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Bergmann enjoys talking with hands
If you can get them talking, most American teens let words simply role off of their eccentric tongues.
Phrases like, “OMG” or “LOL” are pretty popular these days and when it comes to teen syntax, most anything goes.
But for Aurora Senior Julie Bergmann, speaking isn’t always about what’s popular or who is even listening.
In fact, when Bergmann sometimes communicates, no one can actually hear what she’s saying.
That’s because the bright-eyed, cheery 18-year-old is fluent in ASL, or American Sign Language.
The most dominant form of sign language in America today, ASL was first developed in Massachusetts during the 17th Century and is made up of a number of different physical signs and characters that are unique to the English language.
“A favorite word of mine is turtle,” Bergmann said, cupping her right hand over her left to create the ASL symbol for the animal. “There are so many fun words. ‘Cook’ is an interesting one.”
Bergmann first took interest in learning to sign from her aunt, who is an interpreter in South Dakota. The teen began taking classes seven years ago and has discovered one of her passions.
“My aunt worked for some deaf for a while. She really inspired me,” Bergmann said. “I always wanted her to teach me, but the distance made that kind of hard.”
Living in Omaha at the time, Bergmann and her brother enrolled in beginning sign language classes with about 30 other students where they learned language basics.
By the end of the course, Bergmann had learned how to sign the alphabet, colors, animals and holidays.
And the language, she said, came relatively easy for her.
“I didn’t think it was too hard, but I was interested in it and I think if you’re interested in something it comes easier,” Bergmann said.
So great was her interest that by the end of the course, Bergmann was referred by her teacher to take classes at Boys Town in Omaha.
There, Bergmann was able to further advance her skill, grow her vocabulary and work on her signing technique.
Best of all, Bergmann said, learning to sign at Boys Town gave her a greater understanding of the language, simply because she was placed in classes with people who had deaf family members and friends.
Although no one in Bergmann’s family is deaf, the teen said she gets great joy and satisfaction out of the language.
By the time Bergmann entered middle school, she was so fluent in the language that while in math class at Ralston, she could “tune out the teacher and get everything” from a classroom interpreter, who signed for a number of Bergmann’s deaf classmates.
“Ralston had a huge, huge deaf population,” Bergmann said. “The population of deaf people is not as high in this area.”
Bergmann and her family moved to Aurora when Bergmann was a sophomore in high school. The change was somewhat difficult, but Bergmann was able to find her niche.
Today, through an invitation from a school counselor, Bergmann uses her signing skills to help out a fellow student, eighth grader Matt Sisson.
Every school day, around 11 a.m., Bergmann walks from the high school to the middle school where she helps Sisson in life skills class.
Along with a professional interpreter, the two work on reading, writing and, most recently, have taken up cooking.
“When I first started, I worked with him on his reading and his spelling,” Bergmann said. “I help him because I enjoy helping people and I learn from it, too. We have a pretty good working relationship.”
Although Sisson is able to hear some things, the eighth grader uses sign language as a way to communicate with a number of people and having a student helper, Sisson said, only makes school easier.
“(Julie) helps me with reading and cooking,” Sisson said. “We make a lot of good things.”
And Sisson isn’t the only person happy to have Bergmann’s help and company.
Sisson’s professional interpreter, Carol Helleberg, explained that Bergmann’s skill is not only high, but her help and open attitude are always welcome.
“It’s wonderful because Julie is always helpful,” Helleberg said. “Her skill is good and she’s only going to get a lot better.”
Bergmann hopes to take her interest in signing to the next level and become a professional interpreter.
Her plan -- at least for now -- is to graduate from high school next week, move to Sioux Falls, S.D., and get her general education courses out of the way at Killian Community College.
From there, Bergmann wants to attend Augustana College, also in Sioux Falls, which has one of the leading programs for deaf interpreters in the U.S.
As for the type of interpretation that she would like to do, Bergmann has her eye on an educational setting.
“I think I’ll try to stay within the community and with the school system. That would fit me the best,” Bergmann said.
Until then, Bergmann plans to continue using her ASL skills in everyday life.
Aside from helping Sisson at school, the teen also signs at church and sometimes even uses her skills when she works in Grand Island.
“I work at Penney’s and a customer one time was deaf. He was with his family and he didn’t know that I could sign,” Bergmann said. “When he walked away, he was very happy and excited that someone there knew his language.”
It is also in Grand Island where Bergmann attends “sign and dine,” a monthly meeting of members of the deaf and hard of hearing community.
The group, which fluctuates in size, meets at Fazoli’s where they enjoy dinner and communicate strictly through signing.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Bergmann said. “My favorite part of signing is the way it looks. It’s a very pretty language and it’s fun to do.”
