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New Student Organization: Sign Language Club shows first signs of life - Community - Fourth Estate - University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
In a classroom filled with students, one student in particular just can't help but stand out from the crowd. What draws people's attention to Ashley Letourneau, junior communication major, is not what the average individual might think. No, what draws attention to Letourneau is the woman usually sitting directly in front of her—a sign language interpreter.
Letourneau is a UW-Green Bay student living with a hearing loss she has had since birth. She has done motivational speaking throughout Wisconsin and is also active in advocating for the deaf community.
Though she was born with a hearing loss, she said it took her family some time to realize she was hard of hearing.
"It was my third birthday and we were outside," Letourneau said. "People were screaming and playing, and my grandpa was talking to me. I said, ‘hold on grandpa, let me take off my sunglasses, I didn't hear you.'"
Her comment led her mother to have Letourneau's hearing checked. Looking back, Letourneau said she finds it funny how they found out, and that she likes to use a sense of humor when talking about her life and experiences.
Although her hearing loss was less severe during childhood, when she could still recognize speech patterns, Letourneau said it became more serious as she entered her teens. At that time it became necessary for her to use a hearing aid, and, although she continued to speak and could read lips, she began to learn sign language around the age of 12.
"I come from both worlds—the hearing and the deaf world," Letourneau said. "I'm not totally hearing and I'm not totally deaf."
Having experienced both, Letourneau is able to both speak and sign. In fact, talking to Letourneau, most people would have a hard time believing she can't hear—she talks a lot, said Rae Derks, freshman early childhood education major.
"The thing about Ashley is, people think she lives drastically different from the way we live," Derks said. "But, she is really nice, she's fun to be around and she's just like you and me."
As a person who is passionate not only about sign language but also about educating others, Letourneau is starting a Sign Language Club on campus, with Derks serving as the club's first officer. Derks, who is also interested in educating others, believes learning sign language will prove useful in the future.
"I've always kind of wanted to learn sign language as my second language because I'm hoping to work with disabled children when I'm older," Derks said.
She also said she encourages other education students to join the club.
"It's a good language to learn if you want to go into education because you're going to have to work with disabled kids as well in your classes," Derks said. "Sign language might be one of the needs that are there."
Stefan Hall, associate professor of humanistic studies and club advisor, said this is his first semester teaching Letourneau. Despite some initial concerns about meeting all of her needs and having an interpreter in class, Hall said they are both amazing and add to his class sessions.
"Carrie, the sign language interpreter, is fantastic," Hall said. "Actually, it's like a double performance now in class because I'm a performer and Carrie is there with the sign language performing. We've had some incredibly exciting and entertaining moments so far. I actually think I need a sign language interpreter in every single class that I teach now, it is that much fun."
Though sign language will be the main focus of the club, Letourneau said she is hoping she can use the club to do more than just teach people about sign language.
"I feel like if people are interested in sign language then they'll also be interested in uncovering the stereotypes," Letourneau said.
According to her, there are many stereotypes people have about deaf individuals and deaf culture, as well as many mistakes people make when dealing with people who have a hearing loss.
"There are just so many funny things," Letourneau said. "I feel that if I can educate people and let them know it's not a taboo subject, then maybe it'll be fun for people to learn and understand and appreciate it."
Some common mistakes people make when speaking with deaf individuals, Letourneau said, range from confusing deafness with blindness, assuming deaf persons are less intelligent and people asking her if she can do everyday tasks like cooking and driving. Although some people might take offense, she lets it roll of her shoulders.
"I like to use humor and motivational speaking to make light of it and show people I'm not offended," Letourneau said.
Her sense of humor is sure to be incorporated in club meetings as Letourneau teaches others about sign language. As with any language, there are usually many similar-sounding words that mean very different things. In the case of sign language, she said some signs look similar but mean things that may put people in embarrassing situations, such as when she first learned the signs for lunch and hungry.
One day, when she was 12, she wanted to sign that she was hungry for lunch because she had recently learned those signs. She had also learned that she should make facial expressions when wishing to emphasis something while signing, and she was really hungry. So, Letourneau said she emphasized the sign for hungry—her first mistake. Her second mistake was when she did the incorrect sign for lunch—the sign she did instead was for lesbian.
"So here I was, 12 years old, and I'm signing to a deaf person that I'm hungry and I want lunch," Letourneau said. "I was basically saying, ‘I'm super horny and I need a lesbian right now because I'm starving. I've learned along the way. There are just funny moments."
The sign language she will be teaching is American Sign Language, but most likely she said she will teach the ASL signs in English word order, which is known as Pigeon Signed English.
Once the club is fully functional, with regularly planned meetings, Letourneau is hoping to have motivational speakers and even comedians come talk to students. Though the first meeting has not yet been scheduled, Letourneau said she plans to get everything started in the next few weeks.
"I'm hoping that what I do can make a difference," Letourneau said. "Even if it's a difference the size of a pea—it's a difference. I'm not saying I'm better than anyone else and that I'm going to change the world. I'm just a regular person doing what I feel is right."
