Heya!
This will be my last blog post regarding this group that me and other teachers have taught in the past 9 weeks. To be honest with everyone, I believe that only 5 missionaries out of 15 will not be fluent in sign language after their mission. It's sad to think about that, but I seriously hope that they'll prove me wrong. The reason why I believe that is because their first 9 weeks, they have shown a little motivation in learning the language and are not very acceptable of critiques from teachers. To become fluent and sign LIKE a native ASL signer, one must love the language and seek improvement everyday.
I have included two videos to help you recognize the difference between two group of signers. The first one shows a non-native signer signing a song. The second one is from Dack Virnig who's a talented ASL storyteller from Fremont, California.
You can see that he's signing, but to me, he's not clear and shows that he's not native. I can tell his love for ASL and that he'll be amazing in the near future. Now, here's Dack's story. He has many stories on his YouTube channel and you can check it out here.
I know you all can recognize the HUGE differences between those two videos. We all want our students to be able to sign like Dack Virnig and many other ASL storytellers someday. Native ASL signers have the conceptual approach in their head and it comes natively when they express their language. Non-native signers have to think of the conceptual approach they're going to make before signing. There are many ways to learn ASL, but my belief is the immersion method and being able to express yourself. What good is the language if you're not able to express yourself in that language? We all should strive to achieve that if we're learning another language, such as ASL.
It was great writing this blog and sharing my insights with everyone! I know a lot of you teach ASL, interpret and all that who have received formal training in the language and I respect all of you for what you do. I have not taken any classes regarding to ASL except one class at BYU, ASL 301 - Deaf Culture. I feel that if I have the desire to learn more about ASL, I'll be able to appreciate my own language much more.
Thanks everyone! So long!
Austin
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
9 weeks OVER! Final Report
Heya!
So, the missionaries that I've been teaching in the past 9 weeks are now officially gone! Only three remain because they got delayed, two of them are going to DC and one sister is going to Portland. The elders going to DC will leave on March 29th, while the sister is battling a foot injury and once it heals, she'll be able to leave. We will receive 7 new missionaries on Wednesday and I'm thrilled to start this process once again with them.
As I look back at the first week of their MTC training... I realized how much they have progressed in the language! Some days are incredibly frustrating, and some are really wonderful. I believe that everyone I have taught will improve their ASL and be fluent in the language in 2 years. For me, I always appreciate it when someone learns ASL and uses it for right reasons and to help the deaf community. I am truly thankful for the missionaries I have taught in the past 9 weeks. Not only I taught them, but by their willingness and determination to learn have taught me several lessons within my own life.
I figured that procrastination isn't the best thing to do, and the missionaries at the MTC always encourage me to finish my homework, studies, and such. They are truly a strong influence for me. Now, their language are not fluent, but they have learned the basics of how to communicate with people in ASL, especially to the people they will be teaching about Jesus Christ. It feels great knowing that my hard work has paid off and they have an ASL base to depart into the field of work and build their language from there.
I found a quite funny video collection of a deaf comedian named John Maucere, aka SuperDeafy. In these videos, he interacts with normal deaf people at deaf expos all over the nation. Check it out at this link - SUPERDEAFY
Thanks everyone for following this blog post! Next week's post will be about "from an ASL student to a native ASL signer" That should be interesting because I had one companion on my mission who became a native ASL signer even though he knew little once he entered the MTC. It is possible for anyone to achieve that through hard work.
So long guys and gals!
Austin
So, the missionaries that I've been teaching in the past 9 weeks are now officially gone! Only three remain because they got delayed, two of them are going to DC and one sister is going to Portland. The elders going to DC will leave on March 29th, while the sister is battling a foot injury and once it heals, she'll be able to leave. We will receive 7 new missionaries on Wednesday and I'm thrilled to start this process once again with them.
As I look back at the first week of their MTC training... I realized how much they have progressed in the language! Some days are incredibly frustrating, and some are really wonderful. I believe that everyone I have taught will improve their ASL and be fluent in the language in 2 years. For me, I always appreciate it when someone learns ASL and uses it for right reasons and to help the deaf community. I am truly thankful for the missionaries I have taught in the past 9 weeks. Not only I taught them, but by their willingness and determination to learn have taught me several lessons within my own life.
I figured that procrastination isn't the best thing to do, and the missionaries at the MTC always encourage me to finish my homework, studies, and such. They are truly a strong influence for me. Now, their language are not fluent, but they have learned the basics of how to communicate with people in ASL, especially to the people they will be teaching about Jesus Christ. It feels great knowing that my hard work has paid off and they have an ASL base to depart into the field of work and build their language from there.
I found a quite funny video collection of a deaf comedian named John Maucere, aka SuperDeafy. In these videos, he interacts with normal deaf people at deaf expos all over the nation. Check it out at this link - SUPERDEAFY
Thanks everyone for following this blog post! Next week's post will be about "from an ASL student to a native ASL signer" That should be interesting because I had one companion on my mission who became a native ASL signer even though he knew little once he entered the MTC. It is possible for anyone to achieve that through hard work.
So long guys and gals!
Austin
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Expressing Yourself in ASL
Hi all!
Right now in the MTC is a very critical time for the missionaries. They're about to leave in a week, and we've already had several leave early. Our focus is to help them prepare to be able to express themselves in ASL with deaf people. This district is definitely doing a good job at it, but several of the missionaries have not reached that point in their language yet. It is difficult for everyone to reach the point in their language learning to be able to express it naturally with native signers. To be honest with you, aside from several missionaries who are already fluent in ASL, only one elder is able to achieve this goal. The rest of the missionaries aren't as good but they're working hard towards that goal. It is essential for anyone to achieve the best as they can, and I truly believe that in two years (and 18 months) of their service, they will be able to express themselves in ASL anytime and anywhere.
