Question Six: ASL

Michael asked: I am wondering how many other types of sign language there are. Are they similar? If you know ASL can you learn another type quickly? Also, about how many signs are there? Are there signs for punctuation? Like a question mark for example.

Sarah’s Answer: Thank you for your questions! I divided them into three parts to more efficiently answer them.

How many other types of sign language there are? Are they similar? If you know ASL can you learn another type quickly?

I suppose that depends on how you want to define “type.” Sign languages, just like verbal languages, have been developing organically around the world for centuries, fulfilling the human need to communicate. So just as it is difficult to count the amount of spoken languages in the world, the same is true with sign languages. Furthermore, it would be hard to find characteristics that exist within ALL international sign languages, though a few elements likely crossover such as classifiers and facial expressions. However, sign languages around the world are just as diverse as verbal languages are!

Also, there are a few different “types” of sign languages in America. American Sign Language (ASL) is often mistaken to be a signed version of English. The reality is that ASL is a language all on its own, with distinct grammar and syntax, and very different from signed English. Also, there is tactile signing used among the deaf-blind population, and various types of signing techniques, such as method signing and pidgin English signing. In general, most of these types of signing are similar only in that they are signed and use some ASL vocabulary, but ASL is the only form that is itself a language.

As for learning other sign languages, I have often heard people say that after learning a verbal language it became easier for them to learn more. A friend of mine said the same thing about learning multiple sign languages: learning her second sign language was easier then learning her first, but she was still acquiring a whole new language which isn’t easy! Overall, the speed and ease of learning multiple languages largely depends on the individual.

How many signs are there?

Another good question! The short answer? There is no exact count for the number of signs in American Sign Language.

In ASL, there are many regional signs (think “couch” and “sofa” in English) and local signs (do you know what a “fudgie” is? You would if you were from Northern Michigan!), as well as dialects (such as Black American Sign Language which developed due to school segregation in southern states). Furthermore, one sign can have dozens of meanings, and most common signs have at least five inflections. All these variables make an exact count virtually impossible. However, I have heard that there are about 25,000 sign variations, depending on grammar and context. I had a tricky time finding a source to back that information up, but was able to find that number referenced on aslpah.com (an online journal for ASL students and teachers). Interestingly enough, I learned that there is also not an exact count for the number of words in the English language (AskOxford). That’s just the intricate and complex nature of languages for you!

Are there signs for punctuation? Like a question mark for example.

American sign language sentences are generally punctuated with pauses and facial expressions. While asking a question in ASL, the signer will most commonly raise his/her eyebrows and tilt their chin down. I have also seen signers repeat their question “word” (such as “where, bookstore, where”) or suspend their last sign to indicate the end of their question. Also, there is a sign for a question mark (you can see me signing that below!) but it is not used all that often.

Thank you so much for your great questions!!

Interview with Dr. Russell Rosen

We asked our advisor for a few reasons why Deaf culture is an importance element to teaching ASL. Check out what he said!

Please note: video is not yet professionally interpreted.

Question Five: Driving

Carla wants to know: Is it safe for a deaf person to drive a car on today's busy roads?

Kerry's Answer: It is a common misconception that because a person cannot hear, they cannot drive a car. That is absolutely not true! While a deaf person does not hear horns honking or tires screeching, driving is an activity which requires much more visual sense than auditory. Deaf people are quite aware of their surroundings, and since deaf signers use a visual language to communicate, they are accustomed to their heightened visual sense. It is in fact perfectly safe for a deaf person to drive! Deaf people are neither better nor worse drivers than hearing people -- bad drivers come from all walks of life!

Thanks for your question!

Just for fun, below is a video of ASL comedian Keith Wann's experience with his deaf parents driving. Enjoy! =)

Question from A Follower

Question from Naadu: Can you tell me if services for the hearing impaired have changed much with the advent of internet and wireless technology? Also, are there innovations in the works?

Answered by Amanda: Very Good Question. Yes, the services have changed for the better due to internet and technology. Usually, the deaf were only offered interpreting services, however there is a good amount of other technologies now available.

