Is Learning Sign Language Too Hard?
Thursday August 7, 2008
Do you think it is difficult for hearing parents of deaf children to learn sign language? I am not referring to "pure ASL," but to basic sign language. Is it hard to learn enough sign language to be able to communicate adequately with your child when you are a hearing parent?
Related on About.com: Parents Not Learning Sign Language
Comments
for each individual, to a degree.
I have family members that tried to learn; some can only be great at fingerspelling, others only great at homemade asl, others only good at producing perfect lipreadable motions.
Anything is possible. I love it when one becomes good at their one thing; imagine having a conversation with someone who can fingerspell 120 wpm!
Yes!
I am not a parent, but as an post-prime ASL student I have difficulty differentiating many signs. I just found out the way I have always sign pop may be something bad.
Studying is difficult – practicing is tough when you don’t really know if you are practicing correctly.
I am glad to see the TC program in our city does include teaching ASL to parents, even before the first day of class. Early is good.
But your differentiating is important too. The grammatical rules still escape my grasp, but learning basic things like water, drink, bathroom, food – simple communications are not so bad.
Learning any new language can be difficult. The key – practice. Go to as many Deaf events that you can. Start by going to adult ed. classes at local high school or community college. Another great way is going to a ASL Meetup (ww.meetup.com) or Deaf Chat Coffee in your area (www.deafcoffee.com). Become involved in the Deaf community – make some new friends – have fun
Art
That seems too many Americans’s inability to absorb the concept of visual spatial language, because of our homogeneous language largely dominate the rest of America unlike Europeans and inhabitantants in other countries.
Europeans are very accustomed to the exposures of various languages on daily basis, not Americans.
The dominant language in the United States like the heavily-aural language (English) seems keeping Americans from broadening their newfound language acquistions.
If not for the audistic attitudes toward visual spatial language (ASL), more Americans especially parents of deaf child, would not have any problems of learning sign language.
How sad of our American society heavily rely on hearing sounds, instead of being more visual spatially, ex. observe archtiture and other things beyond sounds.
No questions about the existence of modern technology like cell phones, IPod and 100+ cable television shows contribute to the sense of social cocooning within themselves and their clique circles.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
It can be very difficult. Everyone has the ability to learn. But to really get any kind of proficiency, you need to be able to use it regularly. Signing with your child helps, but they quickly become better than you do. And if your child is the only one who uses it, you will never get proficient.
If you choose to get a CI for your child, and you still want to continue sign language, you really need the support of the Deaf Community. If they are not supportive of both the sign language and respectful of your choice, then you end up dropping sign. It can be a tight rope walk.
The very manner of your question shows that you KNOW the answer. No child will have enough language development based on a few signs learned by their parents in late adulthood. It may be easy to learn a handful of signs, but it is not easy to learn an entirely new language WELL. It is very difficult, particularly if that language is based on visual cues rather than auditory. This isn’t about audism– it’s about reality. People can gnash their teeth, but that doesn’t change this reality. You would think that pride regarding the language would necessitate the understanding that it is complex. But I have found nothing but scorn, personally, as a parent, for wanting my child to be able to use the (spoken) language which we use, and for the fact that we realize we could never play catch-up fast enough to teach real language to our child via ASL.
No matter what your “Language Choice” for your Deaf child, you have to think ASL TOO!
As an Adult student of ASL, I think ASL is worth learning no matter how hard it is. Especially if your child is Deaf.
ASL is not only a language OPTION. It is a resource that gives your child a COMMUNITY of SUPPORT that will give your child an IDENTITY within the Deaf Community. As HARD as it it is, learning as much ASL as you CAN will reinforce that sense of IDENTITY. And show that you recognize your child’s identity, and EMBRACE your child as a Deaf Individual.
No, it’s not hard to learn ASL.
However, the way we generally teach ASL in this country is pathetic and seems to be aimed towards people with no academic skills whatsoever. Sorry to say it, but it’s true. Try looking at a curriculum for French for 7th grade, and compare it to how they teach ASL to adults or parents. It’s sick. Worse, parents of Deaf babies need special skills to work with their kids, not just “basic ASL” – and most courses don’t provide the necessary support for that.
