● ASL Dictionaries:
Finding a good one
● Deaf Slovakians dislike
Fingerspelling
● The sign for "crime"
● Answering concerns about
online ASL instruction
● Grapefruit
● Young Student wants to
become an Interpreter
● Simplified Signing
● Possessive "ITS"
● Paradigm
Metric
● Can
an online program prep you for an interpreter program?
Immersion Experience
2-week, No Voice Program Available
William Vicars, Ed.D.
Lifeprint.com
Hello Heroes! I've always wanted to put on an AWESOME ASL immersion.
Now, this won't be for all of you because circumstances and finances may not
permit it. But if you've had a couple of semesters of ASL instruction
and are ready to take it to the next level you might just want to consider
what it would be like to take a dive and go no voice for a couple of weeks.
Nothing like a "boot camp"-style experience to improve your signing skills
in a hurry!
What: 12-day immersion, plus pre-readings.
Who: Students who have had two semesters of ASL instruction.
When:
June 1: Application Deadline
June 17: Payment Deadline
July 1: Start of Pre-readings (Can do these at home.)
Monday, July 25 - Friday August 5: In-person ASL Immersion (Live in the
dorms. No voice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Where: California State University, Sacramento
How much: Estimated fees: [subject to
minor changes]
Tuition: $1250 Dorm: $330 Books: $120
To be placed on an "interest list" call the CSUS CCE registration desk
at (916) 278-4433. Ask for Jennifer Williams or email her at
jennifer.williams@csus.edu
Credit: Students who pass the
immersion program will receive 8 hours of college credit from CSUS (Sac
State) and a "certificate" of completion. This is not the same as a
being "certified." But it is a nice indicator that you are beyond
novice level.
ASL Dictionaries: Finding a good one
In a message dated 8/10/2004
2:52:46 PM Pacific Daylight Time, gallagher.family@erols.com writes:
I have a question. Which ASL dictionary do you usually find yourself
recommend others or the students to have or to use? Vicki
Vicki,
For the beginner I recommend:
The Perigee Visual Dictionary of Signing: An A-To-Z Guide to over 1,350
Signs of American Sign Language by Rod R. Butterworth, Mickey Flodin
For advanced students I recommend:
Random House Webster's American Sign Language Dictionary
by E. Costello -- But only if you get the "unabridged" version that has 1067
pages and over 5,600 signs (hardcover ISBN: 0394585801 ).The larger version
is tough to find, but it is much better than the version that has "only" 4,500 signs and 539 pages.
If you can get a hold of the large version you'll have a real treasure on
your hands.
Bill
Deaf Slovakians dislike Fingerspelling
Perhaps you may recall that several months ago I was trying to find the sign
for the country Slovakia... I JUST returned from there after a 6-week stay,
and I learned the sign that is used in the capital city for the country.
I'll attempt to explain... begin with both hands, "1" shape, palms in, at
approx. forehead level, heels of palms together in front of face... hands
form a semi-circle around the front of the head (like drawing the brim of a
hat), and palm orientation changes to continually be palm-in towards the
head. The capital city, Bratislava, is done with the exact same movement
and orientation, but with "B" hands (their "b" and our "b" are the same).
The group of people I met in Bratislava were incredibly nice, and explained
to me much of the Deaf culture there. About 20% of the signs they use are
the same or very similar, but the other 80% was way over my head. It was
definitely a good challenge for myself as well as the group I was with, and
we ended up "chatting" in one of the loudest bars in Bratislava for over 5
hours. BTW- they must really dislike fingerspelling because not one of them
would fingerspell, and when I attempted to fingerspell with their letter
system, they would patiently stop my hand and encourage me to try to mime
what I was trying to fingerspell. One other interesting fact I learned was
that there is no sign language dictionary for Slovak- that it is all passed
person-to-person. That explains why I had so much trouble finding anything
more than their alphabet on my own! They do have a rather large Deaf-club
in the newer part of the city, and interpreters and Deaf individuals hang
out there most of the time. They also have daily news broadcasts with
simultaneous interpreting, which fascinated me to no end! I actually broke
down and tried to record a partial broadcast with our camcorder so that I
could show it off to my classmates and instructors here :)
Sincerely,
Lacee Burch
ITP student
WCC Aurora, IL
Lacee,
Neat! Thanks for the information!
Yah...it is a fact--Deaf communities in Europe tend to fingerspell MUCH less
than the American Deaf Community.
