Totally new to sign language!!

I hope she come back on here. She hasn't posted anything since people started complaining.
 
My friends are starting to he more and more excited about learning Asl. I'm going to classes at the language center they have where I live and some are going with me.
 
You are late deafened. I was born deaf but did not get all those accommodations except in Special Education which offered Oral-only method and forced us to use FM (Teachers only speaking on microphone, we hear sounds from teachers but not from deaf and hard of hearing students). We had a hard time trying to make out but it was frustrating and difficult to pick that up. That is why we need ASL to help us understand what is going on in the classroom. I don't like Special Education at all. I hate mainstream schools without accommodations. It is okay for you to rant and so am I. :naughty:

You're the 1st person in the Deaf community I've seen that has such rude things to say about someone trying to learn your language. ASL should not be only for Deaf & HOH people- I'm hearing and learned the language (started out for medical reasons but fell in love with the culture & community as well as the language).

I have several deaf friends who were born deaf or with hearing loss from birth to adults and have always welcome newbies with open arms and without such rudeness.

Sad!
 
You're the 1st person in the Deaf community I've seen that has such rude things to say about someone trying to learn your language. ASL should not be only for Deaf & HOH people- I'm hearing and learned the language (started out for medical reasons but fell in love with the culture & community as well as the language).

I have several deaf friends who were born deaf or with hearing loss from birth to adults and have always welcome newbies with open arms and without such rudeness.

Sad!

Did you read the post you are commenting on? She said her life was terrible in the mainstream.Nothing rude to the OP on her decision to learn ASL.+

And stick around. Get out a lot in your own community and you are sure to see many ruder things.

I think you aren't very far in. Even for Deaf people there are all kinds of things that will provoke rudeness or hostility.
 
Hello everyone! My name is Megan and I just turned 24! I have a 1 &1/2 year old son named Gavin, who is totally amazing! :) I am not deaf, and my son isn't either. In fact, I don't know anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing. I have such a huge interest to hopefully properly learn one day. I think the launguage is so beautiful and I have such admiration for those who who are so natural and fluent in it! i live in an extremely small city, and there are no support groups or sign language classes. I've just been learning from apps and YouTube for now. Again I am extremely new to it. I don't wish to offend anyone, I was just looking for some support because I'm trying to learn a new language and everyone I'm surrounded by is very ignorant to it. The only person I practice signing to is my son because I know some other people won't understand why I want to learn. I would also sign to my mom because she also knows a little bit. She works in a daycare and they had a few deaf children over the years. I know deep down this is something I want to learn, even if it takes me until I'm 40 :laugh2:

Okay, I go back to Megan's first post. She said ASL is so beautiful. If she want to learn how to sign ASL to communicate with us but would rather like to communicate with her hearing son and her hearing mother. It sound like a fun sign language. They don't have any problem wanting to learn ASL. But whether in the past or present, we want to learn to sign ASL in schools and colleges but often a lot of hearing people refused to have us learn ASL which is our foremost and primary language that many hearing people tried very hard to denied us the right to use ASL. Even when we were babies or in childhood, we were denied not to learn ASL and not to sign ASL with family members.

I did not learn how to speak (until I was almost 9 years old) or never learn how to sign ASL for many years until I was 20 or 21 years old. When I went to the Deaf class, it opened a whole world and I felt a weight off my shoulder that I am able to communicate with Deaf and Hard Of Hearing people. I felt so much better where I had waste all of my years not knowing the languages, even native tongue (speaking native language). All that struggles in mainstream schools were very hard for me to understand on a two way street. I only talk (not fluently) one way street and I could not understand what someone said to me. That was the hard part. When it come to hearing classrooms, even in Special Education, communication with one person is not that easy without ASL. I was very frustrating and unhappy all those years since I first entered into the hearing mainstream school. All I care about is to communicate in ASL for communication. Not some beautiful and art form for hearing people to say "Oh, what fun to use gesture so that we can have secret codes to communicate with". That is what hearing people want to do especially young hearing people.

This is our language (ASL) just like when my people in my tribe need to speak their own language (Cree), too.

