The recent demonstration at the AG Bell conference has brought the age-old controversy of “signing vs. speaking” back to center stage.
This issue, like abortion, is one that will never really be resolved because people are going to do what they want to do. If someone prefers the oral approach to signing, we can holler ‘til we’re blue in the face (and red in the hands) but nothing we say will change that person’s mind.
But here’s what I think we have to do. It’s a small suggestion and it’s not going to change the world but it could have positive repercussions everywhere.
I think the deaf community as a whole needs to commit to providing free sign language classes to anyone who wants to take them.
If someone is interested in learning sign language, we should make it as easy as possible for them do to so. If their expressions of interest are met with a realization that they will need to come up with large sums of money to pay for class fees and textbooks, they may quickly move on to other interests.
My challenge to the deaf agencies and organizations in cities around the country is to find a way to offer free sign language classes to the community. In order for this to work, grants and donations would be needed to pay the teachers and other expenses. Or perhaps some teachers will donate their time or accept a reduced fee to help spread sign language everywhere.
I am reminded of churches that give away free bibles. They want you to read the bible and remember where you got it and get involved with their church and help it grow.
By the same token, we need to “give away” sign language. We must remove any barrier that makes it harder for people who want to learn our language and communicate with us.
Wrong approach: You want to learn sign language? Great! Come on in and bring your checkbook!
Right approach: You want to learn sign language? Welcome! Come on in and let’s get started!
The more people who sign, the better off we will be. So we need to take a fresh look at this subject and ask ourselves what we can do to encourage more people to learn sign language.
26 Comments
August 18, 2007 at 12:49 pm
You can learn sign language for free at http://www.lifeprint.com but I do understand what you mean. There needs to be free classes in physical locations. Here in the town I live in, the sign language classes are $100. I can’t afford that.
Growing up, my family did not allow me to learn ASL. They always insisted on hearing aids. I’ve had a lot of heartache all through those miserable years. Now, nearly in my 30’s, I honestly find it easier to communicate using ASL or PSE. Using hearing aids just doesn’t cut it for me. Its an inferior method. I say that because it amplifies my dysfunctional hearing rather than making the words clearer. If I “read” the hands, I get it right the first time its signed instead of playing the endless and exhausting “I heard something that sounds like ___, so I guess its ___? No. Must think. What could the word be?” etc.
And no. lip-reading has never benefited me and is impossible for me. I’m also tired of the assumption that all Deaf can lip-read. I love doing this cute experiment with other people. I silence my voice and move my lips properly to mouth a sentence to them. You know what happens? “I can’t read that.” And I reply “And you think -I- can? Guess again!” and walk off. Its educating, one-by-one. Misinformation is the worst form of idiocy that cycles on.
Give me a world of sign, or condemn me to a life of perpetual depression. I can’t take it anymore. At least pray that my learning efforts at the free website gains fruition.
August 22, 2007 at 11:13 am
Hi,
I think that is a great idea ! I took sign classes for a year and a half so far and it would have cost me 2000$ but I was able to get financial aid from the state and national govt.
I found your site because I am looking for help with my son who uses sign language. My son is not deaf or hard of hearing, but in fact, speech disabled. He uses sign language to communicate while still trying to learn to speak. He communincates majority in sign. Right now he has a sign interpreter at school with him, but the school district wants to take it away due to the fact that he is not deaf or hard of hearing. I feel they want to take it away because it costs too much money and they are just looking for excuses. He needs an interpreter at school with him because he cannot communicate if he doesn’t have the sign support. People who have speech disabilities are such a minority, I can’t find any info on the web.
Well, anyway, looks like a good idea to me. If only they asked us. LOL.
Annie
August 23, 2007 at 12:10 pm
That is a good point about offering free classes. Basically, it would be easier to use first class (Beginner’s class) as free class to hook them up to future classes (intermediate/advanced). It may vary about which ones. There is a tendency to have about 4 to 6 sessions. IF they wanted more, I tell them to go to ITP and become interpreters.
I have taught ASL in grassroots community for more than 35 years. I have worked with community at libraries, hospitals, fire departments, police departments, EMS (ambulance services), and schools. Some offer free classes while pay me to teach. The library for instance did offer free classes. They have the money to cover those as it is educational, beneficial and fun.
RIT/NTID had a program called Free University (ASL class) on Tuesdays to encourage hearing students to learn to communicate with deaf students on the campus. I am not sure if it is still running.
Perhaps sell some cookies, soda, pizza or something (ILY products made by deaf) to raise $ for covering books, etc.
****
As for Annie, please contact your local CIL (Center for Independent Living) and ask them to help advocate for your son. The school is very wrong to take away the interpreter.
I agree that they are looking for excuses, but they are forgetting that lawsuits are pretty expensive and a bad publicity will tarnish their reputation.
=)
September 3, 2007 at 10:33 am
I am interested in your sign language course, please can you reply back to me with more information so that I can join
Thank!!!!
September 4, 2007 at 12:17 pm
hey there, i just thought i’d say i love that idea! i’m currently trying to learn asl in class, and i want to learn faster, but everything i researched costs a lot of money for me to do so. I think they should teach asl in gradeschool too.
