Deaf Compliment?

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drcopeland

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I am new to signing, about 9 months, and I just had someone ask me if I was deaf. I had not used my voice, just signed from the time I met them. I take that as a compliment because I have noticed that those that are deaf have a different signing style than a hearing person. I have tried hard to not get the typical bad habits I have heard about and seen (mouthing the words while signing). So I ask those out there, is being mistaken for a deaf person a compliment to your signing style?
 
I hate to burst your bubble, but maybe it's the opposite. Maybe they see that you can't sign that well so they question if you are hearing.
 
HearYe said:
I hate to burst your bubble, but maybe it's the opposite. Maybe they see that you can't sign that well so they question if you are hearing.
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This is what I want to know, if I am doing it wrong or poorly I want to know so I can change it. It is easier to avoid bad habits than to correct them.
 
You can not change just to be like the deaf person with good signing skills. My son who is a CODA (Child or Children of Deaf Adults). I taught him to sign when he was a baby as he is hearing. When he became an adult, he does not sign like the actual Deaf person. Very few hearing signers were fluent as they came from Deaf families. So if you were not brought up with Deaf family, then that is the way you sign as you learn to sign. No one is perfect when signing. So take a deep breath and enjoy signing away with Deaf people at the Social event or Deaf communities. :)
 
I have seen sign lanuage interpreters on TV and when I was in college and they all mouthed the word as they sign. I never learn sign lanuage ,but when there a sign lanuage interpreter in class for someone else I would read their lips when I did not hear what being said.
 
I always ask people if they're deaf... the reason is:

If you ask a deaf person they're deaf - they feel normal.
If you ask a hearing person if they're deaf - they feel special.

If you ask a deaf person if they're hearing - they're offended and will remember this event.
If you ask a hearing person if they're hearing - they feel either normal or looked down on.

And I am always around deaf people, so do the math. :)
 
posts from hell said:
I always ask people if they're deaf... the reason is:

If you ask a deaf person they're deaf - they feel normal.
If you ask a hearing person if they're deaf - they feel special.

If you ask a deaf person if they're hearing - they're offended and will remember this event.
If you ask a hearing person if they're hearing - they feel either normal or looked down on.

And I am always around deaf people, so do the math. :)
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Yup, I made that mistake once. Was talking to a guy in a group of Deafies in a bar in DC, and I misinterpreted something that he said as being something only a hearing person would do, even though I had already thought he was deaf. Rather than realizing I was probably just making a mistake with ASL, I kinda blurted out "You hearing?" He was pretty mad, and even though I explained my mistake and that I was sorry, they whole group stopped talking to me. Oh well, they were fairly drunk and rude to begin with anyway, so I didn't care. I met some much nicer deafies later on in the week. But since then, I never ask a person if they are hearing, just "you deaf?" or if I suspect it's a hearing person, I say, "You deaf? hearing?"
 
TheWriteAlex said:
Yup, I made that mistake once. Was talking to a guy in a group of Deafies in a bar in DC, and I misinterpreted something that he said as being something only a hearing person would do, even though I had already thought he was deaf. Rather than realizing I was probably just making a mistake with ASL, I kinda blurted out "You hearing?" He was pretty mad, and even though I explained my mistake and that I was sorry, they all stopped talking to me. Oh well, they were fairly drunk and rude to begin with anyway, so I didn't care. I met some much nicer deafies later on in the week. But since then, I never ask a person if they are hearing, just "you deaf?" or if I suspect it's a hearing person, I say, "You deaf? hearing?"
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I'm laughing as I read this. hahaha.. Been there, done that ;) Why do you think I do it this way now, lol..
 
posts from hell said:
I'm laughing as I read this. hahaha.. Been there, done that ;) Why do you think I do it this way now, lol..
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Yeah, I guess even fluent ASL users make mistakes, eh? Now it's better to be safe than sorry. But really, that group was just a bunch of losers. I've had a couple deafies ask me if I was hearing and it didn't bother me that much, not enough to get offended and stop talking to them.
 
I imagine a lot of late-deafened or deaf people that learn ASL as an adult look "hearing." Is it really that easy to tell if someone is Deaf or hearing from their signing?
 
CJB said:
I imagine a lot of late-deafened or deaf people that learn ASL as an adult look "hearing." Is it really that easy to tell if someone is Deaf or hearing from their signing?
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For me, i use physical cues. Any (D)eaf people will use their eyes hell a lot more. Occasionally I can see who has hearing loss just walking down the mall and I am usually correct.
 
CJB said:
I imagine a lot of late-deafened or deaf people that learn ASL as an adult look "hearing." Is it really that easy to tell if someone is Deaf or hearing from their signing?
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For me, it's easy to tell if a signer is hearing based on their facial movements. I notice one of two things with hearing people: 1) they don't use facial expressions or body intonation at all, or if they do, they often do it wrong. 2) they overcompensate and grossly emphasize their facial expressions, which to me is very annoying and tedious to deal with.
 
TheWriteAlex said:
For me, it's easy to tell if a signer is hearing based on their facial movements. I notice one of two things with hearing people: 1) they don't use facial expressions or body intonation at all, or if they do, they often do it wrong. 2) they overcompensate and grossly emphasize their facial expressions, which to me is very annoying and tedious to deal with.
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*puts this in the book.. ways to annoy the hell outta TWA..*

BTW, you staying out of my profile?
 
TheWriteAlex said:
For me, it's easy to tell if a signer is hearing based on their facial movements. I notice one of two things with hearing people: 1) they don't use facial expressions or body intonation at all, or if they do, they often do it wrong. 2) they overcompensate and grossly emphasize their facial expressions, which to me is very annoying and tedious to deal with.
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Lol. I'm sorry.

I don't even want to know what my facial expressions look like. :laugh2:
 
posts from hell said:
*puts this in the book.. ways to annoy the hell outta TWA..*

BTW, you staying out of my profile?
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LOL, I doubt you'd be able to pull it off. Some of the facial expressions I see on hearing ASL students makes me want to break out in laughter. Or vomit.

Oh, damn, I've been slacking on visiting your profile, and I know how much you like the attention. Sorry, I'll get to that stat! :D
 
deafgal001 said:
why, they walk funny?
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At night time yes. :shock:

Whenever youre in a social group and see that one person staring you guys down...... Chances are that they know sign language.

Like that one time a friend and myself was talking about this HOT as all hell nurse in her late 30's. We were telling eachother the things we would do to her...

She kept smiling bigger and bigger..... And I told him... "I think she knows sign language..." He was like "really, no way?" She replied in the most fluent "Yes!" sign i've e'er seen! :shock:
 
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