Looking for sign partner on the Internet :)

I

Isabel79Hearing

New Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2006
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Hi! :)

My name is Isabel. I am 27 years old. Hearing. I have always been interested in sign language but never had the chance to learn it. I grew up in Brazil till I was 16 then moved to the UK. I am finishing my BA this year and I am interested in doing a Masters in the USA in Deaf Culture or ASL. I haven't decided which university yet: Gaulledet and Boston are the only ones I know that are willing to accept hearing people with basic ASL... (I am open to suggestions!), the uni must also have a scholarhip program...nevertheless my priority now is to learn how to sign.

I am trying to learn from a book (dictionary) that I found at my university library, but I would love to meet someone online and try to talk using signs only. I am a completly begginer.

I would like to meet someone that would be interested in signing online using a webcam once a week to start with. If you are interested, send me a message!

Isabel
 
Do you have a Mac with an iSight? If so I might be able to chat with you a time or two.
 
Keep in mind that American sign language and British sign language are two totally different things. Other than that, welcome to AllDeaf! I hope you have fun here.
 
Hi !

Thanks for replying! No, I dont have a MAC :( just a portable PC with windows XP...Skype, MSN...

Thanks for the tip that ASL and BSL are different. I did some searching on the matter and that is why I decided to learn ASL...as I am planning to go to the US...I could have taken classes in BSL but decided not to as they are different...so that is why i am trying to find someone online to help me if it is possible...

Thanks!
 
I'm not positive if these are masters programs but I thought I would throw these out in the open anyways... I know that University of Rochester has a ASL program. I also know that Rochester Institute of Technlogy ( College of NTID ) has a program in ASL-English Interpretation and also a Masters in Secondary Teaching for the deaf and hoh. I'm not sure if this is what your looking for exactly but I hope its of some help.
 
Isabel79Hearing said:
Gaulledet and Boston are the only ones I know that are willing to accept hearing people with basic ASL...
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that Gallaudet requires more than just basic ASL from its hearing students, that they must be close to fluent. Someone else can probably clarify that.

I do know that doing master's-level work in a deaf-related area in the U.S. is probably going to require high competence if not fluency in ASL. I'd say you're going to want at least one to two years of learning the language (depending on many factors) before you begin your studies.
 
Interpretrator said:
I'm pretty sure that Gallaudet requires more than just basic ASL from its hearing students, that they must be close to fluent. Someone else can probably clarify that.

I do know that doing master's-level work in a deaf-related area in the U.S. is probably going to require high competence if not fluency in ASL. I'd say you're going to want at least one to two years of learning the language (depending on many factors) before you begin your studies.
Click to expand...

I am with you on that point. I know that the ASL-English Interpretation students at my school (RIT/NTID) must be atleast at ASL class level of 4? or 5?... If not then the school will catch them up but they aren't offically in the program until they have that much under their belts... So I would assume, yes, you would need great knowledge of the language possibly even near fluency before jumping into any ASL program, not to mention a masters program.
 
Interpretrator said:
I'm pretty sure that Gallaudet requires more than just basic ASL from its hearing students, that they must be close to fluent. Someone else can probably clarify that.

I do know that doing master's-level work in a deaf-related area in the U.S. is probably going to require high competence if not fluency in ASL. I'd say you're going to want at least one to two years of learning the language (depending on many factors) before you begin your studies.
Click to expand...

You are correct. Even to get a BA in Interpreting from Gallaudet, one must first be admitted as a student, which means fluency in ASL.
 
Thank you everyone for the reply and the tips :) I keep reading my book and hopefullt when I move to the US I will be able to enrol in a school then to do a proper course in ASL before applying for a Masters.

Keep writing with the tips! Thanks!

Isabel
 
I know that the ASL-English Interpretation students at my school (RIT/NTID) must be atleast at ASL class level of 4? or 5?... If not then the school will catch them up
Click to expand...

Yes, and they even conduct interviews with potential students if they're coming from another ASL program.

Unfortunately, I'm not so convinced that the interview process at NTID is entirely unbiased. I had ASL 5 from College of St Rose in Albany, NY and went to the interview. The interviewer said my signing was fine but she still wanted me to take their "catch-up courses". I asked why, "because almost ALL the students coming into the program take those courses and it would build comradery".

Well, financial aid doesn't cover those courses because they're not part of the college degree program (they're taken BEFORE the actual program). So, I just couldn't see paying for "comradery" when my signing was good enough for the regular program.

It was an odd interview.
 
Back
Top