October 1, 2007 at 5:44 pm
I agree that offering free sign language classes is a great way to go Tom! There are many advantages rather than disadvantages. Syracuse area even does a Deaf coffee chat every Friday just so hearing can come and meet Deaf people and practice their signs or learn new signs.
It is through the change in our attitude that bridges the gap between Deaf and Hearing by making things as available as possible. What better way than offering free classes? Who knows… we may get more hearing people wanting to be interpreters because of the positive experience they had in our community. It is the ease and encouragement that we can give them in making sign language readily available.
October 8, 2007 at 8:20 pm
That’d be awesome. I went to RIT for my undergrad and did my liberal arts concentration in ASL. (Really wanted to do a minor, but RIT doesn’t offer a minor in ASL… tell me that’s not odd!)
I haven’t had any need to use it since I graduated four years ago and have forgotten so much. Sigh. The classes around me either cost too much, or don’t fit into my schedule. …and honestly, I want to take a non-credited course but everything I’ve seen is for credit at local colleges. Hrmph. Not too keen on that.
November 15, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Pleas tell me how to get connected with your class I really would like to learn how to sign
January 4, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Please tell me more about free classes for learning sign language. I am very interested in learning more about signing.
Thank you!
March 16, 2008 at 4:41 pm
I must agree, I have a daughter who is Deaf, and she goes to school for the Deaf where they teach her ASL. But that does not help me,I can not communicate with her on her level I’m learning from her and she’s only four.
March 19, 2008 at 10:59 am
Hello!
I think this try.
April 12, 2008 at 11:25 pm
I believe your idea is an excellent one as well. Iam a 32 year old mother of 2 children. Both my parents were born deaf. They had 5 children together. Iam the oldest. The sad thing is they taught none of us sign language. They spoke it to one another but when it came to talking to us, they just spoke verbally and we understood even from the tender age of 2. I guess they didn’t comprehend the importance of teaching us sign language. Maybe they thought it would hinder us in some way. Who knows? Honestly, I am upset that I can’t to this day communicate with my parents in their own language. They separated when I was 14 and divorced a short time later. My mom isn’t around any deaf people and hasn’t been for years due to her location so she doesn’t use sign language anymore. When you don’t use something you surely lose it. My dad on the other hand lives in a deaf community and uses it on a constant basis. I finally at the age of 27, realized I wanted to become a sign language interpreter. So God forbid my parents passed away, I had something of theirs I could carry around other then my memories. I get excited when I see deaf people. But pissed at the fact of not being able to carry on a conversation with them because of my non-existent sign language skills. I always feel the need to want to share my story of having and growing up in a household similar to theirs with deaf family. In my case deaf parents. Unfortunately, due to pass student loans going into default in other career areas, Iam unable to receive financial aid. But this is indeed my calling, so God will make a way for me to go back to school to take up my heart’s desire. In the meantime, I am working on getting my 2 hearing children, ages 3 and 11 into a school in Manhattan where hearing and deaf students attend. My son who is 3 is on the waiting list. My daughter is not having any luck because in the fall she would be going into the 6th grade, and oddly enough the school just had a meeting saying they are not accepting any outside 6th graders who are transferring into their schoolbecause the funding was cut and two of the teachers are deaf so if the students don’t already know sign language they are out of luck. I don’t want my kids to grow up not knowing sign language. I want them to communicate with their grandparents and community members who are hard of hearing. It would be awesome for me to go back to school and learn it but even a greater blessing for me not to have to teach it to my kids because it is already in their curriculum on a daily basis. Pray for me and pray that in this lifetime that learning sign language will be placed in more schools just as spanish and french and all those other languages that people find essential and important
April 15, 2008 at 10:03 pm
I have always thought that sign language should be taught for free as well. I’m hearing impaired and on limited income and my mom doesn’t think that learning sign language should cost anything as well. The way we see it is that communication is a natural part of life just like breathing and we don’t pay to breathe air so why pay to communicate?
October 19, 2008 at 3:31 pm
ive been searching a long time for free signing classes i am a single mother of four children and cannot afford to pay for the classes. i have a brother who is deaf and communicating with him is very difficult im hoping you can help
October 19, 2008 at 3:39 pm
I have been looking for free sign language classes for a very long time.i am a mother of four children , so i could not afford to pay for any classes.i have a brother who is deaf, and it is difficult to communicate with him.personally i think this should have been taught to us in school or just random programs free, because no one should be left out.HOPEFULLY !!!! this program is the help i’ve been looking for.
November 25, 2008 at 12:32 pm
I love the idea of free sign language classes. I offer free classes on my website (http://www.start-american-sign-language.com), but so far, it’s only me signing. I’ve been trying to get Deaf people and others who know sign language involved, but have been unsuccessful. No one so far is willing to contribute for free, and I don’t have any money to pay them.
I know that learning ASL online is not the best way, but it is something, and many people really enjoy it and are more willing to learn sign language that way. I also encourage the students to attend Deaf events in their area and to communicate with Deaf people and even learn with a friend.