Lets start off with CART; Communication Access Realtime Translation. With this service, a CART transcriber agent would use a stenograph keyboard, connected to a regular computer, and type out word for word what is being spoken. The exact word-for-word transcription would be displayed on the computer screen in front of the deaf person. This method is similar to what they use in court rooms to keep a log of conversations for the record. You have two different options with this feature; 1) the deaf person could request the agent sit in with them wherever they needed services. The agent would be seated right next to them in the room. This option would give the deaf person the ability to type his/her own question onto the regular computer so that the CART agent may speak it aloud to the room. 2) this option would allow the deaf person to hook their own computer up to an internet server connected with a CART agency. A high frequency microphone would capture everything being said within the room so it may be transmitted via internet to a CART agent. The CART agent would not be in the same room for this option, the word-for-word transcription would still be available on the computer screen in a matter of seconds.

Another service similar to this would be TypeWell. This service is the same concept. A stenograph keyboard would be hooked up to the computer so that a TypeWell agent may transmit what is being said onto a computer screen. The same 2 options are available here; in room services, or via internet services. However, it differs by one major factor. Instead of having a word-for-word speech to text dialogue, TypeWell is a speech-to-text communication access system, that expresses the meaning of what is spoken, but in fewer words. The TypeWell transcriber listens to speakers and types a richly-detailed summary of what was said.

As far as 'disability services', those are the two major ones used for educational and professional settings. As for communication services that have been made possible due to internet and wireless technology, please view the post below this one relating to Communication Devices for the deaf.

I have included links to some popular websites that provide information about these two methods.

Hope this Helps!

CART Link

TypeWell Link

Pictures of TTY and Relay Service

Hey All...

Here are the pictures! Enjoy!

Question from A Follower

Question: Mike Rodriguez wants to know "How does someone who is hearing impaired communicate when they’d like to make or receive a phone call?"

Amanda's Answer: This is a very good question Mike. First, lets start off by remembering back when telephones were first invented by Alexander Graham Bell. The telephone was originally invented as a device in hopes to allow deaf people to hear. The telephone failed to work for this purpose, thus, Graham Bell proposed it should be used for hearing people to communicate over long distances.

Back before the technological boom, Deaf people would be unable to communicate by any means other than the usual snail mail letters, or via personal contact. There really wasn't any technology for deaf communication over long distances. However, technological advances since the 90s has made it quite easy for deaf people to use the telephone.

First, lets examine the TTY. TTY stands for TeleTypewriter. I have provided a picture to show you what it looks like. This device would allow you to dial the telephone number of the deaf party you are trying to reach, just like any ordinary phone. When a call is received, lights on top of the device, and other areas in the house, will flash (instead of a ring tone) to notify there is an incoming call. Instead of speaking into this device, one would type what they wanted to convey (kind of like a computer or typewriter). The words would appear on a screen attached to the TTY.

Secondly, we have a Relay Service. You would use a relay service if a hearing person without a TTY was trying to contact a deaf person. To use a relay service, the hearing person would call up a special operator who has access to a TTY. That relay operator would then be able to type what the hearing person is saying to the deaf person, as well as speak the typed words of the deaf party to the hearing person.

Another way of communication would be VRS. Video Relay Service. This device is the same concept as above, with some differences. The VRS systems can be contacted and connected via a computer or TV. This method is sort of like a webcam. The Relay Operator would sign to the deaf person whatever the hearing person is speaking; as well as speak to the hearing person whatever the deaf person is signing. We have posted a video to show you what this service may look like. Look out for the two famous comedians in this video; Keith Wann and Peter Cook.

Of course, with technology such as a Webcam, E-mail, Text Messaging, BlackBerry Messaging, Skype, and other devices of the like, you can see it has become just as easy for a deaf person to communicate over long distances as it is for a hearing person!

I hope this information is helpful. Please enjoy the Video and Pictures!

News: Youtube.com now has captioning

YouTube Launches Auto-Captions For All Videos

My Deaf Family Pilot

Question Two: Cochlear Implants

Pat wants to know: Do cochlear implants work for everyone who gets them?

