. Not so much for the deaf community. The class is out of state for me and it will cost around $400 to take it. She said she suggests me taking it anyway but I really want to learn ASL first. What does the Deaf community think?

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Click to expand...

where did you met teacher who teach SEE or English sign language? Is she working for school district or she was former of school district staff?
 
She works at a community college in my old home town. About 45 minutes away from my house.

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