salutations, alldeaf.com!

adelaster

adelaster

New Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Hi,

My name is Lauren and I'm a student at Ohio University & I work with the Columbus Metropolitan Library system. I have wanted to learn more about Deaf culture and American Sign Language since I was very young. I grew up across the street from a Deaf couple and would sometimes see Deaf in the libraries I frequented with my family. Communication has always fascinated me- I think it is one of the most important aspects of our humanity. In fourth grade I discovered Koko the gorilla and the amazing reach of sign language. Many books increased that lust for sign language- although I've always been too frightened to learn myself... but I'm finally trying to change that. My Deaf professor has really put me at ease in the classroom. I'm no where near proficient with ASL, but I'm working to improve that as much as I can. I've studied many languages but I've never desired to learn the way I do with ASL.

I find Deaf culture fascinating, and as a person who was born hearing I know I will never be able to truly understand much of it. I'm hoping that I'm not an annoyance in learning ASL- I feel like it is such a pure and sacred form of communication. It is an honor to have the opportunity to attempt it... even if the syntax is incredibly hard for me! I am finishing my Bachelor's of Specialized Studies right now, then I hope to get my masters in Library & Information Sciences. Eventually I would like to get my masters & doctorate in English Literature and teach at a University. (My husband would like to do the same- except likely in history.) I would like to continue studying (and clumsily learning) ASL; I am particularly interested in emergent literacy for the deaf.
 
Bottesini said:
Hello there. "Emergent literacy??"
Click to expand...

It's difficult to explain, since it is a term most commonly associated with hearing children. Essentially what is the same about it for hearing & deaf children: the interaction they have with print, books, written language & signed (or spoken) language before they are able to read or produce language on their own.

I'm especially interested in the ways in which deaf children can avoid having a disadvantage in this area. Most deaf children, as I understand it, are born to hearing parents. Hearing babies start learning language right away- phonemes and the like, without having to do anything. I'm reading as many studies and articles as I can about what this is like from the deaf baby's angle. How deaf children interact with print and books, etc. I'm still learning about it all myself. I know a great deal from the hearing side, but not from the deaf. There are some things that are the same from both ends- but somethings are different. Drawing and storytelling are important, print interaction in general. This all takes place from birth to age 5, and it is considered a crucial period. It lays many foundations before a child can read that will benefit them for the rest of their lives and help them have an easier time with reading.

For hearing children there are roughly six skills that are encouraged/taught:

ABC: letter knowledge
print motivation: loving books
phonological awareness: sounds
narrative skills: storytelling
print awareness: using books
vocabulary: words

The only one that is obviously different between hearing/deaf is phonological awareness. It's an interesting topic to me. Hope that is at least a semi-decent explanation. :)
 
:welcome: to AllDeaf forum. I don't remember narrative skills as I was put in the mainstream school which is a hearing school. I started in First grade at close to 9 years old. Both elementary and high school does not have no accommodation like ASL interpreters and notetakers, even if showing the film on T.V. or screen (no open captions) in the classrooms. I was in the Special Education for the deaf and hard of hearing classroom with the teacher using the mike while we were using the ear phones which is what is call FM. I hate that. I don't remembered having the teachers tell us stories with no ASL. We were not allowed to have sign language in the 50s and 60s. We just read the books what we had learned. I love to read books back then including the vocabulary. As for sounds, we learned how to speak and hear (not really listen as we can not pick up the sounds, just for environmental sounds) by speech therapists.

Well, have fun reading and posting all the threads here. See you around here. :wave:
 
Bebonang said:
:welcome: to AllDeaf forum. I don't remember narrative skills as I was put in the mainstream school which is a hearing school. I started in First grade at close to 9 years old. Both elementary and high school does not have no accommodation like ASL interpreters and notetakers, even if showing the film on T.V. or screen (no open captions) in the classrooms. I was in the Special Education for the deaf and hard of hearing classroom with the teacher using the mike while we were using the ear phones which is what is call FM. I hate that. I don't remembered having the teachers tell us stories with no ASL. We were not allowed to have sign language in the 50s and 60s. We just read the books what we had learned. I love to read books back then including the vocabulary. As for sounds, we learned how to speak and hear (not really listen as we can not pick up the sounds, just for environmental sounds) by speech therapists.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Your experience is exactly why I'm so interested in ASL and deaf literacy. I don't think it's fair that you had to go through all that hardship just to learn! :( I'd like to do as much as I can to educate myself and others about how we can make literacy a positive experience for everyone! :D

ASL is such a wonderful language for story-telling, it's truly a shame you were denied that growing up.

I really appreciate your warm welcome! :wave:
 
Back
Top