totally. my boyfriend is Venezuelan, and I'm scared to practice my Spanish with him because I don't wanna sound like a dumdum and embarrass myself. his English is so great already. and I mean, I know some Spanish, but practicing it with a Spanish speaker would be both amazing and nerve-racking. lol. it's the same with sign language. it's a rare opportunity, if you get to practice your signing with a deaf person, so part of you wants to jump at that opportunity, but it's also very intimidating, especially if you're already a shy person. 😅
I've definitely made a fool out of myself before and it definitely makes me nervous to try again but take some baby steps and keep at it! You got this!
Don't worry you can do your best as you can learn about it and improve to try communication with Deaf people. It is different the way opinions work with them. 😊 I am Deaf also. I understand and don't be scared. Nobody will bite you if you try to learn new experiences as best as you can! 😊
I noticed that Ellen looks into his eyes mostly when he is signing yet she intuitively knows what his hands are doing. How does she do that? It looks like magic to me. Very impressive! Love the energy you two pit out ❤
Experience, most newbs watch the hands. Remember when you were learning to read and you had to sound out every word but now you can glance at some words and read it instantly, kinda like that
It's probably a random comment but I liked the way Ryan laid out the discussion about the nuances and contexts like asking Ellen what she perceives from her perspective and then Ryan offering his perspectives on the situation and all the possibilities. It really illuminated the mention of positive, neutral and negative experiences at the end. I understood the message clearly. It gave me a lot to consider.
I agree! It was well laid out. And the point applies to other things in life too: understanding the situation instead of automatically getting discouraged
I recently had a dead Uber driver and it was a GREAT experience. He had picture cards and a notepad. On my ride to the airport I looked up how to say "Thank You" in sign language. I didn't practice but did my best when getting out and I think I made his day. He smiled from ear to ear and gave me a fist bump.
darn autocorrect, or a simple mistype got you good.... not dead, deaf** hehe. that's a really sweet moment though. love that so much. I think people of all cultures and backgrounds really appreciate and respect when people take the time to try to learn their language... for the most part anyway. I see it in my online games all the time.. people from all around the world... they love it so much if you just say hey to them in their language
I too had a deaf Uber driver and at the time I had already taken ASL 1 and 2, so I knew the basics and I told him I known a little bit of ASL and he told me to have fun and I said thank you, have a good day it was nice to meet you and he said likewise and it was just so wholesome because he seemed like a sweet guy, at work I don’t know how to sign a lot of work related signs so I get upset I can’t help them as fast as I would like but I have seen their face glow up when I tell them I know a little bit of asl or when I sign to them if they need help :)
I learned sign language because I became friends with a deaf couple. They were so encouraging, and she was the instructional aide in my sign language class, so I was very comfortable signing with deaf people. The deaf community where I live is very welcoming and supportive of hearing people learning sign. I became friends with several more in the deaf community. Even now, though my signing skills have become rusty, when I run into my deaf friends, they are so patient and appreciative that I try. This was a great topic. Thank you for sharing, Ryan & Ellen!
Just popping in to say thanks for answering this question! It's a big fear of mine that hopefully I'll be able to overcome at some point! It's been difficult to find people to practice with and I definitely don't want to waste a fluent person's time with my ramblings. That aside, I've been watching your videos without sound but with CC for a while and am happy to say that I recognize a lot more signs now than I used to! I may even try watching one without CC and see how far I get.
I like when people picked up signs and communicated with me. Sometimes my face be too tired to move so it looks like I’m mad or something because that’s how my neutral face is. I’m wondering if maybe the clerk was having bad day or maybe he was told not to sign with others because if two or more deaf people gather, they won’t leave or stop talking for a long while and maybe that has occurred and the clerk had a complaint or two so he insists on using the board and trying not to sign because then they will eventually conversate with you and it happens again, another complaint lol. Or it could be that he/she is a person that was hearing but recently or not too long ago became deaf and doesn’t know ASL 🤔
Interesting topic. I am deaf. One time at work, I was talking with a coworker (my voice is pretty clear) and I thought for sure I understood her. Turned out I was wrong and there was a big misunderstanding. After that my boss preferred that I write or use an interpreter for serious discussions(I had an interpreter at work several times a week). Work situations can be different than social situations.
You had an interpreter??? I am also deaf and I have a transcription program on my phone that I whip out when a coworker really needs to talk to me. It sucks because the technology isn't there yet and it commonly misunderstands what people are saying, but my general rule is "don't give me work that requires lots of communication because it'll probably get done wrong".
@@Starcrash6984 yes. I use an interpreter generally 1-2 times a week when I give lectures. But I also use a voice to text app for less formal situations.
Hey Ryan and Ellen. I'd just like to point out how visual the deaf are compared to hearing. Ryan saw Java walk by and he said "she looks like she wants to bark more." EXACTLY. Hearing probably can notice but we don't. One silly example. One day we were driving to our neighboring town. I live in a town that has 2900 people, the neighboring town has about 1800. We passed a house and Danielle sign to me, "did you see that naked man?" "What naked man?" I asked. She signed, "He was standing behind his screen door as we drove by." Things like that are funny and amazing. When one sense is absent, often another sense takes on some of the functions. Love your videos. God bless you guys.
When one sense is lost, others take its place. It's all due to brain plasticity as described in the book Livewired by David Eagleman. And I've noticed too that as I lost my hearing that my ability to see movement got a lot, lot better. I frequently catch things as they fall off shelves before other people even notice they were falling.
I have felt the same way trying to speak Spanish to native speakers: "What if my poor quality Spanish is seen as insulting???" So this video is a good reminder for more than just ASL situations.
This makes my heart happy. People, no matter what language they speak, or if they’re hearing or deaf, all of us have our individual fears, desires, likes and dislikes, and it’s important to remember to respect others and respect ourselves too as we continue learning and living. Keep going everyone! You got this!
What a great video ! Hopefully the commenter takes the classes and learns about a new language and culture ! As for why ? We're scared .. scared of embarrassment, scared of not remembering/signing wrong. It took a Deaf (hard of hearing) lady who needed my assistance, to get me to use the signs that I knew (about 15 hours of online learning), and then a couple of days later she saw me and brought me into a group of her Deaf friends so I could sign with them, it was scary, and it was fantastic ! They were warm and helpful and expanded my vocabulary. I don't get to see them often, but if passing by, they flag me down and we share a quick conversation... it makes me want to be more involved and develop fluency. It's so nice to see your videos again, I hope it's a positive experience for you both, as the community of viewers get a lot from your videos. Thank you for making them. *edit - spelling*
I greatly enjoy (and appreciate!) just being able to watch your conversations. I love their natural flow. My ASL acuity is Absolute Beginner so I'll need close captioning for awhile yet. But I'm recognizing more and more! An obstacle for adult learners (hearing) to use ASL with a deaf person may be that we don't want to sound unintelligent because our ASL proficiency is rudimentary.
I saw a meme recently pointing out that someone speaking broken English knows more words total than a monolingual native speaker does. The point was the person deserves respect for learning a second language even if they're not very far in it yet. I'm chicken when it comes to test-driving that point, but I mention it here in case it gives you courage.
@@SignDuoChannel Funny enough, I'm only that critical with myself, not another person trying to learn a new language. I'm inspired to be more bold about using ASL!
I always saw the same group of deaf snowboarders at the ski resort I worked at. I always felt like it was odd to interrupt their conversation just to say hi when I didn’t know them. The only time I ever said hi was when one of the lift operators was struggling to communicate that the guy’s pass wasn’t working. Now that they know me, they always say hi. I’m glad I never rudely inserted myself into their conversations though.
Just found your channel and am loving it!! I've been half deaf in one ear since about 7yrs old, when I had damage to my left eardrum. Nobody taught sign language in school back then, and as i could still hear with one ear, nobody cared. Now I'm in my late 40's, I'm losing a bit of hearing in my right ear and it's stressing me out. It's worried my most of my life, as I've had constant ear issues :( So I've been trying to learn Australian Sign Language over the years. I've always pretty much known the alphabet, and a couple of words, but not much else. They never had apps and things like they do now. So I'm just starting to learn again. You guys have inspired me. Huge support from Australia ❤❤❤❤
I have been thinking about the original question why hearing people are nervous speaking to Deaf people. I live very close to the Quebec border and in high school, our French class went to Montreal for the day. The expectation was that we would speak in French, especially when ordering food at the McDonalds we went to. It was so nerve wracking! Were we all capable of ordering and speaking every day French? Yes. But the fear of messing up or blanking on a word was very real. That was a lifetime ago for me and now any time I’m “across the river”, my default is just French. I’m nowhere near bilingual. It was a very similar experience when I started learning ASL 30 years ago. My teacher, as part of the learning process, would have us go to restaurants and order everything in ASL as a group while one person was the “interpreter”. This encouraged us to be less intimidated to speak to Deaf people other than the teacher. I’m not fluent in ASL, however, since I have a chronic voice loss condition, my preferred method of communication is ASL and I attend Deaf chats regularly. Immersing yourself in the language will help you get over those jitters. I make mistakes all the time and I’ve come to learn that no one cares. I share this perspective with people who are new to signing and are afraid of going to Deaf chats. I would encourage the person who had the experience that made her feel so badly about her attempts at signing to take some classes and try to find some Deaf chats in her area. That is the absolute best way to practice her new skills and feel good about herself. At the chats, Deaf people know that hearing people will show up with a variety of proficiencies and are open to helping them improve their communication. I would also encourage the lady who wrote in to continue to go to that post office and rather than try to have ASL as an opener, to just sign thank you or have a nice day as a parting gesture. Keep at it!