And yes, I’ve designed my own curriculum, so I know what I’m talking about.
Another thing:
At 24 months, the normal hearing child is expected to have a vocabulary of 150-300 words.
24 months = 730 days.
So all one has to do is learn a signed word every two to four days, and learn to use those words somewhat grammatically, and one’s vocabulary will be prepared to match the usual level of vocabulary in the Deaf child. You don’t need to learn the entire language at once – your kid certainly doesn’t! That’s not the right way to look at it, and it doesn’t help either the parent or child. Check out this website on language development – what ideas does it give you?
However, KL is right. Deaf people need to take it on themselves to make themselves available. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL NAD CHAPTER. Set up a parental support group. Post posters around your community. If you believe in ASL, put your time where your mouth is. Give parents ALL the options, not only one. Give children EVERY opportunity to communicate, and don’t limit them to one language. (ASL grammar is very close to French, Spanish, and other Romance languages, and children fluent in ASL may learn these languages more easily, as well. We’re doing research on that….)
Why do hearing ppl say English is better and more complicated than ASL
then complain that ASL is too hard to learn?
Obviously they can speak English
If it’s so much better, ASL should be easy….
I am a hearing parent of a deaf child. It was hard for me to learn asl at first. I think it all depends on how much the parent wants to learn. My son is now 14 years old. I still don’t know a lot of sign language but I know enough to have a conversation with my son, his friends, and his teachers. It was VERY IMPORTANT for me to let my son know that I wanted to be apart of his world.
I think it is imperative for parents to at least learn the basics….would they not speak to their hearing child? If I can start learning asl at 54 and become an interpreter, then younger parents who have so much at stake should be able to learn. In Sweden the government pays for something like 200 hours of sign language instruction to parents of deaf children.
Trust me, it is not difficult at all–assuming you have incentive. Speak with someone who has experience and develop a plan of action; keep it simple and do not deviate from it. Good luck.
I really enjoyed learning ASL. It was easier to use SEE but I preferred the realism of ASL. I am hearing and would love to find a free way of continuing learning this very beautiful, landguage
I find it necessary, as a parent, to understand some ASL as most of the kids who are profoundly deaf use that as their primary form of communication. However, I must admit, being hearing – that “pigeon” signed english, english word order and english grammer are so much a part of my primary language that I do have difficulty learning and using ASL. In hopes of keeping connected to my son, I am hoping to start up ASL classes again this coming Fall. My son uses signed english with me most of the time, but I am certainly missing out on much and as he becomes a teen I need to be able to communicate with him and his friends better.
I took 4 classes in ASL at a speech/hearing center here and using that as a base, I have been able to build on it. I am constantly learning. Deaf people are always ready to help me. Practice and the desire to learn is the key! I cannot imagine anyone not wanting to do whatever it takes to be able to communicate with their own child!! How selfish can you get to not take the time to do that!
I learned to fingerspell as a child, but took ASL in college in my 40s, (I am hearing, and took it in order to communicate with the Deaf Community). One thing that is important in learning ASL is understanding that it is NOT just “signs” for spoken English, but is a completely different language in itself. This means sentence structure, grammar, and the absense of some words all together. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that ANYBODY can learn sign, any more than I would say that anybody can do anything, (we all have limitations of some kind), but given the right teacher, motivation, and determination, I think that most people can gain a working knowledge of the language.
As a deaf person who started out with SEE as a child and the strong parental support for both signed and spoken language, it also depends on how parents are motivated…not only them but their child as well. If you want your child to maintain use of sign language (ASL or other modes of communication – ASL is a true language), let your child know as soon as possible…not later in life, that you want him/her to sign at home. I would sign at school but speak at home, my parents didn’t tell me to ’shut up and sign’. Smiles. So take this advice and when using a language as you learn it, encourage your child to do it at home as well. One tip for parents: do realize that ASL is a language. The public school I attended used SEE and when my mother and I went to the deaf school, she came back, told my former teacher that ASL is the true language of the deaf and they did argue for a while on that. She pushed for ASL; however, did wonder how would ASL work for teaching how to write English. Wouldn’t we all want to know? Smiles.
