This chapter is about whether or not it is considered bad manners to watch people sign when you can sign yourself. Someone asks whether they should tell the Deaf signers that they can also sign. The book answers this question as such: there are no private conversations in ASL when you are in public. Signing is in the open and everyone is able to see what they are saying...if they know the language.
The book goes into details about how students are able to have private conversations at colleges like Gallaudet. Students have to be creative about the way they hide their signs from other classmates. They use several different methods like holding a jacket over their hand, going behind the bushes, and have smaller signs for things so it is more difficult to make out (p. 140). I thought this was interesting because students have to be so sneaky when they want to have a private conversation. Personally, I would not like this at all. You would never be able to talk to a friend about something private if you were in public. Hearing people are fortunate to be able to whisper.
About having bad manners while watching a conversation. The book tells me that it is not bad manners to enter a conversation but it should not be taken lightly. If you do feel like starting a conversation be prepared to answer questions and to pay attention to their facial expressions. This will tell you if they are okay with you joining in on the conversation (p. 140). I also read about a namesign. I thought these sounded cool. I know that Deaf people have sign names but I didn't know that hearing people could have them as well. I know that some people have them but I figured you have to know ASL well to have a sign name. It was fun to learn about this.
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