I've always been fascinated with language. By the time I graduated high school, I could easily communicate in American Sign Language (ASL), English and Spanish on a fluent level, and I had a conversational understanding of Greek, German and Italian. I started teaching American Sign Language in 1976 and continue to do so, today.
I am constantly amazed by the relationship between culture and language and how fluid language is in relationship to how the world changes. Funny how language seems to adapt and change easily regardless of the fact that its people may take a longer time to accept change. Without language, there is no culture, without culture, life itself would flat-line. Language is based on culture as evidenced by even the newest edition of the Oxford American Dictionary where the words "blog" and "ginormous" have been added. Pretty soon even Rachael Ray's "yummo" and "EVOO" will be added.
Each semester, I share with my students my intimate knowledge of the structure of ASL as it relates to the Deaf community. After thirty-years of teaching the same course, I am thankful that language is as fluid as it is or else my classes would flat-line. There are always new signs to teach as the Deaf world adds new vernacular to its ever-growing vocabulary base. You may be thinking that there must be a sign for every word in English, but indeed, there are some concepts in English that are still fingerspelled in ASL until an applicable and structurally sound sign surfaces. For example, the sign for BEACH used to be fingerspelled, now it's a compound. iconic sign for the shore with waves splashing against it. Even with the new sign, some Deaf people still fingerspell the word B-E-A-C-H. The sign for EPIDEMIC used to be fingerspelled and now the sign is a combination of the signs SICK + SPREAD. The cycle of a new sign is complex. Often, sign language instructors learn the new vernacular and pass it on to their interpreting students who pass it on to the Deaf community. Where does the sign language instructor get the new sign? From someone in the Deaf community!
I've always said, "to teach is to learn twice". It's a motto I found on a refrigerator magnet once. So, every semester, I give my students a class where they can teach each other what they have learned about American Sign Language and Deaf culture. This semester, one of my students found the video (click the play button above) on YouTube which sums up Deaf history, culture, identity, pride and wisdom. Each signer represents a small aspect of the diversity within the Deaf Community. All of the signers are Deaf. For me, it's the sum of over thirty years of teaching these concepts all in one piece of music. Funny how the Deaf community can use music to bring home a universal message. Hop
efully, this will message will not fall on deaf ears."Waiting On The World To Change" by John Mayer
Me and all my friends
We're all misunderstood
They say we stand for nothing and
There's no way we ever could
Now we see everything that's going wrong
With the world and those who lead it
We just feel like we don't have the means
To rise above and beat it
So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change
It's hard to beat the system
When we're standing at a distance
So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change
Now if we had the power
To bring our neighbors home from war
They would have never missed a Christmas
No more ribbons on their door
And when you trust your television
What you get is what you got
Cause when they own the information, oh
They can bend it all they want
That's why we're waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change
It's not that we don't care,
We just know that the fight ain't fair
So we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change
And we're still waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting waiting on the world to change
One day our generation
Is gonna rule the population
So we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change
