Sometimes...

[Cylly1]

I know (it'll) probably (seem) wrong, but I found it interesting to do. Sometimes when I go out to public places like restaurants or just out with my friends I start using sign language to people I don't know just to see what happens. My friends go along with it and pretend I'm deaf as well. (They don't sign to me or anything, but they do often ask me signs) However, I realized they don't keep a lot of eye contact with me and they start to use their hands a lot more. Then it got me thinking if they realized they were doing it or not. Most of the people I tried this with are patient and watch my hands, or sometimes I just type it out on my phone. Afterwards, I ask them do they realized they started using their hands and trying to read the signs. Most of them were surprised when I spoke to them, but I think they found it interesting as well.... maybe I could subconsciously get people to sign with me ^^ I just thought it was interesting, sorry if I offended anyone. (but it's not a crime to try to get people to know another language.)

****So, I'm adding to the top. Drove to Walmart today, woman in the other car let me go ahead at a turn. I signed thank you. She smiled and nodded. Even though I'll probably never meet her again, I don't think she was wondering if I was deaf or not. **She'll probably never know.

When I walk in to work. Bonjour. Co worker meets me back with bonjour, comment allez vous.. and it continues on from there until one doesn't know what else to say.

When I answer my phone to sometimes my friend or an unknown caller. Konichiwa! Genki desuka? If it's my friend "what do I respond with?" is their question unless it's someone who already knows the answer. **especially one of my friends who most likely knows a new word from me every time we talk.

I sign songs all through campus, without anyone around. If they see me when I go into a place they say, "oh you know sign language? that's cool." Sometimes they're super excited and say "I've always wanted to learn sign language, where did you learn?" Sometimes they ask me to teach them, but end the end they don't stick around long enough to learn or they get bored.

I like to raise awareness outside of my little bubble of Sign Language so that maybe more people in my area will be interested in learning, in the hopes that I might practice with them someday.

 

[metalangel]

 

[Anij]

Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

Seriously - you think that's funny, entertaining or interesting ?

Wow !
Have you any idea how insulting it is to be "faking" and doing what you - and your immature friends - are doing.

You best hope you don't run into someone who's actually hoh/deaf/Deaf .. Or a SODA, CODA etc.

Seriously - not only is this "uncool" it's insulting to every actual hoh/deaf/Deaf person out there.

(Hope you don't bump into me ... You and your little friend would get an eye and ear full)

 

[Cylly1]

Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

Seriously - you think that's funny, entertaining or interesting ?

Wow !
Have you any idea how insulting it is to be "faking" and doing what you - and your immature friends - are doing.

You best hope you don't run into someone who's actually hoh/deaf/Deaf .. Or a SODA, CODA etc.

Seriously - not only is this "uncool" it's insulting to every actual hoh/deaf/Deaf person out there.

(Hope you don't bump into me ... You and your little friend would get an eye and ear full)

Well I didn't mean to offend you. Please tell me why it is, why is practicing a language out with other people insulting? I find that people know a lot more Sign language then they let on. I use to just practice with my friends, but they didn't know any unless they really watched me. Then I just started trying it with other people. I mean, ASL uses english words so it's easier for people to catch on and maybe they might be interested in knowing more.

I just don't understand how it's different from practicing any other language and I also find myself teaching people a little after they see me sign. Most often they say I want to learn Sign Language too and what's wrong about that?

 

[green427]

How would you feel if I pretended I had cerebral palsy, walked in public with crutches, and asked you in a buffet restaurant to get my food, set it on my table, then I got up and walked around and say "gotcha, I was just kidding" just to see how you would react?

That's pretty much what you are doing. The people you are tricking may not be so helpful to the next real deaf person that comes along.

 

[Cylly1]

How would you feel if I pretended I had cerebral palsy, walked in public with crutches, and asked you in a buffet restaurant to get my food, set it on my table, then I got up and walked around and say "gotcha, I was just kidding" just to see how you would react?

That's pretty much what you are doing. The people you are tricking may not be so helpful to the next real deaf person that comes along.

That's a disease, not a language. Are you implying deafness is a disease since "That's pretty much what I'm doing"?

And maybe next time if they do meet a deaf person, they'll know more sign than they did before.

 

[green427]

That's a disease, not a language. Are you implying deafness is a disease since "That's pretty much what I'm doing"?

And maybe next time if they do meet a deaf person, they'll know more sign than they did before.

 

[CSign]

Oh boy.

