Perceptions of CI user learning ASL

Daredevel7

Daredevel7

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I got implanted in November and started taking ASL class in late Jan. I can tell that my situation is not very common since not too many pre-lingually deaf adults take beginner's ASL class, especially when they just had the CI. I got very interesting perspectives from hearing people AND deaf people. Of course, just because one has a perspective does not mean it represents the perspective of the group, but I thought it would be interesting to share.

Five hearing people so far who know me well were confused about why I "needed" to do sign, since I speak well enough.

Three hearing people so far who do not know me well thought I became newly deaf and needed sign.

One deaf person and one hearing person (who used to date a deaf person) so far thought I became disillusioned with the hearing world and wanted to be part of the Deaf community. The hearing person even asked me to come to her class to talk about "how I was raised orally and converted to ASL" and I barely said a thing at that point.

I find it interesting that it hasn't occurred to anyone so far that I'm just learning another language... (except for my mom and closest friends, of course)

Does anyone feel that other people categorize your actions based on their opinions? It seems that for people who don't know me and are against learning sign find my actions very questionable (influenced by Deaf community?) while those who are pro-ASL find my actions as "proof" that even oral deaf people NEED ASL.

It's been a fun ride though! :D
 
I currently have a student who has a CI, and has had for about 12 years. He was raised orally. He speaks well, and in a one on one situation, can do well with communication. Beginning in high school, he realized how much he was missing receptively, and registered for ASL 1 as a college freshman. Currently, he is registered in the 2nd level. He has taken to it like a fish to water.

My perception: Good for him for taking the opportunity to increase his ability to understand and function.
 
My initial reason for taking ASL was to sastify my foreign language credits towards my BA degree but once I started learning it and learning about the Deaf community, I was hooked and then after ASL 4 and requesting ASL terps, I started to discover how much I had been missing out growing up. The first day at Gallaudet University was the big kicker.

Anyways, my ASL instructors were mostly deaf and they always were suspicous of me and my reasons for taking ASL. They were more hard on me than they were on the hearing students in my classes. I didnt understand why ...someone told me that later on, they had higher expectations from me than they did from the hearing students because most hearing students learn ASL but eventually stop using it..they wanted me to be a part of the Deaf community. I was flattered a little.

AS for the hearing students...I dont remember them asking me strange questions...it was so long ago...back in 1995.
 
Daredevel7 said:
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Does anyone feel that other people categorize your actions based on their opinions?


,
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I had a chance to learn Hmong so I took it. (Unfortunately they quit teaching before I knew enough to be any good at it)

One woman at work was absolutely positive this was proof I had a "thing" for oriental women as she could think of no other reason for learning "that" language.
 
shel90 said:
My initial reason for taking ASL was to sastify my foreign language credits towards my BA degree but once I started learning it and learning about the Deaf community, I was hooked and then after ASL 4 and requesting ASL terps, I started to discover how much I had been missing out growing up. The first day at Gallaudet University was the big kicker.

Anyways, my ASL instructors were mostly deaf and they always were suspicous of me and my reasons for taking ASL. They were more hard on me than they were on the hearing students in my classes. I didnt understand why ...someone told me that later on, they had higher expectations from me than they did from the hearing students because most hearing students learn ASL but eventually stop using it..they wanted me to be a part of the Deaf community. I was flattered a little.

AS for the hearing students...I dont remember them asking me strange questions...it was so long ago...back in 1995.
Click to expand...

I'm learning BSL and I am finding the same attitude from my instructor, who is Deaf. I agree with you that I think he has higher expectations from me than from the hearing students. He speaks quite a lot when he is explaining things, which I don't hear, I think that actually makes it harder for me.

Some of the other students don't seem to understand why I don't already know signing. They think that I'm going deaf, so I have to explain to them that I've been deaf for years and that not all deaf people sign.
 
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