Teaching Hearing Family Sign Language?

Jabber · 01-22-2007, 03:31 AM

My family is mostly hearing, and those who are "hearing impaired" (as they call it, which annoys me) have no interest in learning to sign.

I'm really trying to get my family to take at least 20 minutes a day to at least learn the alphabet then learn signs...

Any tips or advice on what techniques or "tools" to use to teach my family?

shel90 · 01-22-2007, 09:46 PM

Do u live with your family? Maybe talk to them how u feel about them not learning sign language and how much it would mean to u.

If u live a good distance from them, then it may be hard for them to stay motivated since in order to remember the signs, they have to use them on a daily basis.

My family doesnt know sign and some have tried learning it but too late cuz my deaf brother and I are both grown ups and not around them as much as when we were kids.

My mom is taking ASL classes so I give her a lot of positive support cuz it means a lot to us that she finally realizes how important it is for us.

Jabber · 01-22-2007, 11:40 PM

Well... I live close with family, some live in other state, but I see them sometimes...

Mom has trouble with because she has arthritis... but with dad's passing it's been rough.

Any tips on how to present sign language to her or any of my family in a way that they could learn it easier?

Southern · 01-23-2007, 01:15 PM

If you can find an old ASL book used in colleges for classes to become an interpreter. Get the signs that seem obvious for why they are signs. “milk” for instance is obvious to me. Other signs that are associated with something else, like “poor” stroking the left elbow with the right hand. It is like a poor person has a hole in their shirt. Those are the easiest signs. Pull those from the books and give them to your family members to learn first. Then step up to the harder ones. Once they have a feel for signing and are able to communicate with you easier it will wet their appetite and they will want to learn more and more. I sped through an ASL book for that very reason once I started being able to talk to my Deaf friends with out pen and paper it was great and I wanted more and more and more signs. Good luck!!!

01-22-2007, 03:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jabber Hyperactive Mouth & Hands Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: West Virginia, USA Posts: 17	Teaching Hearing Family Sign Language? My family is mostly hearing, and those who are "hearing impaired" (as they call it, which annoys me) have no interest in learning to sign. I'm really trying to get my family to take at least 20 minutes a day to at least learn the alphabet then learn signs... Any tips or advice on what techniques or "tools" to use to teach my family?

01-22-2007, 09:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
shel90 Sun Whorshipper Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: A Desert Rat that has found herself in Maryland Posts: 16,155 Blog Entries: 1	Do u live with your family? Maybe talk to them how u feel about them not learning sign language and how much it would mean to u. If u live a good distance from them, then it may be hard for them to stay motivated since in order to remember the signs, they have to use them on a daily basis. My family doesnt know sign and some have tried learning it but too late cuz my deaf brother and I are both grown ups and not around them as much as when we were kids. My mom is taking ASL classes so I give her a lot of positive support cuz it means a lot to us that she finally realizes how important it is for us. __________________ ~Shel~ "A child educated only at school is an uneducated child." -George Santayana

01-23-2007, 01:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
Southern Southern Boi Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 646	If you can find an old ASL book used in colleges for classes to become an interpreter. Get the signs that seem obvious for why they are signs. “milk” for instance is obvious to me. Other signs that are associated with something else, like “poor” stroking the left elbow with the right hand. It is like a poor person has a hole in their shirt. Those are the easiest signs. Pull those from the books and give them to your family members to learn first. Then step up to the harder ones. Once they have a feel for signing and are able to communicate with you easier it will wet their appetite and they will want to learn more and more. I sped through an ASL book for that very reason once I started being able to talk to my Deaf friends with out pen and paper it was great and I wanted more and more and more signs. Good luck!!! __________________ He thinks my tractor's sexy

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01-22-2007, 11:40 PM	#3 (permalink)
Jabber Hyperactive Mouth & Hands Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: West Virginia, USA Posts: 17	Well... I live close with family, some live in other state, but I see them sometimes... Mom has trouble with because she has arthritis... but with dad's passing it's been rough. Any tips on how to present sign language to her or any of my family in a way that they could learn it easier?