Hi, people-- 
I'm a hearie just starting out with ASL and am thrilled to discover this site.
I've been interested in how language works and language acquisition for years; my first language is English but I'm pretty fluent in Spanish (have studied it for years, and recently moved back to the U.S. after 17 years living in Mexico where I spent most of my time working in it). Oh, I've also worked in a bunch of computer languages, which I think require similar processes of acquisition. Though they're MUCH simpler than people languages, to be sure. We humans are amazing critters.
Last year on impulse I took a beginning ASL course in Seattle, and I was blown away: what an *exciting* and beautiful way to communicate, and what an interesting community! I was hooked!
So, I've ended up here in Spokane where I'm continuing with the ASL program in a local community college. I just want to learn to communicate in this cool "new" (to me) medium; the program here is oriented towards interpreting, which I'm not sure actually helps one become fluent in the language, but I'm going with the flow and hoping this is an effective way to learn.
Anyway, sorry I'm just a baby at the babbling stage, and I'm hoping not to offend with occasional dumb questions to you folks who are native signers here... most of the teachers I'm dealing with at school are hearies and sometimes I'm a little skeptical that they're giving me the true scoop...
I'm a hearie just starting out with ASL and am thrilled to discover this site.
I've been interested in how language works and language acquisition for years; my first language is English but I'm pretty fluent in Spanish (have studied it for years, and recently moved back to the U.S. after 17 years living in Mexico where I spent most of my time working in it). Oh, I've also worked in a bunch of computer languages, which I think require similar processes of acquisition. Though they're MUCH simpler than people languages, to be sure. We humans are amazing critters.
Last year on impulse I took a beginning ASL course in Seattle, and I was blown away: what an *exciting* and beautiful way to communicate, and what an interesting community! I was hooked!
So, I've ended up here in Spokane where I'm continuing with the ASL program in a local community college. I just want to learn to communicate in this cool "new" (to me) medium; the program here is oriented towards interpreting, which I'm not sure actually helps one become fluent in the language, but I'm going with the flow and hoping this is an effective way to learn.
Anyway, sorry I'm just a baby at the babbling stage, and I'm hoping not to offend with occasional dumb questions to you folks who are native signers here... most of the teachers I'm dealing with at school are hearies and sometimes I'm a little skeptical that they're giving me the true scoop...