dereksbicycles

Let's say you're teaching an ASL class. You're the teacher. One of the students is just learning ASL. That student wants to learn so she can talk to her Deaf boyfriend. She has invited her deaf boyfriend to her class just to see what it is like. As ASL teacher, what will you do?? Tell the pupil that class is for people that signed up period. Or will you tell her it's ok to bring her Deaf boyfriend???

I've met the ASL instructor at a Deaf event. My girlfriend and I talked to her. She said I would come to class. I do plan to come to class. I'll just sit and watch. The class just needs one teacher and it is not me.

Your thoughts???

Deafness

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Anij

Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

I'd ask the teacher directly if they mind if you observe the class, but don't actually participate.

If you do go, be absolutely certain that you don't "help teach" or get into converstations with the teacher about why they're teaching "this" instead of "that" etc.

Be a "fly on the wall" and that's it (unless specifically and directly asked by the teacher to do something such as demonstrate a dialogue with the teacher etc).

I also would ask after the first call if the teacher was still comfortable with you being there - and tell them to be honest and tell you if you can't come to additional classes etc.

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AlleyCat

^^^ This !!

My honey wants me to come to some of his ASL classes, but I haven't. I was concerned about making the teacher feel I was judging her, or making her self-conscious (especially if she signs something "this" instead of "that"). If I ever went, I would really have to be that fly on the wall unless I was asked to participate. But since being asked to participate in my honey's classes hasn't happened yet by his teachers, I don't want my honey to "put them on the spot".

Cheetah

Wirelessly posted (Backberry)

I've sat in on classes before. The teacher loved it because she can put her trouble students with me for practice time. I'm very patient with them

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Reba

Wirelessly posted (BB Curve 9300)

Yes, it's important to ask permission first, and to know the ground rules if permission is granted.

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purplewowies

My ASL teacher has had people (friends of students) sit in on his class before (though none of them were anywhere near fluent ), and he seemed to be fine with it. If I were a teacher, I'd be fine with it (as long as it wasn't every student's friend on the same day ).

None of the students who observed my teacher's class participated.

kellycat

I teach Spanish, and at times have students enrolled in my class who are already fluent (for example, their families speak Spanish at home, even though the kids never were formally educated in the language).

Some kids constantly correct me on my vocabulary or grammar. There are 20 Spanish-speaking countries plus the US has its own dialect of Spanish, so there are differences in the kids' language and mine. They just assume because I'm not Latina that I must be wrong when what I say is different. Some just sleep, or worse, dink around and distract the rest of the class. THIS is a problem.

Some get how to play the school game, buy into learning the different words I teach as a way of enriching their own language, offer to help/partner with struggling kids to boost them up or work with the superstars to give an extra challenge. They share their stories and experiences from within the culture that I have studied and lived in but isn't truly MY culture, although the culture is a part of me.

So if I were you, I would meet/talk with the teacher and explain that your girlfriend's learning is important to you and you would like to be involved, and would the teacher let you join in the class, or help out in some way? If the teacher is confident in her language skills (it can be a little unnerving having someone in the class that uses the language 24/7) you could actually become an asset to the class.

But it is true that you need to defer to the teacher...and if you catch some mistakes, wait and tell the teacher privately, rather than undermining her authority. If you two develop a good working relationship she may even consider you a very valuable asset in the class. Just remember that SHE is the boss. As I tell my students, "My name is on the door, so I get to be in charge."

dereksbicycles

I'm going to ASL class today. I'll be a fly on the wall. I'll report to everyone how it went.

Frisky Feline

My friend whos the ASL teacher. She wanted anyone who are asl users to come to her classes so she can show her students how she and her friends have normal conversation to give students to get ideas and make the students to observe better. I want to come to my friends' classes so bad!

dereksbicycles

I hope you get to go to your friend's class.

PowerON

If I was troll teacher, I'll pick her boyfriend to have every ASL student to study on him and probably "flirt" on him. You mad, girl?

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dereksbicycles

Lol, my girlfriend has said that everyone in class is old. I'll be ok, I think

dereksbicycles

I went to ASL class last night. Apparently the word "single" as in a relationship is signed differently in Lansing, MI as opposed to Chicago, IL. They taught the Lansing version in class, then during breaK, I explained to my girlfriend how I signed single. Teacher saw me. She said, yes, she has seen it before. I had to explain to my girlfriend why "single" was signed difcferently.

Yes, signs varies over regions.

Reba

Wirelessly posted (BB Curve 9300)

So how were the signs for SINGLE different? Can you describe please?

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Anij

We have 4 different signs for Single:

Single
"ONE", unmoving, infront of body as to indicate one person in space

Single
"ONE" , moves in a small circle, in front of body (or in a slight arched side to side motion, similar to, but less motion to "USE"/"BUSY" etc.)

Single
"S" touches non-dominant side of chin, then dominant side of chin

Single
"I" (or index) draws a short line down non-dominant chin, then dominant chin



They're all used slightly differently locally, but I've seen them used interchangeably in different environments and physical locations (town/city/province/state)

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Ignorance is NOT Bliss

Reba

I wanted to know about the ones that Derek and the teacher used.

Anij

Sorry.
While we're waiting for him to get back to us, I just thought I'd post ours, as a comparison.

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Ignorance is NOT Bliss

dereksbicycles

What I use is the last one, and that is what I taught my girlfriend.

The teacher taught everyone #2 above. Yeah, I've seen #3 used a lot, but forgot about it as I don't interact that much with deaf people.

Reba

Reba

For SINGLE, as in an unattached adult, I use the index finger, non-dominant to dominate side of the chin.

In this area, that sign is used mostly for indicating a person's marital status, such as MARRIED, DIVORCED, or SINGLE.

The index finger sign in front of the chest is more for indicating someone's feelings as a single person, such as ALONE or solitary (in my area).

Or to indicate one's attitude, such as a self-sufficient loner.

A lot depends on the context and viewpoint, as used in my area.

Only the English-oriented people in my area use the "S" on the chin sign.

Does your girlfriend live in Lansing? My Hubby is from there.

Anij

It's not very common here, and when it's used it's typically in place of bachelor/bachelorette (having a slightly different meaning than the #4 "I" or "1" version of single, also meaning un-attached)


That being said, the "S" version is more prevalent in those who are 35-40+, likely because many of us who are 33 & older saw some SEE being used in some settings in or around school etc, even if ASL was the language of instruction.

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dereksbicycles

She lives in Hudsonville, MI area. However, the teacher told me that what she taught is also taught at Lansing Community College.

Class is offered through this program. http://deafhhs.org/

kellycat

In WI I've seen the 1 sign on both sides of chin. A friend of mine also uses B (for bachelor) pretty frequently, but not interchangeably, he uses both signs just like in English you would have a different use of "single" and "bachelor"...he is single, and went to a bachelor party, for example.