I also agree with RLM – US is homogeneous when it comes to language. It is particularly sad because the Americas’ native language is not English, it is Native Indians’ (from North to South) diverse languages that is native to the Americas’. Hybrid Spanish and Portuguese come a close second; however, their history is more recent compared to Native Indians. Europeans are advanced compared to Americans, when coming to accepting multilingual/cultural concepts.
I agree with some of the folks here in their comments – language learning depends on the person, their passion and desire to learn a language and more importantly – use it in the real world. A book is 2-dimensional and cannot respond to your learning skills and reinforcement. How did one learn to speak English in the first place – by socializing. The same rule applies for using/learning sign language. It may be hard, maybe it won’t be. One always starts out hard and with continuous use/learning of language, it will become easier.
Go forth and socialize!
Im a mom of a deaf 5 yr old girl.We started signing with her the basic asl when she was 2 yrs old.It was hard at first especially when she’s signing something new that i don’t understand but with regular practice makes a bit easier.I enrolled her now at school for the deaf so we can communicate better.She has 2 classmates one is moderate of hearing& one is c.i.Im a bit frustrated bec only my daughter cnt hear among them.She is slow in understanding or following instructions if signs not used.One thing is we had a hard time to put on her hearing aid because she doesnt want to wear it.Atleast during classes she’s on hearing aid til hoping she’s used to it.Eventually we hope with patience,motivation&determination everything is going to be fine.We are also open to CI if we have the funds in two years.Still we are goin to sign with her because thats her first language.
I feel that it is not to hard and there should be more clases available to both parents and children whom are deaf or hard of hearing.I really wish that sign language had been available to me when I was younger but I had to make due with lip reading and even then it was hard for me/ I was notaloud to go to a school for deaf and hard ofhearing and so I missed out on so much. I have made sure that does not happen to two of my children whom are h ard of hearina gnd I do not reget learning to sign. Ihope that more parents and schools will open the door to classes for deaf and hard of hearing choldren as wellas htheir parnets and people in the community as well.
Too hard to learn to communicate with your own child? That is just a foreign concept to me. Does not matter how hard it may be, think of the alternative, never being able to really truely communicate with your child! I could not imagine that. Yes like any language you did not learn as a small child it will take some work, and a lot of practice, but there are resources out there today I never dreamed of when I started to learn ASL in 1970 – DVD, videotape, Deaf Meetup groups, classes at community colleges, early intervention programs, “Signing with Baby”, the list just goes on.
I honestly say SHAME ON YOU if you are a parent who has not made a long term committment to learning to communicate with your child. No excuses. Just do it.
I’ve found that learning to sign from an early age is a lot easier…I learned to finger spell when my family learned my youngest cousin was deaf…I myself have 90% hearing loss and the doctor’s say within the next five years I will be able to hear nothing…it’s scary losing your hearing…and I’m teaching my boyfriend and friends how to sign so that I can understand them, because despite lip-reading, I still miss a lot of what is being said…plus, lip-reading gives me headaches…anyone else run into that problem?
Like any language, the key is spending time with it, practicing, and spending some time around people who partake it .I’ve found it to be easier as I acquire vocabulary and pratice the basic sentence structure.
so.. my “official’ take on it……. It’s a little difficult at first… with practice it becomes easier.
“Do you think it is difficult for hearing parents of deaf children to learn sign language? I am not referring to “pure ASL,” but to basic sign language. Is it hard to learn enough sign language to be able to communicate adequately with your child when you are a hearing parent?”
Do I think learning a language when you’re an adult is difficult? Yes. Do I think raising a Deaf child is difficult? Yes. Do I think that a parent of a Deaf child has the right to say “It’s too hard?” No.
With that being said, hearing parents of Deaf children have it hard. They often grieve the loss of the child of their dreams…not that their Deaf child is, somehow, less, but very few hearing people dream of having a Deaf child. It just isn’t part of the hearing culture. Hearing parents, especially mothers, often feel guilt when they give birth to a Deaf child. Some feel like they caused it…or, at least, didn’t prevent it. So, to break out in harsh judgement without knowing a family is not right.