I married my husband who was hearing and spoke Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) language only there were some words that had to put English words in as there were no words as the English people speak differently which were not found in Ojibwe language. My husband was punished if he spoke in his own language in residential school. He wanted to speak his own language with his friends so they can be comfortable not have to speak English all the time. Not only that, he was having a hard time trying to make the pronouncement on his tongues which was very difficult to form when speaking in English. The Anishinaabe people have been speaking their own language for many centuries. People who have European mindset wanted Natives to speak English for their own pleasure. That is what make me upset when it come to languages. What is wrong with them forcing us to be like them all the time and all the way? This does not make sense.

CI are going through the same thing (today in 21st Century) which we had gone through with hearing aids many years ago. Hearing people are so set on making us be like them every day of our lives. That is not humanity. That is brutal and cruel to us. Another rant again. :(
 
You're the 1st person in the Deaf community I've seen that has such rude things to say about someone trying to learn your language. ASL should not be only for Deaf & HOH people- I'm hearing and learned the language (started out for medical reasons but fell in love with the culture & community as well as the language).



I have several deaf friends who were born deaf or with hearing loss from birth to adults and have always welcome newbies with open arms and without such rudeness.



Sad!



Well I just see all old deaf people at bitter and just stay their kind then so I will always stay clear of them. Who just wants to rant about the same thing all the time.

And Megan I hope you learn a lot just ignore everything that was said on this post. If you want we can talk over snapchat or glide or skype.

Snapchat- sweetie201489
Glide- MLG ARPJ
Skype- gabbie1989

I have met a few deaf people here where I moved to and they are very nice. I'm HoH and learning Asl now.
 
You're the 1st person in the Deaf community I've seen that has such rude things to say about someone trying to learn your language. ASL should not be only for Deaf & HOH people- I'm hearing and learned the language (started out for medical reasons but fell in love with the culture & community as well as the language).

I have several deaf friends who were born deaf or with hearing loss from birth to adults and have always welcome newbies with open arms and without such rudeness.

Sad!

get to know people style of writing before make that comment.
BEBong Not had it easy and you learn a lot about deaf if you read her posts
 
get to know people style of writing before make that comment.
BEBong Not had it easy and you learn a lot about deaf if you read her posts

I've learned about the deaf... Have taken many courses, including Deaf Culture. I have friends who have been through the same hardships but are still very accepting of newbies & those wanting to learn.
 
Hello everyone! My name is Megan and I just turned 24! I have a 1 &1/2 year old son named Gavin, who is totally amazing! :) I am not deaf, and my son isn't either. In fact, I don't know anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing. I have such a huge interest to hopefully properly learn one day. I think the launguage is so beautiful and I have such admiration for those who who are so natural and fluent in it! i live in an extremely small city, and there are no support groups or sign language classes. I've just been learning from apps and YouTube for now. Again I am extremely new to it. I don't wish to offend anyone, I was just looking for some support because I'm trying to learn a new language and everyone I'm surrounded by is very ignorant to it. The only person I practice signing to is my son because I know some other people won't understand why I want to learn. I would also sign to my mom because she also knows a little bit. She works in a daycare and they had a few deaf children over the years. I know deep down this is something I want to learn, even if it takes me until I'm 40 :laugh2:


I am not deaf but I am interested in learning more sign language if you have skype you can add me kams.mommy.1234

It'll be nice making some friends to sign with. Everything I know I've pretty much have taught myself.
 
I am not deaf but I am interested in learning more sign language if you have skype you can add me kams.mommy.1234

It'll be nice making some friends to sign with. Everything I know I've pretty much have taught myself.

learning ASL good.i do BSL slow ASL had to stop Skype my hands arms in bad way only Skype two people who signed with for years.there are sign clubs for hearing people in America have you looked at that or spending day with deaf person
 
I am very new to this forum (first day posting). I am not deaf but my hearing is failing quickly. Just from reading the posts in this thread I had no idea of how things were for the deaf from birth years ago. I was always under the impression that sign was around for hundreds of years, maybe not ASL but in some fashion. I know the American Indians used it to communicated between tribes of different languages. Was signing REALLY discouraged in mainline schools? I am currently seeking to take a class in ASL not as a second language or because it's "beautiful" but because I'll need it soon. Another reason is I've had/have deaf customers I'd like to communicate with and a cashier at my local Wally-World is deaf and I'd like to communicate with her.
I hope to learn much more from this forum.
 