Now, expressing yourself in ASL has some really confusing signs or gestures that you may not notice. I have included a video example from me and my friends after night-skiing at Brighton. Look at what we're signing and you will have no idea what we're saying. The point is that we're expressing something in ASL within our group of friends. It's pretty much an inside joke, really.
If the missionaries are able to come up with something similar to this to express a meaning or a description of something then they're making steps in expressing themselves naturally in ASL. For myself, it wasn't easy for me to finally understand how to express myself in English and it took me years and years to finally sharpen that skill. Here's a picture of a group of deaf people who are in part of an ASL poetry group. They express their poems in ASL, which is something I can't really do, haha.
This is a group named DeafJam.
There are various ways of expressing yourself in ASL, and there are ridiculous possibilities of how we can come up with a sign for something. This language has symbolic means and I love ASL so much for it.
I hope you all enjoyed this post!
Austin
Right now in the MTC is a very critical time for the missionaries. They're about to leave in a week, and we've already had several leave early. Our focus is to help them prepare to be able to express themselves in ASL with deaf people. This district is definitely doing a good job at it, but several of the missionaries have not reached that point in their language yet. It is difficult for everyone to reach the point in their language learning to be able to express it naturally with native signers. To be honest with you, aside from several missionaries who are already fluent in ASL, only one elder is able to achieve this goal. The rest of the missionaries aren't as good but they're working hard towards that goal. It is essential for anyone to achieve the best as they can, and I truly believe that in two years (and 18 months) of their service, they will be able to express themselves in ASL anytime and anywhere.
Now, expressing yourself in ASL has some really confusing signs or gestures that you may not notice. I have included a video example from me and my friends after night-skiing at Brighton. Look at what we're signing and you will have no idea what we're saying. The point is that we're expressing something in ASL within our group of friends. It's pretty much an inside joke, really.
If the missionaries are able to come up with something similar to this to express a meaning or a description of something then they're making steps in expressing themselves naturally in ASL. For myself, it wasn't easy for me to finally understand how to express myself in English and it took me years and years to finally sharpen that skill. Here's a picture of a group of deaf people who are in part of an ASL poetry group. They express their poems in ASL, which is something I can't really do, haha.
This is a group named DeafJam.
There are various ways of expressing yourself in ASL, and there are ridiculous possibilities of how we can come up with a sign for something. This language has symbolic means and I love ASL so much for it.
I hope you all enjoyed this post!
Austin
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Interpreting
Hello again!
First of all, I wanted to tell you that the previous blog about classifiers has its "iffies" because of a new thing named depicting verbs. so, that linguistic thing will be figured out since it's all new to me! Thanks everyone!
Now, this week's topic will be about interpreting. I'm pretty sure everyone is aware of how interpreting works just as i described it in my previous blog. For the deaf, we usually prefer interpreters who are understandable. Sometimes we face some interpreters that are NOT good, or those that are REALLY good. The deaf tend to fall into a habit of preference and they request for a specific interpreter just because they understand one better from another one.
Why is that? Let me share an ongoing story in the MTC right now. As of now, we have one deaf elder and sister. They require interpretation for all meetings and such, just like me. Unfortunately, the MTC isn't so great at providing quality interpreters at all times. They have the tendency to look for volunteers, which normally do not carry a certification to interpret, and end up trying to figure out the difference between the sign for chocolate and church. PATHETIC! So, the hard truth is that not everyone can interpret once they know ASL. Interpretation is a professional job and it requires a lot of work to be a good one. To express my frustration about interpreters at the MTC, they have not improved in the past 2 years.
If anyone has a meeting or a job interview with a deaf person, it is critical to get an interpreter so they can ensure the information will be exchanged from the deaf person to a hearing person and the other way around properly and professionally. Communication is a vital tool in cooperation. I strongly believe that interpreters should be talented and certified before they can officially interpret for anyone!
Of course, this doesn't mean you should back out completely of trying to help a deaf person place an order at mcdonalds. usually, it is polite to ask first if they need help, and if they allow you to do so, try your best! I feel touched when people come up to me and try to help me out with the communication issues I have sometimes during my day. To be honest, I can do it myself and most deaf people can, but if you offer them help and they accept... You're doing a good job! :D
Here's a video that shows a glimpse of a student in the intepretation program interpreting for a boot camp class. ENJOY!
It is not our goal to have the missionaries become professional interpreters after their missions. Our goal with them is to have them be fluent in ASL so they can interact and teach deaf people. Once they're fluent, they have the option of interpreting after their missions since it's a good job and pays a lot! It is not easy to become an interpreter, but once you succeed, it's worth it!
And here's a funny video of how interpreters are NOT supposed to act.
Have a great week!
Austin
First of all, I wanted to tell you that the previous blog about classifiers has its "iffies" because of a new thing named depicting verbs. so, that linguistic thing will be figured out since it's all new to me! Thanks everyone!
Now, this week's topic will be about interpreting. I'm pretty sure everyone is aware of how interpreting works just as i described it in my previous blog. For the deaf, we usually prefer interpreters who are understandable. Sometimes we face some interpreters that are NOT good, or those that are REALLY good. The deaf tend to fall into a habit of preference and they request for a specific interpreter just because they understand one better from another one.
Why is that? Let me share an ongoing story in the MTC right now. As of now, we have one deaf elder and sister. They require interpretation for all meetings and such, just like me. Unfortunately, the MTC isn't so great at providing quality interpreters at all times. They have the tendency to look for volunteers, which normally do not carry a certification to interpret, and end up trying to figure out the difference between the sign for chocolate and church. PATHETIC! So, the hard truth is that not everyone can interpret once they know ASL. Interpretation is a professional job and it requires a lot of work to be a good one. To express my frustration about interpreters at the MTC, they have not improved in the past 2 years.
