yet another Newbie

[scugirl2013]

Hello, hello, hello !

My name is Kim. I'm a fairly new hearing ASL student. I'm the first to admit that right now my signing sucks, but I learn more every day, and I really want to see this through until I am as fluent as a hearie like me can possibly expect to be. I am so excited to meet all you lovely folks here at Alldeaf, I hope that we can become really good friends. If I offend anyone, please let me know. I am still familiarizing myself with Deaf culture and etiquitte, and I truly don't want to be rude. Chances are I haven't realized I've done it, so please be patient with me, helpful corrections are always appreciated. Looking forward to meeting everyone!

Kim

 

[HH scientist]

Hello Kim!!! :P Welcome to this forum for the deaf and HOH.

I am new too and committed the mistake by assuming that all deaf and HOH are striving for hearing by getting hearing aids and cochlear implants. That was a big mistake. Some people prefer sign language (SL) and not bothered with technical solutions. Myself, I have 50% hearing in one ear and I not use a hearing aid in that one (did before). If it is slightly noisy, I have to take it out to hear someone speaking, and if very noisy, I do not hear anything, hearing aid or no hearing aid. With a hearing aid, voices sound so distorted, like Darth Vader. So I chose to abstain from hearing aids altogether.

There is lots of diversity, and I know far from everything. Good luck!

 

[scugirl2013]

Hi, HH scientist, great to meet you! Thanks for the warm welcome, let me be the first, or one of them anyway, to extend it back. I love your comparison to Darth Vader, are you a Star Wars fan, too? I totally get where you're coming from with the whole CI/hearing aids thing. I myself had next to no prior exposure to Deaf culture before I went to college and like the majority of hearies assumed that Deafhood was a huge loss that should be reversed if possible. I took a unit on Deaf culture in college, and it was amazing to me the source of strength that Deafhood can be. Long story short: I am now firmly in the pro-Deaf culture, ASL camp, though not necessarily anti-oralism or CI. I like to think that Deafies, Hearies, and HHies can be bi-lingual and bi-cultural. I see hearing as a gift, but I see Deafhood as a gift as well. Hopefully we can all come together and be stronger as a result.
Kim

 

[HH scientist]

I love your comparison to Darth Vader, are you a Star Wars fan, too?

Yes, I admit it.

I totally get where you're coming from with the whole CI/hearing aids thing.

Hearing aids are not bad, but they have limited usefulness. For some people, they are invaluable, and to others, not particularly useful.

I myself had next to no prior exposure to Deaf culture before I went to college and like the majority of hearies assumed that Deafhood was a huge loss that should be reversed if possible.
...
I like to think that Deafies, Hearies, and HHies can be bi-lingual and bi-cultural.

It sounded odd to me first that you mentioned the word 'bilingual'. Are you saying that SL is a language? You are right in a cultural sense, but I did not realize that until finding this site a week ago (some had to tell me). Some people are using the term '(to be) mainstreamed' meaning that society is trying to make HOH and deaf people behave like hearing people. It just reminded me of the fact that the acceptance of minority languages mirrors that of SL. In the past, Aboriginals in Australia were supposed to speak only English, minorities in the Soviet Union to speak Russian, and in Sweden (where I come from) the minority Sami people was not allowed to use their own language in public schools as late as the 1950's. There is quite a bit of analogy.

I see hearing as a gift, but I see Deafhood as a gift as well. Hopefully we can all come together and be stronger as a result.

Yes, but good things don't happen on their own. You have to work to make them happen.

 

[Cheetah]

ASL is a language in it's own right. Almost everyone here in AD is bi-lingual and most are bi-cultural. (some like me sport more than two languages) I want to welcome both of you here to AD. I hope you both get a chance to learn about the Deaf culture. Yes, you will make mistakes, and yes you will learn not to make those mistakes again (mock menacing look). LOL! Don't worry so much, come on in, put your feet up on the old coffee table (but feet off the new coffee table please). And finally in the words of our esteemed greeters... Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!