The sign for "crime"In a message dated 8/10/2004 11:37:19 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
kormsby@Lee.Edu writes:
Hi Bill hope life is good J Question: What do you sign for crime? In
speech class a speaker said, “Many crimes are committed everyday”.
I signed: many people do wrong; steal, kill, cheat everyday.
If I knew a sign for crime I could sign; crime happen many many everyday…
right?
I did look else where in search of this sign and came up with nada.
Help please please!
Kimberly Ormsby
Lee College
ASL Interpreter
Hi Kimberly,
The way you handled it was good -- especially on a first reference.
Here's another possible way to sign “Many crimes are committed everyday:”
C-R-I-M-E-(fingerspell, yes/no facial expression, slight pause), STEAL,
KILL, CHEAT VARIOUS, HAPPEN EVERYDAY, MANY-(nod).
My way isn't necessarily any better but you asked my opinion and there it
is.
There isn't one exact sign for "crime." The closest I can think of is the
sign FORBIDDEN / "against the law." There are two versions of this sign.
I'm thinking of the version that smacks an L-shaped dominant-hand against
a flat base-hand (palm to palm) and the dominant hand bounces a few inches
off the base hand.
The other version smacks but doesn't bounce off.
If you were my interpreter and you were interpreting a long speech where
the speaker uses the word "crime" repeatedly the way I'd like you to
handle it would be to fingerspell "C-R-I-M-E" and then sign, (bodyshift)-"ME
SIGN"-(yes/no facial expression, pause), "FORBIDDEN"-(mouth movement =
"crime"). This would be a parenthetical way of saying that you are going
to sign crime by using the sign forbidden. Then you and I would
understand for the rest of the session that when you sign "FORBIDDEN" it
means "crime." Each time you did you would mouth the word "crime" and
your meaning would be clear to me.
But then you need to understand that I'm a Ph.D.-level hard-of-hearing
client. If you are interpreting for a client who has limited English
skills and doesn't already know the meaning of the word "crime," --
you are going to want to interpret it the way you described above.
Also, ask yourself, will this client be seeing this "word or terminology"
on a written test eventually? If so then you are certainly going to want
to introduce the actual English word used by the speaker either via
fingerspelling or using an unambiguous (clear) sign for the word.
Bill
(Dr. Vicars of Lifeprint.com)
Answering concerns about online ASL instruction
Hi Bill,
I sat in on Byron's class today and had a few minutes to chat with the
students about their thoughts/feelings regarding online ASL courses. They
raised some interesting points and since I know that you have done quite a
bit of research and are intimately familiar with the new program, I was
hoping that you could respond to some of their concerns.
These are questions/assumptions that the article readers might have too
so I'd like to be equipped to provide the answers.
I'm going to start writing the article on Monday the 9th.
Thanks,
Allison L. Shaw
Communications Specialist
CSUS College of Continuing
Education
Allison
The first thing to understand
here is that if an interviewer goes into a class and starts asking
questions--the students who respond are
extroverts. The fact that these extroverts are sitting in class
on a Thursday morning indicates that they are not working a 9 to 5, Monday
through Friday job. Nor are they breast feeding a baby. Nor do they have a
physical disability that prevents sitting for an extended period of time.
The students in class who don’t
respond and slip out the door unheard from are
introverts. It is a fact
that online learning appeals much more to
introverts than extroverts. So
if you ask a bunch of extroverts how they feel about spending a night home
alone in front of a computer vs. going to a classroom full of people you can
predict the type of answers you will get. If you were to email the
introverts in class an anonymous response form that they can fill out in the
privacy of their home you would get a completely different set of answers.
The second thing to keep in mind
is that I’m not trying to convince anybody that online learning is “better”
than in-person learning.
I am, however, convinced that
online learning is better for some people, than in-person learning.
Such people include people who: live long distances from classrooms, work
full-time, have to be home to watch small children, have physical
disabilities that make classroom attendance difficult, have physical
appearances or conditions which cause them to feel uncomfortable with public
environments.
Additionally, while I agree that
online classrooms seem less effective at developing expressive signing
abilities, it has been my observation that such classrooms are at least as
effective and likely more so at developing receptive ASL skills.
----------------------------
-
Issue: You can’t ask questions about what
you’re signing (Heather)
Response: Of course you can ask questions. You can do so via email or
via instant messaging. Some students might even choose to ask questions via
webcam. Within a few years videomail will be as easy and commonplace as
email is today. An online course isn’t just visiting a website, it is a
technology enhanced relationship between students and an instructor. The
great thing too is that after you ask your question in an email you can say,
“Please keep this question private.” That permits you to ask dumb questions
without feeling embarrassed about asking in front of the other students. Or
you can say, “Please keep this question anonymous.” This lets the instructor
to remove your name but forward your question and his answer to ALL of the
students. (Many of whom had the same “dumb” question but were afraid to ask
and wouldn’t have asked in a traditional classroom.