My son has bilateral implants.(since 18mths) We did basic signs until he was implanted. We were told it would be better to not sign and let him aquire lang. through hearing. We didn’t stop signing we just didn’t add any new signs. He did start speaking and we all together stopped signning. His aquistion of spoken language has been slowwer than what is expected. We fought school districts for so long to not teach him sign. He has a terrible time getting his words out in proper form and order. At age 9 we are wanting him to learn sign now. I regret every day not continuing with the sign. My child CAN hear he just can’t communicate affectively enough to be understood by most people, we only understand him about 50% of the time. When asked to repeat it he has gotten to the point where he says forget it! That saddens me greatly. Now we are fighting the school to teach our child sign language! You just never know how things will turn out. We are now teaching him signs at home. He hasn’t started using them but we are confident he will.
I agree that it depends on the motivation of the parents, or whomever is taking care of the child. I too, find it difficult to understand how a parent could find anything hard when it comes to communicating with their child. I have a neice that is deaf and I was so excited when I took my first asl class that it was a lot easier than I anticipated. I have taken quite a few classes since then and have also received a certificate in sign language. Many of the signs go hand-in-hand with the actual word. Learning ASL is not hard at all, but you must have the drive and desire to do it and must come from within.
Yeah it is hard to learn ASL – as with any language. As a parent, if you really care about your child you will learn ASL – you don’t have to get to an interpreter level, but you have to learn. How can you not want to communicate with your kids? Even if you get the child an implant, the child is still deaf when the battery dies, or when they can’t wear it…
As Americans we are entirely too lazy!
I am a grandmother of 2deaf/implanted granddaughters living in a rural area where it is hard to find anyone to teach you asl.I have been fortunate in the school and coop here.I can communicate with them It is hard to learn at 54 but dont forget the internet if it wasent for it they wouldnt of had a start as that is where i found the words to start them signing as for the first 3 years of their life i couldnt get anyone to acknowledge they were deaf.I went to our coop and ask for anything thing they had on signing and they gave me many papers with words in sign and in hearing to help us.As it is i can sign some and if i dont know what they are signing they will find a way to let me know what it means so at 6 and 8 they are my teachers.They go to regular school as we are to far from a deaf school.they sign see and asl and understand my poor attempts. dont rule out you children be openminded and they will pull you through.I do not understand anyone not doing all they can to speak to their child and for their child to be able to communicate to them.
I also cannot understand why a parent would not want to communicate with their deaf child using ASL.
Sara, you made a mistake when you stopped signing with your son, but now you realize that mistake and are correcting it. I also believe, your son will come around and start to sign back to you. Right now it sounds like he is angry and frustrated because he cannot communicate his wants, needs and feelings to you or anyone. It’s NEVER too late to learn ASL. That is why I teach hearing parents with hearing babies, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary school age children and Adults ASL. Studies have shown that teaching very young and school age children American Sign Language greatly decreases frustration, increases vocabulary, reduces crying, enhances language skills, improves fine and gross motor skills, improves hand-eye coordination, can increase IQ’s. Studies have also shown that teaching ASL supports and enhances the learning of reading, lauguage and math skills, improving memory, enhances recall and also encourages an enthusiasm for learning.
There is alot of great material out there that you can use to teach your son, yourself, and family members ASL. Make sure you are getting books, tapes, CDs, DVDs that teach American Sign Language and not Signing Exact English (SEE), or made up signs. This way you are learning a true language and will be able to communicate with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing where ever you are. Some places to look for resource are: http://www.sign2me.com (you may have a presenter in your area), http://www.wesign.com and http://www.signingtime.com all have DVDs, CDs, flashcards and books to make learning American Sign Language easy and FUN!!!
I truely believe if you sign to your son CONSISENTLY EVERYDAY he will come around and reap the benefits of signing that I listed above! Start with a few signs and it will blossom from there. Make sure all family members and school teachers, anyone that comes in contact with your son on a daily basis knows that you are teaching him ASL signs not made up signs. Also look for a Deaf Center in your area that teaches ASL classes (that was where I started 10 years ago) and go as a family.
Best of luck to you and your family and Happy Signing!!!!
