Sign language classes soar at colleges

Alex

Alex

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According to Modern Language Association, many college students are enrolling in American Sign Language classes these days that it recorded the fastest growth rate of foreign languages offered at US colleges. Get this. The majority of these students are not planning to become sign language interpreters for the deaf.

These students have discovered American Sign Language in recent years, thinking that it is cool and easy to learn, they only enrolled in these classes to avoid taking Spanish, French, or other spoken languages which they find hard to master. This is one of the reasons why Boston University rejected American Sign Language in 1994, and the other reason being that ASL is not a "foreign" language but rather a North American language. They are, however, reviewing the issue again.

American Sign Language relies on hand and arm movements as well as body language and facial expressions, and it is the primary language to at least 500,000 people in the US. American Sign Language was first used by the deaf community on Martha's Vineyard in the late 1600's.

http://www.4hearingloss.com/archives/2005/01/sign_language_c.html
 
Alex what about lip reading classes at colleges as well? BTW i think taxpayers should pay for this after all they made NO LAWS against noise polution so i think society is partal the blame for people going deaf.
 
ravensteve1961 said:
Alex what about lip reading classes at colleges as well? BTW i think taxpayers should pay for this after all they made NO LAWS against noise polution so i think society is partal the blame for people going deaf.
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Huh?
 
ravensteve1961 said:
Alex what about lip reading classes at colleges as well? BTW i think taxpayers should pay for this after all they made NO LAWS against noise polution so i think society is partal the blame for people going deaf.
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what??... :confused:
 
It appears that Mr. Ravensteve is of the oral persuasion. Well, ravensteve, if you really want the courses in lipreading to be provided by colleges, go right ahead and lobby for a new tax to be made for this service.
 
Raven, please use your head for a moment. Why would hearing people want to take up lipreading unless they plan to be a spy? There are lipreading sessions offered for late deafened people through audiologists offices or SHHH chapters. But why would young college students be eager to take up lipreading? Serves no purpose???

I have noticed that more and more people know basic ASL such as at stores, gas stations, resturants etc. They all told me that they learned ASL in either high school or college. Yesterday I went to a deli section of a grocery store and wanted chicken. The deli person signed to me. It was very helpful. She even let me purchase the items at the deli counter instead of waiting in long lines. We chatted for a bit and she told me she was taking ASL at a local community college and was thrilled to be practicing her ASL skills on me.

I have been seeing more and more of that so this is great :)
 
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ravensteve1961 said:
Alex what about lip reading classes at colleges as well? BTW i think taxpayers should pay for this after all they made NO LAWS against noise polution so i think society is partal the blame for people going deaf.
Click to expand...

Well I know at the college I teach at, they do offer lipreading courses... but the majority of students are senior citizens. I only learned of this offering from a student who was in my ASL class (she's newly diagnosed hard-of-hearing). Lipreading classes are offered at many locations, you just gotta look into it.
 
It serves people who HAD HEARING like me but can still talk. So i can continue to comunincate a conversation with hearing people. So means theres no laws on polution noise that causes people losing their hearing. So they should cut welfare and medicaid and pay teachers to teach you lip reading.
 
ravensteve1961 said:
It serves people who HAD HEARING like me but can still talk. So i can continue to comunincate a conversation with hearing people. So means theres no laws on polution noise that causes people losing their hearing. So they should cut welfare and medicaid and pay teachers to teach you lip reading.
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Then contact ALDA - Association of Late Deafened Adults and find out where local lipreading classes are. It does not have to take place in college.

Your suggestions about cutting back on welfare/medicaid are FAR FETCHED. No one in his right mind will take away food stamps from a hungry family to offer you lipreading classes because you REFUSE to accept your hearing loss.

There are other resources ..just quit blaming and start using resources that are out there for YOU.
 
Sweet_KJ said:
Well I know at the college I teach at, they do offer lipreading courses... but the majority of students are senior citizens. I only learned of this offering from a student who was in my ASL class (she's newly diagnosed hard-of-hearing). Lipreading classes are offered at many locations, you just gotta look into it.
Click to expand...
Yeah you gotta PAY too. but why should i? Why cant cops arrest the owner of the constrution company for making too much noise? Or why can cops arrest kids make their cars too loud? Because theyre no laws against it. So if they outlawed noise and make people pay a $200 fine because theyre over 80 decibels. If cops can stick their radar gun at you and ticket you for speeding i think cops should carry a decibal meter and if youre to loud you pay a $200 fine.
 
