How did you learn ASL?

DeafCaver said:
Both my parents are deaf and fluent in ASL so basically growing up I had no choice... my father was "anti-oralism" and refused to talk to me unless I signed to him... even as a toddler wanting some milk, my dad wouldn't acknowledge my "speaking" but he would promptly get me a glass (we didn't have sippy cups back then) when I signed "I milk want", therefore getting positive reinforcement/reward for signing rather than speaking.
Later being CODA and interpreting for my parents (this was back in the late 60's and early 70's where it was common for hearing children to be interpreters for their parents unless it was extremely important, then writing or getting professional interpreter was used).
I also picked up quite a bit from my parent's friends during deaf gatherings, functions, meetings (NFSD, TAD chapters, etc.) and later when I attended Gallaudet (1980-81) I learned much more.

Right now my ASL isn't perfect because I grew up hearing and became late-deafened... so I still use english in my thought pattern. Usually if I concentrate and relax I can go full ASL but it's harder for me to speak and sign at same time since the syntax is radically different and my mind isn't wired that way. :dunno2:
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Personally, I don't think anyone is wired to speak and sign at the same time. At least not to do so and keep the syntax and grammar of both languages correct. That is my objection to SimCom. Both languages suffer, and when used with kids, they don't get good models of either English or ASL.
 
I learned it from my Deaf friends in Middle school, then I continued to learn more in ASL Classes in High school.
 
I learned sign language in signing classes, from interpreters and from picking up signs from signing books. I had a couple of sign language books, and still have them. ;)
 
jillio said:
Personally, I don't think anyone is wired to speak and sign at the same time. At least not to do so and keep the syntax and grammar of both languages correct. That is my objection to SimCom. Both languages suffer, and when used with kids, they don't get good models of either English or ASL.
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You can sign by using SEE (Sign Exact English) and speak English at the same time because it does follows the grammar of English. But, with ASL it has it's own grammar and syntax, and English has it's own grammar, so trying to speak and sign would just gets confusion.
 
jillio said:
Personally, I don't think anyone is wired to speak and sign at the same time. At least not to do so and keep the syntax and grammar of both languages correct. That is my objection to SimCom. Both languages suffer, and when used with kids, they don't get good models of either English or ASL.
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I just tried SimComing with my brother last night as a test for kicks. We were SimComing and being silly and my son said, "STOP SIGNING AND TALKING BOTH!" WOW! I couldnt believe he said that. I think he was so confused trying to understand what we were saying. LOL!
 
How did I learn ASL?

I am still learning and hope to be always learning :)

At events with D/deaf and Deaf-Blind, Classes, any piece of reference material I can find, SSPing, any way I can possibly learn
 
I bounced around from basic college classes to church classes, anything to keep learning. Basic classes were okay but I had a hard time finding an atmosphere that let me progress to higher levels. I stopped taking classes and started studing from books - I don't suggest books as a sole source because they are a 2D depiction of a 3D language, it's just not enough. Finally, I found a good ITP and I think it's the best thing I ever did. I use online sometimes to help, video libraries can be a help, but you always have to consider reginal variances. I like using VP, too. My ITP is a great learning environment and they really encourage community involvement. I think by far the best way to learn is socializing and using the language daily or as often as possible. :)

Cheri said:
You can sign by using SEE (Sign Exact English) and speak English at the same time because it does follows the grammar of English. But, with ASL it has it's own grammar and syntax, and English has it's own grammar, so trying to speak and sign would just gets confusion.
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Exactly, sing SEE during SimCom is the only way to accurately sign and talk at the same time, but then that leaves ASL out of the picture. I have noticed recently there is movement away from SimCom. A few of the recent conferences I have been to are forcing people to either sign or speak, not both.
 
I learned some from a college course but I learned more by attending Deaf events. I have also learned from books and internet sites : lifeprint.org , ect...
 
The first time I learned ASL was as a child, 7 or 8 years old. A new boy came to class whose parents were Deaf. The teacher told everyone so he was not treated well.

My mother had told me "Everything that lives talks in its own way. Dogs bark, cats meow and use their fur and ears, birds tweet and use their feathers, snakes dance, fish use colors, and flowers talk to bees with smell." Along the way she told me deaf people talk with their hands.

So I went up to the lonely CODA kid no one else would talk to except to make fun of and asked, "Is it true your parents are deaf? Do you know how to talk with your hands? Will you teach me?" He said yes to all three.

We moved a lot in those days and by the time we did I had learned a lot.

Over the years I forgot most of it.

Met a biker who was deaf. Picked it up again. He went to jail.

