Week 8: Common Phrases

In the previous weeks, I had set my goal to learn some simple phrases. While researching, I found this video called “25 signs for beginners” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Raa0vBXA8OQ), this sounded like the perfect thing for me! So far, this week I have only watched the first 1 minute of signs (about 50 times), and I’m even finding that overwhelming.  I’m not sure if I will know any of these signs and be able to remember them, but I do feel like really interested while watching these videos. While watching, I realized how many phrases use the alphabet as a base. I am happy that I chose to learn the alphabet first and that I have that background knowledge. An example of this would be the sign for, hard of hearing. While signing for this you use the letter “H” hand shape to say the first part of the phrase. In this video, I also learned an important sign, which is “again”. I feel like I would need to use this a lot if I were to ever speak to someone who is fluent in ASL. I think for next week I will continue watching more of this video, while trying to remember all the signs I have learned thus far.

Week 7: Family Signs

Last week, I made a goal for myself to continue learning some family signs. To learn these, I resorted back to the video I mentioned last week. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBLy9Y-iHNU) . I rewatched the first half of the video where I learned the signs for uncle, aunt, brother, sister etc. Which helped me remember and practice those signs. I realized some things I hadn’t seen before. Signs for “girls” such as a sister, a female cousins, etc. all happen between the nose and the chin. Signs for boys such as a brother, male cousins, etc. all happen from the nose to the forehead. I also realized the sign for family (I will put in a photo) has two letter fs going in a half circle. In this video, I learned the signs for Grandma, Grandpa, Great Grandma, Great Grandpa, and the signs for all the in-laws: brother, sister, etc. After learning these signed I’ve realized how much my sign language vocabulary is growing, and I am quite happy with what I have accomplished thus far.

Here is a photo of the F sign in ASL. To make the family sign you make an F with both hands and put them together at the pointer and the thumb then you do a circle until both sides of your hands meet.

 

Week 6: Review, Review, Review

This week I focused on reviewing what I have learned in ASL so far. This includes the alphabet, family and community words, and the numbers. This week, I realized that learning ASL is about the same difficulty as learning a foreign language. I realized that I needed to review when I attempted to show a friend the alphabet and I couldn’t remember the letters; t,h, and q. I now know I should probably review what I have learned and know that before starting something new. So far I am pretty happy with my progress, and feel like I have learned a lot these past 6 weeks, while growing an appreciation for sign language.

To review, I have watched both of my youtube videos I made in the weeks prior, and that has really helped me remember what I have learned. I have also re-watched the youtube video of the family signs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBLy9Y-iHNU).

Another thing I reviewed this week were my blogs, I was looking at them when deciding where to go next and what to learn. I realized that in a couple of them I put “goals” for the next week at the end. When reading these goals, I realized I have not been sticking to them at all..oops!

Here are the two goals that I’ve said it previous blogs I’ve wanted to complete:

·continue learning more family and community signs specifically grandmother and grandfather

·common phrases (“how are you”, “nice to meet you”)

I have decided to make a goal for the upcoming week which is to learn more family and community signs. Hopefully this is a goal I will actually stick to!

Week 5: ASL in the News

On October 23rd, Starbucks opened their first deaf friendly store. It is located in close proximity with Gallaudet University, a private university that offers education of the deaf and hard of hearing. This “deaf centric space” is complete with the Starbucks sign in asl at the storefront, printed asl signs on mugs, and a ‘sign of the week’ that promotes customers learning.

The store makes it easier for the deaf or hard of hearing to place orders. All employees are fluent in ASL language so there a smaller chance of a miscommunication. If the customers are not comfortable signing their order, they may use the tablets that are offered at the counter to place their orders. At other Starbucks locations, the baristas let you now orders are ready by calling your name up to the counter. However, at this location, they have a screen that flashes the customers names when their order is ready.

People who are not a part of the deaf or hard of hearing community also love this ASL friendly location. They admire the signed conversations, art work, and the inclusive space.

I think this new Starbucks will show more recognition and acknowledgement to the deaf and hard of hearing community. Hopefully, other businesses will join this movement as well and I can imagine, if this location does well, starbucks will consider opening other ASL-friendly stores.

Image from : Mike Mozart (flickr)

Week 4: Numbers

Prior to my journey of learning sign language, I assumed that signed-numbers would just be the numbers we can show with one hand or both (ex. 10 = all 10 fingers shown on your hand). I was wrong. Although, some of the numbers are like that, not all of them are. I decided to learn the numbers because it was an option on the previously mention, ASL app I have downloaded (you can find it here -> https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/the-asl-app/id921030207?mt=8).

Here is a youtube video of me doing the numbers 1-10 in sign language:

 

Week 3: “ABCs it’s as easy as…”

I have finally learned my ABCs using ASL, yahoo! For proof and for something to look back on, I recorded myself going through the alphabet in the mirror. I was struggling last week with learning the rest of the letters, but I guess all that time practicing while driving has paid off! I think I will video upload my progress from now on. So far, my ASL vocabulary goes as follows; the ABCs, and a few family/community words. My goal for the next week is to learn some common phrases such as “nice to meet you” and maybe “Hello, how are you?”. I realized now how important it is to practice the signs daily as I’m finding if I take a day or two off, I can’t remember a significant amount of signs.

Here is the video of ABCS:

 

Week 2: Learning the alphabet

This second week has been challenging, I am finding it more difficult than I thought to remember all the different signs. I have been working on learning the alphabet and I know 9 letter signs (a,b,c,d,e,f,i,j,k). I practice whenever I can, but mainly when I am driving, on the way to school or work. Another thing I have been working on has been family or community signs. I know the signs for family, mother, father, daughter, son, boy, girl, uncle, aunt and cousins. I found that learning the signs for words has been easier than learning signs for letters. The signs for words usually have a story behind them or why that particular sign is used for that word. In my experience, it makes it easier to remember or if I can’t think of the sign I think of the story that makes me remember the sign.

My goals for the upcoming week are learning nine more letter signs, as well as continuing learning family/ community signs (grandmother, grandfather, etc.). I have enjoyed my journey thus far and my appreciation for ASL is growing tremendously.

 

Why ASL?

For my open inquiry I have chosen something that I have always been curious about, and that is ASL or American Sign Language. I have wanted to learn about the language for years but never had the time or the drive to do it and now I have no excuses. I am excited, curious, and nervous all at the same time and cannot wait to start learning.

Before we were told we could do anything we were passionate about for our open inquiry, ASL was already on my mind. Just a few days before we had this class, my best friend told me her nephew failed his hearing test and is most likely completely deaf or will be hard of hearing. He was a premature baby who suffered a brain bleed and was born at 25 weeks putting him at high risk for hearing impairment. My friend and I had been talking and decided we were both very interested in learning ASL and now, more than ever, was the perfect time. When it came time to decide what I was going to do for this project, there was no question that it would be ASL.

The resources I plan to use throughout this learning experience is the app, ASL Coach (you can find it here https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/asl-coach-american-sign-language/id385799946?mt=8), as well as youtube videos. I am hoping to learn the alphabet, a few common phrases, songs and more if that goes well. I believe this will help me as future educator as I can share with my students compassion and  appreciation for, as well as show acknowledgement of the deaf and hard of hearing culture.