Learning to Understand Sign Language

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Historyfreak

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I am HOH. I can usually hear alright but there are situations where I just can't hear-- like I'm in a crowd or the speaker is talking too softly. I have been thinking about learning to at least understand sign language so I can watch the interpreter if there is already one provided for the Deaf, like at church or live theatre, and I can't hear the speaker(s) for some reason. Sometimes I really don't like lipreading!

Would this be practical?
 
Historyfreak said:
I am HOH. I can usually hear alright but there are situations where I just can't hear-- like I'm in a crowd or the speaker is talking too softly. I have been thinking about learning to at least understand sign language so I can watch the interpreter if there is already one provided for the Deaf, like at church or live theatre, and I can't hear the speaker(s) for some reason. Sometimes I really don't like lipreading!

Would this be practical?
Click to expand...

Being that i've only seen an interpreter 1 time for 1 student at a tech school i went to, and never anywhere else, I wouldnt suggest it for that. If you want to learn it so you can interact with others, that would be a more practical application. I am slowly learning it, my roommate was teaching me, but i really dont learn much as we dont really go over anything. I would love to learn, but i have no idea of any place that teaches it, and i have no way to pay to learn it now anyways.
 
Historyfreak said:
I am HOH. I can usually hear alright but there are situations where I just can't hear-- like I'm in a crowd or the speaker is talking too softly. I have been thinking about learning to at least understand sign language so I can watch the interpreter if there is already one provided for the Deaf, like at church or live theatre, and I can't hear the speaker(s) for some reason. Sometimes I really don't like lipreading!

Would this be practical?
Click to expand...

Honestly I don't think it's practical to just learn sign language so that you can just use an interpreter. It's more practical if you want to learn sign language "just because" and it would be an addition to your language knowledge. You'd have to want to use it to communicate with others too.. because in my opinion, you will understand sign language a lot more easier doing that instead of studying from a book or something like that and expecting to follow an interpreter. It doesn't work that way... it's just like hearing people who know the alphabet in sign language pretending they know what Deaf people are signing (when they really don't!).

I didn't "formally" learn ASL until I was in HS. And I find it a lot easier to learn when I am with other Deaf people/ASL users, rather than just use interpreter to follow a spoken conversation alone. Does that make sense? I think ASL was the best thing to happen to me... I grew up oral (I'm still mainly oral).. I felt that I was more involved within groups of Deaf people because I can follow the conversation... with hearing friends it was kinda a hassle.. most time I give up and ignore what was being discussed, and if I caught something, I would ask a friend, etc. With Deaf people, they understand if we miss something! Hearing people sometimes take lipreading for granted.. hehe.
 
Lol yeah, i agree with what they said^. I'm HOH as well and i didn't learn SL just coz i wanted an interpreter, i learned it coz i wanted to, and it helps me. If you don't hear what the person said, just ask the person beside you:D That helps, and if not, just go over what they said in your head. If you don't get it don't worry about it. Interpreters' aren't always avaiable. I wouldn't rely on one.
 
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