Kerry's Answer: I'm glad this question was asked! It is a common misconception, often exacerbated by medical professionals, that cochlear implants are a "cure" or "miracle fix" for deafness -- that once a deaf person receives the surgery, he or she will automatically be able to hear. However, that in fact is not the case. It does not restore normal sound, but instead more often gives a deaf person more of a representation of his or her environmental and surrounding sounds to aid in understanding speech.

For those who don't know, a cochlear implant is a small electronic device surgically implanted into a profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing person's ear. It contains three external parts: a microphone, which picks up environmental sounds; a speech processor, which filters sounds to prioritize audible speech, sending them to the transmitter; and the transmitter and receiver/stimulator, a magnetic coil receiving the sound signals sent by the speech processor and converts them to electric impulses; and one internal part: an electrode array, surgically implanted beneath the skin of the ear and through the cochlea, which collects the electric impulses sent by the transmitter and sends them to the auditory nerve.

Unlike a hearing aid, which helps damaged ears detect sound better, the implant bypasses these damaged areas and directly stimulates the auditory nerve. It is not the "cure" that it is popularly believed to be, although it can help many deaf individuals who choose (or whose parents choose for them) to have the surgery to hear certain sounds better and aid in speech recognition. After receiving the implant, it takes much work and training to learn (or relearn) to use the implant to hear and train to recognize the new sounds. The earlier the surgery is performed, the better the chances the deaf person has to become accustomed to the implant. Many Deaf individuals who choose to have the surgery still continue to use ASL and be a part of the Deaf culture and community, while some do not sign and rely on reading lips and speech to communicate. How well the implant works also depends on the level of deafness, when the person became deaf, and the amount of training and effort put into becoming acclimated to the device.

Before making this kind of decision for him or herself, or parents for their deaf child, all resources should be allocated to obtain all the necessary information about the device and surgery from all angles.

Thank you for you question! I hope that is clear!

Question From A Follower

E-mailed to us by DJ Falco JZ.

Question: Is learning to speak Signed Language harder than learning to speak other languages?

Amanda's Answer (ASKASL ladies, please feel free to add to this!):

Let me start off by saying American Sign Language is indeed a very visual language. It is actually the THIRD most used language in the US! Many people have the misconception that ASL is just english on the hands, others believe it is nothing more than gestures. Not true at all!! ASL has its own grammatical structure, vocabulary, rules and even dialect! It is neither harder or easier than other languages. It depends on how much effort you put into learning it. Like any language, ASL requires proper usage and practice. People who claim to be more visual learners tend to pick it up more quickly, however anyone can learn it!

I Hope this answers your question! Keep looking back to see if the other ladies added to your question! And feel free to comment on this post to inquire more about ASL!

"See What I'm Saying" = A Very Cool Documentary!!

Hey All. If you are reading this post before Wednesday, April 21st, then you still have time to go see the documentary "See What I'm Saying", a film following the lives of a group of very interesting and talented Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. Kerry and I (Amanda) just went Sunday, April 18th. I have to say it was quite inspiring and definitely worth seeing many times. We bought shirts and an autographed poster! Check out these pics! Also, here is a link to the movie's website so you can check it out for yourself! ENJOY!

http://www.seewhatimsayingmovie.com/

Welcome!

Hello! Welcome to our blog “A.S.K. ASL” by Amanda Boyle, Sarah Drake and Kerry Daley from the Teaching American Sign Language as a Foreign Language program at Teachers College, Columbia University.

As future teachers of American Sign Language (ASL), we feel that Deaf awareness will be a major component in our classroom. In addition to establishing Deaf culture as a daily element to our curriculum, we also want to provide our class with an added pathway to allow for student inquiries and access to Deaf events outside of the classroom. This blog will serve as a forum to be available to our students at all times, where us as teachers can post valuable recourses, Deaf events and other information. This will also be an area that questions can be posted, at any hour, and answered as quickly as possible. Our hope is that this can be a forum where misconceptions can be addressed and clarified.

How do you use our blog?

First of all, if you have a general question about ASL or Deaf culture, you can email us at ASKASLBlog@gmail.com. We will read your question and then post it onto this blog with the answer. Please include, along with your question, whether you would like the post to have your name attached or to be anonymous.

Also, if you see something interesting already on the blog’s wall, please feel free to make a comment.

Lastly, be sure to check out our links and videos!