I am very new to this forum (first day posting). I am not deaf but my hearing is failing quickly. Just from reading the posts in this thread I had no idea of how things were for the deaf from birth years ago. I was always under the impression that sign was around for hundreds of years, maybe not ASL but in some fashion. I know the American Indians used it to communicated between tribes of different languages. Was signing REALLY discouraged in mainline schools? I am currently seeking to take a class in ASL not as a second language or because it's "beautiful" but because I'll need it soon. Another reason is I've had/have deaf customers I'd like to communicate with and a cashier at my local Wally-World is deaf and I'd like to communicate with her.
I hope to learn much more from this forum.

Yes it was, and also in deaf schools for some time after the Milan conference. There is a lot of bitterness left from that time.

Good luck in your learning and acclimating.
 
Hello everyone! My name is Megan and I just turned 24! I have a 1 &1/2 year old son named Gavin, who is totally amazing! :) I am not deaf, and my son isn't either. In fact, I don't know anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing. I have such a huge interest to hopefully properly learn one day. I think the launguage is so beautiful and I have such admiration for those who who are so natural and fluent in it! i live in an extremely small city, and there are no support groups or sign language classes. I've just been learning from apps and YouTube for now. Again I am extremely new to it. I don't wish to offend anyone, I was just looking for some support because I'm trying to learn a new language and everyone I'm surrounded by is very ignorant to it. The only person I practice signing to is my son because I know some other people won't understand why I want to learn. I would also sign to my mom because she also knows a little bit. She works in a daycare and they had a few deaf children over the years. I know deep down this is something I want to learn, even if it takes me until I'm 40 :laugh2:
Megan, assuming you are still here, I think your goal is notable and shows a lovely strength in you. My partner's great grandnephew is now 2 years old. His mom taught him bits of sign language a while ago. It gave M a fabulous outlet and he's communicating better now with a lot less frustration.

I will be going online with my own niece to teach her basic signs for my great grandniece. This "great" lingo is rather new and a little weird for me, so hopefully I'm referring to them properly.

I don't think I would've been able to learn the sign I know if I hadn't been through classes when I was younger. Kudos to you.

My "draw" to sign language was watching interpreters sign at functions and churches. Fortunately, I had the ability to attend classes for sign at work and through a friend who conducted a "deaf choir" with but one Deaf woman in those days. I also taught sign as an extension of what I was taught after work hours. Very little was in ASL, though, as that was not what I had been taught (S.E.E., which turned out to be a lesson in totally exercising my fingers ... it was too cumbersome).
 
I am very new to this forum (first day posting). I am not deaf but my hearing is failing quickly. Just from reading the posts in this thread I had no idea of how things were for the deaf from birth years ago. I was always under the impression that sign was around for hundreds of years, maybe not ASL but in some fashion. I know the American Indians used it to communicated between tribes of different languages. Was signing REALLY discouraged in mainline schools? I am currently seeking to take a class in ASL not as a second language or because it's "beautiful" but because I'll need it soon. Another reason is I've had/have deaf customers I'd like to communicate with and a cashier at my local Wally-World is deaf and I'd like to communicate with her.
I hope to learn much more from this forum.
Kudos to you, VA Bowbender. I remember going into a store probably about 15 years ago and I asked a woman for help with something. I thought I was being ignored (as I've been accused of doing in my youth (lol ... my early 20s) - I couldn't hear well). I rapidly realized the woman was Deaf. Being able to communicate with Deaf or deaf is just fabulous.
 