If anyone has a meeting or a job interview with a deaf person, it is critical to get an interpreter so they can ensure the information will be exchanged from the deaf person to a hearing person and the other way around properly and professionally. Communication is a vital tool in cooperation. I strongly believe that interpreters should be talented and certified before they can officially interpret for anyone!
Of course, this doesn't mean you should back out completely of trying to help a deaf person place an order at mcdonalds. usually, it is polite to ask first if they need help, and if they allow you to do so, try your best! I feel touched when people come up to me and try to help me out with the communication issues I have sometimes during my day. To be honest, I can do it myself and most deaf people can, but if you offer them help and they accept... You're doing a good job! :D
Here's a video that shows a glimpse of a student in the intepretation program interpreting for a boot camp class. ENJOY!
It is not our goal to have the missionaries become professional interpreters after their missions. Our goal with them is to have them be fluent in ASL so they can interact and teach deaf people. Once they're fluent, they have the option of interpreting after their missions since it's a good job and pays a lot! It is not easy to become an interpreter, but once you succeed, it's worth it!
And here's a funny video of how interpreters are NOT supposed to act.
Have a great week!
Austin
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Classifiers, A Vital Part of ASL
Hello again!
Classifiers are not easy to learn, but it's very easy to visualize. ASL is a visual language and once we use classifiers, we're helping others to understand each other better. Classifiers are not an unique element in ASL, it is also used in English as well. For instance, in English they are also known as "category-words" and they're used to specify something. An example would be when we think of the word vehicle, we use sedans, trucks, SUVs, and so on to help them comprehend which vehicle we're talking about. In ASL, classifiers help us to understand the representation of an object. Classifiers tell us how big that object it, how soft it is, the movement, the shape and many more. It is sorta of like an adjective...
So, when we introduce that concept to the missionaries in the MTC learning ASL, they look at us like we're totally stupid. True, it is a completely different concept of expressing in ASL itself, but that helps our communication skills get wayyyyyyy better! Come to think of it, if we learn a language, we can't ignore the importance of classifiers because they describe something. If we don't learn classifiers, we can't really expect the audience to understand 100% of what we're saying. Here's an example of how we use classifiers in ASL. In this video, the man signing is very well known ASL Linguist, Ben Bahan.
The Ball - Click here for more blooper videos
Here's an example - "I got into a vehicle and then we went to 120 mph" How BORING is that? Imagine a book written like that... We'll all be dead. Here's a better example - "I got into a Ferrari Testarossa then we sped up so fast that we hit 120 mph!" Much better, eh? CLASSIFIERS! CLASSIFIERS! CLASSIFIERS! CLASSIFIERS! When you watched Ben Bahan, wasn't his story very fascinating? It was because he was very descriptive and specific. We emphasize the importance of this vital concept of ASL by having the missionaries present a "blue box" presentation every saturday night. "Blue box"? It's named after the ancient gospel art kit where we show the pictures to the children or people to teach lessons. Right now, we have a re-vamped art kit that weighs about 20 pounds less :D. Anyway, back to the point, they all get to pick a picture and use classifiers, ONLY classifiers, to describe the story and its principle behind it. This definitely helps them improve their visual reception skills along with their own ASL expressive skills as well.
To be honest, when I was introduced to that "blue box" idea, I thought it of as trash and a total waste of time. With that attitude, the teachers forced me to do it. I did it then... wow... I realized that I do use classifiers a LOT. For the people who are learning ASL, you may be shy but if you get extroverted with signing to people and utilizing classifiers into your signing, your skills will go "BOOM". I testify that once we commit ourselves to learning classifiers and its importance within the ASL, our conversational and expressive skills will skyrocket. Again, it's not easy, so is everything else in life except being Deaf. Okay... maybe being Deaf has its struggles too, haha.
Without classifiers, ASL will not be fascinating and it'll be very monotonous. Today's generation do not enjoy black and white TVs of the past, and right now we're enjoying the 1080p HDTVs along with HDR photography. I think it's the same with ASL. The language has come a long way and the classifiers today are becoming so creative, and here's a funny video of how the language can be used to describe extreme things.
The missionaries in the MTC are doing well with this concept but a lot of them are still shy with using it. It is a different way of expressing yourself and that requires getting out of our own comfort zone to master this concept. We have one sister who's very talented with this concept and her ASL skills are very good because she's not shy. For all of the shy people out there, come out of your shells and try it! It's just like experimenting with something to see if it's good or not... (ALMA 32!)
I hope you all enjoyed this! Later!
Austin
Classifiers are not easy to learn, but it's very easy to visualize. ASL is a visual language and once we use classifiers, we're helping others to understand each other better. Classifiers are not an unique element in ASL, it is also used in English as well. For instance, in English they are also known as "category-words" and they're used to specify something. An example would be when we think of the word vehicle, we use sedans, trucks, SUVs, and so on to help them comprehend which vehicle we're talking about. In ASL, classifiers help us to understand the representation of an object. Classifiers tell us how big that object it, how soft it is, the movement, the shape and many more. It is sorta of like an adjective...
So, when we introduce that concept to the missionaries in the MTC learning ASL, they look at us like we're totally stupid. True, it is a completely different concept of expressing in ASL itself, but that helps our communication skills get wayyyyyyy better! Come to think of it, if we learn a language, we can't ignore the importance of classifiers because they describe something. If we don't learn classifiers, we can't really expect the audience to understand 100% of what we're saying. Here's an example of how we use classifiers in ASL. In this video, the man signing is very well known ASL Linguist, Ben Bahan.
