Chapter 10

Wow! I was so surprised to read that ASL has accents. After reading it made more sense but is still really fascinating. The book says that all people sign differently and they have their own unique styles of communicating. I learned that in the United States ASL is quite alike in all parts. It is easy to understand one another in almost all parts of the US. I also learned that Deaf people will tease one another about their accents. Deaf people would be able to tell if you are a hearing signer or if you are not. 
I really enjoyed reading this chapter. It was really fun to read about signing and how they can have accents. 

Chapter 9

This chapter was about jokes and how jokes are so different in ASL and English. The book says that real deaf humor is visually based and that you would really have to have a strong background in ASL to find the humor funny. The book talks about different jokes that kids will do to one another and it would make no sense to a hearing person. It speaks about ASL humor as playful and very exaggerated. 

Chapter 8

Deaf children should have the same education as hearing children. The same, as in, an education to fit their individual needs. All students learn differently and they all need special attention. Teachers should accommodate all the needs of their students inside their classroom. If a teacher has a student who is deaf in their class they should be ready to help them in any way they can. 

I was very surprised when I read that signing was not allowed inside classrooms years ago. One way for deaf people to communicate is through signing and taking that away from them is really insane. I can't believe that happened. It was also really interesting to read about the best ways to learn the language. The book says the best way to learn ASL would be to go into a deaf community and be totally involved in the language. It makes sense that being completely emerged in the language would be the best way to learn though. You would not have any other form of communication so you would be forced, in a sense, to learn the language. 

Chapter 7

I was really surprised to find that ASL has no written form. It makes sense that it wouldn't but it was still surprising. I have looked through a book that shows signs and it was really difficult to understand. I had a hard time figuring out which direction my hand was supposed to be going. I know that glossing is one way to write in ASL. The book talks about this woman named, Valerie Sutton, and her bilingual newspaper that uses ASL-based pictographic code. This would be really fun to take a look at and see if I could read it!

Chapter 6

Grammar and syntax is very difficult for me. I am trying to get it figured out but I think I'm going to need to practice a little more. I think that this grammar and its form looks like Spanish and other languages like that. I took one year of Spanish in high school because I had to and I was horrible. I could never figure out the sentence structures. In ASL it is a little easier, I think because the sentences have hand motions. I am a more visual learner so looking at someone and watching what they are doing makes more sense to me.

I hope that the more I practice and watch the more I will learn. My dad teaches English at my high school and he has helped me a little with the sentence structure. I've asked him about the topic of the sentence and which should come first but I think it's difficult to ask for advice from someone that doesn't know ASL. I just need to practice :)

Chapter 5

I think it makes sense that British Sign Language and American Sign Language are different because we may speak the same language but we do have different words for things. We are a different culture in America than they. It would be understandable that they have a different form of sign. BSL and ASL were formed in different areas of the world. All the deaf people in the world didn't get together and make up sign language, just like we all didn't create one language. 

At this point in time I don't think I would be interested in learning a different sign language. I really just want to figure out American Sign Language first and then we'll see where it goes. It would be cool to know the differences between a few signs but I really need to focus on one at a time. 

I think that the British press still uses that phrase because no one has stopped them yet. It is going to take a lot of work to stop this press from using those kinds of terms and hopefully one day they will stop. The book said that ASL and the American Sign community is working to help deaf people in those countries which is great. I think America is more advanced in those types of situations. American has had so many different cultures so we are more sensitive of those around us...slightly. It is really hard to say exactly why America may be more accepting but it may possibly be because the deaf community have pushed harder for their rights. 

Chapter 4

Abbe de L'Eppe and Abbe Roch Ambroise Cucurran Sicard helped teach people who were deaf. He was the first person to actually go into the deaf community and learn its language. He founded the first school for the deaf in Paris. It was the very first public school for the deaf. 

This is amazing. I was so impressed when I read this chapter about these people. I understand that it had to start somewhere but to actually learn about who started public schools and everything is really neat. I was wondering though if those schools were still around today. Or if they have changed them so that deaf and speaking people were able to attend. 

Chapter 3

If I were Deaf and someone confused me with a Blind person I think I would be upset about it. I would hopefully understand that some people don't understand the difference but there is a noticeable difference. It is important not to clump people together and to be open-minded of all people. If you don't know I think it would be better to just ask instead of assuming.

I think being born Deaf or Blind would be a very difficult challenge. It would change you and your family's life. Being Deaf or Blind takes, I'm sure, a great deal of patience and understanding. It would be hard to communicate with other people and a constant struggle.

Chapter 2

Before taking this course, I believed that it was an overall language. I had not thought about the fact that other countries would have different signs for things. I also thought that sign language was just like english. I didn't realize that you would have to put the sentences in different orders. Sign language is a totally different language and it's really interesting to learn about all the differences there are. When I heard that we would have to change the sentence structures I became very nervous. I thought this was going to be very very challenging since I had such a difficult time with it in Spanish. I realized that after doing a few sentences that it will be challenging but it will all come together. I just have to practice :)

Chapter 1

I knew that ASL meant American Sign Language before coming into the class. That's about all I knew though. I didn't understand that ASL was an entire culture outside of the one that I knew. I have never really had an opinion about ASL but I certainly do now. It sounds like a very exciting and fun environment with great people. 

I think I would understand what that person is trying to say. Language can be viewed as "animal-like" to others, I believe. Facial expression says a lot in all cultures. You can understand someone without having to speak their language because facial expressions don't change that greatly. 

I can't wait to learn more about ASL and all the different ways to communicate with others. I will be able to use it when I am in class as well as outside of class. Since I plan to be a Elementary teacher, I know this will come in handy at some point in my life. I would love to be able to know another language and discuss this language with my classrooms in the future. 

I think I'll enjoy reading the rest of these chapters as the school year goes on. It seems like a very interesting book and a great way to learn about ASL!