Would you learn to talk later in your life?

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RustyLastCall05

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I wonder if you would learn to talk later in your life?

For me, I REFUSED TO LEARN TO TALK because I was exposed to sign language when I was baby. I felt that if I learn to talk later in my life, it will hurt my identity of deafness. Sign language is my first language. PERIOD.
 
HappyRambo said:
I wonder if you would learn to talk later in your life?

For me, I REFUSED TO LEARN TO TALK because I was exposed to sign language when I was baby. I felt that if I learn to talk later in my life, it will hurt my identity of deafness. Sign language is my first language. PERIOD.
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Talking will not hurt your identity of deafness, and it's important that you know the language of English in order to get somewhere in the real world. Sign language isn't a language, it's a form of communication. ASL is considered to be a language of many, but I prefer English because it's what I use the most.

I meant, I sign everyday, but English is more common since I write and read everyday. It outnumbers my use of signing big time. Ignorance can be a dangerous thing to hold.

The more you open yourself up to, the more the world will open up to you.
 
HappyRambo said:
I wonder if you would learn to talk later in your life?

For me, I REFUSED TO LEARN TO TALK because I was exposed to sign language when I was baby. I felt that if I learn to talk later in my life, it will hurt my identity of deafness. Sign language is my first language. PERIOD.
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yeah i understand that sign language is your first language ..no problem!
I learn to speak when i was a toddler so oralism is my first and sign language second.
 
Sure, you can consider sign language... your first language. It doesn't hurt to have talking as a second language. Talking is my first language and signing is my second language. I see nothing wrong with that. However, you're gonna be giving yourself a hard time if you can talk... but refuse to talk when another person could benefit from your talking.
 
You say you refuse to learn how to talk in later life.

I learned how to SIGN later in life (at age 23) so why are you limiting yourself?

Talking does not mean you no longer have a Deaf identity. No need to be so extreme. I talk & sign and I am still a Deaf person with a Deaf identity.
 
Even though I use ASL exclusively and am surrounded by deaf ppl almost every day, especially at my work; I still do speak with my voice. I grew up in a hearing family, and I would have speech training throughout my schooling until grade 12. However, I have not spoken much lately, and I think my speech is declining big time in the past 10 years. I don't think I really want to pay $$$ for speech therapists so I just speak whenever I absolutely have to. Sometimes I'm understood, sometimes I'm not. No big deal.
 
HappyRambo,
why would learning to talk destroy your Deaf idenity? English is my first language and I know tons of dhh people who learned English first and then learned to sign, but still idenitfy strongly as Deaf. I do myself.
I think speech training for dhh kids is a great idea as it's a very valuable skill. I know and understand the perspective of deafies who choose not to talk....hell speech therapy is damn frustrating, and it's frustrating to have to repeat yourself billions of times over, and not be understood by hearing people or to not "get" something someone said. I think most dhh should be educated both with oral training and with Sign, so they can choose how they want to commuicate.
 
English is my first language. At 3 yrs old, I learned sign language. Both language are my life. You know my mother wanted me to learn how to talk and do the lipread also she let me to use sign language at school. My grandmother told my mom to learn sign language. My mother told her NO because she wanted her daughter go into hearing world and can communicate with others. Now, I have both worlds and I am happy with it.
 
I grew up with both spoken and signed english (SEE then ASL) -- My mother went to become an interpreter after she discovered I was deaf at 18 months old. My sister's deaf, too as well. Both sister and I know how to speak in english and use ASL exclusively as well when we're socialising with friends in the deaf community.
I also have another sign language that I use -- AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language) as I'm living in Australia and their sign language is very similar to BSL (British Sign Language) and a few signs from ASL. :D

I feel it's important to be able to talk whenever possible, in order to get my point across in the hearing society. You'll have to remember, we live in a majority hearing community. The deaf community's one of the minor groups.
 
English is my first language. At 3 yrs old, I learned sign language.
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I'm OK with oral-only early on as long as Sign is also introduced relatively early...I think most dhh kids should learn to sign before age ten!
 
deafdyke said:
I'm OK with oral-only early on as long as Sign is also introduced relatively early...I think most dhh kids should learn to sign before age ten!
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I was born hearing. I became deaf when I was 2 and half yrs old. My mother didnt know what she was going to do with me. Social Worker told my mother go to deaf school 5 minutes from my house. So she took me there and saw teachers and the students were signing. My mother was freak but she let me learn.
 
because I was exposed to sign language when I was baby.
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Then how come your parents don't sign? I'm really confused? I mean I know most parents of Deafies don't sign, b/c those kids are oral failures, but you were exposed to Sign early on.....what's up with that?
 