The Ball - Click here for more blooper videos
Here's an example - "I got into a vehicle and then we went to 120 mph" How BORING is that? Imagine a book written like that... We'll all be dead. Here's a better example - "I got into a Ferrari Testarossa then we sped up so fast that we hit 120 mph!" Much better, eh? CLASSIFIERS! CLASSIFIERS! CLASSIFIERS! CLASSIFIERS! When you watched Ben Bahan, wasn't his story very fascinating? It was because he was very descriptive and specific. We emphasize the importance of this vital concept of ASL by having the missionaries present a "blue box" presentation every saturday night. "Blue box"? It's named after the ancient gospel art kit where we show the pictures to the children or people to teach lessons. Right now, we have a re-vamped art kit that weighs about 20 pounds less :D. Anyway, back to the point, they all get to pick a picture and use classifiers, ONLY classifiers, to describe the story and its principle behind it. This definitely helps them improve their visual reception skills along with their own ASL expressive skills as well.
To be honest, when I was introduced to that "blue box" idea, I thought it of as trash and a total waste of time. With that attitude, the teachers forced me to do it. I did it then... wow... I realized that I do use classifiers a LOT. For the people who are learning ASL, you may be shy but if you get extroverted with signing to people and utilizing classifiers into your signing, your skills will go "BOOM". I testify that once we commit ourselves to learning classifiers and its importance within the ASL, our conversational and expressive skills will skyrocket. Again, it's not easy, so is everything else in life except being Deaf. Okay... maybe being Deaf has its struggles too, haha.
Without classifiers, ASL will not be fascinating and it'll be very monotonous. Today's generation do not enjoy black and white TVs of the past, and right now we're enjoying the 1080p HDTVs along with HDR photography. I think it's the same with ASL. The language has come a long way and the classifiers today are becoming so creative, and here's a funny video of how the language can be used to describe extreme things.
The missionaries in the MTC are doing well with this concept but a lot of them are still shy with using it. It is a different way of expressing yourself and that requires getting out of our own comfort zone to master this concept. We have one sister who's very talented with this concept and her ASL skills are very good because she's not shy. For all of the shy people out there, come out of your shells and try it! It's just like experimenting with something to see if it's good or not... (ALMA 32!)
I hope you all enjoyed this! Later!
Austin
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
What are the benefits of knowing and using ASL?
Hola!
President's Day weekend are always the best. I had time to relax and watch some movies over the weekend, and also watch the Olympics! I hope everyone had a great weekend.
Sadly, the missionaries weren't able to celebrate President's Day, haha. In the past week, I've seen a significant improvement with their language but their motivation level isn't so good right now. They're tired of doing the same thing over and over. I strongly believe it's the MTC food and the schedule that they're not so accustomed to. We, as teachers, strive to come up with a variety of ideas of how to teach them in a fun way. Don't all teachers do that? If you do have an idea that will be effective for us to use, let us know!
Last Friday, some missionaries had their first experience teaching an investigator (someone who's interested in the church) in ASL. A lot of them felt really awkward at first, but most of them did really well! I was very proud of them. They still need lots more practice but their understanding of utilizing the "immersion" method definitely is recognized. From a teacher's viewpoint, we can tell which missionary really wants to learn the language and which ones do not want to immerse with the deaf community. We're trying to help those missionaries get better and break their comfort zone with ASL and use it with everyone!
Now, I will tell you about the benefits of knowing ASL. Just as any other language we learn, we benefit the ability to interpret between two languages. With ASL, interpreters make a lot of money and that's one benefit. Another benefit would be that you'll be able to speak with Deaf people around you and build friendships with them. Don't we all hate it when we want to speak to that person, but we can't because that person speaks a different language? I can understand that feeling, and that's why we should learn a new language for that benefit and blessing.
Isn't it cool to be able to interact with a different culture other than your own? That experience teaches us that everyone's different and they all are God's children no matter who they are. This is why we all should learn ASL, because we'll be able to help the Deaf community integrate with the world much better. As we learn ASL and teach many more others to use ASL, then this nation will recognize and uplift the Deaf community much better because of recognition. If we all learn that simple principle, we can see the blessings and benefits of that. It is very similar with the Spanish community and we can see its huge impact on this country. ASL can do this as well!
I attached a funny video to conclude this post about Video Relay Service. This is where some of the interpreters work assisting the Deaf in communicating with people through the phone. I know you'll all enjoy the cute video!
Till next time!
Austin
President's Day weekend are always the best. I had time to relax and watch some movies over the weekend, and also watch the Olympics! I hope everyone had a great weekend.
Sadly, the missionaries weren't able to celebrate President's Day, haha. In the past week, I've seen a significant improvement with their language but their motivation level isn't so good right now. They're tired of doing the same thing over and over. I strongly believe it's the MTC food and the schedule that they're not so accustomed to. We, as teachers, strive to come up with a variety of ideas of how to teach them in a fun way. Don't all teachers do that? If you do have an idea that will be effective for us to use, let us know!
Last Friday, some missionaries had their first experience teaching an investigator (someone who's interested in the church) in ASL. A lot of them felt really awkward at first, but most of them did really well! I was very proud of them. They still need lots more practice but their understanding of utilizing the "immersion" method definitely is recognized. From a teacher's viewpoint, we can tell which missionary really wants to learn the language and which ones do not want to immerse with the deaf community. We're trying to help those missionaries get better and break their comfort zone with ASL and use it with everyone!
Now, I will tell you about the benefits of knowing ASL. Just as any other language we learn, we benefit the ability to interpret between two languages. With ASL, interpreters make a lot of money and that's one benefit. Another benefit would be that you'll be able to speak with Deaf people around you and build friendships with them. Don't we all hate it when we want to speak to that person, but we can't because that person speaks a different language? I can understand that feeling, and that's why we should learn a new language for that benefit and blessing.
