Chapters 16-18

Chapter 16:

I absolutely loathe the feeling of isolation. Therefore, I can only imagine the difficulty of being deaf in an area with no other deaf people. It only seems right that most deaf people would move to big cities with hopes of being surrounded with others like them. Even then it would be a big adjustment. First, the deaf individuals moving from the rural, isolated areas will not be as advanced in their language abilities. Without the formal education and ability to interact with other deaf people, it would be tough for them to be surrounded by a community who is more distinguished. Second, the different regional dialects will come into effect. From a personal experience, I have noticed that Stacey's signs are not always exactly the same as the ASL lab instructors. This is due to the fact that Stacey was born and raised in California where the signs vary from those who practice ASL in Kentucky. I think it is neat how different regions have unique signs, but like the book states this does present some "unavoidable confusion." 

I really appreciate how the authors incorporated some advice concerning instructional resources. However, it is extremely sad that for a deaf individual to learn ASL they have to go through such a long and "iffy" process of finding reliable resources. Imagine having to go to numerous libraries or bookstores, or even purchase expensive equipment to simply learn how to communicate! Hearing individuals are just able to pick up our native language. Seldom do we have to refer to a book or multimedia program. So, I believe we shouldn't take our abilities for granted! 

Chapter 17:

Before reading this chapter I had never heard of "pidgin." Interestingly enough, I found that Pidgin Sign English allows "native ASL signers and native English speakers to comfortably communicate with each other." (pg. 119) It seems like a more simple way for non-deaf to communicate since it is basically English word order with some English grammar omitted. Before taking the CD 101 course, I thought that sign language was signed in natural English order, so it was interesting to learn that sometimes it is in fact by using PSE.

Professor William Newell stated: " PSE is not truly a "pidgin" in the same sense that other pidgin languages exist in the world." This encouraged me to research other pidgin languages and I found that one of the most famous is Hawaiian Pidgin English. 

• In the Hawaiian islands there were various languages on each island. These were brought about by merchants visiting and some staying on the islands. Merchants brought with them their own language making communication among the islands very difficult. The people finally derived their own language which was a mixture of languages from countries including America, Korea, China, the Philippines, Japan, and Samoa. This was known as Hawaiian Pidgin. It is still spoken by people in Hawaii (mainly teenagers) and is mostly versions of English slang. 
• Some phrases include: "no can", "talk stink", and "wat doing?" 
• Some vocabulary is:
• Choke- alot
• Slippa- sandals
• Tutu- grandmother
• Bruddahs- brothers
• An interesting fact I found was that bookstores in Hawaii actually sell books to help tourists understand Hawaiian Pidgin

I believe code switching is important because is it a way to break the language barrier that can sometimes be intimidating or difficult to learn. I feel as if it is a helpful aid to native English users who are just beginning to communicate through ASL. Even though it may be helpful, I don't feel as if deaf people should rely solely on "code switching" to communicate with hearing people. By doing this, "Hearing people rarely get to see pure ASL being used in their presence." (pg. 121) If true ASL is never used in our/hearing individuals presence how will we ever learn the complexity of the language. 

Chapter 18:

I feel as if I wouldn't be completely in the middle of the "continuum." I would probably be slightly toward the left of Pidgin Sign English (closer to "pure English" users). I understand that I have not fully grasped the concept of ASL and I am not afraid to admit that I still have trouble remembering not to sign in English order. I am a beginner, but I am willing and eager to progressively move towards the right side of "the arc." 

Some people may view initialized sign as "bad" because it is not PURE ASL. But what they do not realize is that some of the signs may carry "real meaning" instead of just representing Signed English. (If I am understanding this correctly. This chapter seemed somewhat confusing to me.)