In a classroom filled with students, one student in particular just can't help but stand out from the crowd. What draws people's attention to Ashley Letourneau, junior communication major, is not what the average individual might think. No, what draws attention to Letourneau is the woman usually sitting directly in front of her—a sign language interpreter.
Letourneau is a UW-Green Bay student living with a hearing loss she has had since birth. She has done motivational speaking throughout Wisconsin and is also active in advocating for the deaf community.
Though she was born with a hearing loss, she said it took her family some time to realize she was hard of hearing.
"It was my third birthday and we were outside," Letourneau said. "People were screaming and playing, and my grandpa was talking to me. I said, ‘hold on grandpa, let me take off my sunglasses, I didn't hear you.'"
Her comment led her mother to have Letourneau's hearing checked. Looking back, Letourneau said she finds it funny how they found out, and that she likes to use a sense of humor when talking about her life and experiences.
Although her hearing loss was less severe during childhood, when she could still recognize speech patterns, Letourneau said it became more serious as she entered her teens. At that time it became necessary for her to use a hearing aid, and, although she continued to speak and could read lips, she began to learn sign language around the age of 12.
"I come from both worlds—the hearing and the deaf world," Letourneau said. "I'm not totally hearing and I'm not totally deaf."
Having experienced both, Letourneau is able to both speak and sign. In fact, talking to Letourneau, most people would have a hard time believing she can't hear—she talks a lot, said Rae Derks, freshman early childhood education major.
"The thing about Ashley is, people think she lives drastically different from the way we live," Derks said. "But, she is really nice, she's fun to be around and she's just like you and me."
As a person who is passionate not only about sign language but also about educating others, Letourneau is starting a Sign Language Club on campus, with Derks serving as the club's first officer. Derks, who is also interested in educating others, believes learning sign language will prove useful in the future.
"I've always kind of wanted to learn sign language as my second language because I'm hoping to work with disabled children when I'm older," Derks said.
She also said she encourages other education students to join the club.
"It's a good language to learn if you want to go into education because you're going to have to work with disabled kids as well in your classes," Derks said. "Sign language might be one of the needs that are there."
Stefan Hall, associate professor of humanistic studies and club advisor, said this is his first semester teaching Letourneau. Despite some initial concerns about meeting all of her needs and having an interpreter in class, Hall said they are both amazing and add to his class sessions.
"Carrie, the sign language interpreter, is fantastic," Hall said. "Actually, it's like a double performance now in class because I'm a performer and Carrie is there with the sign language performing. We've had some incredibly exciting and entertaining moments so far. I actually think I need a sign language interpreter in every single class that I teach now, it is that much fun."
Though sign language will be the main focus of the club, Letourneau said she is hoping she can use the club to do more than just teach people about sign language.
"I feel like if people are interested in sign language then they'll also be interested in uncovering the stereotypes," Letourneau said.
According to her, there are many stereotypes people have about deaf individuals and deaf culture, as well as many mistakes people make when dealing with people who have a hearing loss.
"There are just so many funny things," Letourneau said. "I feel that if I can educate people and let them know it's not a taboo subject, then maybe it'll be fun for people to learn and understand and appreciate it."
Some common mistakes people make when speaking with deaf individuals, Letourneau said, range from confusing deafness with blindness, assuming deaf persons are less intelligent and people asking her if she can do everyday tasks like cooking and driving. Although some people might take offense, she lets it roll of her shoulders.
"I like to use humor and motivational speaking to make light of it and show people I'm not offended," Letourneau said.
Her sense of humor is sure to be incorporated in club meetings as Letourneau teaches others about sign language. As with any language, there are usually many similar-sounding words that mean very different things. In the case of sign language, she said some signs look similar but mean things that may put people in embarrassing situations, such as when she first learned the signs for lunch and hungry.
One day, when she was 12, she wanted to sign that she was hungry for lunch because she had recently learned those signs. She had also learned that she should make facial expressions when wishing to emphasis something while signing, and she was really hungry. So, Letourneau said she emphasized the sign for hungry—her first mistake. Her second mistake was when she did the incorrect sign for lunch—the sign she did instead was for lesbian.
"So here I was, 12 years old, and I'm signing to a deaf person that I'm hungry and I want lunch," Letourneau said. "I was basically saying, ‘I'm super horny and I need a lesbian right now because I'm starving. I've learned along the way. There are just funny moments."
The sign language she will be teaching is American Sign Language, but most likely she said she will teach the ASL signs in English word order, which is known as Pigeon Signed English.
Once the club is fully functional, with regularly planned meetings, Letourneau is hoping to have motivational speakers and even comedians come talk to students. Though the first meeting has not yet been scheduled, Letourneau said she plans to get everything started in the next few weeks.
"I'm hoping that what I do can make a difference," Letourneau said. "Even if it's a difference the size of a pea—it's a difference. I'm not saying I'm better than anyone else and that I'm going to change the world. I'm just a regular person doing what I feel is right."