Quote:
Originally Posted by dogmom
I am very - VERY - far from fluent in ASL, but I tend to be naturally very visually-oriented person, which helps me in my learning.....I just try my best. At the Deaf socials I have been to, I follow protocol for event, knowing is DEAF event first. Even if I stumble along, when I am with Deaf people, I sign. I also find that as I become more involved, I remember more signs from before. I find that I am thinking more in ASL grammar structure as I go along and my friend helps when she reminds me - less English  |
I feel you Dogmom. I just went to my first Deaf social and did the same. If I knew a sign, I would sign it. If not, I would ask what the sign was for that word. The guy I was signing too worked with me and asked me to lip or speak as I signed. At first I was worried about “speaking with volume on” to someone that was deaf, but it became apparent really fast that he was reading my lips AS I signed so that he would know what I was attempting to get across as I screwed up. He could then correct me knowing what I was attempting to sign. I had read about the do’s and do not’s WAY before going, so I tried going with volume off, but one of the guy’s there said I was stiff as a board and was hard to read (I would not doubt it, as I was very nervous).
My best friend came with me and knows even less of sign, but is supporting me with my learning since I started having hearing issues. He knows about 60-70 signs, but we are both new to ASL. As I would talk to my friend, I would sign what words I knew. I am guessing it would have been hard to read us since it was every other word or less, but I did what I knew and everyone seemed ok with it.