I went with my friend Chelsey to a deaf expo on Saturday, and the Arizona Deaf Theater Co. wants me to act in their production of "The Odd Couple."
They said if i don't want to act - I can help out with the technical side- which is probably what I'll do since I don't really know sign language.
It's so interesting seeing people interact with one another. I feel like it really was like entering a foreign country, where the people are more sociable believe it or not, and very affectionately tactile because they communicate physically. I saw deaf people with deaf children and hearing people with deaf relatives, etc.
Most of the booths were mainstream companies that sent deaf or fluent signer representatives to offer services to the deaf, and I met this one guy who had two deaf parents. He had a speech impediment because basically he was born into a silent home and didn't have a whole lot of early speech development that other kids do. Since most kids develop those skills from birth through their third year or so, you can imagine what it would be like for a child who hasn't really communicated verbally until kindergarten. It was very interesting.
I didn't know this either, but apparently deafness is very hereditary (perhaps dominant). This one representative from Merril Lynch was completely deaf and all of his siblings and parents were as well.
I wonder if deaf people think in signs or "sign outloud" in their heads as they read. If not, I'm betting that they read a lot faster than most people. The main thing slowing us down is not reading comprehension, it's that we insist on saying the whole word out in our heads as if we don't already know it. Those who are deaf from birth don't really have to worry about that because they don't know what sound is at all anyway. Or what any letter sounds like for that matter. They just know that each word means a certain thing. It seems more efficient.
Anyway, I'm supposed to be meeting those guys for the play tomorrow evening at 5:30... I don't have to work tomorrow so I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem, I'm just very nervous that I won't be able to communicate very well with them.
But I think most people feel that way when they go to a foreign country with a foreign language and culture.
They said if i don't want to act - I can help out with the technical side- which is probably what I'll do since I don't really know sign language.
It's so interesting seeing people interact with one another. I feel like it really was like entering a foreign country, where the people are more sociable believe it or not, and very affectionately tactile because they communicate physically. I saw deaf people with deaf children and hearing people with deaf relatives, etc.
Most of the booths were mainstream companies that sent deaf or fluent signer representatives to offer services to the deaf, and I met this one guy who had two deaf parents. He had a speech impediment because basically he was born into a silent home and didn't have a whole lot of early speech development that other kids do. Since most kids develop those skills from birth through their third year or so, you can imagine what it would be like for a child who hasn't really communicated verbally until kindergarten. It was very interesting.
I didn't know this either, but apparently deafness is very hereditary (perhaps dominant). This one representative from Merril Lynch was completely deaf and all of his siblings and parents were as well.
I wonder if deaf people think in signs or "sign outloud" in their heads as they read. If not, I'm betting that they read a lot faster than most people. The main thing slowing us down is not reading comprehension, it's that we insist on saying the whole word out in our heads as if we don't already know it. Those who are deaf from birth don't really have to worry about that because they don't know what sound is at all anyway. Or what any letter sounds like for that matter. They just know that each word means a certain thing. It seems more efficient.
Anyway, I'm supposed to be meeting those guys for the play tomorrow evening at 5:30... I don't have to work tomorrow so I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem, I'm just very nervous that I won't be able to communicate very well with them.
But I think most people feel that way when they go to a foreign country with a foreign language and culture.
posted by Matt at
3:33 PM
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