Isn't it cool to be able to interact with a different culture other than your own? That experience teaches us that everyone's different and they all are God's children no matter who they are. This is why we all should learn ASL, because we'll be able to help the Deaf community integrate with the world much better. As we learn ASL and teach many more others to use ASL, then this nation will recognize and uplift the Deaf community much better because of recognition. If we all learn that simple principle, we can see the blessings and benefits of that. It is very similar with the Spanish community and we can see its huge impact on this country. ASL can do this as well!
I attached a funny video to conclude this post about Video Relay Service. This is where some of the interpreters work assisting the Deaf in communicating with people through the phone. I know you'll all enjoy the cute video!
Till next time!
Austin
Monday, February 8, 2010
ASL Learning Methods - "Immersion" VS "Classroom"
Hi everyone!
The missionaries at the MTC have been marvelous! Their language definitely have improved in the past three to four weeks. In comparison to the ASL classes at BYU, I would put those missionaries in ASL 202. Yes, they're that good already!
This post discusses the differences between the two methods of learning ASL. The "immersion" method means that the learner is immersed in the deaf environment completely forcing them to learn the language to communicate. The "classroom" method is commonly taught in schools teaching the signs, ASL grammar and storytelling. In the MTC, we employ both methods and we find that the "immersion" method works the best for fast learning, but it can also be very frustrating, haha.
We have one elder right now who is struggling with the language. He doesn't think he will be able to grasp the language any time in the future, so he basically doesn't care. We're now done with having an interpreter in the classroom because all of them will be teaching in ASL from now on for the remaining 6 weeks. Thus, the immersion method begins! This elder finally found the "good" in this method and enjoyed it a lot. Tonight, he was very involved with the class discussions and teaching practice. For some, the classroom method teaches us in a restricted environment where we learn ASL but we don't normally use it out of the class. The immersion method allows us to experiment with the language and grasp the concept of the person signing instead of trying to understand sign by sign (like word by word).
Here's a video and it is really funny for the deaf people to watch because it deals with playing with the language, just like we all play with words.
If you're interested to see more videos of this comedian John Maucere, go to SUPERDEAFY.
I grew up skiing and I had an instructor who taught me how to parallel ski when I was younger. I was frustrated because I couldn't go up on the top of the mountain in Aspen and ski all the way to the bottom without falling. I also wanted to look good by skiing like the pros. My instructor simply put me into the trees and that scared the heck out of me. I thought I was going to die, but through that experience, I forced myself to keep my skis parallel. After that, I realized that challenging ourselves will always make our own skills much better!
This website, LifePrint, is a great resource of finding signs online. Now the question is, will it make a person a talented signer? No, it will not. We must immerse ourselves in the signing environment and learn how to utilize it properly. Not only we learn how to express in ASL, we must learn how to understand it through reception.
This is the reason why we make the missionaries VERY frustrated at the MTC because this immersion method WORKS! We know it... We live by it, and after their two years of service, and most of them become professional interpreters. From a source, a freelancer in Seattle interpreting ASL makes $55 a hour. Whoa... That's a lot of money! Those missionaries have no idea how many opportunities this language gives them for the future!
And it could make a difference for you too!
Cheers and till next week!
Austin
The missionaries at the MTC have been marvelous! Their language definitely have improved in the past three to four weeks. In comparison to the ASL classes at BYU, I would put those missionaries in ASL 202. Yes, they're that good already!
This post discusses the differences between the two methods of learning ASL. The "immersion" method means that the learner is immersed in the deaf environment completely forcing them to learn the language to communicate. The "classroom" method is commonly taught in schools teaching the signs, ASL grammar and storytelling. In the MTC, we employ both methods and we find that the "immersion" method works the best for fast learning, but it can also be very frustrating, haha.
We have one elder right now who is struggling with the language. He doesn't think he will be able to grasp the language any time in the future, so he basically doesn't care. We're now done with having an interpreter in the classroom because all of them will be teaching in ASL from now on for the remaining 6 weeks. Thus, the immersion method begins! This elder finally found the "good" in this method and enjoyed it a lot. Tonight, he was very involved with the class discussions and teaching practice. For some, the classroom method teaches us in a restricted environment where we learn ASL but we don't normally use it out of the class. The immersion method allows us to experiment with the language and grasp the concept of the person signing instead of trying to understand sign by sign (like word by word).
Here's a video and it is really funny for the deaf people to watch because it deals with playing with the language, just like we all play with words.
If you're interested to see more videos of this comedian John Maucere, go to SUPERDEAFY.
I grew up skiing and I had an instructor who taught me how to parallel ski when I was younger. I was frustrated because I couldn't go up on the top of the mountain in Aspen and ski all the way to the bottom without falling. I also wanted to look good by skiing like the pros. My instructor simply put me into the trees and that scared the heck out of me. I thought I was going to die, but through that experience, I forced myself to keep my skis parallel. After that, I realized that challenging ourselves will always make our own skills much better!
This website, LifePrint, is a great resource of finding signs online. Now the question is, will it make a person a talented signer? No, it will not. We must immerse ourselves in the signing environment and learn how to utilize it properly. Not only we learn how to express in ASL, we must learn how to understand it through reception.
This is the reason why we make the missionaries VERY frustrated at the MTC because this immersion method WORKS! We know it... We live by it, and after their two years of service, and most of them become professional interpreters. From a source, a freelancer in Seattle interpreting ASL makes $55 a hour. Whoa... That's a lot of money! Those missionaries have no idea how many opportunities this language gives them for the future!
And it could make a difference for you too!
Cheers and till next week!
Austin
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Deaf Music
Hello all,
This is a short post to clarify what Deaf music looks like. This is a performing group based in Gallaudet University in Washington DC named Rathskellar. I've seen the Pirates skit, and it was stellar. Enjoy the video!
