by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A lady asked,
I would like to find out where I can learn sign language. I have flash cards from the Internet but that is not helpful enough. It has been recommended that I learn, but there doesn’t seem to be any place available in this area to teach me. Thank you for all the help from you I have received from your eZine and web-site.
Another lady explained,
I lost most of my hearing due to chemotherapy medications (but cured of the cancer). I am interested in my husband and I learning ASL. What do you suggest? I don’t work so costly programs won’t work for me.
I understand your situations. However, I have two important questions for you to consider.
First, who recommended you learn American Sign Language (ASL)? Was it a Deaf counselor, or was it a hard of hearing person? You need to know that these are two very different cultures in many ways—and you live in the hearing culture.
Second, why would you want to learn a foreign language (ASL) if you can’t even find anyone in your area to teach you? Who are you going to sign to? If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.
Unless you want to join the Deaf community, you are probably much better off learning how to successfully live with your hearing loss by using speechreading, hearing aids, assistive devices and using the myriads of hearing loss coping strategies.
That said, I’m definitely not against learning some sign language. In fact, my wife and I sign a few basic signs to each other, but we are by no means fluent. We do not sign ASL, but PSE (pidgin signed English). Hard of hearing people typically use PSE rather than ASL because it is easier—it uses ASL signs but in English word order. However, we mostly use the four above-mentioned coping strategies rather than sign.
However, if you still want to learn to sign, more power to you. I’ve found that a number of churches that have deaf ministries also have free ASL classes. So that is the first thing you should try. I’d also check with the deaf and hard of hearing services organization in your area. You might also ask around the Deaf community and see what they recommend.
You can also find some good on-line ASL stuff—not classes as such, but ASL dictionaries that show you how to sign the word you specify. This doesn’t teach you the grammar, but you do learn the proper vocabulary. In addition, some sites have animations for fingerspelling that are quite challenging, so you can become quite proficient reading fingerspelling from the on-line fingerspelling sites.
Here are a few sign language sites to get you started.
Bill Vicars’ basic page teaches you 100 signs to get you started in learning ASL vocabulary, and you can learn much more from his more advanced (complete) website homepage.
The ASL Pro website.
The “Family Health Reference to ASL” gives you a lot more places to learn and practice ASL, especially the sections headed “Learning the Alphabet and Numbers” and “Popular Phrases”.
One more thing. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to write ASL or any other signed language (and yes, signed languages can be written), check out the extensive lessons available on the Sign Writing website.
Hi, I am also losing my hearing due to childhood cancer and chemotheraphy. I am interested in learning speech reading. Any suggestions on classes or a tutor. I live on Palm Bay, FL
Hi Tina:
If you are losing your hearing, speechreading is a vital skill to learn. I’ve been speechreading since I was born. I’m self-taught–I just acquired it from necessity as I was born with a severe loss and didn’t wear a hearing aid until I was 15 or so.
You can learn speechreading on your own by always watching people’s faces when they are talking to you. Or you can go to a speechreading class. Unfortunately, these classes are not common so you’ll have to ask around in the hard of hearing community. Some community colleges have speechreading classes in their adult education programs in the evenings. So that is one place to try. Also, if your state has a department that handles hard of hearing and deaf issues, I ask them. You can also go to the Hearing Loss Association of America website (hlaa.org) and see where the nearest chapter is to you. Then ask the chapter coordinator if they know of any speechreading classes in the area.
Good luck on your search.
Cordially,
Neil
im in martail arts and i go to med camp and a lot of people are or going to be deaf i know a few thinks from campbut i want to learn i know songs in sign.
I want to learn PSE but all websites teach ASL. Every website I use SAYS it is PSE but teaches ASL
Hi Addy:
Why do you want to learn PSE (pidgin signed English) rather than ASL (American sign language)? Basically, PSE uses ASL signs but in English word order. So you have to learn the ASL signs anyway. Then, rather than using the ASL sign order (object, subject, verb) you arrange them the way you speak English. When you use PSE, you can both speak and sign at the same time.
Cordially,
Neil
I’ve been slowly losing my hearing, I believe it may be an inheritance linked issue because my brother has it as well. anywho, I know some basic ASL… should I learn more before I try PSE?
Hi Samantha:
The more ASL you know, the better. This is because PSE uses mostly ASL signs, but in English word order. So the bigger your ASL vocabulary is, the easier it is to use PSE. It is relatively easy to switch from ASL to PSE, especially if you are talking and signing at the same time (simcom–simultaneous communication). You cannot talk in English and sign pure ASL at the same time because the word order is so different. So when people talk and sign, they automatically switch to PSE.
Cordially,
Neil