How're builded you inner thoughts as deaf.

[Waxy]

There's a question that intrigues me a lot.
I hope to get as many answers as possible.

In liguistics its believed that in the way that we talk to ourselves (mentally) it's actually our purest form of communication, or, the purest way that our brain works with our conception of language.

Here, in Argentina, only the new generation of Deaf (say, those that are in they're 15-20s) have access to the hearing language. Ergo, most deaf don't know spanish.
I notice all of you can write and read perfect english, wich leads me to think that you'll understand more this question.

So, how do you "think"? When you talk to yourself... do you use images? do you translate words of your signing and use the ASL structure, or think in the english structure?
I'm not sure "think" its the right word.
I think maybe is "thoughts"... how do you perform your thoughts...

Geez... this is too difficult to explain.
Let me know if i make myself clear.

edit: ok. i found some info, and my approach wasnt that bad. phew..
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2486/in-what-language-do-deaf-people-think
http://www.dichotomistic.com/mind_readings_deaf speech.html

still. i'd like to know directly from you, guys, if its possible, your experiences

 

[CJB]

I suggest you read the book The Signs of Language by Klima and Bellugi. It explains how Deaf people think from a linguistic point of view. It shows through experiments such as recalling lists of words how Deaf people make "slips of the hand" the same way hearing people make "slips of the tongue." Overall a very interesting book. For example, a Deaf person might accidentally remember the word "vote" as "tea" whereas a hearing person might accidentally remember the word "vote" as "boat. The reason is because the spoken words "vote" and "boat" are similar, but the signed words "vote" and "tea" are similar.

 

[webexplorer]

It's the same way when they say, "Beach" and "Peach" unless you say a complete sentence so that we know what the subject is all about.

I would say that a body language helps a lot in some ways. If you sign for rain slowly, it means that it is light rain. If sign rain fast, then we know that it pour rain. i.e. It started to rain cats and dogs.

In fact, some of us are able to use our body language to communicate with foreigners without knowledge in English which is a fanatic!

 

[Volcanbaru]

I talk to myself a lot and other people in my head. I guess it's kinda similar to day-dreaming. For me, I use words through my mouth (thats because the way I grew up) instead of ASL.

 

[sallylou]

Here's an interesting thought. How do you communicate in your dreams? Do you use ASL if it's your primary language? Do you speak in your first oral language? I'm HOH so I speak in my dreams--the only language that I'm fluent in. Many hearing people who speak English as a second language dream in their first primary language. Do deaf people who use ASL as their primary language communicate that way in their dreams? Assuming it's not a dream in which you get some kind of communication superpowers.

 

[Waxy]

I suggest you read the book The Signs of Language by Klima and Bellugi. It explains how Deaf people think from a linguistic point of view. It shows through experiments such as recalling lists of words how Deaf people make "slips of the hand" the same way hearing people make "slips of the tongue." Overall a very interesting book. For example, a Deaf person might accidentally remember the word "vote" as "tea" whereas a hearing person might accidentally remember the word "vote" as "boat. The reason is because the spoken words "vote" and "boat" are similar, but the signed words "vote" and "tea" are similar.

thanks a lot...
still. what happends to you regarding this...? is your inner voice in ASL or as speaking....?

 

[Waxy]

Here's an interesting thought. How do you communicate in your dreams? Do you use ASL if it's your primary language? Do you speak in your first oral language? I'm HOH so I speak in my dreams--the only language that I'm fluent in. Many hearing people who speak English as a second language dream in their first primary language. Do deaf people who use ASL as their primary language communicate that way in their dreams? Assuming it's not a dream in which you get some kind of communication superpowers.

interesting question too...
in what language do you usually dream your conversations?

 

[CJB]

thanks a lot...
still. what happends to you regarding this...? is your inner voice in ASL or as speaking....?

I just started learning ASL and am HH so people speak in my dreams. But according to this study, most pre-lingual Deaf people sign in their dreams and in their thoughts, and instead of having a running "voice" in their head, they have a running pair of signing hands in their head.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

I see words, but I don't hear them nor do I see the signs.

Kinda hard to explain... it is like everyone is captioned or subtitled in my dreams. That would be a life for me, people walking around with closed captioning in the air.

 

[CJB]

Kinda hard to explain... it is like everyone is captioned or subtitled in my dreams. That would be a life for me, people walking around with closed captioning in the air.

That's really interesting. I was wondering how deaf people who aren't native signers dreamt and thought. I image a lot of deaf people who don't have sign language dream and think with captions.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

That's really interesting. I was wondering how deaf people who aren't native signers dreamt and thought. I image a lot of deaf people who don't have sign language dream and think with captions.

I am a native signer... though.

 

[sallylou]

When I dream, I speak English (my only fluent language). I'm HOH but I don't have trouble hearing in my dreams. It's like my dreams haven't caught up with my reality. Wonder what that means psychologically speaking? Hmmmm. . .

I dream in color. I dream from my point of view--not watching my self do something. I dream more about people than I do places. I am interacting with people in my dreams.