I think being hesitant about signing with a deaf person when you're still learning, is just like learning any language but being hesitant to practice speaking with a native speaker, like, I've been learning Japanese for a few years, and I'm still hesitant to practice speaking with a native Japanese speaker. I'm imagining that signing is even more intimidating because it is so different than verbal language. Thank you for the encouragement and the permission to keep trying :)
it's only cultural appropriation if you pretend to be Japanese if you're not. Sincerely wanting to learn about and celebrate another person's culture is always welcome.
My nephews Grandparents on his dad side are deaf. I was always so impressed how much sign language he learned. I hope he keeps it up. Love this channel
Just wanted to say it‘s so nice to see you posting again! I love your insightful videos on sign language and the deaf community. You guys definitely are some of my favorite youtubers.
My suggestion for some of the next videos would be, vlogging a day in the life as well as your guy’s experience with traveling together. I think it’d be cool! also if during your traveling videos, you could give us some new signs to learn depending on the locations you’re in!
As a deaf person, I can verify that people are frequently afraid to sign to me. And I had that experience of a "bad word" said accidentally -- a clerk at the town office said "fuck you" when she meant "thank you" because they're very similar. I didn't get offended -- why would I? For one thing, I know how similar they are and I knew in context what she really meant. For another thing, I'm just thrilled whenever anyone tries to talk to me in sign.
Great video, my first encounter with a deaf person, I signed 'thank you' (which I know is easy) but the person looked delighted I signed.😊. Lovely seeing you both and hearing Javas pitter patter of paws ... made me smile . Love you guys ♥♥♥
Ryan, do you ever find yourself exhausted from lip reading and watching hands for ASL to the point that you need a "hearing break?". I'm Deaf and sometimes I'm both mentally and physically exhausted for lip reading and signing that I tell my husband I'm done, I'm on a hearing break!!! Does that ever happen to you??? Good to see another video!!!! 🤟🏻
He might answer you on here, but he has an old video explaining that and Ellen explaining it being exhausting trying to fill Ryan in during family events, while trying to have conversations herself. And Bee Vicars (Dr. Bill Vicars wife) has a whole write up about that exact thing. I think it’s really common, and one or the reasons I am so impressed by Deaf people’s strength - have to put a lot of work into communicating with hearies!
I used to watch your videos all the time in 2020 and 2021, but I kept losing the channel then randomly remembered your channel name and saw yous still upload!!
Hi guys!!! Love the videos and watching how you two sign. I grew up with Deaf people of various sign language persuasions and have always found the regional and group variations of signing highly interesting. Much love and take care ;)
Also they may not want to have miscommunications at work like you said so then the preferred communication method is how you should do it. I'm not deaf yet but close and so many people don't understand that email is how I prefer to communicate when not in person so that I can go back to what's said and make sure that I know what's being said. Phone conversations don't work for me and I've had some that have given me major issues with that and been called a liar and so much more because many don't understand that in person with some lip reading sound accompanying it can help but still not enough that I understand all the time. It depends on who or what the conversation is about if I ask for clarification especially if the person has refused hardcore to believe my hearing impairment.
as someone learning french, if i come across someone who speaks the same language, whether it's a cashier, or waiter, I'll ask them if I can practice with them. I never assume someone wants to suffer through my broken french, like you said they might not be in the mood and prefer to communicate a different way.
On why are hearing people afraid to sign with deaf people, there's some good answers here already, but for me it's complicated (and also goes for speaking German, which I learned in school). My first problem is that I don't think in words, I think more in abstract concepts and images, so I am constantly having to translate thoughts into words. ASL is actually more compatible with my thought processes than spoken/written English, but I've only learned little bits and pieces of ASL through many years of life and have forgotten a lot through disuse. I also have problems with working memory and memory recall, so I often get frustrated with myself when I'm trying to communicate an idea to someone else, as I struggle to remember the correct word or sign (worst when I know two similar signs, such as please and sorry, and can't remember which is which). And with fingerspelling, I'm first translating into words, then translating into sign (and fighting the arthritis in my knuckles), and when someone is fingerspelling to me, I have to do that translation in reverse and if it's a long word I might forget the first few letters by the time we get to the end of the word. And my face always betrays what I'm feeling, so I'm always afraid the person I'm speaking or signing to will think I'm frustrated, angry, or upset with them, and I won't have the words/signs to communicate that the problem is me, not them. But having watched many of your videos, if I ever ran into you in the wild (in the right situation) I might work up the courage to at least say hi and thank you, since you seem to be a very patient person in regards to communication.
I had this same issue while trying to learn German. After all sign-language is a language. There's really isn't any difference between learning a spoken language or American sign-language [or international sign-language]. I agree with everything you said! When I was trying to learn German, I would try to speak to Germans in German. But many of them spoke English better than my German. When I would make a mistake in German, rather than correcting me and encouraging me to learn, they would immediately say, "I speak English, if German is so hard for you, let's just speak English." I explained to them that I wanted to learn, but they did not feel as though speaking with them was the place to "learn". Apparently, they felt that learning should be done in the classroom rather than in conversation. I still kept learning German, despite these comments. I was only in Germany for 2 & 1/2 years, and never learned it fluently [of course]. But, it did help on occasion in the States when Germans were here on vacation, and didn't speak any English to help them a little. Learning anything is NEVER a negative. Go for it if you're interested in learning it! Do it for yourself. And in the long run, you'll see it served you well, even if it was just helping in one interaction. Don't ever let others discourage YOU from achieving something that you want for yourself. All my love and best wishes.
Here's my question...... Years ago, in college, I had the opportunity to tutor a deaf man in Math. Having no knowledge of sign language we used alot of different techniques to communicate and we made it work. The next semester I took a sign language class and learned some basics which definitely helped our communication. I don't think I could have a conversation with a deaf person, but I could manage. A couple of years ago, I was on a cruise (my favorite past time) and there was a group of deaf passengers on board. I so wanted to interact but wasn't sure how to start a conversation with them. I meet alot of people on cruises and its usually easy to mingle, but I found it difficult to get a conversation started. How would you suggest a hearing person start a conversation with a deaf person? I will say the interpreters they had were amazing and I found myself watching them whenever we went to a show... Seeing them signing while performers were singing was amazing.
As a Deaf person and previous ASL teacher I love when people try to come talk to me. However, I now work in education and my students are Deaf with additional needs- my class all have language deprivation so they will graduate with a certificate of completion, not a diploma. Many of them use communication devices and will not sign with you. I can definitely see one of my students in that job and doing that. It has everything to do with their autism, what they’ve been told to do, and communication preference. OC: keep learning, especially with your son!
when I was in high school in the 70's the school offered sign language. The class was called sign language not ASL. Our teacher was coda but that expression was never used-she just said both her parents were born deaf. Our class was small-about 7 kids. About 3 weeks in we sat across some of the deaf kids in our school and had to sign: what our favourite toy when we were young. If we signed something wrong the deaf kids laughed at us. For the couple of hearing kids who did well in class, they god thumbs up and smiles but the rest of us got laughed at and or shoulder shrugs. It made you not want to communicate with the deaf kids. I have taken ASL as an adult at a deaf & hh community center but there is a part of me, at 61, who can still be shy about signing to a deaf person. So, I think the stigma can go to both hearing and deaf people. No one wants eye-rolls, shoulder shrugs or to be laughed at.
I’m happy to see this video right now ^^ the other day I was taking my father in for a minor surgery and in the waiting room there were three people who were signing to each other. 2 older gentlemen and 1 lady who seemed to be hearing. I’ve always wanted to learn ASL since my mother used to care for a deaf child and his siblings and ever since I tried learning but still an very much at beginner level. I tried not to stare at the them blatantly as to not be rude but I loved how animated and vibrant the woman was and they were laughing and enjoying a nice conversation. After a while one of the men noticed me when he switched chairs and I signed “Hi!” Just trying to be casual. I don’t think I brightened his day and that is fine, I actually just wanted him to know I wasn’t trying to intrude or stare, I was simply interested and wanted to casually give him a “Hello” as we sat in the same waiting room and doing the same thing- waiting xD it was nice and I look forward to learning more so I can talk to all kinds of folks
One possibility, especially in the US with older Deaf people, some were never taught sign language. These days it's a pretty good bet that a Deaf child will learn ASL. But 'back in the day' it wasn't a guarantee. I've met some older Deaf people who didn't learn to sign until they were middle-aged or older. Because for a while, some people - even some doctors - had the (stupid) opinion that Deaf children should 'learn to get along in the hearing world' and would do that better if they learned to communicate in ways hearing people could understand, rather than in sign. So they were taught to use writing and lip-reading and other such things...but never taught sign. Some of those people never end up learning sign, either because they don't have the resources (financial, mental, or other) to or else because of their own stubbornness or pride. And, after a lifetime of being so hindered and isolated from casual conversation, a lot of them get really angry at people who try to sign to them because it triggers that frustration. Thankfully, meeting people like this is getting less and less frequent because teaching a Deaf child ASL has been standard practice for decades and the harm of NOT teaching them the language is now well documented.
I wouldn't say it's a pretty good bet that a deaf child will be able to sign. The National Association of the Deaf says around 70% of deaf children are language deprived. I also saw a survey that was done within the last year or two that found only around 22% of parents of deaf children sign, and most deaf children now attend mainstream schools, so they may not learn to sign in school either. There are groups like LEAD-K working to change things, but the cycle unfortunately continues, even though as you said we've known how important sign language is for deaf children for decades : (
@@NovasRUclipsName Geez. Why are there so many people who insist on remaining stupid? Audiologists should know better by now. And frankly, the research is clear enough, I'd be in favor of losing their license to practice for recommending something stupid like that.
@@wjm1319 I completely agree. It’s a constant fight for ASL for Deaf kids here, or parents who don’t know better don’t fight for access and the children end up language deprived. There just no excuse with all the evidence out there!!!
