That is interesting ASL communicates in "concepts" which are not translatable into English words either spoken/written. Yeah right- "advanced imaginary concepts" wholly circumscribed within ASL. Secret-no doubt. Silly question can this be the same in British Sign Language which appear to use English also?
What a discussion re Fingerspelling necessary? I know from the Introduction ASL book-just visual/spatial as it is not spoken or written just signed,What else could it be?
I have been involved with CHS since 1992-Hearing Help classes-as I have mentioned before. ASL was not a subject taken there.
Implanted Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07
Bill - while you may have not ELECTED to take ASL classes during your time taking various Hearing Help Classes, it's not as if CHS doesn't offer ASL classes, in fact they actaully encourage it. The way you repeated phase how you've taken many classes via CHS and NONE of them have involved ASL instruction seems to implicate that CHS somehow doesn't provide access to classes, or believe that ASL classes are valuable or important for individuals with all levels of hearing loss, which is actaully far from true.
This is directly from the
CHS website:
Have you always wanted to learn sign language? In North America the predominant language used by the Deaf community is American Sign Language (ASL).
CHS invites you to learn more about this rich, expressive language and the proud heritage of the Deaf community. Our ASL classes are taught by qualified Deaf instructors. From beginner to advanced, courses are offered throughout the year.
CHS then provides information on accessing ASL classes for individuals, businesses and organizations etc as well (on another page) information how to book ASL interpreters etc.
CHS also provides throughout their website a number of videos in ASL along side various documents and text - including the "About CHS" section which states
Unique in North America, CHS offers a complete roster of essential services, including sign language interpreting; one-on-one language development for deaf and hard of hearing children using play as the medium of learning; employment consulting; sign language instruction; speechreading training; hearing testing; hearing aids; counselling; and, the most complete range of communication devices that assist and augment communication including TTYs (text telephones), visual smoke detectors, baby monitors, signalling devices and alarm clocks.
(ASL video at
ABOUT CHS )
You've made the choice (for whatever reason) to dislike ASL, decide you have no use for it etc - which is your choice ... however you've also implied in multiple posts that CHS didn't have ASL classes as a core choice along side your Hearing Help Classes - which is simply not true. ASL classes have been, are, and will continue to be available to you and all D/HH at CHS - all you've ever had to do is sign up for that section of CHS's d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing services, just like you've repeatedly signed up for the hearing help classes.
One thing that many people don't realize is that English doesn't actually have an extremely large NATIVE vocabulary (ie words are are truly "English" and not borrowed or manipulated words from other languages. English, since it's inception has "grown" by adding to it's "vocabulary bank" by borrowing/adopting words from other languages, combining existing English words (or parts thereof) together in order to create new "modified words", blending English words with foreign words to form new words, and added both "native" and foreign prefixes and suffixes to words in order to slightly modify a words meaning. Each of these expands the word usage of English speakers - but does so not by creating new English words, as much as "deciding" to make a foreign word "count" in English as well (Foyer, Naive, Doppleganger, foliage, bureau, attache, bonbon, etc).
In ASL, "core signs" (my term, meaning a sign you'd likely find in a ASL dictionary which has been assigned an English gloss) are altered - sometimes in a manner that is very obvious (initializing, contact point changes etc), sometimes in a manner which is very subtle (the intensity with which a sign is formed, the size of the sign, the way the sign moves etc)...and sometimes in between the two.
These intentional, skilled changes to the way a single "core sign" (which can be ANY sign) create in ASL, what in would amount to a series of different words in English (or any other spoken language).
Here is one of the literally thousands of examples of how a "core sign" (a sign you'd find in an ASL dictionary with an associated English Gloss) through the use subtle changes in movement, intensity, space ete is transformed to show a spectrum of meaning just as English does through different words.
The core sign "FRIEND" can be adjusted by the signer to mean:
"an acquaintance", "a buddy","best friend/BFF", "someone with whom you are inseparable" etc.
People who are fluent in ASL, understand the subtle changes to make "FRIEND" transmit the correct subtle meaning (which in English would be a separate word).
The issue for people who aren't fluent in ASL, or understand the linguistic structure of ASL is that they flip through ASL dictionaries and find only the sign for the "core sign" (FRIEND), and nothing when they search for "acquaintance" etc. Likewise if they ask someone how to sign "acquaintance" (espeically if they ask a friend who may "use ASL, but isn't natively fluent in it - OR ask an ASL instructor while in an educational setting who is teaching ASL100-300 ... NOT an advanced ASL skills/linguistics class) they would either be told use "FRIEND" (leading them to believe they're the same), or told to fingerspell it if they need to be absolutely clear - the reason... because ASL doesn't have a separate sign for "acquaintance", rather the signer makes minute (yet readable) adjustments in HOW they use the "core sign" for FRIEND so that it has the same concept in ASL and the English word "acquaintance" - skilled signers watching the person sign "FRIEND", then "acquaintance", then "BFF/inseparable friend" would clearly be able to tell the difference ... however -- once again --- because ASL is NOT a "visual version of English" and doesn't have a TRUE written form - it means that the intended meaning is very often LOST in translation... which is an absolutely identical problem that ALL languages face when translated.
This is actually one of the reasons why skilled ASL/English interpreters are soooo very important (versus "signers" who've taken some ASL classes). A skilled interpreter understands the subtle changes a fluent signer utilizes to transform a "core sign" into a synonym with a subtle difference in intended meaning.
I hope this helps clear up some of the incorrect assumptions you have about how ASL works, and why many people think that ASL lacks the extensive vocabulary that English has ... which of course is actually not the case at all - in fact in many ways ASL is uniquely able to demonstrate minute differences in intended meaning better than spoken language through subtle shifts/alterations/accents etc to a sign, movement or phrase.
