In some of the Deaf churches I have attended, they never used Sim-Com..only terps to keep English and ASL in their pure forms so that way no language was compromised and nobody misses out. I was impressed with those churches respect for both languages.
In theory it sounds good but the problem is that you don't just snap your finger and suddenly all of the hearies know how to sign.
That makes sense now. If it's framed as just another foreign language I can see it happening. I just couldn't see a bunch of hearing people agreeing to signing only, especially if a number of them don't know SL or don't know it well...
Although it seems to me that in an environment with both hearing and Deaf/Hoh, sim-com or ASL and English side by side (with terps) would be the more "natural" agreement.
It's means using Spoken English as second language, and ASL as first language.
No difference than a child being raised in both Spanish and English speaking family.
I just think it is really not right for a Spanish speaking mother to speak only English around her daughter when they could have a very effective communication if the daughter learn Spanish from the moment she was born. The only difference is that we are deaf, so while a spanish - speaking person's English can improve over the years, Our spoken English skills can not (it gets worst especially if our hearing get worst ... Some of our spoken skill is like a hill -- we build our skills to make it to top of the hill and while on top, everything is good, but when something goes wrong, we go tumbling down).
Also it keeps both languages separate and in their pure form without compromising one or other.
Sim-Com is the use of both at the same time so usually either ASL or English gets compromised meaning they wont be in t he correct form.
Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.
These comments i'll use for keep OT
It's interesting to me what shel says about respect both languages.
From my extrictly personal POV, I don't doubt of the respect for both cultures/languages if they would keep it the old way. What I do think is that using everyone their own language, its more relaxed.
We have always the same problem when a heary with a bad perspective on deaf is nearby. Bad perspective equals to: not having respect for the deaf, and always keeping the responses short. Not caring for learning the language or understanding the culture. So, actually these hearies are the ones that sometimes lead to the decission of "now everyone signs".
Again. Not that I care. I actually have the idea that, if I'm speaking with a heary fella, and a deaf fella comes, i cut the speaking, catch up the deaf about the subject and continue in SL. That's my opinion/custom.
But the idea of making everyone signs, is because "it would be more refreshing for the deaf"
Reading most of your opinions, I can see and understand that this would be a nice idea for you. So, maybe the decission is not that bad.
Regarding rockdrummer's comment, that's a point too. Some of the "interpreters" are so bad in SL or it's so poor (maybe they're learning it) that SL communication is kind of impossible. Good signers or pure Deaf sing to these ppl and get tired because they don't know the language so well.
CJB, a similar point again.
Regarding shel's reply to Lighthouse's comment, i totally agree. I don't like sim-com.
If you want me to sign, i'll sign. But don't with an hybrid that makes no sense. I've learned that that sim-com goes in detriment of both languages, and i wont use it.
Ok. So based in this, we agree that hearing interpreters that attend to a SL church signing between them, is a good thing for the Deaf. (everyone that thinks otherwise, can still post their opinion, pls)
Now I've two more questions. One new, one comes from the same line we're comming from.
1. A lot of hearings (honestly, I wonder too) doubt of the privacy of these conversations. Tell me your experiences as Deaf ammong a group of hearies signing... Or tell me, please, your experiences in a Deaf crowd. Is the Deaf all the time checking if they can catch a conversation? What if the Deaf realizes that the conversation they can catch up on, is private? it's easy to ressist the temptation of keeping staring?
2. Lets say we've stablished already the "everyone signs" thing, and everyone is happy. Most of our information is written. We've some information made in SL (DVDs) but we've a lot in written language.
Would be wise to supress everything that's written? How the Deaf studies in a deaf university? Do they have the bibliography in english and the classes are in ASL? How separate is the SL from english in deaf universities?
Again, dear friends, thanks in advance for your sharing
You are probably just tired.
i'll revert with comments and more questions
