“Silence is Golden”
A little over a decade ago, I was a sophomore in high school planning my classes for my junior year. At that very moment, I embarked on a class that would not just be an educational elective, but it evolved into a deep hearted passion. I registered for my first, “American Sign Language,” course at the tender age of sixteen and I never looked back. From the second my sign language teacher introduced herself and gave the course outline, I knew it was the very moment I was not just taking this class for a credit towards graduation. Instead, I was preparing for my future. I knew right then and there I wanted to major in American Sign Language in college and be as great as my sign language teacher taught me to be.
As the year progressed in my first sign language class, so did my skills and amazement for this language. I learned about Deaf culture, hand shapes, hand gestures, and finger spelling to effectively communicate in proper American Sign Language (ASL). I learned that sign language is not universal and that the deaf are very passionate and proud people. I also learned that I am part of the dominant hearing culture while the deaf are part of the minority culture, but they have a strong voice amongst themselves.
American Sign Language and Deaf Culture because have given me an excellent understanding of this topic. Additionally, I am fluent in this language. After three years of American Sign Language at my high school, I feel I have a great understanding of this unique one of kind language and its culture to create an authentic “real feel” blog to appeal to all ages as well as sign language enthusiasts that want to know more or pursue the language further with education. I too, would like to pursue American Sign Language as a career and be a Sign Language teacher.
Lastly, I plan on creating a fun and knowledgeable blog that will have readers engaged in what American Sign Language has to offer. Some topics I wish to include in my blog are: history of American Sign Language, technology for the Deaf, deaf happenings in the Deaf community, Deaf culture, and controversial issues within the deaf community.
“Silence is golden especially in the Deaf community.”