-
Online is very one dimensional and flat,
[in person] you can see the teacher in 3-D to see what the sign looks like
from different angles (Del)
Response: Online ASL instruction may be in its infancy now, but
eventually it will include an amazing amount of detail. More so than even
in-person instruction. How you may ask? Well, in a traditional ASL class
you have one “correct” model—the teacher. In an online class using
streaming video or recorded video on DVD you can see dozens of models. You
can even see child models and very old models which you are unlikely to see
in a traditional college class. A fully developed online curriculum is able
to show signs from multiple angles, including extreme close-ups. All at the
touch of a button. Think about it--when watching a football game on TV and
people want to see what “really happened” what do you do? You use the video
playback and you zoom in on the action. Then you view it from several
angles. This lets people sitting far away see exactly what went on.
-
It would be very different because the
teacher can’t gauge the level of class and how well they are signing. They
can’t adapt their speed. (Crystal)
Response: Online is much more
adapted to the speed of students than traditional in-person classes.
Students can progress at their own pace in an online course. They can take
as long as they need viewing a certain sign. They can ask their computer to
“repeat” a sign 20 times and the computer will not lose its patience or roll
its eyes. Try that with a live instructor. Instructors can “gauge” the
level of their class by testing them receptively and expressively.
Expressive testing can be done by video submissions: online-via webcam, CD,
DVD, mini-DV, VHS, etc.
-
You can’t tell a computer to slow down.
(Roger)
Response: Yes you can. Much more so than a live instructor. Let’s
consider your word “tell.” Do you really “tell” an instructor to slow
down? Or do you “ask” him to slow down and hope that he slows down enough
for you to see clearly what he is doing?
On the other hand, a shy ASL student is much more likely to “tell” her
computer to slow down than she is to “tell” her instructor to slow down.
As DVD technology becomes more and more popular it is unusual to find a new
computer these days that doesn’t have at least one video player program
capable of slowing down video images, pausing completely, and advancing
frame by frame. Using this technology you can slow down ASL movements
until you can see precisely what is going on. You can do this at the click
of a button and you can do it without fear of your instructor getting
exasperated with you.
-
ASL isn’t just about watching, it’s about
doing and if you do it wrong, you can really offend people whereas in a
class the instructor can correct your and physically move your hands to
make sure you have it right. (Roger?)
Response: You can “really offend people” eh? Sorry. You are not
giving us Deaf people enough credit. When you sign a concept incorrectly
what you do is “amuse” us.
Sort of like a small child saying a dirty word, when she doesn’t know what
it means. Are you offended by her? What offends us is a callous disrespect
for our culture. Talking in front of us as if we weren’t around. Taking
ASL because you thought it would be an easy way to fill your graduation
requirements and then acting indignant when you get a “D” grade. Taking a
few classes and then deciding you are skilled enough to start teaching ASL.
Hiring a hearing person when a qualified deaf applicant is available.
Asking our children to interpret to save you the expense of paying for an
interpreter. Closing our schools and mainstreaming us so you can feel like
you’ve “included” us when all you’ve done is placed us in glass bubbles—now
that offends us. You are absolutely right though—in a traditional class the
instructor can physically move your hands to make sure you have it right.
The equivalent of this in an online class is for the instructor to watch a
videoclip of a student and then email back instructions for improvement.
Not as immediately effective perhaps, but then again, the instructor moving
the hands of one student benefits one student. An instructor emailing
clarification of a sign to one student can easily carbon copy the email to
the rest of his students (again, at the press of a button) thus benefiting
many students. He can then post that clarification to a website and index
it for future students. Online instruction can thereby benefit not only one
student or class, but rather hundreds of classes and thousands of students.
(As of this writing my website averages more than 20,000 unique visitors
every month).
-
Facial expression is a very important part
of the language and you can’t get that expressiveness from an online
class.
Response: Why not? When you watch an actor on TV do you get any
expressiveness from their facial expressions? Can you see their eyebrows go
up and down? Their lips purse? Their head tilt? Facial expressions can be
shown via video.
-
Our first course had a lot of group
activities and projects and you wouldn’t have interaction with other
students if you took the class at home. (Crystal)
Response: And this is a bad thing? Some students don’t like doing
group projects. They don’t like their grade depending on other students.
