This is something I wrote for English class. We had to write a personal statement, like we would for college application essays. I have never shared here before, but I decided to now, so I'll see what you guys think.
Imagine entering a classroom where no one says anything the entire class. A laugh, sneeze, cough, clap, or shuffling can occasionally be heard escaping from the teacher or the students, but otherwise, the room is quiet. This is my life, twice a week, in my American Sign Language (ASL) class at -------- College; and although to a hearing, non-signing person this may seem scary or dull, it is the best five hours each week of my life. Most people are shocked when I tell them that no one uses their voice during class, those who know me well can’t believe that I can actually keep my mouth closed that long. But communication is not equivalent to speech, and regardless of whether or not I use my vocal cords; I can still be well heard.
Toward the end of sophomore year, I heard that high students could take classes at ------- College for free. I have always been interested in sign language, I knew it was offered at ----------, and I signed up for a class.
Two semesters later, in the spring of 2003, I fell in love; learning sign from a deaf person turned a hobby into a passion. Experiencing the way my teacher communicated messages, feelings, and thoughts, through not only the hands, but also the body, made a profound impact on me. I never understood how much went into a signed language; facial expression is tone of voice, a seemingly insignificant movement of the eyebrows or nose affects the entire meaning of a sentence in ASL. My first encounter with a deaf person, my first understanding of how much deaf love their language, of what complex yet simultaneously clear messages ASL could convey, and I was totally enthralled. I knew this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
I began taking American Sign Language classes to get some college credits and learn to talk with my hands, something I previously thought of as a fairly easy task. I had no idea I would be exposed not only to a unique language but also to another culture. Learning sign language has allowed me to communicate with a group of new people; Americans who read and write English, but also can speak an equally useful, beautiful language of the hands and body; rather than the mouth and throat. Taking “Deaf Perspectives” at ---------- helped me learn some, but my actual experiences have been so much more insightful.
Recently I visited DeafExpo, the annual convention for deaf on the west coast. I entered the Anaheim Convention Center and was presented with about 8,000 deaf people. Rather than being the minority, being deaf was normal, and hearing people, specifically those who didn’t sign, were outsiders. There were people of every possible size, age, and ethnicity; yet they all held a strong connection. I only met a few, but all were kind and friendly. Most were willingly to slow down for me, all were willing to give me a chance. In contrast to the few interpreters for the deaf provided at hearing events, there were many interpreters willing to help us “hearies,” they were our bridge. Through the interpreters, I could discuss anything: the attractiveness of an actor, how to bake a good pie, a lawsuit in the news or a terminal illness. Interpreters were simply tools used to discuss common issues, but they were also completely invaluable. I want to become a sign language interpreter not only to help the deaf understand the hearing, but to help the hearing understand the deaf.
Imagine entering a classroom where no one says anything the entire class. A laugh, sneeze, cough, clap, or shuffling can occasionally be heard escaping from the teacher or the students, but otherwise, the room is quiet. This is my life, twice a week, in my American Sign Language (ASL) class at -------- College; and although to a hearing, non-signing person this may seem scary or dull, it is the best five hours each week of my life. Most people are shocked when I tell them that no one uses their voice during class, those who know me well can’t believe that I can actually keep my mouth closed that long. But communication is not equivalent to speech, and regardless of whether or not I use my vocal cords; I can still be well heard.
Toward the end of sophomore year, I heard that high students could take classes at ------- College for free. I have always been interested in sign language, I knew it was offered at ----------, and I signed up for a class.
Two semesters later, in the spring of 2003, I fell in love; learning sign from a deaf person turned a hobby into a passion. Experiencing the way my teacher communicated messages, feelings, and thoughts, through not only the hands, but also the body, made a profound impact on me. I never understood how much went into a signed language; facial expression is tone of voice, a seemingly insignificant movement of the eyebrows or nose affects the entire meaning of a sentence in ASL. My first encounter with a deaf person, my first understanding of how much deaf love their language, of what complex yet simultaneously clear messages ASL could convey, and I was totally enthralled. I knew this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
I began taking American Sign Language classes to get some college credits and learn to talk with my hands, something I previously thought of as a fairly easy task. I had no idea I would be exposed not only to a unique language but also to another culture. Learning sign language has allowed me to communicate with a group of new people; Americans who read and write English, but also can speak an equally useful, beautiful language of the hands and body; rather than the mouth and throat. Taking “Deaf Perspectives” at ---------- helped me learn some, but my actual experiences have been so much more insightful.
Recently I visited DeafExpo, the annual convention for deaf on the west coast. I entered the Anaheim Convention Center and was presented with about 8,000 deaf people. Rather than being the minority, being deaf was normal, and hearing people, specifically those who didn’t sign, were outsiders. There were people of every possible size, age, and ethnicity; yet they all held a strong connection. I only met a few, but all were kind and friendly. Most were willingly to slow down for me, all were willing to give me a chance. In contrast to the few interpreters for the deaf provided at hearing events, there were many interpreters willing to help us “hearies,” they were our bridge. Through the interpreters, I could discuss anything: the attractiveness of an actor, how to bake a good pie, a lawsuit in the news or a terminal illness. Interpreters were simply tools used to discuss common issues, but they were also completely invaluable. I want to become a sign language interpreter not only to help the deaf understand the hearing, but to help the hearing understand the deaf.