The book A Loss for Words by Lou Ann Walker is a biography about Lou Ann. Her parents are deaf and she and her sister are hearing. The book describes the troubles and embarrassment she felt and had while growing up. She loved her parents dearly but often felt embarrassed, or infuriated about comments people would make to her about her parents. Lou Ann exclaims that “their world is deaf, their deaf culture, their deaf friends, and their own sign language it is something separate, something I can never really know, but I am intimate with.”(2) Lou Ann was both speaking and she could also sign. She felt it hard to fit into one culture. She had a love for her parents and the deaf culture but at the same time, she felt like she didn’t quite fit in because she could hear. She could hear people’s comments about her parents. Lou Ann tells a story about how it was for her and how she was able to deal, with society and their views.…
Similarly, the Deaf child, however raised, has a Deaf heritage form birth. Most children who cannot communicate well in spoken language will, when allowed to, learn signed language, become acculturated to Deaf culture, marry Deaf, and identify themselves as members of the Deaf World. A distinguished otologist has contended that Deaf children start out in mainstream hearing society and enter the Deaf World in adolescence. Most children in the Deaf World cannot communicate with their parents who know no sign language, and while their home may be nurturing, it cannot be substantially acculturating. The anormality of having culturally different parents is then both a centrifugal and centripetal force in the Deaf World. At the same time, the anomaly propels Deaf people toward the Deaf World, since identification with the Deaf World offers pride, language, instruction, role models, a culturally compatible spouse, and more than cannot be had…
In this book, Deaf in America, by Carol Padden and Tom Humphries, the two authors wrote stories, jokes, performances, and experiences of Deaf people. They also wrote Deaf culture and Deaf people’s lives from various angles. This book is great navigator of Deaf world for hearing people and even Deaf people as me. There are several factors attracting reader. To begin with, I could learn about backgrounds of deaf people and hearing people. Authors wrote about a Deaf boy who was born into a deaf family. Until he discovered that a girl playmate in neighborhood was “hearing”, he didn’t notice about “Others”. Authors explained, “She was HEARING and because of this did not know how to SIGN; instead she and her mother TALK” (Chapter 1). This story strongly impressed me. I was born into a Deaf family too, but I grew up with hearing grandparents. In my childhood, I did intensive oral training with my grandparents. So, I can sign JSL and talk Japanese smoothly. Therefore I never felt emotion like this occasion, “Others” to hearing people. The next factor is difference of “Deaf” and “deaf”. For example, the capitalized “Deaf” people are not only “deaf” but also user of Sign Language. I haven’t known the meaning of “Deaf” and “deaf” exactly before, thanks to this book, now I can understand. When I analyzed myself, I identified as “Deaf” because I truly cherish Sign Language. In addition, Sign Language is explained as a primary mode of communication for Deaf people including me. It has full access to communication for us. Unfortunately, some hearing people misunderstand that Sign Language is a kind of gestural communication. Authors wrote about it, “ASL are often thought to be direct representations of spoken words” (Chapter 3). In my country, Japan, there are some misconceptions about JSL too. Sign Language has both iconic and abstract concept.…
It was interesting to hear, and see, what kind of challenges that deaf people faced. One of the people I found interesting was. A hearing French professor had brought the language from France and that was how it signing had started. I thought that was interesting, because not only was it a long time to create a form of communication for the deaf community; they were also mistreated for their inability to communicate with the rest of the world. Another person that I found interesting, was Alexander Gram Bell, had a wife and mother, who were deaf. On top of that, it was startling at first, to hear that the deaf community treated him as a sort of “boogeyman.” I found it fascinating that he is well known in a hearing class for inventing the telephone, but in the deaf class, he is known for starting the Oralism form of communication in the deaf community. Along with that, Bell fought against having sign language being taught, because he felt that it was a “borrowed language.” Instead he wanted the people community to learn to speak and read lips. It was interesting to hear, because I assumed that most people who were deaf just learned sign language for their communication.…
The book “Deaf Again” is unique because the author has been on both sides of the spectrum. He had been hearing for some time and now is Deaf. He shows each viewpoint and doesn’t make it just for hearing or just for the Deaf. This author is also unique in showing his feelings for both hearing and also being Deaf.…
Mark starts his story by talking about his mother’s natural birth. He was born in Pennsylvania to his deaf parents Don and Sherry Drolsbaugh. Mark was born able to hear and learned to talk and know a little how to sign because of his parents. This all changed when he was in first grade. Mark began to experience significant hearing loss. His grandparents were informed and Mark was taken to different doctors, audiologists, and speech pathologists to try to fix his deafness. Since Mark was not completely deaf, his grandparents held on tightly to what hearing and speech their grandson had left and to find ways to improve it. All the negativity that Mark dealt with towards being deaf, made him also feel negative towards his deafness. His Grandparents believed the way to improve Mark’s hearing was for him to keep attending school with children who could hear, because if he were to go to a school that would sign and help him accept his deafness it would “ruin” Mark’s chance at being able to be “fixed”. School was difficult for Mark because his classrooms contained more than twenty students and the information he had to learn would only go over his head. Mark would wear hearing aids, and because of this he was also ridiculed and made fun, because he was different. Mark would get into fights and have report cards saying that his behavior could be improved. Mark’s grandparents made a smart move and had Mark transfer to Plymouth Meeting Friends School, PMFS for short. It was a small school with two teachers and eight…
Cited: How Deaf Children Learn: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know (Perspectives on Deafness)." By Marc Marschark. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2013.…
Danielle had the freedom to start learning ASL as part of her curriculum at 11 years old because of her interest. Since parents didn’t know ASL, they found an interpreter and hired her for private lessons. In exchange, they tutored the interpreter’s son in math. By attending deaf social events, Danielle became immersed in their culture and visual humor at a young age. The language clicked for her, and in ninth grade, she began…
Some of the things I learned about Deaf Culture was confirmed by class. It was interesting to see the Kennish family initially reacted to Daphne, considering that they had never interacted with a deaf person before. They automatically started raising the volume of their voices in order for Daphne to “hear” when in truth, she was only able to hear very little with the help of hearing aids, which only enabled her to hear…
There are, of course, Deaf people who produce masterpieces in English that would compare to many other great American writers. However, the real fascination lies with the other side of Deaf Literature. This comes from the so-called “oral” tradition of the culture. This term is used to describe ASL literature that is passed down from generation to generation through signing. It’s not that the opportunity to write it wasn’t around, but that in doing so some of the content will be lost in translation. This is because ASL and English are two different languages. In the ASL class, I learned about this difference. However, I did not entirely understand it until reading the book. More specifically the section on ASL autobiographies and…
Being a hearing person in a world submerged in the deaf culture could be very difficult; it was a place that she could never fully understand; "the deaf, their deaf culture, their deaf friends, and their own sign language - it is something separate, something I can never really know, but I am intimate with" (Walker, Ch. 2). "A Loss for Words" is full of beautifully written, candid moments, as when Walker admits that there were times she resented her parents for being deaf. the fact that her parents couldn't hear. Just as anyone would, Lou Ann found it difficult to fit into the close nit deaf…
“Words Left Unspoken”, by Leah Hager Cohen, describes a close relationship she had with her grandfather when she was a child. She has been an author, a writing instructor, and an interpreter, but most importantly - a loving granddaughter. She writes directly to families or friends associated with deafness. Cohen wants them to realize that being deaf may hinder a person, but it can also amplify life in an extraordinary way.…
My sister is deaf, I myself am a part of the deaf community; I have attended sign language classes and also deaf events.…
When a mother is having a child, she and the father are always expecting a perfect and healthy baby. They do not realize their child could have any complications. When the doctor comes back and tells the mother and father their child is deaf, they have a lot to think about: Should we get an implant for them? Or should we just live on with it and have the child sign? Most of the time, the parents choose living with it and having their child sign. Not only do parents teach their deaf children to sign, but also children that have full hearing capabilities too. Teaching children sign language has gotten very popular over the past 10 years. Parents find it very helpful with communicating with a child who is not able to speak or…
Going back in time to see how much little knowledge I have about the deaf culture is insane to think about. Everything that I have learned throughout this journey has made me a more opened minded person. I wouldn't say that it's just about learning a different/second language, unlike how most schools teach languages, you get to learn about the culture, history, and the people. I personally have enjoyed this experience mostly due to the fact that it is very inspiring. I am glad I have made this decision and am following this path into the American Sign Language world.…