Again it deteriorated.

My daughter fell in love with ASL and began learning in earnest. We were together a lot and I picked it up again.

My wife became sick. My life revolved around working and taking care of her. She was sick for 10 years. For 5 years afterwards I associated with no one. Once again ASL deteriorated.

During those 15 or so years she was sick my daughter became an ASL terp.

Now I am spending time with my daughter and signing again.
 
My senior year of H.S. i picked up the class since I'd completed all my required courses and then some and it somehow turned into a major and soon a career!
 
*smacks his own head*

Even with SEE, it still suffers with SimCom.

Why? SEE and spoken English operate at different paces. It is not uncommon to leave out English verbs while using SimCom even with PSE or SEE.
 
Learned ASL from deaf peers at residential school when I was twelve a new student.

At that time in 1970's there was no textbook :roll: for sign class. That's why I was too quiet n' never understood talked to 'em w/o meaning of vocab words.

Unitl one day I happened to meet one of my hearing impaired friend is a screenwriter worked at hollywood agent. He gave me the first book as I still have today that I will never forget how much I'm thankful to him than never learn anything from h.s.

I also bought some more books on my own at the bookstore n' college got from my other hearing friend that I helped to terp 4 hub.

Nowadays, I'm still learnin more new signs from web after came in AD. N' + d-friends from old school in FB that helps me to feel confident goin back to old time start all over again n' owe 'em a lot thru vp.:D
 
souggy said:
*smacks his own head*

Even with SEE, it still suffers with SimCom.

Why? SEE and spoken English operate at different paces. It is not uncommon to leave out English verbs while using SimCom even with PSE or SEE.
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Yeppers...
 
Cheri said:
You can sign by using SEE (Sign Exact English) and speak English at the same time because it does follows the grammar of English. But, with ASL it has it's own grammar and syntax, and English has it's own grammar, so trying to speak and sign would just gets confusion.
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Rarely does anyone sign SEE as it is intended to be signed and speak at the same time. The reason is, one must slow voice down to such a slow pace to keep pace with the cumbersome and added signs and word endings used with SEE. Most of the time when people claim to be signing SEE and speaking, as in SimCom, they are actually signing a pidgin version, because they are leaving out word endings and tenses in the signs.
 
souggy said:
*smacks his own head*

Even with SEE, it still suffers with SimCom.

Why? SEE and spoken English operate at different paces. It is not uncommon to leave out English verbs while using SimCom even with PSE or SEE.
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Should have read your reply first!:lol:
 
jillio said:
Rarely does anyone sign SEE as it is intended to be signed and speak at the same time. The reason is, one must slow voice down to such a slow pace to keep pace with the cumbersome and added signs and word endings used with SEE. Most of the time when people claim to be signing SEE and speaking, as in SimCom, they are actually signing a pidgin version, because they are leaving out word endings and tenses in the signs.
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Not only that, English isnt meant to be a linear language taken visually. It is a SPOKEN language so by taking English and changing into a signed form doesnt work as well as English in its spoken form. Even a when using the voice, like u said, spoken English ends up being compromised with the slow down of the voice therefore, losing the full meaning to it.
 
shel90 said:
Not only that, English isnt meant to be a linear language taken visually. It is a SPOKEN language so by taking English and changing into a signed form doesnt work as well as English in its spoken form. Even a when using the voice, like u said, spoken English ends up being compromised with the slow down of the voice therefore, losing the full meaning to it.
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Exactly. Aural languages are processed in the brain in a linear manner, signed languages are processed in a time oriented and spatial manner. That is exactly why their syntaxes differ. The syntax is in line with the way the mode of language is processed.
 
jillio said:
Exactly. Aural languages are processed in the brain in a linear manner, signed languages are processed in a time oriented and spatial manner. That is exactly why their syntaxes differ. The syntax is in line with the way the mode of language is processed.
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For some reason, that concept seems so hard for many people to grasp.
 
Originally by JillioExactly. Aural languages are processed in the brain in a linear manner, signed languages are processed in a time oriented and spatial manner. That is exactly why their syntaxes differ. The syntax is in line with the way the mode of language is processed.
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shel90 said:
Not only that, English isnt meant to be a linear language taken visually. It is a SPOKEN language so by taking English and changing into a signed form doesnt work as well as English in its spoken form. Even a when using the voice, like u said, spoken English ends up being compromised with the slow down of the voice therefore, losing the full meaning to it.
Click to expand...

shel90 said:
For some reason, that concept seems so hard for many people to grasp.
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Like me!! I have no idea what you guys just said. :shock:
 
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