A Couple Of Deaf Culture Questions

[chookabee]

And one random forum question.

Hello, first of all! I'm learning ASL, for no reason other than I love learning new languages!

I have a couple of questions. I understand that ASL has a different grammatical structure than... I'm not quite sure how to say it... spoken English? I am starting to learn the grammar behind it, but for now, I'm learning the signs more than the grammar. If I were to engage in conversation with a Deaf person, and I used spoken English grammar, would I be easily understood?

I was looking up "Deaf Culture Dos and Don'ts" and most of them made perfect sense and seemed very reasonable, until I came across one that kind of puzzled me. Someone was talking about how they were fine with a person just walking in between two people signing if they couldn't get around them, and another said if someone waited until the conversation done for someone to walk in between them, it bothered them. To me, this just kinda seems rude. Is walking in between people okay?

My last Deaf culture question, I've noticed that Deaf is always capitalized. I was just wondering why.

For the random forum question, is this - - meant to represent thank you?

Thank you all so much for taking the time to answer my questions, and have a charmed day!

- Mac

 

[Bottesini]

ASL has a different grammatical structure than... I'm not quite sure how to say it... spoken English?

It does. Just as French or German would. ASL is not English, nor based upon English structure.

If I were to engage in conversation with a Deaf person, and I used spoken English grammar, would I be easily understood?

It depends upon the deaf person. If it is a person who has ASL as a primary language , no.

Is walking in between people okay?

If there is no other passage, just say "excuse me" as you would to any person you are inconveniencing.

My last Deaf culture question, I've noticed that Deaf is always capitalized.

No always capitalized. Deaf refers to a person in Deaf culture, and deaf refers to the person who has the physical condition but doesn't identify as Deaf.

s this - - meant to represent thank you?

Not only meant to represent, but the exact sign used by signing humans.

 

[chookabee]

Okay, thank you! That really helped

 

[Bebonang]

And one random forum question.

Hello, first of all! I'm learning ASL, for no reason other than I love learning new languages!

I have a couple of questions. I understand that ASL has a different grammatical structure than... I'm not quite sure how to say it... spoken English? I am starting to learn the grammar behind it, but for now, I'm learning the signs more than the grammar. If I were to engage in conversation with a Deaf person, and I used spoken English grammar, would I be easily understood?

I was looking up "Deaf Culture Dos and Don'ts" and most of them made perfect sense and seemed very reasonable, until I came across one that kind of puzzled me. Someone was talking about how they were fine with a person just walking in between two people signing if they couldn't get around them, and another said if someone waited until the conversation done for someone to walk in between them, it bothered them. To me, this just kinda seems rude. Is walking in between people okay?

My last Deaf culture question, I've noticed that Deaf is always capitalized. I was just wondering why.

For the random forum question, is this - - meant to represent thank you?

Thank you all so much for taking the time to answer my questions, and have a charmed day!

- Mac

1st on the bold statement

A deaf person who was in the mainstream school with no ASL or limit ASL would probably have a hard time understanding a person (deaf, hard of hearing or hearing person) by trying to lipread. Lipreading is not 100% accurate and often have to use guesswork and could probably understand a little bit of 30% of what the person said. That is why we need ASL to help us understand them.


2nd on the bold statement

That would be hard to do that when there were three people walking together down the sidewalks conversing in ASL. It would be better if they arrived at the public places like restaurant or a park or somewhere so that they can sit face to face each other for signing conversations. It would be easier for the three of them to converse into their ASL conversations without interrupting or trying to follow what they are signing about. While walking, one of the three people would tap on the shoulder to get the attention to make conversation, but had to wait for his or her turn to talk to the person walking. It is not that easy when making the conversations. Most of us usually are quiet until we go into the destination of a place where we can talk easily and understand each other better. I don't know. Maybe Deaf can do better expertly. For me, I don't remember if I had talk with two other persons while walking down the sidewalks. Three is a crowd, I think.

 

[Bebonang]

My last Deaf culture question, I've noticed that Deaf is always capitalized. I was just wondering why.

- Mac

D have always capitalized because we are immersed into the Deaf Culture like signing ASL and being involved in the Deaf communities. If the person is not signing ASL and don't want to be involved in the Deaf communities, then he or she is deaf, even if it is a medical term for deaf disability.

For example, if someone ask me "Why you can not hear me and wonder if you are deaf?". I would response to that someone by saying "I am deaf" meaning I can not hear. If they ask me for status or what I would prefer to be call, I would tell them that "I am Deaf as I am a ASL signer and need ASL interpreter".

I hope I make myself clear on this.

 

[Jane B.]

And one random forum question.

Hello, first of all! I'm learning ASL, for no reason other than I love learning new languages!

I have a couple of questions. I understand that ASL has a different grammatical structure than... I'm not quite sure how to say it... spoken English? I am starting to learn the grammar behind it, but for now, I'm learning the signs more than the grammar. If I were to engage in conversation with a Deaf person, and I used spoken English grammar, would I be easily understood?

I was looking up "Deaf Culture Dos and Don'ts" and most of them made perfect sense and seemed very reasonable, until I came across one that kind of puzzled me. Someone was talking about how they were fine with a person just walking in between two people signing if they couldn't get around them, and another said if someone waited until the conversation done for someone to walk in between them, it bothered them. To me, this just kinda seems rude. Is walking in between people okay?

My last Deaf culture question, I've noticed that Deaf is always capitalized. I was just wondering why.

For the random forum question, is this - - meant to represent thank you?

Thank you all so much for taking the time to answer my questions, and have a charmed day!

- Mac

1st on the bold statement

A deaf person who was in the mainstream school with no ASL or limit ASL would probably have a hard time understanding a person (deaf, hard of hearing or hearing person) by trying to lipread. Lipreading is not 100% accurate and often have to use guesswork and could probably understand a little bit of 30% of what the person said. That is why we need ASL to help us understand them.


2nd on the bold statement

That would be hard to do that when there were three people walking together down the sidewalks conversing in ASL. It would be better if they arrived at the public places like restaurant or a park or somewhere so that they can sit face to face each other for signing conversations. It would be easier for the three of them to converse into their ASL conversations without interrupting or trying to follow what they are signing about. While walking, one of the three people would tap on the shoulder to get the attention to make conversation, but had to wait for his or her turn to talk to the person walking. It is not that easy when making the conversations. Most of us usually are quiet until we go into the destination of a place where we can talk easily and understand each other better. I don't know. Maybe Deaf can do better expertly. For me, I don't remember if I had talk with two other persons while walking down the sidewalks. Three is a crowd, I think.

Bebonang
You have taken the questions in a different way than my understanding of them is.

In the first one I think the OP was referring to signing but using English grammar rather than ASL grammar.

In the second situation I think it is referring to coming up to two people that are signing to each other and there is not room to walk around them. Do you then excuse yourself and walk between them or wait for them to finish. NOT three people trying to have a conversation including all three.

 

[chookabee]

Bebonang
You have taken the questions in a different way than my understanding of them is.

In the first one I think the OP was referring to signing but using English grammar rather than ASL grammar.

In the second situation I think it is referring to coming up to two people that are signing to each other and there is not room to walk around them. Do you then excuse yourself and walk between them or wait for them to finish. NOT three people trying to have a conversation including all three.

That is the way I was trying to say it