By William G. Vicars, EdD.
Is the ocean the best place to learn to swim?
It is a fairly common maxim that "The Deaf Community is the best place to learn
ASL."
That phrase gets bandied about quite a bit online.
I would like you all to ask yourself, "Is that really true?"
Or is that phrase instead just a politically expedient thing to say that seems
logical on the surface but when explored in any depth falls short?
I'm not "convinced" that the "Deaf Community" is the best place to learn "ASL"
any more than the "American Community" is the best place to learn spoken
English.
I suggest to you that the "best" place to learn ASL is an organized continuing
education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, massive
language exposure, and qualified instruction (provided by inspiring, caring,
experienced instructors).
Specifically: Programs that have made "long-term investments in systematic
language support programs; ensuring that programs are guided by standardized
principles, goals, and benchmark measures; and training teachers in
second-language acquisition in both implicit and explicit language support."
(Christensen, 2007)
I would suggest to you that the Deaf Community can be a good place to practice
and observe the ASL that you have been taught via a solid (or better yet,
"awesome") language training program.
On the other hand, the Deaf Community is also often a scary turn-off for many
beginning ASL learners forced to attend a Deaf Event before they are ready -- or
having been thrust into "deafness" via aging or broken ears. The Deaf Community
is populated with folks who are about as qualified to teach their language as
the average American is to teach English.
Suppose someone tells you:
"The ocean is the best place to learn how to swim."
Just go on out to the ocean and get started! You'll do great!
Really?!?
Maybe you'd do a little "more great" in a warm, four-foot deep swimming pool
with a qualified, experienced instructor?
When it comes to learning ASL -- I suggest to you the following levels of
effectiveness:
Good: Deaf Community ("the ocean")
Really good: Awesome Language Training Program (the swimming pool with an
instructor)
Better: Awesome Language Training Program combined with a massive amount of
hanging out in the Deaf Community.
Better still: Marry a Deaf ASL teacher who doesn't use voice at all.
Best: Marry a Deaf ASL teacher, move away from your home town to attend an
awesome language training program, surround yourself with all kinds of ASL
learning materials, get a job working at a Deaf organization; carpool to work
with Deaf folks, go to Deaf events, and form multiple engaging long-term
close-friendships with a variety of skilled Deaf ASL signers.
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Posted: August 31, 2018
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Reference:
Christensen, Gayle and Stanat, Petra, (2007, September) Migration Policy
Institute, Policy Briefs: "Language Policies and Practices for Helping
Immigrants and Second-Generation Students Succeed," Retrieved, 8/31/2018 from:
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/language-policies-and-practices-helping-immigrants-and-second-generation-students-succeed
Notes:
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