If you can get them talking, most American teens let words simply role off of their eccentric tongues.
Phrases like, “OMG” or “LOL” are pretty popular these days and when it comes to teen syntax, most anything goes.
But for Aurora Senior Julie Bergmann, speaking isn’t always about what’s popular or who is even listening.
In fact, when Bergmann sometimes communicates, no one can actually hear what she’s saying.
That’s because the bright-eyed, cheery 18-year-old is fluent in ASL, or American Sign Language.
The most dominant form of sign language in America today, ASL was first developed in Massachusetts during the 17th Century and is made up of a number of different physical signs and characters that are unique to the English language.
“A favorite word of mine is turtle,” Bergmann said, cupping her right hand over her left to create the ASL symbol for the animal. “There are so many fun words. ‘Cook’ is an interesting one.”
Bergmann first took interest in learning to sign from her aunt, who is an interpreter in South Dakota. The teen began taking classes seven years ago and has discovered one of her passions.
“My aunt worked for some deaf for a while. She really inspired me,” Bergmann said. “I always wanted her to teach me, but the distance made that kind of hard.”
Living in Omaha at the time, Bergmann and her brother enrolled in beginning sign language classes with about 30 other students where they learned language basics.
By the end of the course, Bergmann had learned how to sign the alphabet, colors, animals and holidays.
And the language, she said, came relatively easy for her.
“I didn’t think it was too hard, but I was interested in it and I think if you’re interested in something it comes easier,” Bergmann said.
So great was her interest that by the end of the course, Bergmann was referred by her teacher to take classes at Boys Town in Omaha.
There, Bergmann was able to further advance her skill, grow her vocabulary and work on her signing technique.
Best of all, Bergmann said, learning to sign at Boys Town gave her a greater understanding of the language, simply because she was placed in classes with people who had deaf family members and friends.
Although no one in Bergmann’s family is deaf, the teen said she gets great joy and satisfaction out of the language.
By the time Bergmann entered middle school, she was so fluent in the language that while in math class at Ralston, she could “tune out the teacher and get everything” from a classroom interpreter, who signed for a number of Bergmann’s deaf classmates.
“Ralston had a huge, huge deaf population,” Bergmann said. “The population of deaf people is not as high in this area.”
Bergmann and her family moved to Aurora when Bergmann was a sophomore in high school. The change was somewhat difficult, but Bergmann was able to find her niche.
Today, through an invitation from a school counselor, Bergmann uses her signing skills to help out a fellow student, eighth grader Matt Sisson.
Every school day, around 11 a.m., Bergmann walks from the high school to the middle school where she helps Sisson in life skills class.
Along with a professional interpreter, the two work on reading, writing and, most recently, have taken up cooking.
“When I first started, I worked with him on his reading and his spelling,” Bergmann said. “I help him because I enjoy helping people and I learn from it, too. We have a pretty good working relationship.”
Although Sisson is able to hear some things, the eighth grader uses sign language as a way to communicate with a number of people and having a student helper, Sisson said, only makes school easier.
“(Julie) helps me with reading and cooking,” Sisson said. “We make a lot of good things.”
And Sisson isn’t the only person happy to have Bergmann’s help and company.
Sisson’s professional interpreter, Carol Helleberg, explained that Bergmann’s skill is not only high, but her help and open attitude are always welcome.
“It’s wonderful because Julie is always helpful,” Helleberg said. “Her skill is good and she’s only going to get a lot better.”
Bergmann hopes to take her interest in signing to the next level and become a professional interpreter.
Her plan -- at least for now -- is to graduate from high school next week, move to Sioux Falls, S.D., and get her general education courses out of the way at Killian Community College.
From there, Bergmann wants to attend Augustana College, also in Sioux Falls, which has one of the leading programs for deaf interpreters in the U.S.
As for the type of interpretation that she would like to do, Bergmann has her eye on an educational setting.
“I think I’ll try to stay within the community and with the school system. That would fit me the best,” Bergmann said.
Until then, Bergmann plans to continue using her ASL skills in everyday life.
Aside from helping Sisson at school, the teen also signs at church and sometimes even uses her skills when she works in Grand Island.
“I work at Penney’s and a customer one time was deaf. He was with his family and he didn’t know that I could sign,” Bergmann said. “When he walked away, he was very happy and excited that someone there knew his language.”
It is also in Grand Island where Bergmann attends “sign and dine,” a monthly meeting of members of the deaf and hard of hearing community.
The group, which fluctuates in size, meets at Fazoli’s where they enjoy dinner and communicate strictly through signing.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Bergmann said. “My favorite part of signing is the way it looks. It’s a very pretty language and it’s fun to do.”