Terps

[AquaBlue]

What is wrong with this picture of an interpreter?

 

[AquaBlue]

You would do much, much better to create a memory tale in ASL rather than English, if I understand correctly what you've done here. You need to start creating an "ASL brain" instead of having every sign match up to an English word. That will cause you more problems than anything else as an interpreter or even just a signer.

Remember that this memory method is only used as a device for recall of signs...not the ASL language itself. Thanks for your input regardless.

 

[Anij]

You would do much, much better to create a memory tale in ASL rather than English, if I understand correctly what you've done here. You need to start creating an "ASL brain" instead of having every sign match up to an English word. That will cause you more problems than anything else as an interpreter or even just a signer.



No, because it completely depends on what community you're talking about. There are plenty of deaf people for whom ASL is not accepted very much at all.

And setting ... I find that if i hearing person (especially a student) enters an ASL conversation the conversation might become more "englishy" (more like PSE) ... in fact I do this with my hearing mum ... I'll sign ASL with Deaf people I know, but with my mum who is still learning sign, I switch to a more english order - because it's the word order she understands.

Also many younger people I know now are calling "PSE", "Signed English" ... now ... I'm not sure if that's just a local thing ... but many seem to have dropped the "p" in "PSE" (ENGLISH+SIGN) . ( I haven't because SEE leaves a bad taste in my mouth from my early years). So I'd be careful about your last section on "Signed English"

 

[Anij]

Remember that this memory method is only used as a device for recall of signs...not the ASL language itself. Thanks for your input regardless.

but you can't separate the signs from the language - the signs are part of the language, just the same as you can't memorize lists of english words and expect them to transfer over into language.

It's equally if not more important to start understanding why a sign is the way a sign is - to start understanding the living part of ASL ... even the most arbitrary signs "make sense" ... and that's the part that will be the most valuable to you !

 

[AquaBlue]

but you can't separate the signs from the language - the signs are part of the language, just the same as you can't memorize lists of english words and expect them to transfer over into language.

It's equally if not more important to start understanding why a sign is the way a sign is - to start understanding the living part of ASL ... even the most arbitrary signs "make sense" ... and that's the part that will be the most valuable to you !

A sign is a sign like a word is a word- what do you mean Anij? Grammar (at least in English) is another thing. Words/signs are the same. No?

A living language?

 

[Anij]

What is wrong with this picture of an interpreter?

I'd prefer a less loud top , and the red nail polish is annoying ...

(that being said, with the 'terp shortages .... I'm less picky as of late)

 

[AquaBlue]

You know that these memory techniques have helped me since the mid 80s. I know that they will help me increase sign vocabulary.

 

[AquaBlue]

I'd prefer a less loud top , and the red nail polish is annoying ...

(that being said, with the 'terp shortages .... I'm less picky as of late)

Right on the money Anij. Correct!

Question: How bad is the Terp shortage. Just curious.

 

[AquaBlue]

I would think that it is a golden rule for Terps to wear solid colors when interpreting in front of a group. Am I correct?

 

[Anij]

Right on the money Anij. Correct!

Question: How bad is the Terp shortage. Just curious.

I'm fortunate - my interpreters (5-8hours a week) don't wear all that "fancy stuff" it's actually not all that distracting if they do - It's just a matter of professionalism that they don't. I find the lighting in the rooms more of a challenge than the outfits of the interpreters !!!

The shortage here is horrible - I have a workshop I have to attend for class and even with more than 3 weeks notice, it's looking like I'll be flying solo - which is because I have to write a paper on what happens at the workshop ...

the paper will look something like this "lots of moving lips, tons of various background noise," ... hopefully the speaker isn't going to have a mustache or something ... but in all honesty my speechreading isn't all that wonderfully... it should be interesting ...

 

[Anij]

I would think that it is a golden rule for Terps to wear solid colors when interpreting in front of a group. Am I correct?

Yep - solid contrasting colors ... by which I mean:

light skin tone = dark colours
dark skin tone = light colours

 

[AquaBlue]

Yep - solid contrasting colors ... by which I mean:

light skin tone = dark colours
dark skin tone = light colours

Hmm. Good to know. Thanks Anij.

 

[Anij]

Hmm. Good to know. Thanks Anij.

You're welcome,

I know it might seems that we're being harsh sometimes .... but it's only because we want to help - we want you to be successful. If we didn't care - this thread never would have gotten to 12 pages !

