Odd texting grammar

S

sculleywr

Member
Joined
May 20, 2006
Messages
337
Reaction score
0
I have been texting with Erica (extraordinarily HOH, the reason I got a texting package in the first place) for several months now and have many times had to have her repeat what she is saying. Aside from normal texting grammar and TTY abbreviations, she is typing in what, to me, very closely resembles ASL Gloss (English words typed in ASL order and syntax). The problem is that even signing the messages myself, I can't always get the gist of what she is saying. Any tips on what else I could see?
 
yea... take ASL class :D
 
Daredevel7 said:
He said "even signing the messages myself". Seems like he knows at least some ASL....
Click to expand...

oh.... good point... hmmm..... sculleywr - is your friend always high? :shrug:
 
Jiro said:
oh.... good point... hmmm..... sculleywr - is your friend always high? :shrug:
Click to expand...

I am a terp-in-training (still, although the line between training and actual is blurring a lot. one more interpreting experience to add to the books. interpreting whilst they are dancing and a good bit of the talk is in Hebrew), so I have a fairly hefty knowledge of ASL. And as far as I know, she does not get high. Only meds I know of are anti-convulsant meds (mild epilepsy).

I liked what you said. I said that to my friend when he commented on her texting grammar. This was before I started having trouble.

I did have trouble with the interpreting of the sign "FROM-NOW-ON" (hands together palm open and in, dominant hand drops slightly and moves forward), as "After".
 
sculleywr said:
I am a terp-in-training (still, although the line between training and actual is blurring a lot. one more interpreting experience to add to the books. interpreting whilst they are dancing and a good bit of the talk is in Hebrew), so I have a fairly hefty knowledge of ASL. And as far as I know, she does not get high. Only meds I know of are anti-convulsant meds (mild epilepsy).

I liked what you said. I said that to my friend when he commented on her texting grammar. This was before I started having trouble.

I did have trouble with the interpreting of the sign "FROM-NOW-ON" (hands together palm open and in, dominant hand drops slightly and moves forward), as "After".
Click to expand...

When you have to ask her to clarify what she's typed is it pretty simple for her to clarify? (or does it take her a while to explain it?)
 
Adamsmomma said:
When you have to ask her to clarify what she's typed is it pretty simple for her to clarify? (or does it take her a while to explain it?)
Click to expand...

It took her several times to explain the FROM-THEN-ON/after issue (we were discussing sex after marriage in review from a sermon in church that she missed, and she said "marriage after sex"). That was the simplest issue. A lot of it I couldn't figure out at all and had to wait on her being there face to face to clarify.
 
Just a suggestion...try to think conceptually when you read her posts. For instance, if she tells you you has been to Japan, and she writes, Japan touch me, think of what she is saying conceptually. When someone visits Japan, they do indeed, "touch" the land with their feet.
 
perhaps she picked up on the modern texting slang.

I can not understand half of what my daughter text me(In texting slang and abbreviations). I make her type out the whole thing! LOL. I have to get my groove on, to figure out the new language, of the modern texting.

I have learned some of it. but takes a while to read what she is speaking of.
 
jillio said:
Just a suggestion...try to think conceptually when you read her posts. For instance, if she tells you you has been to Japan, and she writes, Japan touch me, think of what she is saying conceptually. When someone visits Japan, they do indeed, "touch" the land with their feet.
Click to expand...

That one would be easy, since the use of "FINISH TOUCH" for arriving or going to a location is one of the first things Mrs. Godfrey hammered into our heads.
 
Babyblue said:
perhaps she picked up on the modern texting slang.

I can not understand half of what my daughter text me(In texting slang and abbreviations). I make her type out the whole thing! LOL. I have to get my groove on, to figure out the new language, of the modern texting.

I have learned some of it. but takes a while to read what she is speaking of.
Click to expand...

There must be some of that I have missed. I have been online for a long time, but my best friend, with whom I do most of my im'ing, always types out full sentences, except for things like lol.
 
sculleywr said:
That one would be easy, since the use of "FINISH TOUCH" for arriving or going to a location is one of the first things Mrs. Godfrey hammered into our heads.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was using the simplest, most common example I could think of. But the same process works with understanding all ASL phrasing, because in order to understand it, you have to think of the visual equivilent rather than the English word equivilent.
 
Babyblue said:
perhaps she picked up on the modern texting slang.

I can not understand half of what my daughter text me(In texting slang and abbreviations). I make her type out the whole thing! LOL. I have to get my groove on, to figure out the new language, of the modern texting.

I have learned some of it. but takes a while to read what she is speaking of.
Click to expand...

I'm really bad about dropping most vowels (except super important ones) and abbreviating A LOT when I text because of the limited space... if I text my mom I have to spell it all out or she calls me going HUH?? LOL but my friends and I text quickly and frequently so we abbreviate-- glad my texting buddies and I pretty much understand each other :) (i've just have to remember when typing an email or here etc, to expand my words and type right! :D)
 
jillio said:
Yeah, I was using the simplest, most common example I could think of. But the same process works with understanding all ASL phrasing, because in order to understand it, you have to think of the visual equivilent rather than the English word equivilent.
Click to expand...

What happens if I don't even understand it when I treat it as reading ASL gloss/signing it myself?
 
jillio said:
Yeah, I was using the simplest, most common example I could think of. But the same process works with understanding all ASL phrasing, because in order to understand it, you have to think of the visual equivilent rather than the English word equivilent.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by visual equivalent? Facial expressions? <confused>
 
sculleywr said:
What happens if I don't even understand it when I treat it as reading ASL gloss/signing it myself?
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to contradict you, but glossing or signing to yourself doesn't necessarily mean that you are thinking conceptually. It has been my experience that when misunderstandings of this nature occur, it is usually because English meaning is being applied, rather than the conceptual meaning.

But, if you are still having difficulty understanding, then asking for clarification always works...at least in my experience. Even when people are both speaking the same language, it is sometimes necessary to ask for clarification.
 
jillio said:
Yeah, I was using the simplest, most common example I could think of. But the same process works with understanding all ASL phrasing, because in order to understand it, you have to think of the visual equivilent rather than the English word equivilent.
Click to expand...

What if the sentences arent in the correct ASL syntax?

Too often, I have met so many people who arent fully fluent in either languages and as a result, I am unable to make sense of their writing despite thinking conceptually in ASL. Most people say that these peopel are writing in ASL but I dont think it is that. I wonder if that's the case with this lady?
 
shel90 said:
What if the sentences arent in the correct ASL syntax?

Too often, I have met so many people who arent fully fluent in either languages and as a result, I am unable to make sense of their writing despite thinking conceptually in ASL. Most people say that these peopel are writing in ASL but I dont think it is that. I wonder if that's the case with this lady?
Click to expand...

That is quite possible. She could be mixing the syntaxes. That makes it more difficult to understand. Sometimes you have to break it down word for word, and think of the concept that single word could apply to. We have a poster here who is very ASL based, but doesn't write in exact ASL or English syntax. Sometimes, I just have to forget syntax, and try to visualize concept to understand.
 
Back
Top