This is a short post to clarify what Deaf music looks like. This is a performing group based in Gallaudet University in Washington DC named Rathskellar. I've seen the Pirates skit, and it was stellar. Enjoy the video!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Deaf Culture
Hello all!
I didn't quite make the deadline of posting my blog on Tuesday. It's 12:58 am Wednesday morning... That shows one aspect of the Deaf culture where we all always don't think of time. Today, I went up night skiing at Brighton with a couple of my buddies and after that, we went to Pizza Pi Pizzeria in Draper and left that place 11 pm. Boy, we as Deaf people LOVE to chat and we literally forget about the time most of the time. That's one quip of the Deaf culture and that's why this post is a little delayed because I'm deaf and I love to talk, haha.
Enough of that. Let's recap on my week from the MTC. This week the missionaries have improved a LOT in areas that we've worked on in the past two weeks such as language and teaching skills. The other problem is that they're getting lazy about the rules and such, but that'll be taken care of. I can see the missionaries having issues with accepting the Deaf culture and the Deaf missionaries dealing with the Hearing culture. When two worlds collide, things don't get pretty if one or two of them aren't humble and willing to work it out together. Missionaries often show up at the MTC with a "know it all" attitude. As we face a different culture, it is not a simple task adjusting to it, and it requires humility and patience. There are several companionships who do not appreciate the Deaf culture, YET. I had a companion on my mission who fell in love with the Deaf culture but he couldn't give up his music, and stuff like that. We all have to remember that once we appreciate the other culture, we also need to know where we are from as well. They are going to teach Deaf people and since their language is different, their culture will be different as well. This week's topic is about the Deaf culture, as you already see (not heard, wink), and I'm going to start off with a video. This video is a comedic sort where we will discuss why Deaf people are like that, and I'll explain about the differences between the Hearing and the Deaf culture.
Keith Wann describes that technology ruins the precious culture of the Deaf people. We all understand that from my story after skiing at Brighton, me and my buddies gathered and chatted all night. With the advancement of technology in the past several years, Deaf people have been able to keep in touch with people all over the country and the world. A lot of Deaf people don't have many Deaf friends who live nearby which leads to the increased reliance of communicating through technology. Yes, this is a fact and don't expect to see that everywhere because there are also Deaf people like us who definitely put down their iPhones and Blackberries for a while to chat with the Deaf people around us.
We, as a Deaf community, are a very tight knit group where we all basically know who's who. We all operate on networks of friends, like Facebook for example. That was invented waaaaaay before MySpace or Facebook even came out by the Deaf community. We all become tight knit because of our differences and struggles in the world, and we're able to recuperate with our own kind. Imagine yourself doing something really difficult such as Calculus (for the most of us!), or Art (for the rest of you!), we have to work really hard to master it. It is human nature for us to choose the most convenient way instead of the challenging one to unwind and redeem ourselves. The Deaf community does that by meeting with other Deaf people and hang out, have long conversations, go to parties, and so on...
We are not outsiders, we are still in the world, it's just that we're not trying to be a part of the world because we know it's better off being with the people with similar struggles and differences. It's the same with everyone as demonstrated by cliques in high school, groups of similar interest such as clubs and many other classifications. The Deaf community is one of them, and we're no different.
There are a lot of big and small differences between the Hearing culture and the Deaf culture. Let me explain what we mean by "Hearing" culture... We mean the people who speak and hear in general regardless of language. The "Deaf" culture is the group of people who use sign language regardless of hearing loss. Here are some examples that I've adjusted for correction (there were some mistakes) from a sweetly written article I found online.
For me, I grew up bilingually in a Hearing family who can sign ASL. I am very fortunate to understand the differences of both cultures when I was very young. I am able to behave properly for either culture, but there are times where I do things naturally and that might offend the Hearing people sometimes, or cause some confusion. It is essential for both sides to understand each other. There are thousands of factors causing the differences between both worlds and cultures, but once we keep an open mind about it, we can understand each other better. The Deaf culture is unique because of the amazing language, American Sign Language.
click on cartoon to see it enlarged
That's all folks!
I didn't quite make the deadline of posting my blog on Tuesday. It's 12:58 am Wednesday morning... That shows one aspect of the Deaf culture where we all always don't think of time. Today, I went up night skiing at Brighton with a couple of my buddies and after that, we went to Pizza Pi Pizzeria in Draper and left that place 11 pm. Boy, we as Deaf people LOVE to chat and we literally forget about the time most of the time. That's one quip of the Deaf culture and that's why this post is a little delayed because I'm deaf and I love to talk, haha.
Enough of that. Let's recap on my week from the MTC. This week the missionaries have improved a LOT in areas that we've worked on in the past two weeks such as language and teaching skills. The other problem is that they're getting lazy about the rules and such, but that'll be taken care of. I can see the missionaries having issues with accepting the Deaf culture and the Deaf missionaries dealing with the Hearing culture. When two worlds collide, things don't get pretty if one or two of them aren't humble and willing to work it out together. Missionaries often show up at the MTC with a "know it all" attitude. As we face a different culture, it is not a simple task adjusting to it, and it requires humility and patience. There are several companionships who do not appreciate the Deaf culture, YET. I had a companion on my mission who fell in love with the Deaf culture but he couldn't give up his music, and stuff like that. We all have to remember that once we appreciate the other culture, we also need to know where we are from as well. They are going to teach Deaf people and since their language is different, their culture will be different as well. This week's topic is about the Deaf culture, as you already see (not heard, wink), and I'm going to start off with a video. This video is a comedic sort where we will discuss why Deaf people are like that, and I'll explain about the differences between the Hearing and the Deaf culture.