One step at a time

 

[AquaBlue]

You're welcome,

I know it might seems that we're being harsh sometimes .... but it's only because we want to help - we want you to be successful. If we didn't care - this thread never would have gotten to 12 pages !

One step at a time

I realize that Anij. And thank you much for all your help.

 

[VamPyroX]

I'd prefer a less loud top , and the red nail polish is annoying ...

(that being said, with the 'terp shortages .... I'm less picky as of late)

I was gonna say the same thing.

Basically, interpreters are to avoid wearing anything that attracts attention.

Nail polish, rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, clothes, piercings, etc.

It's not a matter of identity, but a matter of professionalism.

I had an interpreter who always wore bright flashy Hawaiian-style outfits. It was annoying as hell. Luckily, I only had her for one class and it was in a class that I didn't really have to pay attention in since the majority of the grading was based on online work.

 

[AquaBlue]

I am going to wear a mint-green tye dye t-shirt with swirling orange stripes on my first Terp job.

 

[Interpretrator]

You know that these memory techniques have helped me since the mid 80s. I know that they will help me increase sign vocabulary.

It is absolutely your perogative to keep doing things the way you have always done them. I or other people here may also have valid reasons why you might wish to change those methods.

Good luck.

 

[AquaBlue]

It is absolutely your perogative to keep doing things the way you have always done them. I or other people here may also have valid reasons why you might wish to change those methods.

Good luck.

Tell me what reasons Interpretrator.

 

[Etoile]

Also I've created a memory tale to recall the sign words from the dictionary (A). Of course I understand that some other signs are used per word but at least I have a starting point. This is the mnemonic story:

Hmmm. Well, this is one way to approach it, but I'm not sure I would use English words this way. Here is why:

Adonia was teaching 1st graders at a school for the Deaf. One of the activities that she did with her students came from a book entitled, “Have You Ever Seen…? An ABC Book,” by Beau Gardner. This book comes with pictures that symbolize each letter of the alphabet, such as a picture of an Alligator wearing an antler for the letter A. During the activity, Adonia found herself struggling to keep her students engaged. At one point, one young girl signed excitedly, “I know! A is Love, With, and Everyday!” While those signs were not the correct answers for the letter A, they were actually the right answers for handshape A. Adonia went home that night feeling despondent, thinking that she had failed as a teacher. The next day, however, Adonia decided to try something new. She asked students to list all of the words associated with the handshape A. Students started throwing out answers, and the activity went on so long that Adonia had to ask them to stop. At the end of the activity, Adonia was overwhelmed by the significant difference between the numbers of words that they listed for the ABC activity when compared to the tremendous number of words they listed for the handshape activity.

So you might have better luck focusing on handshapes, not English letters.

edit: I see that others have already addressed this. The story above is exactly what they are talking about. Using English words is not really the way to go about learning ASL on your own. You might think "a sign is a word" but it's better to shake that mentality, otherwise you will live your life translating ASL to English in your head instead of just understanding the ASL right away. Try rewriting your story using signs you know that use the handshape A. As above, this doesn't mean the English words will start with A! But it's a much better approach to learning ASL...otherwise you might as well go take a SEE class.

 

[Etoile]

I got that info directly from a video titled Mouth Morphemes in American Sign Language. The page I put up is exactly what is taught in that video. So the video instruction is wrong Etoile?

Like Anij and RDC_girl have said, you're getting ahead of yourself. I showed your page to a friend of mine who is in my linguistics class with me, and here is what he said: "Oh my god, that's way too complex. Tell him a deaf person said to ignore that stuff!" So there you go...another deaf voice (in addition to those on this thread, and my own terp voice) suggesting that you are getting ahead of yourself.

I feel so discouraged. But I will not let anyone stop my progress.

*sighs*

I find this very aggressive. The mad faces make it even more so. Look, do you want our help, or don't you? You came on here asking for help because you want to learn ASL and you want to be an interpreter. Now you're deciding that you don't like what we're telling you because we're trying to stop your progress and make you discouraged. It's just not the case. Everything that has been said to you, has been said with the intent of trying to make your learning process EASIER. But you seem to insist in your bull-headed method of I will learn ASL my way dammit!! and you're ignoring the words of those whose wisdom you claim to seek.