When Ryan said "BUT" @ 3:29, I was like "Ohhhh I know where this is going" and I was so right 😅 I've got a similar experience to Emily. I'm from Malaysia, where the first-ever deaf-only Starbucks opened up. Thanks to Switched at Birth, I got such an interest in deaf culture and sign language, so I've been teaching myself sign since I was in high school, with the help of Bill Vicars's videos. Coincidentally, MSL is VERY similar to ASL, so I thought to sometimes try and sign my order rather than write it down on the pad that they give to hearing people. While most of the other staff have been super helpful (even teaching me signs for various drinks and sizes), BUT there is one guy at the Starbucks who's got major attitude and every time I try to sign my order with him, he'll give me a face and he'll push the pad towards me, even when there aren't any other customers waiting. It did discourage me greatly, so much so that every time I saw him at the cashier, I'll just go straight for the pad (much to the confusion of his coworkers, who know I know enough to have small talk!). But, things changed when I came across your channel a few years ago and I decided to learn even more sign language! I've always loved languages and being able to communicate with people - I know 6 different languages, including ASL! I hope I'll be able to meet you two in person one day, so that I can just thank you for giving me my confidence back 🤟🏼
I started learning ASL six months ago. Last week for the first time I saw people signing at the grocery store. There were 4 people signing back and forth. I tried not to eavesdrop, but it appeared they were a family with a deaf member. As I walked to the exit, I had to pass right by them. I looked the one signing person in the eye as I passed and signed "What's up?" My greatest fear was realized. He just stared at me stone faced until I passed by. I'm wondering if he felt I was intruding.
As a hearing signer, I always offer to use sign language with any deaf person I meet. Most of the time they prefer to communicate in ASL. Sometimes they don't, but I've never had a negative reaction. It could be that the postal worker felt that the hearing person was trying to "help" the worker. That would elicit a negative reaction. The worker has a certain system for competently carrying out the job and could have been offended if it appeared that the hearing person was trying to make the worker's job easier.
What unique sings have you created for the two of you so that you do not have to finger spell as much. Finger spelling can be a strain on the eyes and brain. For example, when you where going to San Diego, did you just spell the S and the D to each other? Or are there long words that the two of you use on a regular basis that you have shortened?
one bad experience can definitely be very discouraging, especially if you were so excited for it and expected it to go great, it's a big disappoinment, but it definitely should not stop a person from learning more and more, good experiences will come and they will be proud of themselves for not giving up 🥰
I'm afraid to approach and sign because I know my signing isn't fluent and I don't want to offend anyone. Sometimes I use a few signs with my boyfriend who is hard of hearing to clarify something I'm saying but it's more like exact signed english than asl. So I don't want someone I approach to think, oh here's another hearing person who learned a few signs and thinks they know everything. Also, I have an old injury to my dominant hand so it shakes and I can't turn it palm down. I worry my signing would be hard to understand if I can't do it just right or am changing which hand I use as the dominant hand for different signs.
I mean yeah I accidentally signed a rude word. But it was clearly an accident which they kindly explained to me and so I learned better! I’ve done the same thing learning other languages. There was only one language where whenever I spoke it with native speakers they would laugh every time. But when I asked someone and said it was off putting for me to try they explained that it was because they were surprised and pleased that I was learning it. And I’ve occasionally met someone offended by my bad pronunciation but I don’t let one person who is having a bad day or who has a bad attitude represent a whole people. With respect to the clerk it’s also possible that they don’t know sign. I have a few deaf friends that don’t.
Another possibility is that the clerk didn't sign. I knew a deaf guy in my twenties who chose never to learn to sign and only communicates via texting and chatrooms and such. Similarly, it's possible that she DOES sign, but not ASL. If she recently moved to the US, she could know a different type of signing but be a beginner herself when it comes to ASL.
We had two deaf employees. One was all sign. But the other didn't go totally deaf until his late teens. He was a fantastic lip reader and spoke very well. We got the opportunity to take sign language at work. If I signed at him, he'd get mad and say I don't do that stuff.
Most deaf people are very welcoming. But there are some gatekeepers out there. Some don't like hearing people at all and want to completely protect their language and culture and not share it. Some will even gatekeep against people who are "not deaf enough" and/or use hearing devices. I struggled growing up. I grew up in a hearing world and community. When I finally met some deaf people, I was shunned because I wasn't profoundly deaf at the time and I used hearing aids. This put me off for a long time because I thought the deaf community didn't want me. I didn't fit with the hearing world, and didn't fit with the deaf world. When I finally became profoundly deaf, I found it easier to communicate with some deaf people. But I also learned that the deaf community does want me. Whether I still have some hearing and use hearing devices or not. The gatekeepers are few and far between. I don't have any local deaf communities where I'm at, but I do follow deaf communities online which has helped me tremendously.
Uh, I recently pulled up next to a car to tell them they had an out tail light. Turned out they were all 3 deaf, I had taken a semester of sign 20 years ago. In my panic. I basically signed something to the effect of - You boob's broken, die. I was using my non sign brain to mime things to a hearing person, going for - Your light broken, not working. I think they felt a little threatened, as they quickly pulled if the stop and go highway. I felt bad and dumb!
I think the concern for me is using ASL grammar. My ASL professor wanted us to learn ASL grammar and not use any English grammar, which I totally agree with! However, when I’m not really in the Deaf community or sign with someone regularly my signing skills just get worse. I think ASL is such an amazing language, but it’s been soo many years now that my confidence level isn’t there anymore. However, I’ll definitely give it a try if I’m ever given the opportunity again.
I agree, i have been learning sign and i have tried to talk with deaf people i have seen. Honestly not to say hey i know sign or look at me. Because i also dont want to interupt their day or conversation they maybe having with whoever they are with. Make sure your timing is appropriate and it maybe reciprocated more. Just my thoughts on that as they are just living their own life and even maybe out doing things knowing No one outside of certain areas will talk with them AND BAM there you are. ❤❤ Thanks Ellen and Ryan
ok, so I have taken 2 self paced video courses of ASL from Oklahoma school of the Deaf. I also took a zoom class and have watched a lot of videos. I get very nervous and have social anxiety. Many video practices I get out hi, nice to meet you and then can't make another sentence because my brain goes blank, I don't remember how to spell or I have reversed the sign (from watching it n screen). I did attend a Deaf social once and everyone was so very welcoming but it was overwhelming. I was politely corrected when I messed up but after I couldn't remember anything. Just sharing my experiences.
Probably had this question a dozen times, but how much difference is there in sign language around the world? I know i can google it, but you guys explain things so clearly. I love the energy you're spreading :)
Tons of differences!! There are oftentimes a sign language for each country. Even sign language in the western US can be a bit different than sign language in the eastern US.
As a hearing person who learned ASL in high school, guys, try not to be scared to communicate. I am currently a pharmacy technician, and when our patients that are deaf found out that I sign, each one of them has been so excited. Especially in a customer service scenario, it makes it easier for them to communicate, and they appreciate it immensely. Have I messed up some signs? Of course! But if they look confused, I just fingerspell the word and most of the time they show me the correct sign. I love my deaf patients so much when I see them. ♥
I had a better day or a bad day. It depends on how everything is going. Sometimes I will be around town and seeing almost half of the town ppl learn sign language because there are several deaf people. Since I am deaf but I will learn sign language all over again. Because I forgot what words I need to sign. I just wished my family would've learned sign language back then when I was little. I would try to teach them but they get frustrated because they didn't have the patience to learn sign language. It hurt me so bad. Because I get frustrated not understanding them.
Some people at my work know that I know "some" ASL. I have two co-workers that are deaf and they know I have a little knowledge. They are in another dept and have work to do. Still I wave hello when I see them. They're pretty patient and I try to understand them when they sign something, but I don't go out of my way to communicate with them. They can see me thinking when trying to figure out what they're signing. When they spell a word I mirror it so that so I know the word as well. And yes not all deaf people will have that energy to be patient and appreciate you making the effort. We all have those days where we're either in the mood to communicate or just can't be bothered to talk and such. It's a balancing act really and learning to not be so eager to show them you can sign some too.
I’ve had plenty of embarrassing moments myself and you do have some People who aren’t interested in engaging with you simply because I was hearing and their bad experiences, it was explained to me that not me directly, but in general I had to except how that person felt and let them be
Honestly, even if the person asking was doing something perceived as negative to one person, it says something about the worth of learning signing in general if there is a class and their son, a second person, is also interested. Personally, the other more important side to the question is if they should bond with their son. They don't need to sign to a deaf person. They can just sign with their son. If they meet someone who wants to sign, then they have some idea of how to do it, and that's a bonus.
it's interesting to hear how ppl are scared to sign because they heard some ppl made mistakes and offended ppl etc. In my situations I took a sign language class during covid(2020 fall). Signed up for it before covid and then they moved it to be online. I decided to still take it coz I thought it was better than not trying it at all. It was such a bizarre experience. I don't recommend online sign language classes at all. Most of the time I was so concentrated on watching the instructor who was deaf and reading the chat for what they said that I had no facial expressions when I had to try my own hand at signing. I was just tensing up with the whole screen, camera, not knowing really where to look. Eventually I got a measly 70% in the class and the whole reasoning was because I didn't have good enough facial expressions. Online communication makes me very disassociated from my facial expressions. It was scarring to hear that I lost so many marks because my facial expressions were not good enough for an online class which was such a bad medium for such a topic to begin with. I felt it very unfair to have so many points assigned to facial expressions in this new online setup. It turned me off from wanting to learn anymore. So watching you guys come back it's slowly lighting the embers of that desire to maybe try it again some day.