Keith Wann describes that technology ruins the precious culture of the Deaf people. We all understand that from my story after skiing at Brighton, me and my buddies gathered and chatted all night. With the advancement of technology in the past several years, Deaf people have been able to keep in touch with people all over the country and the world. A lot of Deaf people don't have many Deaf friends who live nearby which leads to the increased reliance of communicating through technology. Yes, this is a fact and don't expect to see that everywhere because there are also Deaf people like us who definitely put down their iPhones and Blackberries for a while to chat with the Deaf people around us.
We, as a Deaf community, are a very tight knit group where we all basically know who's who. We all operate on networks of friends, like Facebook for example. That was invented waaaaaay before MySpace or Facebook even came out by the Deaf community. We all become tight knit because of our differences and struggles in the world, and we're able to recuperate with our own kind. Imagine yourself doing something really difficult such as Calculus (for the most of us!), or Art (for the rest of you!), we have to work really hard to master it. It is human nature for us to choose the most convenient way instead of the challenging one to unwind and redeem ourselves. The Deaf community does that by meeting with other Deaf people and hang out, have long conversations, go to parties, and so on...
We are not outsiders, we are still in the world, it's just that we're not trying to be a part of the world because we know it's better off being with the people with similar struggles and differences. It's the same with everyone as demonstrated by cliques in high school, groups of similar interest such as clubs and many other classifications. The Deaf community is one of them, and we're no different.
There are a lot of big and small differences between the Hearing culture and the Deaf culture. Let me explain what we mean by "Hearing" culture... We mean the people who speak and hear in general regardless of language. The "Deaf" culture is the group of people who use sign language regardless of hearing loss. Here are some examples that I've adjusted for correction (there were some mistakes) from a sweetly written article I found online.
Deaf humor
Since much of hearing humor is based on word play, the Deaf do not “get it” most of the time. Many times Deaf humor is just as “interesting” to our hearing minds. The Deaf humor mainly consists jokes about oppression, liberation, and using facial expressions along with body language. The jokes the Deaf mainly use either has a visual or cultural value within.
Deaf language
The language of the Deaf is a visual/gesture based language. Deaf have their own idiomatic expressions. American Sign Language is a recognized foreign language in many states and schools. It is based on hand shapes, movements, sign placement and location, facial expressions and their intensity as well as gestures. Hearing language depends mostly on tone, volume and the formation as well as timing of sounds. It also uses expressions and body language.
Deaf are naturally frank
They tell you what they think. Deaf people are notoriously straightforward in their conversations and expressions. If you ask their opinion (and even if you don’t), be prepared to get it! Understand, they DO NOT mean to intentionally hurt or harm with their words. The Deaf are straightforward because they don't "beat around the bush" like Hearing people do.
Deaf are visually stimulated
This is for obvious reasons. Hearing folks are visually AND aurally stimulated.
Deaf music is rhythm or beat-based
Deaf music has three elements – timing, flow and coordination. Hearing music has three elements as well – melody, harmony and rhythm.
Deaf are very cliquish
They tend to be wary of new people entering their culture. Once in, hearing people are generally well accepted as long as they maintain their respect for the culture of the Deaf.
Deaf tend to have difficultly with forgetting wrongs or offenses even after forgiveness
This is a strong difficulty to overcome. Confidence is easy to gain, but once lost, it is very difficult to regain. It is very common among the Deaf culture, just as any other culture out there in the world.
Deaf think differently
The average deaf person generally does not think in words or sentences but in visual concepts. Highly educated Deaf however, can and do think much like hearing people mainly because of their bilingual ability.
For me, I grew up bilingually in a Hearing family who can sign ASL. I am very fortunate to understand the differences of both cultures when I was very young. I am able to behave properly for either culture, but there are times where I do things naturally and that might offend the Hearing people sometimes, or cause some confusion. It is essential for both sides to understand each other. There are thousands of factors causing the differences between both worlds and cultures, but once we keep an open mind about it, we can understand each other better. The Deaf culture is unique because of the amazing language, American Sign Language.
click on cartoon to see it enlarged
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Purpose of Learning ASL
Hello all!
The picture shown right is the sign for I LOVE YOU in ASL. It's a combination of all of the letters I, L, Y from the manual alphabet in one sign. :D
It was an interesting week for me at the MTC. The missionaries are progressing very well with ASL. They're starting to grasp the basic concept of how signs really work. Funny enough, when we describe some of the most simple words in the English language by gestures such as "car", that gesture is usually the right sign for the word "car" in ASL. They all have memorized several phrases in ASL for basic communication.
I would like to recall a story about what happened in class several days ago. When I was teaching them how to sign ASL vocabulary, we decided it was time for a language game to help them learn ASL in a fun way. We all got together and had a finger-spelling competition. Boy, it was fierce... everyone was into it and finger-spelled each word ridiculously fast! The native signers had a very easy time winning because their hands were already accustomed to spelling the manual alphabet of ASL. It was interesting to see how non-native signers learn how to spell with their hands and fingers. It's as hard as learning a new craft such as knitting or drawing figures. I felt really good because they all were enthusiastic to get better with the language. They truly understand their purpose of learning ASL in the MTC.
All of them will serve in areas with deaf people using sign language. Missionaries can choose whether if they want to learn or ignore ASL. Once they enter the field of work, they will be instantly immersed into the deaf world using ASL 90% of the day. They know that they MUST learn ASL here in the MTC. Their calling is to proselytize in ASL and they expect US to do the best as we can. Missionaries will spend the next 18-24 months using ASL most of the time, and for them to help the people understand their unique message, they have to be proficient in the proselytizing language.
Suppose you went to Italy for vacation, and you can speak a little Italian, and you get in a situation where you feel overwhelmed by its culture and language difficulties. This happens with ASL as well. The missionaries will be put into an entirely different culture, known as the Deaf Culture (the next blog will be about this), and language is not that easy to follow at first sight. It is the same with all other languages and cultures over the world.