Deb
It’s never easy to learn an additional language, especially after 13 or 14, but it was a lot easier for us to learn ASL than for our daughter to learn English…
She’s 19 now. My wife became fluent in ASL before I did, so daughter still thinks I understand very little. She’s wrong, but I don’t let on…
I don’t think learning sign language is hard because we as humans use our hands to express ourselves anyway. It just takes practice. If anyone would be interested in the Cincinnati, OH area I have ASL DVD free. Just leave a comment.
My dad never got to learn how to fingerspell because of the way his fingers are. They are sort of thick and together… Other persons that I know that have unsuccessful tried to fingerspell and couldn’t are persons with ADD or Traumatic Brain Injuries.
I’m deaf (not Deaf) and found learning sign language difficult. I took a basic course when I was 13 years old and, since I was the only student, I had nobody to practice with. Now, as an adult, I took a basic course at my workplace and I found it very easy because I started to remember. However, when I’m not in class I forget everything. Despite learning basic signs, I found it very difficult to speak in ASL. I understand better when someone else speaks to me in ASL in an average speed. ASL in a social aspect is too overwhelming for me with the fast speeds it has. It is for me the same as trying to hear a single word from a radio station.
As a teen, I tried to learn different languages, but never could. I learned English because it is mandatory in Puerto Rican Schools since 1st grade and my parents paid for English tutoring for years. I guess that not everybody is the same.
Last Friday night, I was chatting with 2 adults… one deaf with Pidgen Sign English and one deaf with Cued Speech with a little bit of English signing. I know PSE, ASL, and Cued Speech so I’m lucky to communicate with each one. Learn as much as you can because not all deaf people use ASL. Respect the hard of hearing and deaf people no matter what method of communication they use.
I’m writing in regard to the question, “Is it too hard to learn sign language?” I am a hearing parent of a deaf child. I had limited experiences with deaf before my daughter was diagnosed. I was told to “not embarrass yourself or the child by signing in public” and that she could learn to talk to get along in the hearing world. We too went through the denial and grieving process. How could we have a handicapped child? When she started creating baby signs to communicate, I gave in to sign language to be able to communicate with my child. I have since went back to college, got the degree and became a certified interpreter. Is it hard to learn sign language? I guess so, I’m still learning. Was all my hard work worth it? You better believe it! My daughter and I have a very close relationship! We can and do discuss everything! I was able to be the parent she needed growing up and still needs as she is struggling with college and adult life. My daughter was able to complete high school on time and on grade level. She is very success in college and can read at the college level. I too was one of the only parents to learn sign language while she was growing up. I now interpret for all those kiddos that grew up with my daughter. They remind her daily how lucky she was to have a parent that could sign. In a sense, I have not only been a parent to my child, but to most of those whose parents couldn’t sign. To this day, I have young deaf adults coming to me to explain something that their parents never did. I am proud that my daughter was able to learn from me and not have to depend on a teacher or an interpreter to explain life to her.
Gina Jackson
Interpreter for the Deaf
Tarrant County College South Campus
Disability Support Services
Fort Worth, Texas 76119-5926
(817)515-4534
(817)515-4895 fax
Learning any new language comes with its challenges. One that comes to mind is: Learning a language that does not provide auditoy information to the student who relies heavily on this stream of information is that much more challenging. Can it be done yes. Can one become fluent yes. Are all hearing parents the most effective and appropriate language role model of ASL, no.
There are many variables involved in raising a literate deaf child child. Parents need to know all their options, choose the option that they believe fits their child, their family,and be provided the support in whatever choice they make.
I am a hearing parent of a deaf daughter. I am a core member of the Deaf Bilingual Coalition. I encourage hearing parents to contact me through info@dbcusa.org.
I believe it is critical to use ASL with our Deaf children. I can’t tell you how many times my daughter has thanked our family for learning ASL. I can’t tell you how many of her friends and my Deaf friends have said how envious they are because their parents did not learn it. Life is a two way street. We can’t expect our Deaf children to do all the work to fit into our hearing families. We have to be equally willing to give all we can to communicating fully with them and that includes learning their visual language as well.