Free in-person sign language classes would be a better way to go. It’s just finding the people to contribute their time, that’s all
I wish I had that kind of time 
February 1, 2009 at 6:05 am
I just perplexed that sign language is free to give them to learn. What about the other foreigners’ languages such as French, Spanish.. provide free?
English As Second Language provides free?
ASL Free?
I know foreigners’ language are require to have the people to pay for the courses. Language are expensive for them to learn.
Thus, ASL is considered as Foreigners’ language. They pay for the courses.
For the hearing parents with the deaf children… should provide free courses…. contact the Deaf organizations … Deaf organizations are really good resources for the hearing parents with deaf and hard of hearing and cochlear implants children.
February 2, 2009 at 1:36 am
Thank you so much michelle, your lessons are awesome!
March 11, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I would love to learn how to sign
I am presently taking my Education Assistant course and learning to sign would be a bonus!
That would better able me to help in a larger area when it comes to helping Special Needs children ect…
March 24, 2009 at 3:34 pm
I have been looking for free sign language classes for a very long time. i have made effort as well. i am delighted to meet you. please how do i get connected. i am seriously in need of it.
thanks for giving us this opportunity.
Dirichukwu
nwa2match@yahoo.com
June 21, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Free sign language classes would be a wonderful thing for the public to have access to! With a background in Nutrition, and have worked in multiple healthcare settings, I have met a variety of different people, including hearing impaired. I will say, that I feel a bit of emptiness when I cant communicate to client. I realize that most healthcare settings will bring in interpreters where needed, but I feel within myself a responsibility to learn as much as I can to communicate the ideas I would like to convey to the people that I work with. I am currently trying to learn ASL through computer software, but I realize the only way I would master ASL is if I had strong focus group to practice with. For a community of people to come together, both hearing and deaf, to work together and to share different ideas, expressions, and concepts, it is clear that everyone would be much better off!
Please do keep me posted on any free sign language classes or events!
July 13, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Re: Free Sign Language Courses, has anyone thought about offering them via the ‘Meetup’ website (www.meetup.com), as I took some classes with my older sister before she passed two years ago, and still remember some of what I’ve learned, but know of a young woman who’d like to take some classes (her mom is deaf and she communicates to her via signing) in order to earn some extra cash, and improve her signing skills too. Here in Brooklyn (New York) they’d be a ‘boost’ to several communities whose parents ’stay hidden’ because of their embarrassment in being deaf. If you have ‘anything’ in New York City, sign me up real soon, and the ‘Meetup’ website is a great place to get started.
July 21, 2009 at 6:45 pm
I think it should be a must for children to learn sign language in school as a second language, before they learn Spanish or French. After all the deaf community has been part of our society far longer than any immigrants, of whom I am one too. I feel it would break down the barrier. I don’t think it is fair to the children to “mainstream” them in school and the hearing kids are not learning how to communicate with them.
I have learned sign language to communicate with my friend. Unfortunately she moved away and I have not had the opportunity to keep up my sign, so I forgot a lot. I am looking to refresh my sign so I don’t have to stutter at any deaf people when I am trying to communicate with them.
August 30, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I would love to join as well.
September 25, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Great idea!
Hello, I recently made an inquiry about learning ASL by calling FEGS. The gentleman who called me back left a message saying that they don’t offer classes, and that I should contact a CUNY school.
I cannot afford to pay for classes and would like to learn perhaps to volunteer, etc. Also, I believe that ASL is recognized as a Second Language and would look great on anyone’s resume’.
Please let me know of any free physical ASL classes that may have come into existence.
Thank you for your work.:)
September 30, 2009 at 12:36 am
I have recently met a man that I am very interested in ………..He told me that he was deaf due to an accident and hearing aids would never do him any good. I plan to be with this man someday and feel we have a future.
I would like for my 15 year old Twin Boys and I to be able to communicate with him when we do meet. I have begun to teach myself with a book but since I have no chance to experience it physically, I can’t seem to comprehend and absorb what I am learning.
I am a single mother and have very little money. I would love to meet a young adult near me that would care to earn what little I could pay to spend 2 or 3 hours a week with my sons and I so we can atleast learn some basic signing. Enough to help us feel confident and be able to make him feel comfortable and confident around us. He means that much to me, to us. I also feel it will help my boys and I to help others.
We have another friend that has a 14 yr old daughter that is deaf but she has hearing aids and doesn’t use sign language as she did before…..This doesn’t help her when she is at a water park and my boys know now after a very scary moment for her, not to ever leave her side.
They understood some of what she had taught them and they knew how to communicate but alone she and others had no idea how to communicate. She was completely lost and her tears broke my heart.
Please tell me the best way to learn signing and how I can help others. It’s a matter of paying it forward. I feel that God will use me in this way and I pray many others.
I am a member of a motorcycle site and I have an event I call “Calling All Angels” where bikers and those that thought that had no faith go to and pray for others and their own. Maybe something could be started in our school system or community that could be called., “Paying it Forward” Or “Sign it Forward” Maybe those that are taught should pay it forward by teaching a certain amount of hours to others to pay it forward.
Any ideas or advice would be grateful.
Thank you,
Simone