Anyone else dream this way? Different ways?

 

[CJB]

I am a native signer... though.

Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to imply that native signers could only think in ASL and non-native signers could only think in captions. But it is an interesting sound-independent way of thinking that I hadn't thought of before.

 

[Jolie77]

There's a question that intrigues me a lot.
I hope to get as many answers as possible.

In liguistics its believed that in the way that we talk to ourselves (mentally) it's actually our purest form of communication, or, the purest way that our brain works with our conception of language.

Here, in Argentina, only the new generation of Deaf (say, those that are in they're 15-20s) have access to the hearing language. Ergo, most deaf don't know spanish.
I notice all of you can write and read perfect english, wich leads me to think that you'll understand more this question.

So, how do you "think"? When you talk to yourself... do you use images? do you translate words of your signing and use the ASL structure, or think in the english structure?
I'm not sure "think" its the right word.
I think maybe is "thoughts"... how do you perform your thoughts...

Geez... this is too difficult to explain.
Let me know if i make myself clear.

edit: ok. i found some info, and my approach wasnt that bad. phew..
The Straight Dope: In what language do deaf people think?
Dichotomistic logic - how the deaf think in sign words

still. i'd like to know directly from you, guys, if its possible, your experiences

If I follow you just right - Are you saying that you're wondering how we process our thoughts as if we are "talking" to ourselves?

If I were to mumble something, I would just sign it out with my hand or strategically think it out of words in my head. For me, it is about how to think of it in words - What I mean is, I don't exactly see words but I think of it by separating it in the process.

Sometime, the human mind is such a mystery. It still is in so many ways that we would never have a chance to grasp the understanding of it. It is like when one is raised to sign, the chances are, that person will be more likely to think in sign language rather than doing it on another language that are acquired later down in life.

Here's a old thread that you might would like to read since it persist to this subject - http://www.alldeaf.com/our-world-our-culture/56010-question-human-mind-words-thinking.html

 

[Waxy]

I just started learning ASL and am HH so people speak in my dreams. But according to this study, most pre-lingual Deaf people sign in their dreams and in their thoughts, and instead of having a running "voice" in their head, they have a running pair of signing hands in their head.

Interesting.
We can start implying, then, that the person will have their inner voice/or dream in the language that their had more conctact with...

I see words, but I don't hear them nor do I see the signs.

Kinda hard to explain... it is like everyone is captioned or subtitled in my dreams. That would be a life for me, people walking around with closed captioning in the air.

This is very interesting indeed.
Incredible how the mind adapts.

When I dream, I speak English (my only fluent language). I'm HOH but I don't have trouble hearing in my dreams. It's like my dreams haven't caught up with my reality. Wonder what that means psychologically speaking? Hmmmm. . .

I guess that only means you're in your mind and in the daily basis more in contact with the spoken language?
Our dreams and inner voices are supposed to be the most raw form of our thinking, that's why the theory that deaf might dream and "think" in SL

If I follow you just right - Are you saying that you're wondering how we process our thoughts as if we are "talking" to ourselves?

If I were to mumble something, I would just sign it out with my hand or strategically think it out of words in my head. For me, it is about how to think of it in words - What I mean is, I don't exactly see words but I think of it by separating it in the process.

Sometime, the human mind is such a mystery. It still is in so many ways that we would never have a chance to grasp the understanding of it. It is like when one is raised to sign, the chances are, that person will be more likely to think in sign language rather than doing it on another language that are acquired later down in life.

Here's a old thread that you might would like to read since it persist to this subject - http://www.alldeaf.com/our-world-our-culture/56010-question-human-mind-words-thinking.html

thanks for link.
I understand this-

strategically think it out of words in my head

BUT... i reffer to that partially.
What you do is take a strategy (as you say) as a tool for you. And you think out words in your head.
That's fine.
But... how about espontaneously?

thanks a bunch to everyone. this is very interesting. im learning a lot

 

[sallylou]

I wish that everyone came with CC! That would be so cool! Even better if you could turn them off when you don't want to read it!

 

[CJB]

I wish that everyone came with CC! That would be so cool! Even better if you could turn them off when you don't want to read it!

:rofl2:

 

[shel90]

I see words, but I don't hear them nor do I see the signs.

Kinda hard to explain... it is like everyone is captioned or subtitled in my dreams. That would be a life for me, people walking around with closed captioning in the air.

Strange thing for me is that I am a pre-lingual with a bilateral dB loss of 110 to 120 and I hear words in my head. Too much speech therapy brainwashed me I guess.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Strange thing for me is that I am a pre-lingual with a bilateral dB loss of 110 to 120 and I hear words in my head. Too much speech therapy brainwashed me I guess.

Maybe the reason why I dream in written words, or even think in written words, is because I learned how to read before I was introduced to ASL? And before I learned how to speak?

 

[CJB]

Maybe the reason why I dream in written words, or even think in written words, is because I learned how to read before I was introduced to ASL? And before I learned how to speak?

That's interesting. When I think, I have a running voice and sometimes have a running scroll of printed words going on in my mind.