Asl Experience Essay

Most people often ask if it is appropriate to call ASL a foreign language. The question of whether ASL is "foreign" depends on what we mean by foreign. ASL is not universal; it is indigenous to the United States and some parts of Canada. According to Sherman, this should not exclude it from it been studied as a foreign language. "The question also arises with other languages indigenous to North America. An example is that, at the University of New Mexico, Navajo is taught and accepted in fulfillment of the foreign language requirement, yet it is not used in a foreign country. One of the educational benefits of foreign language study is that it gives students a fresh perspective on their own language and culture."(Wilcox 1999) This is especially true of ASL. Others may note that foreign language courses teach students about the culture of the group of people who use the language. They may wonder if there is a full and distinct culture associated with users of ASL. Applying linguistic and historical methods of studying ASL and Deaf culture is a great way to intellectually train students. It leaves them with a better understanding of Deaf culture, language, and customs, as well as make them understand their own language and

Spanish has been crucial to me for my whole life because it shows that I’m bilingual. Not only do I use it in school, but also at home with my family. For the most part, this language has been with me since I was a little girl. I began to speak Spanish at age two and learned how to write it at age four. My parents helped me practice Spanish by speaking it. They also told me read Spanish books out loud, so I could speak it fluently. Luckily I went to Mexico when I was seven, but I only went that one time, so I haven't been able to practice with my whole family. In addition, I’ve had Spanish classes since kindergarten and now as a junior I continue to learn new things. As a teenager, I seem to use it more in my daily life, because my parents only speak Spanish which is how I’ve gained experience. For example, when my parents took me to Mexico at age seven, I learned to speak with all my family.

In the video “Through your child eyes”, talks about how younger children learns through their senses and language. They mostly learn through the eyes, which is why sign language is important because they learn better through hand movements. Also in the video, parents talk about how they opened a “door” between their child and them, with the “key” being ASL. In addition to kids learning ASL, it also helps their knowledge and brain grow. Besides talking about how ASL impacts young children, it also talked about how ASL can help families communicate better. As well as ASL helping families come closer, it helps kids to think better, do harder things and understand others on a higher level. The children who learn sign language not alone improve

The idea that ASL is more than just a means of communication for those who are deaf was a profound message and made me rethink my own preconceived conclusions of what ASL can and cannot eloquently communicate. It also shows how, much like all languages, ASL is constantly evolving.

To fully understand why this is a popular debate, we must first explore Deaf culture. Dr. Beth Sonnenstrahl Benedict from the Hands and Voices organization states that “The American Deaf community values American Sign Language as the core of a culturally Deaf identity” (Benedict par 1). Language is a crucial aspect of a culture, and American Sign Language unifies the Deaf community. Although it is often dismissed as a language, ASL has its own unique sentence structure and vocabulary that make it different from English or any other foreign language. Many believe that allowing a deaf child to learn sign language is essential to them embracing their deafness as well as building

If foreign language was not a required class, this individual may have never realized becoming a Spanish major was a more suitable fit. Going into the field that fits an individual best is extremely important for their future happiness and success.

When I first started school, I remember how difficult it was for me to make the transition from Spanish to English. My Mom left me at the door of the school in the morning, but since I was placed in an English-only classroom, the next time I opened my mouth to speak to anyone was when she picked me up again that afternoon. I didn't know what anyone was saying around me, and to make matters worse, my teacher didn't speak a single word of Spanish. That day, like every other day, I came home crying because I felt like an outsider. That year was very difficult for me because I ended up in the back corner of the classroom not participating. As a result, I had to take several years of summer school in order to catch up, something that

On Saturday April 16 I attended the ASL Club event, Dack to the Resc-U! I arrived at 6:40 and the event started a little late at 7:10. When I entered the room I saw about 30 people, I would say the majority deaf maybe 20 were very very fluent in ASL and I recognized some from class, previous deaf events, and such. Most everyone were strangers, there were a few friends and couples. I was happily greeted as soon as I entered the room by two college kids. The two people that stood out most to me were the two 8 year old girls in the front row. They were best friends and there with one of the girls parents who were also both deaf. It was very cool to see two young people signing so fluently because I am mostly around students all the time. It was interesting to see her give her mom some sas

Even though it wasn’t the best help I could get; it brought my grade up from failing to just passing. This surprised me as I thought there wasn’t that big of a difference from the Tex-Mex my uncle taught me and the Spanish that we were learning. However, foreign language classes teach the language in its purest form to help prevent the language and its proper use from being lost.

Freshman year in high school I decided to take American Sign Language which not only involves learning how to move your hands the correct way, or learning how to shape your hands, it also entailed learning ASL gloss which was kind of tricky. When learning ASL gloss I had learn how to read the gloss and understand what it actually meant. I also had to learn how to write the gloss, this skill became important junior year when I had to translate song lyrics to ASL gloss. Many people wouldn't understand ASL gloss if they

The final challenge is that there are two types of motivations that gives people the will to learn sign language. These people fall into 2 categories. One, instrumental motivation is for all those people that want to benefit in there career with another language or are asked to take classes for a job. This person will just go to pass the tests but will quickly learn and forget the language. Even in our case as students it is technically an intellectual motivation for our degree but for many there is an actual reason they wanted to take ASL. When there is an outside motivation people are categorized as integratively motivated learners. These people have a significant person in their life that is deaf and only communicates through ASL or a friend or a colleague. Their motivation is stronger and the language will stick with them longer.

When asked a majority of the education majors indicated that they would consider an ASL class to be highly beneficial to their degree.

Although my undergraduate minor was Spanish, following graduation there were few opportunities to practice Spanish; therefore, I

The grammar of ASL is very different from the grammar of English. A significant word might come at the beginning of a sentence, or be saved for the end to give it more meaning. For many years, utilization of sign language was prohibited in schools for the deaf. Deaf students instead concentrated on lip reading and finger spelling English. American Sign Language comes to be acknowledged as a legitimate norm of communication in 1990. It made ASL more available to deaf people in the United States. Many people found out ASL to be extremely expressive, to convey thoughts and feelings through motions with their hands, faces and bodies to connect with

Language is universal. People voice their ideas, emotions, and thoughts across to the world through language. Multitudes of people across the country speak a varierty of languages. However, a foreigner is reduced to their native language, and sometimes has difficulties mainstreaming English into their dialect. A native language is a foreigner's blueprint for the world to hear. Native language gives homage to a foreigner's culture and home life. Native tongues open doors for education and job opprutunities. A native tongue is translated in books and plastered on signs across the communites. Imagine if language decreased to just English, and no another language existed. People would mirror each other, and have no idea of diversity. So where