I can understand the fear of talking to natives for avoiding misunderstandings. Currently living in korea and had issues with this when learning korean. In the end if you say something wrong and both persons are focused that a not fluent person can make mistakes, its easy to solve and learning is much easier. Thats why you both can communicate so well i guess ❤
Taking ASL in college right now 1. because I always wanted to, its useful even in hearing situations like noisy places or across the room etc. 2. I am losing my hearing and soon will have to rely on it a lot. The problem for me is, where I live there is not a big deaf community so not exactly many options for practice, I am autistic and terrified of offending someone (I accidentally do that a lot and its made me a bit of a recluse) and I, like the commenter, am afraid of essentially being told I am taking something. I guess its a bit of imposter syndrome too because I am hard of hearing and not born deaf so I don't feel I have the right to participate. The teacher is really pushing us to socialize and go to the big cities like 2 hours away for events and that is an overwhelming prospect. I think I might post your channel in the class discussion board since were supposed to consume deaf media to try and get used to watching ASL signers communicate.
Question. I knew my hearing wasn't great. I recently got a test and was told i have extremely serious hearing loss and will go deaf. Expencive hearing aids will only slow it down. Since none of my family save one is ok with learning sign and I'm an older lady that has good health, i wondered if you would recommend learning asl? Where would i go to learn? They teach it to kids but not adults around here. Would i be welcomed to the deaf community? Or would you recommend not and looking for another way. I hear noise, understand about half, and can't hear 16 percent at all now. They said im reading lips and my best guess is wrong alot, Its getting worse fast. In the speaking world, I'm constantly asking others to repeat, and I speak too loud. They are annoyed with me. I know you're not a medical person, but I think you understand because this is a communication issue; medically the handwriting is on the wall, so to speak. What you think?
Sign language also evolves. It’s been a very long time since i used sign language and some signs have changed due to a current negative connotation. Signs especially involving races have changed drastically in the last decade. I am not a skilled finger speller and my ASL grammar is very spoken English based, more like SEE than ASL. I feel more comfortable speaking and adding certain signs for clarity.
it's only cultural appropriation if you pretend to be deaf if you're not. Sincerely wanting to learn about and celebrate another person's culture is always welcome.
Also, story time. When I was a cashier at a grocery store, one of the customers I checked out was deaf. I tried talking to him when he came up to my register with his groceries, but then he gestured that he is deaf. I felt sooooo embarrassed, especially because he was quite good looking as well 🫣 I didn't know a crumb of sign language, so I just tried my best to use gestures that I felt like he would be able to understand, such as pointing to the computer screen to show him the total amount of his groceries that were scanned, and giving him two thumbs up after the transaction was over. He was so sweet about it and didn't get mad at me at all.
I've known ASL for many, many years, but haven't really used it for a while and it can be intimidating because I feel like I don't want to make a mistake!
I think it's the same when you learn any new language, you're afraid that you're going to make mistakes. I wish sign language qualifications were more widely available when I was at school in the U.K, though I think GCSEs in sign language will be available next September. Is American Sign Language available to learn in all high schools or just in some parts of the U.K?
If I'm at a store and i know thst the employee is deaf (says it on their name tag) and im in their line to checkout, i was taught to ask (sign) if they sign. Because not all deaf people sign or were taught to sign. This definitely helps to see if they want to sign with you or not.
This is so interesting. I mean, I’m deaf. Grew up being in the same situation as yours. LOL. Now I’m a tutor, as noticed people always tell me how little asl they know.
Can someone tell me what the sign meant at 11:47 when he waved his flat hand in front of his face? In Italian, that means "You're crazy", and I can't find this sign online
When I was in ASL class my professor gave us a test and signed the question “ how old are you?” I answered “ I like milk.” When she corrected the test she laughed and understood how I could have gotten confused. The fact that she was kind and humorous about it made me feel better about it and know that it’s okay to make mistakes. The fact that I tried is what matters.
If I came to the US and met you I would sign with you for sure. I use Auslan (Australian sign language) but I know the ASL alphabet and I think we could communicate fine.
I watched this show called Switched at Birth. I don’t want to give too much away in case you want to watch it but it involves parents who found out their daughter isn’t their daughter and their actual daughter is deaf due to meningitis I think. Anyway, you see a lot of sign language and people learning sign language. I liked the show a lot but it ended a while back. You might be able to watch it somewhere though.
Does the concept of mumbling or accent exist in ASL? I know there are different sign languages that are separate languages and I’m sure there is regional slang. But I was curious if there are unique things a person does based on where they are from or their age etc
I don’t know if I’m remembering this correctly, but when I studied ASL in college, I was told that there are many, many different ways that Deaf, deaf, or hard of hearing people prefer to communicate. Some are TC, some are ASL, some are SE, some are verbal… maybe it was that the clerk did not sign or preferred not to sign. 🤷🏻♀️
This has probably been asked many times before. But, I live in a small rural community and know of only one deaf person. There really isn't a deaf community here and the nearest city is 1 1/2 hours away. What do you suggest for learning sign language for someone in that situation?
I'm more picky about to whom I sign because some deafies are kinda rude about it and tell you "wrong" all the time. At least at the deaf club. I have some deafy friends with whom I sign regularly, but the others traumatized me for new people. Just sayin' (Grew up hearing, then Meniere's, learned sign)
I am in Level 1 sign language, and would not walk up to a deaf person that signs at this point. It's not even that I don't know that much, but that I can't read their signing that well. Sure every day I can read more and more of what people are saying, but still not that much. I am in a fb group, and a lady posted a video that she was supposed to translate and she was supposedly at a Level 1, and I said wow, I recognized a few words and that's it. Another person that tutors said to me, well, if you were doing it right, you would have been able to figure out everything because they were mouthing all the words. Umm, yeah, ok, I can't lipread. When I was young, my Mom learned to lip read, and I would watch the lessons with her, and not figure out a thing. It's like watching Ryan, IF I turned off the captioning, I could read many of his signs, but have no clue at all on the lip reading. It's comments like that, that make me just want to quit. One day I am determined that I am going to learn this, and the next day totally discouraged because I am behind in my vocabulary words for the week......
The other day at work I was taking a group of people's order, and they're all deaf. However, one of them had hearing aids. I've studied sign language since middle school so I know a fair amount of signs. The friend with the hearing aids ordered the food but I saw his friend's were playfully teasing him in sign language and I giggled a bit. I realized it might have looked like I was aughing at them so I immediately stopped. 😭
Is it possible that she (post office lady) never learned sign even though she's deaf? I'm not sure about the US but where i am, i've met deaf people who developed their own functional signs with their own family but never picked up ASL.
Deaf is unfriendly to me, ago I meet them in school. They are very bully, I not like friends them. That why I was out of deaf people, move in new people are very friendly. That I was fighting hate deaf. Cause me limited sign.
I am not much involved with deaf and avoid new deaf people. I not know Deaf world. But I love Hearing and deaf is fine equal. Some hearing and small deaf is friend. Hard relationships with deaf, I am not well relationship with deaf.
I guess it's also possible the worker doesn't know ASL. That's something that I was surprised to learn: not all Deaf people in America use/know ASL, or they're still in the process of learning it, etc.
We're scared we're gonna embarrass ourselves
totally. my boyfriend is Venezuelan, and I'm scared to practice my Spanish with him because I don't wanna sound like a dumdum and embarrass myself. his English is so great already. and I mean, I know some Spanish, but practicing it with a Spanish speaker would be both amazing and nerve-racking. lol. it's the same with sign language. it's a rare opportunity, if you get to practice your signing with a deaf person, so part of you wants to jump at that opportunity, but it's also very intimidating, especially if you're already a shy person. 😅
I've definitely made a fool out of myself before and it definitely makes me nervous to try again but take some baby steps and keep at it! You got this!
Don't worry you can do your best as you can learn about it and improve to try communication with Deaf people. It is different the way opinions work with them. 😊 I am Deaf also. I understand and don't be scared. Nobody will bite you if you try to learn new experiences as best as you can! 😊
Yep, totally happens with foreign language too. Gotta get over that fear to learn though
I just assume I’m going to make a fool of myself and lean into it - it makes for huge jumps in learning ;)!
I noticed that Ellen looks into his eyes mostly when he is signing yet she intuitively knows what his hands are doing. How does she do that? It looks like magic to me. Very impressive! Love the energy you two pit out ❤
Peripheral vision- and she does glance at times
It's respectful to look in the eyes even when signing.
Its better use eyes contact and read their sign language same time to understand during communication. 😊
Experience, most newbs watch the hands. Remember when you were learning to read and you had to sound out every word but now you can glance at some words and read it instantly, kinda like that
@@mallorykane2843good analogy!
It's probably a random comment but I liked the way Ryan laid out the discussion about the nuances and contexts like asking Ellen what she perceives from her perspective and then Ryan offering his perspectives on the situation and all the possibilities. It really illuminated the mention of positive, neutral and negative experiences at the end. I understood the message clearly. It gave me a lot to consider.
I agree! It was well laid out. And the point applies to other things in life too: understanding the situation instead of automatically getting discouraged
Hey! I appreciate your comment. I'm glad you liked the way that I went about it and that it was easily understood! :)
I recently had a dead Uber driver and it was a GREAT experience. He had picture cards and a notepad. On my ride to the airport I looked up how to say "Thank You" in sign language. I didn't practice but did my best when getting out and I think I made his day. He smiled from ear to ear and gave me a fist bump.
darn autocorrect, or a simple mistype got you good.... not dead, deaf** hehe.
that's a really sweet moment though. love that so much. I think people of all cultures and backgrounds really appreciate and respect when people take the time to try to learn their language... for the most part anyway. I see it in my online games all the time.. people from all around the world... they love it so much if you just say hey to them in their language
That was actually funny. I had a dead Uber driver. 😂
Cool story! Glad it went well for both of you
😂😂😂😂😂 funny about misunderstanding of Deaf between dead. 😊
I too had a deaf Uber driver and at the time I had already taken ASL 1 and 2, so I knew the basics and I told him I known a little bit of ASL and he told me to have fun and I said thank you, have a good day it was nice to meet you and he said likewise and it was just so wholesome because he seemed like a sweet guy, at work I don’t know how to sign a lot of work related signs so I get upset I can’t help them as fast as I would like but I have seen their face glow up when I tell them I know a little bit of asl or when I sign to them if they need help :)
so glad you guys are posting regularly again
Us too ❤️☺️
I learned sign language because I became friends with a deaf couple. They were so encouraging, and she was the instructional aide in my sign language class, so I was very comfortable signing with deaf people. The deaf community where I live is very welcoming and supportive of hearing people learning sign. I became friends with several more in the deaf community. Even now, though my signing skills have become rusty, when I run into my deaf friends, they are so patient and appreciative that I try. This was a great topic. Thank you for sharing, Ryan & Ellen!
Thanks for sharing your experience Matthew!
Just popping in to say thanks for answering this question! It's a big fear of mine that hopefully I'll be able to overcome at some point! It's been difficult to find people to practice with and I definitely don't want to waste a fluent person's time with my ramblings.
That aside, I've been watching your videos without sound but with CC for a while and am happy to say that I recognize a lot more signs now than I used to! I may even try watching one without CC and see how far I get.
Well done!
I like when people picked up signs and communicated with me. Sometimes my face be too tired to move so it looks like I’m mad or something because that’s how my neutral face is. I’m wondering if maybe the clerk was having bad day or maybe he was told not to sign with others because if two or more deaf people gather, they won’t leave or stop talking for a long while and maybe that has occurred and the clerk had a complaint or two so he insists on using the board and trying not to sign because then they will eventually conversate with you and it happens again, another complaint lol.
Or it could be that he/she is a person that was hearing but recently or not too long ago became deaf and doesn’t know ASL 🤔
nice job! keep it up :)
Interesting topic. I am deaf. One time at work, I was talking with a coworker (my voice is pretty clear) and I thought for sure I understood her. Turned out I was wrong and there was a big misunderstanding. After that my boss preferred that I write or use an interpreter for serious discussions(I had an interpreter at work several times a week). Work situations can be different than social situations.
That makes sense!
You had an interpreter??? I am also deaf and I have a transcription program on my phone that I whip out when a coworker really needs to talk to me. It sucks because the technology isn't there yet and it commonly misunderstands what people are saying, but my general rule is "don't give me work that requires lots of communication because it'll probably get done wrong".
Thanks for sharing your experience in the workplace!
@@Starcrash6984 yes. I use an interpreter generally 1-2 times a week when I give lectures. But I also use a voice to text app for less formal situations.
Ellen- struggling through disheartened sign was so funny! I loved the effort and the expression. 😂❤
And Ryan's "yeah, I don't think there's a sign for that, but I get what you mean" sort of response. 🙂
Hey Ryan and Ellen. I'd just like to point out how visual the deaf are compared to hearing. Ryan saw Java walk by and he said "she looks like she wants to bark more." EXACTLY. Hearing probably can notice but we don't. One silly example. One day we were driving to our neighboring town. I live in a town that has 2900 people, the neighboring town has about 1800. We passed a house and Danielle sign to me, "did you see that naked man?" "What naked man?" I asked. She signed, "He was standing behind his screen door as we drove by." Things like that are funny and amazing. When one sense is absent, often another sense takes on some of the functions. Love your videos. God bless you guys.
When one sense is lost, others take its place. It's all due to brain plasticity as described in the book Livewired by David Eagleman. And I've noticed too that as I lost my hearing that my ability to see movement got a lot, lot better. I frequently catch things as they fall off shelves before other people even notice they were falling.
Noticing random naked men seems like the worst side effect lol no thanks
hahhaha that's a funny story. It's true deaf people tend to notice more stuff for sure
I have felt the same way trying to speak Spanish to native speakers: "What if my poor quality Spanish is seen as insulting???" So this video is a good reminder for more than just ASL situations.
This makes my heart happy. People, no matter what language they speak, or if they’re hearing or deaf, all of us have our individual fears, desires, likes and dislikes, and it’s important to remember to respect others and respect ourselves too as we continue learning and living.
Keep going everyone! You got this!
well said!
What a great video ! Hopefully the commenter takes the classes and learns about a new language and culture ! As for why ? We're scared .. scared of embarrassment, scared of not remembering/signing wrong. It took a Deaf (hard of hearing) lady who needed my assistance, to get me to use the signs that I knew (about 15 hours of online learning), and then a couple of days later she saw me and brought me into a group of her Deaf friends so I could sign with them, it was scary, and it was fantastic ! They were warm and helpful and expanded my vocabulary. I don't get to see them often, but if passing by, they flag me down and we share a quick conversation... it makes me want to be more involved and develop fluency. It's so nice to see your videos again, I hope it's a positive experience for you both, as the community of viewers get a lot from your videos. Thank you for making them. *edit - spelling*
I greatly enjoy (and appreciate!) just being able to watch your conversations. I love their natural flow. My ASL acuity is Absolute Beginner so I'll need close captioning for awhile yet. But I'm recognizing more and more!
An obstacle for adult learners (hearing) to use ASL with a deaf person may be that we don't want to sound unintelligent because our ASL proficiency is rudimentary.
I saw a meme recently pointing out that someone speaking broken English knows more words total than a monolingual native speaker does. The point was the person deserves respect for learning a second language even if they're not very far in it yet. I'm chicken when it comes to test-driving that point, but I mention it here in case it gives you courage.
to me I don't see it as unintelligent, but more intelligent as you are learning another language and trying your best
@@kynn23 I hadn't thought of it that way - thank you!
@@SignDuoChannel Funny enough, I'm only that critical with myself, not another person trying to learn a new language. I'm inspired to be more bold about using ASL!
Ellen you’re glowing lately! You look so radiant here ❤
Thank you ☺❤
Loved the blooper at the end! If you have more of those, share them, guys hahaha
Hahah alright we have tons of those in every video we do lol
@@SignDuoChannel Awesome thumbnail too hahah cheers from Mexico!
thanks! cheers from California
I always saw the same group of deaf snowboarders at the ski resort I worked at. I always felt like it was odd to interrupt their conversation just to say hi when I didn’t know them. The only time I ever said hi was when one of the lift operators was struggling to communicate that the guy’s pass wasn’t working.
Now that they know me, they always say hi. I’m glad I never rudely inserted myself into their conversations though.
Just found your channel and am loving it!!
I've been half deaf in one ear since about 7yrs old, when I had damage to my left eardrum. Nobody taught sign language in school back then, and as i could still hear with one ear, nobody cared. Now I'm in my late 40's, I'm losing a bit of hearing in my right ear and it's stressing me out. It's worried my most of my life, as I've had constant ear issues :(
So I've been trying to learn Australian Sign Language over the years. I've always pretty much known the alphabet, and a couple of words, but not much else. They never had apps and things like they do now. So I'm just starting to learn again. You guys have inspired me.
Huge support from Australia ❤❤❤❤
New sign duo upload!! yippee!!!
Yayyyy!
I love that youre back making videos theyre always interesting and you both seem so kind
Thanks for your kind comment, and for watching!
I have been thinking about the original question why hearing people are nervous speaking to Deaf people. I live very close to the Quebec border and in high school, our French class went to Montreal for the day. The expectation was that we would speak in French, especially when ordering food at the McDonalds we went to. It was so nerve wracking! Were we all capable of ordering and speaking every day French? Yes. But the fear of messing up or blanking on a word was very real. That was a lifetime ago for me and now any time I’m “across the river”, my default is just French. I’m nowhere near bilingual.
It was a very similar experience when I started learning ASL 30 years ago. My teacher, as part of the learning process, would have us go to restaurants and order everything in ASL as a group while one person was the “interpreter”. This encouraged us to be less intimidated to speak to Deaf people other than the teacher. I’m not fluent in ASL, however, since I have a chronic voice loss condition, my preferred method of communication is ASL and I attend Deaf chats regularly. Immersing yourself in the language will help you get over those jitters. I make mistakes all the time and I’ve come to learn that no one cares. I share this perspective with people who are new to signing and are afraid of going to Deaf chats.
I would encourage the person who had the experience that made her feel so badly about her attempts at signing to take some classes and try to find some Deaf chats in her area. That is the absolute best way to practice her new skills and feel good about herself. At the chats, Deaf people know that hearing people will show up with a variety of proficiencies and are open to helping them improve their communication. I would also encourage the lady who wrote in to continue to go to that post office and rather than try to have ASL as an opener, to just sign thank you or have a nice day as a parting gesture.
Keep at it!
I think being hesitant about signing with a deaf person when you're still learning, is just like learning any language but being hesitant to practice speaking with a native speaker, like, I've been learning Japanese for a few years, and I'm still hesitant to practice speaking with a native Japanese speaker. I'm imagining that signing is even more intimidating because it is so different than verbal language. Thank you for the encouragement and the permission to keep trying :)
it's only cultural appropriation if you pretend to be Japanese if you're not. Sincerely wanting to learn about and celebrate another person's culture is always welcome.
My nephews Grandparents on his dad side are deaf. I was always so impressed how much sign language he learned. I hope he keeps it up. Love this channel
Just wanted to say it‘s so nice to see you posting again! I love your insightful videos on sign language and the deaf community. You guys definitely are some of my favorite youtubers.
Thank you so much that's such a big compliment
My suggestion for some of the next videos would be, vlogging a day in the life as well as your guy’s experience with traveling together. I think it’d be cool! also if during your traveling videos, you could give us some new signs to learn depending on the locations you’re in!
Great ideas! I really appreciate you sharing because to helps us a lot ☺️ so thank you!
As a deaf person, I can verify that people are frequently afraid to sign to me. And I had that experience of a "bad word" said accidentally -- a clerk at the town office said "fuck you" when she meant "thank you" because they're very similar. I didn't get offended -- why would I? For one thing, I know how similar they are and I knew in context what she really meant. For another thing, I'm just thrilled whenever anyone tries to talk to me in sign.
Inspiring to see as in hard of hearing and want this type of relationship. Thank you for posting, you guys seem very genuine ❤
Great video, my first encounter with a deaf person, I signed 'thank you' (which I know is easy) but the person looked delighted I signed.😊. Lovely seeing you both and hearing Javas pitter patter of paws ... made me smile . Love you guys ♥♥♥
Thanks for your commet! Yeah Java was roaming around in this video, she loves to inspect all the doors and windows lol 😄❤️
@@SignDuoChannel She is so cute ❤
literally the most positive people on this planet, thank you
Aaa thanks! We try our best!
Great points. I also wonder if the commenter knew for sure that the clerk knew sign language, or just assumed.
Definitely something to consider. Maybe the original commenter will add to this
Ryan, do you ever find yourself exhausted from lip reading and watching hands for ASL to the point that you need a "hearing break?". I'm Deaf and sometimes I'm both mentally and physically exhausted for lip reading and signing that I tell my husband I'm done, I'm on a hearing break!!! Does that ever happen to you??? Good to see another video!!!! 🤟🏻
He might answer you on here, but he has an old video explaining that and Ellen explaining it being exhausting trying to fill Ryan in during family events, while trying to have conversations herself. And Bee Vicars (Dr. Bill Vicars wife) has a whole write up about that exact thing. I think it’s really common, and one or the reasons I am so impressed by Deaf people’s strength - have to put a lot of work into communicating with hearies!
I used to watch your videos all the time in 2020 and 2021, but I kept losing the channel then randomly remembered your channel name and saw yous still upload!!
hey!! good to see you back here! :D
Hi guys!!! Love the videos and watching how you two sign. I grew up with Deaf people of various sign language persuasions and have always found the regional and group variations of signing highly interesting. Much love and take care ;)
Oh so cool! thanks for sharing your experiences growing up with Deaf people around. You take care as well
Also they may not want to have miscommunications at work like you said so then the preferred communication method is how you should do it. I'm not deaf yet but close and so many people don't understand that email is how I prefer to communicate when not in person so that I can go back to what's said and make sure that I know what's being said. Phone conversations don't work for me and I've had some that have given me major issues with that and been called a liar and so much more because many don't understand that in person with some lip reading sound accompanying it can help but still not enough that I understand all the time. It depends on who or what the conversation is about if I ask for clarification especially if the person has refused hardcore to believe my hearing impairment.
as someone learning french, if i come across someone who speaks the same language, whether it's a cashier, or waiter, I'll ask them if I can practice with them. I never assume someone wants to suffer through my broken french, like you said they might not be in the mood and prefer to communicate a different way.
good way to look at it :)
On why are hearing people afraid to sign with deaf people, there's some good answers here already, but for me it's complicated (and also goes for speaking German, which I learned in school).
My first problem is that I don't think in words, I think more in abstract concepts and images, so I am constantly having to translate thoughts into words. ASL is actually more compatible with my thought processes than spoken/written English, but I've only learned little bits and pieces of ASL through many years of life and have forgotten a lot through disuse.
I also have problems with working memory and memory recall, so I often get frustrated with myself when I'm trying to communicate an idea to someone else, as I struggle to remember the correct word or sign (worst when I know two similar signs, such as please and sorry, and can't remember which is which). And with fingerspelling, I'm first translating into words, then translating into sign (and fighting the arthritis in my knuckles), and when someone is fingerspelling to me, I have to do that translation in reverse and if it's a long word I might forget the first few letters by the time we get to the end of the word.
And my face always betrays what I'm feeling, so I'm always afraid the person I'm speaking or signing to will think I'm frustrated, angry, or upset with them, and I won't have the words/signs to communicate that the problem is me, not them.
But having watched many of your videos, if I ever ran into you in the wild (in the right situation) I might work up the courage to at least say hi and thank you, since you seem to be a very patient person in regards to communication.
I had this same issue while trying to learn German. After all sign-language is a language. There's really isn't any difference between learning a spoken language or American sign-language [or international sign-language]. I agree with everything you said! When I was trying to learn German, I would try to speak to Germans in German. But many of them spoke English better than my German. When I would make a mistake in German, rather than correcting me and encouraging me to learn, they would immediately say, "I speak English, if German is so hard for you, let's just speak English." I explained to them that I wanted to learn, but they did not feel as though speaking with them was the place to "learn". Apparently, they felt that learning should be done in the classroom rather than in conversation. I still kept learning German, despite these comments. I was only in Germany for 2 & 1/2 years, and never learned it fluently [of course]. But, it did help on occasion in the States when Germans were here on vacation, and didn't speak any English to help them a little. Learning anything is NEVER a negative. Go for it if you're interested in learning it! Do it for yourself. And in the long run, you'll see it served you well, even if it was just helping in one interaction. Don't ever let others discourage YOU from achieving something that you want for yourself. All my love and best wishes.
Here's my question...... Years ago, in college, I had the opportunity to tutor a deaf man in Math. Having no knowledge of sign language we used alot of different techniques to communicate and we made it work. The next semester I took a sign language class and learned some basics which definitely helped our communication. I don't think I could have a conversation with a deaf person, but I could manage. A couple of years ago, I was on a cruise (my favorite past time) and there was a group of deaf passengers on board. I so wanted to interact but wasn't sure how to start a conversation with them. I meet alot of people on cruises and its usually easy to mingle, but I found it difficult to get a conversation started. How would you suggest a hearing person start a conversation with a deaf person? I will say the interpreters they had were amazing and I found myself watching them whenever we went to a show... Seeing them signing while performers were singing was amazing.
Giving grace to others (and ourselves) for any kind of energy mismatch is an important practice.
Yes it is absolutely in all aspects of life
As a Deaf person and previous ASL teacher I love when people try to come talk to me. However, I now work in education and my students are Deaf with additional needs- my class all have language deprivation so they will graduate with a certificate of completion, not a diploma. Many of them use communication devices and will not sign with you. I can definitely see one of my students in that job and doing that. It has everything to do with their autism, what they’ve been told to do, and communication preference.
OC: keep learning, especially with your son!
Thank you for jumping in and sharing your experience! It really helps others who read the comments.
when I was in high school in the 70's the school offered sign language. The class was called sign language not ASL. Our teacher was coda but that expression was never used-she just said both her parents were born deaf. Our class was small-about 7 kids. About 3 weeks in we sat across some of the deaf kids in our school and had to sign: what our favourite toy when we were young. If we signed something wrong the deaf kids laughed at us. For the couple of hearing kids who did well in class, they god thumbs up and smiles but the rest of us got laughed at and or shoulder shrugs. It made you not want to communicate with the deaf kids. I have taken ASL as an adult at a deaf & hh community center but there is a part of me, at 61, who can still be shy about signing to a deaf person. So, I think the stigma can go to both hearing and deaf people. No one wants eye-rolls, shoulder shrugs or to be laughed at.
I’m happy to see this video right now ^^ the other day I was taking my father in for a minor surgery and in the waiting room there were three people who were signing to each other. 2 older gentlemen and 1 lady who seemed to be hearing. I’ve always wanted to learn ASL since my mother used to care for a deaf child and his siblings and ever since I tried learning but still an very much at beginner level. I tried not to stare at the them blatantly as to not be rude but I loved how animated and vibrant the woman was and they were laughing and enjoying a nice conversation. After a while one of the men noticed me when he switched chairs and I signed “Hi!” Just trying to be casual. I don’t think I brightened his day and that is fine, I actually just wanted him to know I wasn’t trying to intrude or stare, I was simply interested and wanted to casually give him a “Hello” as we sat in the same waiting room and doing the same thing- waiting xD it was nice and I look forward to learning more so I can talk to all kinds of folks
One possibility, especially in the US with older Deaf people, some were never taught sign language. These days it's a pretty good bet that a Deaf child will learn ASL. But 'back in the day' it wasn't a guarantee. I've met some older Deaf people who didn't learn to sign until they were middle-aged or older. Because for a while, some people - even some doctors - had the (stupid) opinion that Deaf children should 'learn to get along in the hearing world' and would do that better if they learned to communicate in ways hearing people could understand, rather than in sign. So they were taught to use writing and lip-reading and other such things...but never taught sign. Some of those people never end up learning sign, either because they don't have the resources (financial, mental, or other) to or else because of their own stubbornness or pride. And, after a lifetime of being so hindered and isolated from casual conversation, a lot of them get really angry at people who try to sign to them because it triggers that frustration. Thankfully, meeting people like this is getting less and less frequent because teaching a Deaf child ASL has been standard practice for decades and the harm of NOT teaching them the language is now well documented.
In my province in Canada most audiologists are STILL recommending no signing for Deaf children. Absolutely absurd and damaging.
I wouldn't say it's a pretty good bet that a deaf child will be able to sign. The National Association of the Deaf says around 70% of deaf children are language deprived. I also saw a survey that was done within the last year or two that found only around 22% of parents of deaf children sign, and most deaf children now attend mainstream schools, so they may not learn to sign in school either. There are groups like LEAD-K working to change things, but the cycle unfortunately continues, even though as you said we've known how important sign language is for deaf children for decades : (
@@pawz3016 That`s depressing. I thought the numbers would be far better than that by now.
@@NovasRUclipsName Geez. Why are there so many people who insist on remaining stupid? Audiologists should know better by now. And frankly, the research is clear enough, I'd be in favor of losing their license to practice for recommending something stupid like that.
@@wjm1319 I completely agree. It’s a constant fight for ASL for Deaf kids here, or parents who don’t know better don’t fight for access and the children end up language deprived. There just no excuse with all the evidence out there!!!
When Ryan said "BUT" @ 3:29, I was like "Ohhhh I know where this is going" and I was so right 😅
I've got a similar experience to Emily. I'm from Malaysia, where the first-ever deaf-only Starbucks opened up. Thanks to Switched at Birth, I got such an interest in deaf culture and sign language, so I've been teaching myself sign since I was in high school, with the help of Bill Vicars's videos. Coincidentally, MSL is VERY similar to ASL, so I thought to sometimes try and sign my order rather than write it down on the pad that they give to hearing people.