Missionaries come to the MTC with a strong desire to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and yet, we're training them to teach deaf people using ASL. It's definitely not easy, and becoming a master teacher takes years and years of practicing and understanding the language. By their desire to serve and share His message with all deaf people in the world, they WILL learn ASL and do their best to bring the message to them like native speakers. It is true that some missionaries come home after two years being fluent in that language. I believe that this group in the MTC right now has potential that every missionary will be fluent once they finish their missions.
Here's a link to the video of a comedian who's perfectly fluent in ASL interpreting a rap song. He starts out signing exact English with no ASL. A deaf person will not understand the song until Keith Wann decides to start using ASL then the deaf people will finally understand music. Myself, I don't understand music and this is one example of how I can understand music through ASL.
VIDEO OF KEITH WANN - ICE ICE BABY
I want you to recognize the differences between signed English and ASL. It is a BIG difference, and ASL is definitely better for the deaf people. This is why the missionaries at the MTC learn ASL so they can communicate and send His message to all deaf people fluently.
One more video for your pleasure. I find it very pleasing to watch and it's in BSL (British Sign Language). DEPARTURE LOUNGE
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Introduction to ASL and the MTC
Hello everyone!
I have to apologize for the late posting tonight, but it's still Tuesday!
First of all, I want all of you to be aware of what American Sign Language (ASL) is and what does the Missionary Training Center have to do with ASL? ASL is a language primarily used by the deaf community to communicate with each other using hands, facial expressions and body language. ASL came to origin when Laurent Clerc from France visited Thomas Gallaudet, who had a friend who had a deaf daughter and wanted an education for her, to teach him sign language. Clerc and Gallaudet founded the first deaf school in America in 1817 (for more details, click here). The first picture is of
Laurent Clerc while the second one is Thomas Gallaudet.
Today, over two million people use ASL to communicate. American Sign Language is now officially recognized as a separate language from English in several states. Many colleges, universities and high schools offer courses in ASL.
Now, what does the Missionary Training Center have to do with ASL?
The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints sends missionaries all over the world speaking in hundreds of different languages, dialects and so on... The church also sends ASL missionaries mainly to big cities in America such as Los Angeles, San Jose, New York City, Houston, Miami, Phoenix and many other cities to teach the deaf who is interested in joining the church. I served my mission for two years in the California Los Angeles mission and it was an awesome experience for me.
The MTC is a place where missionaries gather to learn the language and prepare before leaving into the actual field of work. Usually, missionaries called to proselytize in ASL stay in the MTC for 9 weeks to learn the language. We, as MTC teachers, have the responsibility to faciliate their learning to becoming proficient ASL signers before the leave to work in their areas where they have been called to serve.
We had a new group of missionaries who arrived last week Wednesday. There are 18 missionaries, 12 elders (male) and 6 sisters (female) called to serve in various cities over the United States in ASL! We have 6 skilled signers, 5 of them are deaf and one's a certified interpreter, and the rest of the group knows a little ASL or none at all. They're about to embark the journey of mastering the language in 9 weeks!
The next blog will be more about the missionaries and their progress in learning the language. The next post will be much more fun to read, I promise!
Please leave a comment if you have any questions or comments about the blog!
I have to apologize for the late posting tonight, but it's still Tuesday!
First of all, I want all of you to be aware of what American Sign Language (ASL) is and what does the Missionary Training Center have to do with ASL? ASL is a language primarily used by the deaf community to communicate with each other using hands, facial expressions and body language. ASL came to origin when Laurent Clerc from France visited Thomas Gallaudet, who had a friend who had a deaf daughter and wanted an education for her, to teach him sign language. Clerc and Gallaudet founded the first deaf school in America in 1817 (for more details, click here). The first picture is of
Laurent Clerc while the second one is Thomas Gallaudet.Today, over two million people use ASL to communicate. American Sign Language is now officially recognized as a separate language from English in several states. Many colleges, universities and high schools offer courses in ASL.
Now, what does the Missionary Training Center have to do with ASL?
The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints sends missionaries all over the world speaking in hundreds of different languages, dialects and so on... The church also sends ASL missionaries mainly to big cities in America such as Los Angeles, San Jose, New York City, Houston, Miami, Phoenix and many other cities to teach the deaf who is interested in joining the church. I served my mission for two years in the California Los Angeles mission and it was an awesome experience for me.
The MTC is a place where missionaries gather to learn the language and prepare before leaving into the actual field of work. Usually, missionaries called to proselytize in ASL stay in the MTC for 9 weeks to learn the language. We, as MTC teachers, have the responsibility to faciliate their learning to becoming proficient ASL signers before the leave to work in their areas where they have been called to serve.
We had a new group of missionaries who arrived last week Wednesday. There are 18 missionaries, 12 elders (male) and 6 sisters (female) called to serve in various cities over the United States in ASL! We have 6 skilled signers, 5 of them are deaf and one's a certified interpreter, and the rest of the group knows a little ASL or none at all. They're about to embark the journey of mastering the language in 9 weeks!
The next blog will be more about the missionaries and their progress in learning the language. The next post will be much more fun to read, I promise!
Please leave a comment if you have any questions or comments about the blog!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Hello Everyone!
Konichiwa tomodachi!
Welcome to my new blog.
I'm Austin. I'm Deaf, and I'm a student at Brigham Young University (BYU, www.byu.edu) majoring in Animation. I'm applying to the program this April and hopefully I'll be good enough to make it in! I work at the Missionary Training Center (www.mtc.byu.edu) in Provo, Utah teaching missionaries American Sign Language (ASL). I was raised bilingually so ASL and English are both my native languages.
The first post will be this Tuesday January 19, 2010, and it'll be about learning ASL in 9 weeks!
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