 

[Cylly1]

It's not like I yelled "gotcha I was just kidding"... so my guess is you only posted this reply because you didn't know what else to say. I use Sign Language when I talk to people in public anyway, so what's the difference if I just stop talking when I do it?

 

[rockin'robin]

That's the silliest thing I've heard in a while...You just want "attention"....and perhaps a "wannabe" deafie...What are you gonna try next?....Stand on ur head?

 

[Cylly1]

That's the silliest thing I've heard in a while...You just want "attention"....and perhaps a "wannabe" deafie...What are you gonna try next?....Stand on ur head?

So using another language is being a "wannabe", what about all the interpreters? for any other language? guess they're "wannabes" too. I already know how to stand on my head, practicing ASL was next. ^^

 

[Smithtr]

you will banned, you will lesson behavior you serious! lesson reason, reason how point! serious, that is why avoid complaint, no reason I don't understand nothing, that is serious, that is not funny story, it is very deal on serious story!, you are trolling public!

Respect to Coda/Deaf/Hearing of Hearing

 

[CSign]

BTW- Cerebral Palsy isn't a disease.

 

[LoveBlue]

I suspect Spanish speaking people would take offense if you did that with Spanish. The same with French, Arabic, Japenese, etc. It comes across as making fun of someone's language.

 

[Bottesini]

So using another language is being a "wannabe", what about all the interpreters? for any other language? guess they're "wannabes" too. I already know how to stand on my head, practicing ASL was next. ^^

Pretending to be something you are not is being a wannabe.

 

[LoveBlue]

So using another language is being a "wannabe", what about all the interpreters? for any other language? guess they're "wannabes" too. I already know how to stand on my head, practicing ASL was next. ^^

Interrupters use ASL to bridge a language gap between two or more people. I doubt (Reba, correct me if I'm wrong) they use the language they interpret when they're not working unless they are with friends whom that language is their native language.

 

[Cylly1]

So anyone who uses another language is a wanna be? When I spoke Chinese to the people in the Chinese restaurant, they said my chinese was really good. Same with my Japanese when i use it in public. But the only reason I use Sign Language is because it's closest to English, so maybe they'll actually understand what I'm saying.

And I'm not making fun of anyone. When I sign people want to know more and they find it interesting as well. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone, just use the language. So, what's the problem? That I actually stop talking when I use Sign Language?

 

[Cylly1]

Interrupters use ASL to bridge a language gap between two or more people. I doubt (Reba, correct me if I'm wrong) they use the language they interpret when they're not working unless they are with friends whom that language is their native language.

So they never practice on their own, because that's insulting?

 

[LoveBlue]

So they never practice on their own, because that's insulting?

An interpreter is already fluent in the language they interpret, otherwise they wouldn't be qualified to interpret. They're also taught to respect the language and the people who use it. They would not use it with strangers who do not know the language. How would that be practicing? Language is receptive & <can't think of the word to use for the one talking/signing>, so to practice both persons need to know the language.

 

[Bebonang]

I know it's probably wrong, but I found it interesting to do. Sometimes when I go out to public places like restaurants or just out with my friends I start using sign language to people I don't know just to see what happens. My friends go along with it and pretend I'm deaf as well. However, I realized they don't keep a lot of eye contact with me and they start to use their hands a lot more. Then it got me thinking if they realized they were doing it or not. Most of the people I tried this with are patient and watch my hands, or sometimes I just type it out on my phone. Afterwards, I ask them do they realized they started using their hands and trying to read the signs. Most of them were surprised when I spoke to them, but I think they found it interesting as well.... maybe I could subconsciously get people to sign with me ^^ I just thought it was interesting, sorry if I offended anyone.

That is exactly what you were doing to the hearing people. I know that you are not signing the way ASL is. That is why if you must learn to sign properly and correctly, then it is a must that you have to go to ASL class with the HOH/Deaf teacher. If you want to go into Deaf events to communicate with Deaf people but not trying to pretend when you are not deaf.

As for ASL interpreters, we need them to make us understand what hearing people say at schools, churches, courts, meetings and other important functions that we need to know what is going on. I had ASL interpreter at my wedding and she help me understand what the Judge and members of the wedding party said. Without them, it is hard for us to understand when we could not lipread very well at all. That is why we depend on ASL for language to understand what hearing society is saying. You can not say it is all right to be pretending to be deaf and want to sign with someone who knows sign language or learning to sign. You just can not fool them like that. :roll: