Comments on: ASL in Academia

By: ASCDEAF

ASCDEAF — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:55:23 +0000

Daniel – Thanks for your comment. We agree that Gallaudet can be an ASL-centric space – and hope it will be one day. There is a great need for a space where ASL is the de facto language.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:32:56 +0000

Thank you for this.

I think it’s definitely reasonable for Gally to say “This is our space. Please respect that ASL centric space.” Like a HBCU or a womens college or something. Others can study there but it should be focused on Deaf people who use ASL.

Also, I think a lot of people definitely feel more able to express themselves in their first language, no matter how long they have been speaking the 2nd language for. You can speak English for 20 years and still feel more comfortable with ASL.

ASL does not represent a deficient mind. It was isolation and the historical discrimination against ASL that led to it being a little behind the times and fragmented among regions of the US… but now with the Internet, conferences, etc everyone can connect and make standardized signs that everyone can agree on.

[Personal note – I was born Deaf, English was my first language, but I now use ASL equally or more often than English.)

By: DeafSweetMind

DeafSweetMind — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:50:40 +0000

[..YouTube..] Agree for what u just said.. However it s not easy to do with ASL videos into all that techincal stuffs. Also, it s not easy to talk yrself in video that is what I m having a hard time. Full details to share with others. I am not satisfied to use ASL in the videos because it s more of isolation or talk to myself as I dislike at all. No one like to have a good debate as far as I can see. Prefer to express more into my writings.I can see many are afraid to debate with me. So whats up with that?

By: Karen S.

Karen S. — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:50:21 +0000

It takes common sense for the person (deaf or hearing) to speak in college’s main language. For Gallaudet University, it is clearly ASL. It should be enforced by administrators and professors.

By: Dianrez

Dianrez — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:57:54 +0000

This discussion reminded me of the fellow graduate student in counseling at Gallaudet way back in the 60′s. He was a hard of hearing fellow, or perhaps late-deafened or both. He could sign passably, but we noticed that he had an apparent attitude problem because he came off as opinionated and supercilious in classroom discussions.

What was impressive about him was his refusal to make eye contact or to keep it. Whenever he spoke, his eyes would be directed somewhere by the upper right corner of the room. When someone else spoke, his eyes would dart there frequently.

He only lasted a year in the program as he was asked to leave before practicum started. I have wondered how deeply his skill in sign was tied to his eye contact and attitude. Perhaps Gallaudet imposed some standard and it wasn’t ASL. However, it hints at Gallaudet graduates being expected to have command of ASL in a cultural sense.

By: ASCDEAF

ASCDEAF — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:23:17 +0000

Robert Alfred Hawkins – Thanks for your question. The highly respected Dr. Harlan Lane is a graduate of Columbia and Harvard Universities. If he were a graduate of Gallaudet, and also a product of today’s sociopolitical climate where there is much greater awareness of the need for respecting minority languages and cultures such as ASL, then we would expect him to be fluent in ASL. The example cited in the vlog refers to a 2009 Gallaudet graduate, who presumably spent several years on campus completing a degree, and who did not use the campus language for a presentation. We would expect that an English-speaking American graduating from a university in France would learn how to speak French (or sign LSF if Deaf) fluently on campus. Why should not the same be true for Gallaudet?

By: ASCDEAF

ASCDEAF — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:21:58 +0000

Elizabeth – Kudos to ASLTA!

Katherine – Thanks for pointing out the DVTV comment for those who may have missed it.

Everyone else – Thank you for your comments!

By: ASCDEAF

ASCDEAF — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:20:44 +0000

Suzann Bedrosian – Thanks for the kind words.

Joseph – We appreciate hearing your thoughts. The comment about Deaf students doing dissertations in ASL was made in irony and not meant to be interpreted literally. Both Deaf and hearing students should be bilingual.

Katherine – Agreed, the issue of ASL often being secondary goes right to institutional policies. This is where the focus ought to be – on Gallaudet – less so, on the student.

Dianrez – And hopefully, part of turning out students who are bilingual and able to communicate in ASL fluently, means there is some obligation on the part of the new ASL users, to demonstrate their fluency in ASL, in a public situation, such as in the example.

By: deafamerican

deafamerican — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:22:50 +0000

[..YouTube..] You made good points. I wonder if Deaf Studies Digital Journal requires people to do both ASL and English or will they accept ASL submissions only without any English text? It is disgusting that the student you mentioned used voice/English for his or her dissertation defense. Gallaudet University people better watch your vlog and make changes. No more spoken English!

By: Katherine

Katherine — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:19:28 +0000

For those who are not following DVTV comments, check out http://www.deafvideo.tv/63019. DSQ89 shared a powerful story about how turned off she was with a hearing person who did not sign her presentation. You can watch other commenters, too.