While most of the other staff have been super helpful (even teaching me signs for various drinks and sizes), BUT there is one guy at the Starbucks who's got major attitude and every time I try to sign my order with him, he'll give me a face and he'll push the pad towards me, even when there aren't any other customers waiting. It did discourage me greatly, so much so that every time I saw him at the cashier, I'll just go straight for the pad (much to the confusion of his coworkers, who know I know enough to have small talk!).
But, things changed when I came across your channel a few years ago and I decided to learn even more sign language! I've always loved languages and being able to communicate with people - I know 6 different languages, including ASL! I hope I'll be able to meet you two in person one day, so that I can just thank you for giving me my confidence back 🤟🏼
I started learning ASL six months ago. Last week for the first time I saw people signing at the grocery store. There were 4 people signing back and forth. I tried not to eavesdrop, but it appeared they were a family with a deaf member. As I walked to the exit, I had to pass right by them. I looked the one signing person in the eye as I passed and signed "What's up?" My greatest fear was realized. He just stared at me stone faced until I passed by. I'm wondering if he felt I was intruding.
As a hearing signer, I always offer to use sign language with any deaf person I meet. Most of the time they prefer to communicate in ASL. Sometimes they don't, but I've never had a negative reaction. It could be that the postal worker felt that the hearing person was trying to "help" the worker. That would elicit a negative reaction. The worker has a certain system for competently carrying out the job and could have been offended if it appeared that the hearing person was trying to make the worker's job easier.
Yes, this type of situation and response is definitely possible
I’m gonna be taking sign language classes with my sister. I’m deaf and she can hear.
I’m nervous 🥺
Good luck! You got this! Also, love that you're able to take it with your sister. Built-in study buddy!!
Good luck! You’ll fall in love with it as we all do ❤
So cool! No reason to be nervous, unless it’s excited nervous! ☺️
What unique sings have you created for the two of you so that you do not have to finger spell as much. Finger spelling can be a strain on the eyes and brain. For example, when you where going to San Diego, did you just spell the S and the D to each other? Or are there long words that the two of you use on a regular basis that you have shortened?
one bad experience can definitely be very discouraging, especially if you were so excited for it and expected it to go great, it's a big disappoinment, but it definitely should not stop a person from learning more and more, good experiences will come and they will be proud of themselves for not giving up 🥰
Yes 😄 good way to put it
I'm afraid to approach and sign because I know my signing isn't fluent and I don't want to offend anyone. Sometimes I use a few signs with my boyfriend who is hard of hearing to clarify something I'm saying but it's more like exact signed english than asl. So I don't want someone I approach to think, oh here's another hearing person who learned a few signs and thinks they know everything. Also, I have an old injury to my dominant hand so it shakes and I can't turn it palm down. I worry my signing would be hard to understand if I can't do it just right or am changing which hand I use as the dominant hand for different signs.
I mean yeah I accidentally signed a rude word. But it was clearly an accident which they kindly explained to me and so I learned better! I’ve done the same thing learning other languages. There was only one language where whenever I spoke it with native speakers they would laugh every time. But when I asked someone and said it was off putting for me to try they explained that it was because they were surprised and pleased that I was learning it. And I’ve occasionally met someone offended by my bad pronunciation but I don’t let one person who is having a bad day or who has a bad attitude represent a whole people. With respect to the clerk it’s also possible that they don’t know sign. I have a few deaf friends that don’t.
Another possibility is that the clerk didn't sign. I knew a deaf guy in my twenties who chose never to learn to sign and only communicates via texting and chatrooms and such. Similarly, it's possible that she DOES sign, but not ASL. If she recently moved to the US, she could know a different type of signing but be a beginner herself when it comes to ASL.
We had two deaf employees. One was all sign. But the other didn't go totally deaf until his late teens. He was a fantastic lip reader and spoke very well. We got the opportunity to take sign language at work. If I signed at him, he'd get mad and say I don't do that stuff.
Great point. I'm deaf but not fluent in sign yet because I wasn't born deaf. I prefer to use a transcription program on my phone.
Yes. Those are all valid and good points. Thank you for sharing!
❤ when someone is truly a person that you want, you will figure out the barriers ❤ I love the story behind how you started learning sign language ❤
Aaa thank you 🥰
Most deaf people are very welcoming. But there are some gatekeepers out there. Some don't like hearing people at all and want to completely protect their language and culture and not share it. Some will even gatekeep against people who are "not deaf enough" and/or use hearing devices. I struggled growing up. I grew up in a hearing world and community. When I finally met some deaf people, I was shunned because I wasn't profoundly deaf at the time and I used hearing aids. This put me off for a long time because I thought the deaf community didn't want me. I didn't fit with the hearing world, and didn't fit with the deaf world.
When I finally became profoundly deaf, I found it easier to communicate with some deaf people. But I also learned that the deaf community does want me. Whether I still have some hearing and use hearing devices or not. The gatekeepers are few and far between. I don't have any local deaf communities where I'm at, but I do follow deaf communities online which has helped me tremendously.
Uh, I recently pulled up next to a car to tell them they had an out tail light. Turned out they were all 3 deaf, I had taken a semester of sign 20 years ago. In my panic. I basically signed something to the effect of - You boob's broken, die. I was using my non sign brain to mime things to a hearing person, going for - Your light broken, not working. I think they felt a little threatened, as they quickly pulled if the stop and go highway.
I felt bad and dumb!
I remember subscribing to you guys a long time ago, nice to be back
Wow, Thanks for your comment Joshua (or Joshuwa) and we're glad you're back and we're back :)
Well Say Ryan perfectly example. Thank you but never give up learning . Stay blessing .. 🤟 🤟 🤟
Thank you, you stay blessed as well
Great show guys! It’s like learning French language, it’s takes time and get use to it. Have fun guys! Cheers!
I think the concern for me is using ASL grammar. My ASL professor wanted us to learn ASL grammar and not use any English grammar, which I totally agree with! However, when I’m not really in the Deaf community or sign with someone regularly my signing skills just get worse. I think ASL is such an amazing language, but it’s been soo many years now that my confidence level isn’t there anymore. However, I’ll definitely give it a try if I’m ever given the opportunity again.
I agree, i have been learning sign and i have tried to talk with deaf people i have seen. Honestly not to say hey i know sign or look at me. Because i also dont want to interupt their day or conversation they maybe having with whoever they are with. Make sure your timing is appropriate and it maybe reciprocated more. Just my thoughts on that as they are just living their own life and even maybe out doing things knowing No one outside of certain areas will talk with them AND BAM there you are. ❤❤ Thanks Ellen and Ryan
Thanks for your comment and sharing your experience
Happy Saturday Ellen and Ryan! 😊
Thanks! Happy Sunday now lol
Great answer to what I am sure is a common question, just in different scenarios :)
ok, so I have taken 2 self paced video courses of ASL from Oklahoma school of the Deaf. I also took a zoom class and have watched a lot of videos.
I get very nervous and have social anxiety. Many video practices I get out hi, nice to meet you and then can't make another sentence because my brain goes blank, I don't remember how to spell or I have reversed the sign (from watching it n screen).
I did attend a Deaf social once and everyone was so very welcoming but it was overwhelming. I was politely corrected when I messed up but after I couldn't remember anything.
Just sharing my experiences.
Probably had this question a dozen times, but how much difference is there in sign language around the world? I know i can google it, but you guys explain things so clearly. I love the energy you're spreading :)
Tons of differences!! There are oftentimes a sign language for each country. Even sign language in the western US can be a bit different than sign language in the eastern US.
@@SignDuoChannel Cool! Are there any (or many?) similarities between them?
As a hearing person who learned ASL in high school, guys, try not to be scared to communicate. I am currently a pharmacy technician, and when our patients that are deaf found out that I sign, each one of them has been so excited. Especially in a customer service scenario, it makes it easier for them to communicate, and they appreciate it immensely. Have I messed up some signs? Of course! But if they look confused, I just fingerspell the word and most of the time they show me the correct sign. I love my deaf patients so much when I see them. ♥
I had a better day or a bad day. It depends on how everything is going. Sometimes I will be around town and seeing almost half of the town ppl learn sign language because there are several deaf people. Since I am deaf but I will learn sign language all over again. Because I forgot what words I need to sign. I just wished my family would've learned sign language back then when I was little. I would try to teach them but they get frustrated because they didn't have the patience to learn sign language. It hurt me so bad. Because I get frustrated not understanding them.
Some people at my work know that I know "some" ASL. I have two co-workers that are deaf and they know I have a little knowledge. They are in another dept and have work to do. Still I wave hello when I see them. They're pretty patient and I try to understand them when they sign something, but I don't go out of my way to communicate with them. They can see me thinking when trying to figure out what they're signing. When they spell a word I mirror it so that so I know the word as well. And yes not all deaf people will have that energy to be patient and appreciate you making the effort. We all have those days where we're either in the mood to communicate or just can't be bothered to talk and such. It's a balancing act really and learning to not be so eager to show them you can sign some too.
Thank you for sharing your experience in the workplace. It's really helpful
🙋🏻♀️I have a question. Do you & Ryan go to any “deaf events”. What events have you participated in and you encourage others to attend?
I’ve had plenty of embarrassing moments myself and you do have some People who aren’t interested in engaging with you simply because I was hearing and their bad experiences, it was explained to me that not me directly, but in general I had to except how that person felt and let them be
Honestly, even if the person asking was doing something perceived as negative to one person, it says something about the worth of learning signing in general if there is a class and their son, a second person, is also interested. Personally, the other more important side to the question is if they should bond with their son. They don't need to sign to a deaf person. They can just sign with their son. If they meet someone who wants to sign, then they have some idea of how to do it, and that's a bonus.
it's interesting to hear how ppl are scared to sign because they heard some ppl made mistakes and offended ppl etc.