 

[scugirl2013]

To Cheetah: Again, thanks for the warm welcome! Sorry if I seem a little skittish, but this whole "Immerse yourself and meet people in a brand new (to me) language and culture is a little intimidating, especially for a shy girl like me. I promise, I'm happy to be here, and I look forward to getting to know you!

To HHScientist:

Hearing aids are not bad, but they have limited usefulness. For some people, they are invaluable, and to others, not particularly useful.

Thanks for sharing! I myself have no experience with hearing aids, so it's good to hear the perspective of someone who has. It makes sense that they are more
useful for some than for others.

It sounded odd to me first that you mentioned the word 'bilingual'. Are you saying that SL is a language?

I am indeed saying that SL is a language (or more precicely, a family of languages). I went into studying it expecting it to be simply codified English,
and of course, such systems do exist. So when I started studying ASL I was
amazed to find that it really bears no relation to spoken English at all. It has its
own vocabulary, idioms, sentence structure, rules, grammar, ect. Based on my
understanding of what constitutes a language, ASL appears to have everything
a separate language should have, and I'm sure the other sign languages do,
too. Every Deaf person I have met considers it to be its own language. In my
book, its a language, although that's just my opinion. What do you think?

in Sweden (where I come from) the minority Sami people was not allowed to use their own language in public schools as late as the 1950's. There is quite a bit of analogy.

Funny you should mention this. I was born, raised, and currently live in
California, but I am of mixed Swedish and Sami heritage. My grandparents
forbade the speaking of Swedish in our family (to our detriment), but we have
still retained a large part of both identities. The thought that the experience of
the Sami as a linguistic minority is fairly analogous to the experience of the Deaf
population has occurred to me more than once. You said you are from Sweden.
Were you born there? I notice that your location tag says Ireland. If so, where
are you from? My ancestral home is in Norlund, close to Sundsvall.

 

[Smithtr]

welcome to alldeaf

 

[scugirl2013]

Thanks, Smithtr! Nice to meet you! Your location tag says you live in Canada?

 

[HH scientist]

Thanks for sharing! I myself have no experience with hearing aids, so it's good to hear the perspective of someone who has. It makes sense that they are more
useful for some than for others.

Yes, people should do what feels right for them to do.

I am indeed saying that SL is a language (or more precicely, a family of languages). I went into studying it expecting it to be simply codified English,
and of course, such systems do exist. So when I started studying ASL I was
amazed to find that it really bears no relation to spoken English at all. It has its
own vocabulary, idioms, sentence structure, rules, grammar, ect. Based on my
understanding of what constitutes a language, ASL appears to have everything
a separate language should have, and I'm sure the other sign languages do,
too. Every Deaf person I have met considers it to be its own language. In my
book, its a language, although that's just my opinion. What do you think?

Now I understand why it merits the definition of language. I do not know SL in any language but I have learnt many foreign languages (3) in school, so I know what that involves. I have come across the concept of deaf culture in the media, but I did never understand how and why it is important. I have never known any other person who is HOH or deaf except for one old relative who is now dead.

Funny you should mention this. I was born, raised, and currently live in
California, but I am of mixed Swedish and Sami heritage. My grandparents
forbade the speaking of Swedish in our family (to our detriment), but we have
still retained a large part of both identities. The thought that the experience of
the Sami as a linguistic minority is fairly analogous to the experience of the Deaf
population has occurred to me more than once. You said you are from Sweden.
Were you born there? I notice that your location tag says Ireland. If so, where
are you from? My ancestral home is in Norlund, close to Sundsvall.

How strange to meet a fellow Swede where I least would anticipate it. I grew up slightly farther south of Sundsvall in a town called Gävle, about 200 KM north of Stockholm. My family comes from the south of Sweden and originally it was Danish territory. Sweden conquered a few provinces from Denmark in the 17th century, and that is now southern Sweden. The local populace was forced to speak Swedish (instead of Danish), so they were victims of mainstreaming too, in a historical sense. I live in Ireland because I work here. I have purely Swedish ancestry.

Good luck and I hope that you will find this forum to be useful.