Deaf and English Literacy

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A deaf person can be very very literate in his/her native language and that native language may not be English. Does that make the deaf person illiterate?

Would you call someone who is fluent and literate in French but doesn't read or write English well, illiterate.
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That's what I think hardly any hearing people ever know - that signed language is never spoken or written language,
and this is all the more confusing to the hearies because the words are after all in the same language as the spoken language.

When in ASL the deaf sign "cat" they also say "cat" , when they sign
"I go home" they also say/write "I go home" - so what's the difference?

How do you make hearing people understand why these two languages are as different as English and French?

And you have to, because they don't know that.


Fuzzy
 
Audiofuzzy said:
That's what I think hardly any hearing people ever know - that signed language is never spoken or written language,
and this is all the more confusing to the hearies because the words are after all in the same language as the spoken language.

When in ASL the deaf sign "cat" they also say "cat" , when they sign
"I go home" they also say/write "I go home" - so what's the difference?

How do you make hearing people understand why these two languages are as different as English and French?

And you have to, because they don't know that.


Fuzzy
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Simple...

A fluent Deaf ASL user can idenitfy the author's purpose of a story being told in ASL and explain the reasoning behind it.

A fluent hearing reader is unable to identify the author's purpose of a story he or she has read and says, "I dont know" when asked to explain the reasoning behind the story.

Tell me..who is literate and who is illiterate.

That is the example I throw out to those who are unable to understand and then they say..."oooohhhhh" like a light bulb went off in their heads.
 
He would love ideas or advice on where to find it, obviously.
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I figured out that much, but do you suppose was that ASL, written English,
or just broken English ;)

Fuzzy
 
When in ASL the deaf sign "cat" they also say "cat" , when they sign
"I go home" they also say/write "I go home" - so what's the difference?

How do you make hearing people understand why these two languages are as different as English and French?
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Anyone?

Fuzzy
 
I thought it was a typo, love = look
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exactly!, I was kidding because here is a person talking about illiteracy
while himself not making sense :giggle:

Fuzzy
 
Audiofuzzy said:
Anyone?

Fuzzy
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If a hearing person thinks Mexican peple who speak and read only in Spanish BUT are able read, write and discuss the Spanish version of Shakespeare but consider them illiterate because they write in "broken" English, that hearing person is dumb as a rock and not worth trying to explain the differences. Educated or open-minded people wont need as much explaining. The close-minded or uneducated ones do and sometimes, it is not even worth it.
 
OP didn't say anything about ASL but deaf people's reading/written english level.
 
Frisky Feline said:
OP didn't say anything about ASL but deaf people's reading/written english level.
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I know but I was throwing an example. When I saw all of you guys at the last AllDeaf gathering, we were sharing ideas and having intellectual conversations. To me, that is being literate. Just literate in our primary language.
 
shel90 said:
I know but I was throwing an example. When I saw all of you guys at the last AllDeaf gathering, we were sharing ideas and having intellectual conversations. To me, that is being literate. Just literate in our primary language.
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oh yes i do agree what your statement about literate in our primary language with no doubt. I can see what others response that take time to get aware about it or not. Thats true.,

just that op heard about deaf people's langauge issue that get my attention. :D
 
Frisky Feline said:
oh yes i do agree what your statement about literate in our primary language with no doubt. I can see what others response that take time to get aware about it or not. Thats true.,

just that op heard about deaf people's langauge issue that get my attention. :D
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I have met Deaf people who have embraced the works of Shakespear through ASL by reading his works only to get called illiterate because they couldnt write in PERFECT English! What the hell?
 
Yes it is!! A thousand times repeated. Why do people keep coming here and doing these things???
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Because, sadly, they don't know any better, Bottessini.
They are totally clueless, which while is not an excuse, it is an explanation.

All the more reason to calmly and politely educate if such person seeks
enlightenment,
because neither aggression nor combativeness inspire any dialogue
for neither side

Fuzzy
 
Audiofuzzy said:
Because, sadly, they don't know any better, Bottessini.
They are totally clueless, which while is not an excuse, it is an explanation.

All the more reason to calmly and politely educate if such person seeks
enlightenment,
because neither aggression nor combativeness inspire any dialogue
for neither side

Fuzzy
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can you please use "QUOTE" button so we know whose quote you're referring to? :ty:
 
Audiofuzzy said:
Because, sadly, they don't know any better, Bottessini.
They are totally clueless, which while is not an excuse, it is an explanation.

All the more reason to calmly and politely educate if such person seeks
enlightenment,
because neither aggression nor combativeness inspire any dialogue
for neither side

Fuzzy
Click to expand...

You poke somebody with a stick enough times, it starts to hurt even worse. And the one being poked starts to get angry and defensive in advance when they see the stick coming.

Whether they understand deaf people or not, good manners and common everyday etiquette should prevent just coming in and asking that question.
 
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