In my situations I took a sign language class during covid(2020 fall). Signed up for it before covid and then they moved it to be online. I decided to still take it coz I thought it was better than not trying it at all. It was such a bizarre experience. I don't recommend online sign language classes at all. Most of the time I was so concentrated on watching the instructor who was deaf and reading the chat for what they said that I had no facial expressions when I had to try my own hand at signing. I was just tensing up with the whole screen, camera, not knowing really where to look.
Eventually I got a measly 70% in the class and the whole reasoning was because I didn't have good enough facial expressions. Online communication makes me very disassociated from my facial expressions. It was scarring to hear that I lost so many marks because my facial expressions were not good enough for an online class which was such a bad medium for such a topic to begin with. I felt it very unfair to have so many points assigned to facial expressions in this new online setup.
It turned me off from wanting to learn anymore. So watching you guys come back it's slowly lighting the embers of that desire to maybe try it again some day.
I can understand the fear of talking to natives for avoiding misunderstandings. Currently living in korea and had issues with this when learning korean. In the end if you say something wrong and both persons are focused that a not fluent person can make mistakes, its easy to solve and learning is much easier.
Thats why you both can communicate so well i guess ❤
Taking ASL in college right now 1. because I always wanted to, its useful even in hearing situations like noisy places or across the room etc. 2. I am losing my hearing and soon will have to rely on it a lot. The problem for me is, where I live there is not a big deaf community so not exactly many options for practice, I am autistic and terrified of offending someone (I accidentally do that a lot and its made me a bit of a recluse) and I, like the commenter, am afraid of essentially being told I am taking something. I guess its a bit of imposter syndrome too because I am hard of hearing and not born deaf so I don't feel I have the right to participate. The teacher is really pushing us to socialize and go to the big cities like 2 hours away for events and that is an overwhelming prospect.
I think I might post your channel in the class discussion board since were supposed to consume deaf media to try and get used to watching ASL signers communicate.
Question. I knew my hearing wasn't great. I recently got a test and was told i have extremely serious hearing loss and will go deaf. Expencive hearing aids will only slow it down. Since none of my family save one is ok with learning sign and I'm an older lady that has good health, i wondered if you would recommend learning asl? Where would i go to learn? They teach it to kids but not adults around here. Would i be welcomed to the deaf community? Or would you recommend not and looking for another way. I hear noise, understand about half, and can't hear 16 percent at all now. They said im reading lips and my best guess is wrong alot, Its getting worse fast.
In the speaking world, I'm constantly asking others to repeat, and I speak too loud. They are annoyed with me. I know you're not a medical person, but I think you understand because this is a communication issue; medically the handwriting is on the wall, so to speak. What you think?
Sign language also evolves. It’s been a very long time since i used sign language and some signs have changed due to a current negative connotation. Signs especially involving races have changed drastically in the last decade. I am not a skilled finger speller and my ASL grammar is very spoken English based, more like SEE than ASL. I feel more comfortable speaking and adding certain signs for clarity.
it's only cultural appropriation if you pretend to be deaf if you're not. Sincerely wanting to learn about and celebrate another person's culture is always welcome.
Also, story time. When I was a cashier at a grocery store, one of the customers I checked out was deaf. I tried talking to him when he came up to my register with his groceries, but then he gestured that he is deaf. I felt sooooo embarrassed, especially because he was quite good looking as well 🫣 I didn't know a crumb of sign language, so I just tried my best to use gestures that I felt like he would be able to understand, such as pointing to the computer screen to show him the total amount of his groceries that were scanned, and giving him two thumbs up after the transaction was over. He was so sweet about it and didn't get mad at me at all.
I love your videos so much because I have two deaf girls in school and I like to sign back to them love you guys bye ❤
I've known ASL for many, many years, but haven't really used it for a while and it can be intimidating because I feel like I don't want to make a mistake!
I think it's the same when you learn any new language, you're afraid that you're going to make mistakes. I wish sign language qualifications were more widely available when I was at school in the U.K, though I think GCSEs in sign language will be available next September. Is American Sign Language available to learn in all high schools or just in some parts of the U.K?
I haven’t been to the UK or know much about the UK education system so I have no idea!
If I'm at a store and i know thst the employee is deaf (says it on their name tag) and im in their line to checkout, i was taught to ask (sign) if they sign. Because not all deaf people sign or were taught to sign. This definitely helps to see if they want to sign with you or not.
This is so interesting. I mean, I’m deaf. Grew up being in the same situation as yours. LOL. Now I’m a tutor, as noticed people always tell me how little asl they know.
Can someone tell me what the sign meant at 11:47 when he waved his flat hand in front of his face?
In Italian, that means "You're crazy", and I can't find this sign online
worry
When I was in ASL class my professor gave us a test and signed the question “ how old are you?” I answered “ I like milk.” When she corrected the test she laughed and understood how I could have gotten confused. The fact that she was kind and humorous about it made me feel better about it and know that it’s okay to make mistakes. The fact that I tried is what matters.
If I came to the US and met you I would sign with you for sure. I use Auslan (Australian sign language) but I know the ASL alphabet and I think we could communicate fine.
yeah! if you ever come to the US, specifically California hit us up and we'll sign together haha
I watched this show called Switched at Birth. I don’t want to give too much away in case you want to watch it but it involves parents who found out their daughter isn’t their daughter and their actual daughter is deaf due to meningitis I think. Anyway, you see a lot of sign language and people learning sign language. I liked the show a lot but it ended a while back. You might be able to watch it somewhere though.
Does the concept of mumbling or accent exist in ASL? I know there are different sign languages that are separate languages and I’m sure there is regional slang. But I was curious if there are unique things a person does based on where they are from or their age etc
Yes it def exists 😅 you can sign lazily or to yourself which is mumbling
also yes there are regional accents based on where you live for sure. Some vocabulary words are signed completely different based on location
I don’t know if I’m remembering this correctly, but when I studied ASL in college, I was told that there are many, many different ways that Deaf, deaf, or hard of hearing people prefer to communicate. Some are TC, some are ASL, some are SE, some are verbal… maybe it was that the clerk did not sign or preferred not to sign. 🤷🏻♀️
“Because you’re scary” lol 😆
lol 😈
This has probably been asked many times before. But, I live in a small rural community and know of only one deaf person. There really isn't a deaf community here and the nearest city is 1 1/2 hours away. What do you suggest for learning sign language for someone in that situation?
Bill Vicars here on RUclips !
There is also an online practice community with Deaf language models called “signing room” that’s really great
@@NovasRUclipsName thank you. Your suggestions are a big help.
@@mercywalschek2695 no problem! One more for you on RUclips “one fact ASL”
Best of luck to you
I second Bill Vicars! He is a great resource to use to learn sign language. He has a website also, www.lifeprint.com
This was so cool to learn. I hadnt thought of it this way. Major duh moment for me. Thanks!
haha glad you enjoyed it!
I'm more picky about to whom I sign because some deafies are kinda rude about it and tell you "wrong" all the time. At least at the deaf club. I have some deafy friends with whom I sign regularly, but the others traumatized me for new people. Just sayin' (Grew up hearing, then Meniere's, learned sign)
I am in Level 1 sign language, and would not walk up to a deaf person that signs at this point. It's not even that I don't know that much, but that I can't read their signing that well. Sure every day I can read more and more of what people are saying, but still not that much. I am in a fb group, and a lady posted a video that she was supposed to translate and she was supposedly at a Level 1, and I said wow, I recognized a few words and that's it. Another person that tutors said to me, well, if you were doing it right, you would have been able to figure out everything because they were mouthing all the words. Umm, yeah, ok, I can't lipread. When I was young, my Mom learned to lip read, and I would watch the lessons with her, and not figure out a thing. It's like watching Ryan, IF I turned off the captioning, I could read many of his signs, but have no clue at all on the lip reading. It's comments like that, that make me just want to quit. One day I am determined that I am going to learn this, and the next day totally discouraged because I am behind in my vocabulary words for the week......
I agree. I am so concentrating on signing, when they reply, I get lost instantly. And, yeah, lipreading is next to impossible for me too.
Have you guys seen the anime 'A sign of affection'? I'm curious about it from your perspective.
We haven't maybe we need to check it out! Where is it on? Netflix, Hulu or?
The other day at work I was taking a group of people's order, and they're all deaf. However, one of them had hearing aids. I've studied sign language since middle school so I know a fair amount of signs. The friend with the hearing aids ordered the food but I saw his friend's were playfully teasing him in sign language and I giggled a bit. I realized it might have looked like I was aughing at them so I immediately stopped. 😭
Is it possible that she (post office lady) never learned sign even though she's deaf? I'm not sure about the US but where i am, i've met deaf people who developed their own functional signs with their own family but never picked up ASL.
It's definitely possible and should be a consideration
Deaf is unfriendly to me, ago I meet them in school. They are very bully, I not like friends them. That why I was out of deaf people, move in new people are very friendly. That I was fighting hate deaf. Cause me limited sign.
it really depends on the person bro not all deaf people are bad and bullies. Sorry you had that experience though. Are you deaf?
Yes I am deaf
I am not much involved with deaf and avoid new deaf people. I not know Deaf world. But I love Hearing and deaf is fine equal. Some hearing and small deaf is friend. Hard relationships with deaf, I am not well relationship with deaf.
I guess it's also possible the worker doesn't know ASL. That's something that I was surprised to learn: not all Deaf people in America use/know ASL, or they're still in the process of learning it, etc.
Wow I really love watching you guys I’d love to learn sign language I know the ABC that’s about it 🤟 that’s the other 1 I know xx
That is awesome!
My apologies if this comes off as weird, but do the sounds that Ryan makes, like the lip smacks and clicking while signing, provide ASMR for you?