I've never had anyone teaching me how to read lips, I guess it was a habit when I was growing up, but I did learn how to speak with the help of my parents and a speech teacher at school....

Normally, hearing people would rather to learn sign language to communicate with the deaf people than learning to read lips....

I didn't quite understand what does incoming taxes has to do with this?...I don't believe we should pay taxes for those who wants to learn sign language, they normally pay for the class to be interesting to learn...its their choice and its not a must!
 
Well....I think it's cool that ASL has seen growth in recent years. I don't think that it's due to the easy learning reputation, but maybe other issues. Parents of dhh kids may be interested in giving their kids the gift of Sign....hey I have noticed that even parents of kids with UNILATERAL losses and mild losses have been more open to learning Sign!!!! Also hearing people love to learn Sign....every time I hang out with many of my hearing friends, I teach them some sign.
Ravensteve, I agree with everyone here. There ARE speechreading classes out there. Not at colleges, but that's b/c there's not too much demand for it at that level. Look into oral deaf programs, (and some of them are public and supported by tax dollars!) and programs that ALDA and SHHH offer!
 
Alex said:
According to Modern Language Association, many college students are enrolling in American Sign Language classes these days that it recorded the fastest growth rate of foreign languages offered at US colleges. Get this. The majority of these students are not planning to become sign language interpreters for the deaf.

These students have discovered American Sign Language in recent years, thinking that it is cool and easy to learn, they only enrolled in these classes to avoid taking Spanish, French, or other spoken languages which they find hard to master. This is one of the reasons why Boston University rejected American Sign Language in 1994, and the other reason being that ASL is not a "foreign" language but rather a North American language. They are, however, reviewing the issue again.

American Sign Language relies on hand and arm movements as well as body language and facial expressions, and it is the primary language to at least 500,000 people in the US. American Sign Language was first used by the deaf community on Martha's Vineyard in the late 1600's.

http://www.4hearingloss.com/archives/2005/01/sign_language_c.html
Click to expand...

Good Article Alex.

I'm not surprised. In my experience, I'm finding more and more people who know how to sign, even just a little bit. Many have a friend or co-worker who is deaf and they have picked up on a few signs or just the alphabet. I'm meeting more and more people who are like this who don't speak up until I tell them I'm learning sign. The ones I know that have taken college courses have told me various reasons for wanting to learn (all will say its fun, though) but I've never had anyone tell me it was for an easy college credit ;)
 
According to my town's newspaper, the community college in Tulsa is offering baby sign classes on Saturdays.
 
This post just reminded me of something. A couple of weeks ago I was going to the grocery store and I saw signs posted on a pole that offered ASL Classes from a private tutor. I didn't write the number down and when I went back the signs were gone. Its the first (and only) time I've seen signs hanging on a pole (like the lawn mower or make money from home services). Sign that things are changing.
 
ravensteve1961 said:
Yeah you gotta PAY too. but why should i? Why cant cops arrest the owner of the constrution company for making too much noise? Or why can cops arrest kids make their cars too loud? Because theyre no laws against it. So if they outlawed noise and make people pay a $200 fine because theyre over 80 decibels. If cops can stick their radar gun at you and ticket you for speeding i think cops should carry a decibal meter and if youre to loud you pay a $200 fine.
Click to expand...
there's law about noises using in cities here in minnesota.. every time i enter a town.. a sign is there warning " noise laws are enforced"


anyway back to the point...
I notice that many people take that class just because they think they're easy to pass.. and aren't really interesting in learning it.. cuz all college is requiring to have a foregin language credits in order to graduate. i find this somewhat funny... just taking cuz they want to have a easy class and aren't interesting in learning.
 
Yeah DeafScuba98 i taught some basic
sign language classes part time once in awhile
i can tell mostly half of the class are very
interested in learning sign language
and others are not that interested...
 
This is the only sign language i read.
signs1a.jpg
 
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