My stepson and his wife are both deaf. Over the last 13 years I have discovered a few trends:
I can hold a conversation with their friends better than with them. I think that their friends view me as a non-native speaker, converse at a slower pace and use more signs than finger spelling. My kids are more relaxed with me, so they sign faster than I can absorb, especially if emotions are involved.
I am not visually based; I work as an engineer in abstracts rather than tangibles. Finger spelling is a 3 part process for me: I have to recognize the letter, assemble the word and then recognize the word. Signs are much easier for me to recognize, yet I have notice a trend of more finger spelling than signs. In particular I am rarely “taught” new signs, they just fingerspell instead.
Even as I speak, I pause to consider what I am going to say rather than blurt out words. This pause is an invitation for a deaf person to continue their part of the conversation. In a crowd, where everyone if “fighting for attention” I am quickly on the outside of the conversation.
I am really not interested in social niceties and “empty speak.” In the hearing world people just think that I am quiet, reserved. In the deaf world, people think that I am not interested or ignorant.
In closing, it does not matter if ASL is easy or hard to learn. The motivation to communicate supersedes the frustration or effort required to learn. For the important conversations I prefer instant messengers. I much prefer written communication to spoken or signed.
I took sign language classes years ago at
the lexington school for the deaf in queens ny.I found i was better at knowing what the teacher was saying rather than being able to express myself in sign. I did learn and enjoy the language some what, but i find it hard to learn. I am now 51 and still enjoy it but i know i will never be fluent in it. even though i practice i still do not have it down.
My son was born hearing and lost it around six months old due to “medical” reasons. The day we discovered he was deaf around 7 or 8 months old, I immediately went to the library and got a sign language book and began teaching my children and myself. There are all kinds of other methods for teaching sign to children like SIGNING TIME! My oldest son, now 4 yrs old had speech delays and signing really helped his verbal language take off…hearing people may think that is far fetched but it worked for my son. Not to mention signing helped cut down on temper tantrums he used to throw because he couldn’t verbally express himself. My son that’s deaf, now 2 yrs old, took him a year to sign his first word and mind you that he lost his hearing at 6 months old. He has Early Intervention(2x a week) , Speech and Occupational Therapy (2x a week), plus us me working with him on various communication techniques. His bilateral cochlear implants, were activated on March 3 and we still continue to use sign language as well.
I urge every parent that has a child with ANY kind of speech impairment, to try sign language. Especially hearing impairments…regardless if you want to except it…cochlear implant or not, your child is still DEAF at the end of the day when they take the outside processor off
Doctors or some therapist may say, signing stops a child from learning spoken language…that’s GARBAGE! You ask them if they have a child with hearing loss or speech delays and I bet they will say “No”. Until someone has actually raised a child with a hearing loss or speech delay, they HAVE NO IDEA what it’s like. So who are they to give advice? Take it from me, I have been there and done it…learn sign language.
I also feel that if you think ASL is hard, then learn “signed English”. That’s what I do. ASL is difficult to me because it has a different grammatical structure than spoken English. I have deaf friends that use “signed English” as well. If someone truly wants to learn about communicating with the deaf, you need to get involved with other deaf people.
Deb wrote: “This way you are learning a true language and will be able to communicate with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing where ever you are”…UMM, no. Spanish Sign language is differnt from American Sign Language and in other countries as well.
Majority of people aren’t enthused that they have to learn another language. Deb also, are you saying people should HAVE to learn ASL (American Sign Language) and not use SEE (Signed Exact English)? If so, that is discouraging to many people. I have deaf friends that use ASL or SEE and they communicate well together.
I say whatever form of sign you use whether it’s ASL or SEE, it’s good to go. For example, I have a deaf friend from New York and one from North Carolina some of my NY friend’s signs are different from my NC friend. Sometimes, the way some deaf people sign is related to how old they are as well. I think majority of the older generation uses SEE, while the younger generation uses ASL.
But regardless, in your adventures in signing you will come across someone that tells you that you are using an “old” sign…or a sign you thought that meant something good, was actually a bad word to them. Various signs change from region to region. I feel, in my humble opinion, it’s all in the joy of signing and learning it is a continuous journey.