I was born hearing. I became deaf when I was 2 and half yrs old.
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Oh, so you're almost postlingaly deaf! (I think the term is perilingally deaf right?) That's cool that you got to learn sign right off the bat, and didn't need to wait for years and years to learn sign...are you glad you got to learn sign early on?
 
Meg said:
You say you refuse to learn how to talk in later life.

I learned how to SIGN later in life (at age 23) so why are you limiting yourself?

Talking does not mean you no longer have a Deaf identity. No need to be so extreme. I talk & sign and I am still a Deaf person with a Deaf identity.
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Meg

You know that I can't speak very well. :o Otherwise, I can speak perfectly :fu: LMAO...
 
HappyRambo said:
I wonder if you would learn to talk later in your life?

For me, I REFUSED TO LEARN TO TALK because I was exposed to sign language when I was baby. I felt that if I learn to talk later in my life, it will hurt my identity of deafness. Sign language is my first language. PERIOD.
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Yes, it is NOTHING wrong about this...ASL is my primary language...but years pass..I learn to write English, when I was in high school, my english level was like 3rd to 4th grade level but my english teacher spent countless hour tutoring me to improve my writing and reading skill...I was like whoa I cant believe my ability boot up and improved as before I went to college...my english level jumped up to 12th grade senior level but right now it is more better than this. So my point, dont shut yourself into Deaf world fully...I am always pride to be Deaf and carry Deaf Pride identify..but U need to learn to assicoate with people who want to communicate with you. I cant speak or lip read very good but I am STRONG fluency ASL user..so when I chat with my hearing friends...I knew their communication method toward me..so it depends if paper and pen shuld be use or use interpreter.

Like Banjo said...open yourself...I agree with him...be wise..u said dont want to learn to talk its ok...most important is to develop good english skill why? So you can communicate with non deaf people who can understand you better than to have some people misunderstand due to summarized words.
 
HappyRambo said:
I wonder if you would learn to talk later in your life?

For me, I REFUSED TO LEARN TO TALK because I was exposed to sign language when I was baby. I felt that if I learn to talk later in my life, it will hurt my identity of deafness. Sign language is my first language. PERIOD.
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It is so important for you to learn how to talk. If you still refuse, you will not find a better job - how can you communicate with your boss if he/she does not have a paper and pen at this time? A least, you try do your best to speak so that someone who could understand you.

I have a friend who talk poorly, and his boss understands him fairly. They write some notes each other. Lucky, he still works over 5 years. He is glad that he took a speech class before he graduated his school. You really need to take a speech class now before you finish your school. My speech therapist taught me how to speak properly for a long time.

Please do not fool yourself thinking in your mind about negative situation. You have to do it because you need to survive in the hearing world.
 
HappyRambo said:
For me, I REFUSED TO LEARN TO TALK because I was exposed to sign language when I was baby. I felt that if I learn to talk later in my life, it will hurt my identity of deafness. Sign language is my first language. PERIOD.
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Well, Deaf Identity is not something you're born with. It's something you acquire through experience. Many Deaf people I know can speak and they're happy with having the ability to speak. If you could speak earlier, you may have thought differently.

-jeff
 
Barios

Barios is the mexican word for "neighborhood".

When Mexicans move to the USA (legally or illegally), they often move into predominantly mexican neighborhoods so that their barber, dentist, or future spouse, will speak Spanish to them.

They never learn English and can never leave the Bario.

I'm sure a community of Spanish speaking friends is comforting, and it's nice to have people around who understand you better.. but to specifically REFUSE to learn English is only trapping yourself.

You have learned English, but what you are referring to specifically is not SPEAKING it.

I understand that speaking is VERY difficult when you can't hear. If I was deaf I'd rather write messages and use ASL.

However.. I don't think that it would hurt your Deaf identity. If you CAN learn to speak you should, because you will have more options. Just as I have many more options because I speak both Spanish and English (and more and more ASL everyday).
 
If you CAN learn to speak you should, because you will have more options.
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Yes. English is an excellent survival skill and a valuable tool. People from other countries learn English b/c English is the new Esperanto (the new "universal" language)
I have to say I'm VERY impressed by all the replies here, and I wish some of those idoits who think that all of us Deaf people are extreme radical seperatists could see this thread!
I do understand why someone would not choose to learn how to speak, but chosing to not speak b/c it might make you look "more hearing" is retarded!
 
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