To all ASL students creating videos to 'teach ASL...

As an ASL teacher I'm very concerned about the flood of videos being created by ASL students who think they are qualified to be teaching my language. Frankly, it worries me because they create and spread a lot of errors and misconceptions. This video is my comments to them and to those who are interested in learning ASL.

http://www.WestwoodASL.com/moodle



Learn ASL American Sign Language Lessons Deaf Teach

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Learn
• ASL
• American
• Sign
• Language
• Lessons
• Deaf
• Teach

[Chitchatcheeko57]

I'm in agreement 100% Thanks

[BYUFanatic]

@Chitchatcheeko57 Glad you agree. :)

[BYUFanatic]

@joshgarza123 That's true. You don't have to be qualified to do brain surgery, or to teach in school, or to drive a car, or even to make burgers at McDonald's. Oh wait.... oops... Apparently there are training/qualification requirements to do all the above. My bad.

[LenAndRen9898]

I agree you.... 100%

My problem is this is my only resorce... :*( i want to talk to my deaf friends w/out interpritation... but i dont know their grammer, i sign the wrong sign, and just get nervous... :(

:( :( :(

[berrydirl]

I get your point but I think it's important that you also realize even being an ASL teacher that that doesn't always make you qualified. It makes you more qualified than a student but honestly I have seen kids come into our college from others with hearing ASL teachers and their signing stinks but it's what they've been taught from people with degrees and certificates. I am a student and wil have ASL videos online to teach ASL to my relatives because my daughter is deaf.

[nicholashartnett]

Nicely said. I've seen a lot of these videos and they're riddled with wrong signs and syntax

[SuperCheckerd]

nicely done.good work.

[MsBrenda9995]

@BYUFanatic How do I become friends with people in Deaf community. I do go to their gatherings, and they are polite and willing to chat until they discover that my signing shows them I'm not of their community. I tried a church with Deaf Ministry and that was no better. There was only 2 deaf, both raised in non-signing homes, sent to schools that taught them "english" and they insist on using that with the hearing, but yet they use ASL with other Deaf.

[MsBrenda9995]

@SignLanguageLaura Ok, I'm probably 2 months too late to comment, but I must. It is obvious to me that yes, SLLaura is correct in saying that the deaf/Deaf easily accept the high schoolers (goofy, really??), but it's not so with the adults. They are leary of, even impatient with signing adults if they are not proficient at ASL Distrustful? I struggle with memory issues, causing me to stammer and struggle. Even hearing people show impatience with me.

[MsBrenda9995]

@MsBrenda9995 I just posted the above comment and realized I didn't fully explain what I was looking for. I AM a beginner signer who has had many classes that focused on a word list and very little on sentence structure. I had hoped to learn from the Deaf themselves, but they seem very hesitant to accept hearing people into their community.

[MsBrenda9995]

@vr4jay I believe that many school aged students take it because they think it's easier than French or Spanish and I believe adults take it because it's "beautiful". Many have no concept of what's involved and do not have deaf people in their lives at all.

[MsBrenda9995]

Hello, again. I've tried to register at your website. The instructions specifically say not to register twice. I made an error while registering...wrong country. I also think, I was in the wrong link. I was not in "everyone else". Did not see such a link. I emailed you but have not received an answer. Is that website still active? I am looking for intermediate info and education concerning the syntax, grammar, idioms, etc. Can you help me?

[vr4jay]

ASL belongs to the Deaf. If you are not going to learn it right, then why bother learning? It will not do anybody any good. Take advice from the Deaf people, its their language.