Okay, I go back to Megan's first post. She said ASL is so beautiful. If she want to learn how to sign ASL to communicate with us but would rather like to communicate with her hearing son and her hearing mother. It sound like a fun sign language. They don't have any problem wanting to learn ASL. But whether in the past or present, we want to learn to sign ASL in schools and colleges but often a lot of hearing people refused to have us learn ASL which is our foremost and primary language that many hearing people tried very hard to denied us the right to use ASL. Even when we were babies or in childhood, we were denied not to learn ASL and not to sign ASL with family members.

I did not learn how to speak (until I was almost 9 years old) or never learn how to sign ASL for many years until I was 20 or 21 years old. When I went to the Deaf class, it opened a whole world and I felt a weight off my shoulder that I am able to communicate with Deaf and Hard Of Hearing people. I felt so much better where I had waste all of my years not knowing the languages, even native tongue (speaking native language). All that struggles in mainstream schools were very hard for me to understand on a two way street. I only talk (not fluently) one way street and I could not understand what someone said to me. That was the hard part. When it come to hearing classrooms, even in Special Education, communication with one person is not that easy without ASL. I was very frustrating and unhappy all those years since I first entered into the hearing mainstream school. All I care about is to communicate in ASL for communication. Not some beautiful and art form for hearing people to say "Oh, what fun to use gesture so that we can have secret codes to communicate with". That is what hearing people want to do especially young hearing people.

This is our language (ASL) just like when my people in my tribe need to speak their own language (Cree), too.

I married my husband who was hearing and spoke Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) language only there were some words that had to put English words in as there were no words as the English people speak differently which were not found in Ojibwe language. My husband was punished if he spoke in his own language in residential school. He wanted to speak his own language with his friends so they can be comfortable not have to speak English all the time. Not only that, he was having a hard time trying to make the pronouncement on his tongues which was very difficult to form when speaking in English. The Anishinaabe people have been speaking their own language for many centuries. People who have European mindset wanted Natives to speak English for their own pleasure. That is what make me upset when it come to languages. What is wrong with them forcing us to be like them all the time and all the way? This does not make sense.

CI are going through the same thing (today in 21st Century) which we had gone through with hearing aids many years ago. Hearing people are so set on making us be like them every day of our lives. That is not humanity. That is brutal and cruel to us. Another rant again. :(
There's sometimes polarizing between deaf and Deaf and it appears to be happening here. I said that I learned sign (and I've worked with Deaf and deaf people) because I loved watching the interpreters for singers like Sweet Honey and the Rock, Holly Near, etc. It lead me to learn sign and I was in a deaf choir. Since I had a hearing loss since birth, I realized how handy signing was and learned a lot more. It was fun being able to walk the halls of work and sign to my ex-husband behind glass in a conference room. I also walked the halls signing to myself. So, the fun and beautiful were the catalysts that drove me to do something I hadn't thought of - learn sign.

I was hearing and saying, "Hearing people are so set on making us be like them every day of our lives..." is a huge generalization. It's your choice to make as to what path you take. When I worked with Marilyn (deaf married to Deaf), I learned a lot about what it's like to not hear. She was frustrated with the hearing world's (aka - our department and those with whom she worked) lack of understanding. I learned a lot from her and her husband who taught at the school for the deaf in Freemont, CA.

I'm sorry your life was brutal and cruel. At various points in my life, beginning in kindergarten when no one realized I had a hearing loss, it was a teacher (and sometimes managers) who were mean to me. Fifth grade made up for the earlier issue. My teacher rapidly learned I wore a hearing aid, hugged me and dismissed the class. For a couple of years it put me on a smoother path in life only to be squashed again in a cliquey new snobby school when we moved.

To me, my later years in life has been about educating people about hearing losses. That gets old, though. I don't look deaf and don't sound it but deaf is what I am. I see people around me who are getting it.

Best to you, Beonang.
 
Good post, NYNY. I had it very tough growing up. So bullied and picked on for my speech and signing. But I found as I got older (adult years) that most everyone understood my limitations. Today, where I work, everyone goes out of their way to speak clearly to me, and my boss has started learning sign language. I'm amazed at what she retains of what signs I've taught her thus far. She is, as you wrote, getting it.
 
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