Some are shy. Some students who are highly skilled actually resent having
to do “group projects” with slower students. They would much prefer to
learn individually at their own pace.
-
Without a Deaf teacher, you wouldn’t get as
much information about the cultural experiences of Deaf people.
Response: Many, many deaf people have
already recorded their
experiences at great length in books and on video. The Deaf people who
wrote the books and made the videos likely have as much experience being
Deaf as your “in-person” teacher. And, quite honestly, I’d be willing to
bet that the Deaf book writers and video-makers can tell their stories more
clearly and more entertainingly than most people—including your in-person
teacher. That’s why they get paid the big bucks.
So, if you want to get information about the cultural experiences of
Deaf people you can do so very effectively by reading or watching videos
about those cultural experiences.
-
When you are in a sign class where there
are no voices, you actually experience the silence of the Deaf community.
When you’re at home, you still have people talking and background sounds.
When you’re here in class, you really get the full impact. (Jennifer)
Response: What, there are no background sounds in an ASL classroom?
Must be a really deep carpet.
A silent ASL class doesn’t
give you a taste of our world. Actually it gives you a mistaken
understanding. Anyone who has ever been in the Deaf Community knows that
our many of our gatherings are anything
but silent. For example, one night I went to a party at Rod
Jex's place. He had a second floor apartment. There were about 25 of us
Deaf milling about, frequently stomping on the floor or slapping tables.
(Stomping and slapping surfaces are common methods of getting attention of
someone you want to say something to in the Deaf world – sort of like saying
“Hey Bill!”) Oh, and don’t forget the “cranked” music. (Don’t believe we
Deaf listen to music? Heh, try visiting a “prom” night at a residential
deaf school. They used to aim the speakers at the floor and crank the bass.
Or try visiting the student dorms at Gallaudet. You’ll see speaker systems
that would make [______ pick some famous rock star] jealous.) The people
downstairs got mad, came up and asked us to, "Stop making all that noise!"
The whole rest of the evening we had to really suck it up and try to be
quiet. Attention getting behavior is very, very culturally ingrained. We
spent our time shushing each other from stomping, and wondering when the
cops would show up.
Attending an in-person no-voice ASL class for a couple hours a week
doesn’t qualify as an “immersion” experience. ASL class isn’t immersion, it
is slow drip.
Yes, when you attend a “silent” class you certainly do get an “impact.”
But unfortunately it is often the wrong impact. You think, “Oh gosh this is
so hard but I can make it for an hour, no big deal. Thank God I’ll be able
to hear again. Those poor Deaf people are really amazing to have to go
through this all their lives. I admire their bravery.” So you end up
pitying us or amazed at us, or wanting to “help us,” or being impressed by
the speed at which we sign.
I don’t pity myself. I am not amazed at myself, and I am not impressed
by the speed at which I sign. My deaf colleagues don’t seem to think that
way about themselves either. Why should you think that way? Why did you
think our world is “quiet” and free from background noise? Did you get the
wrong impression in your silent class from your deaf teacher?
-
In a class like this, they make sure that
you don’t talk and you experience social events with Deaf people, you
watch videos where people explain their experiences and we read a lot of
books about Deaf people. Also, there are things that come up in the
classroom where the teacher can give a real world example and that’s not
something that would necessarily be included in an online lesson plan. You
can’t really plan for those types of learning situations. (Heather).
Response: Online instructors can also assign students to watch videos
and read books. A social event with Deaf people is what’s called a “field
experience.” Online instructors can assign “field experiences.” I once
took an online Deaf Culture class taught by Dr. Barbara Kannapel, a deaf
sociologist at Gallaudet University. As part of the class I
had to find and interview a number of deaf people from various walks of life
then write reports on my findings. The fact that a class is conducted
online doesn’t mean that the instructor can’t require students to watch
videos, read books, or do field work.
As students study their online lesson plan they often “come up with”
questions about things they’ve seen or read. They email or videomail these
questions to their instructor who then responds to the whole class via
email, a listserv, or an online bulletin board.
Whereas the
discussion that takes place in a traditional classroom dissipates into thin
air—the discussion that takes place in an online classroom can be captured,
edited, improved with video or graphic examples, and posted for future
generations of classes to learn from and enjoy.
GrapefruitIn a message dated 8/10/2004 9:01:06 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
HartAlexander writes:
Hi Bill,
What is the sign for grapefruit? Is it 'grape' and 'fruit' or do you
fingerspell it each time?
Thanks
I sign GRAPE and FRUIT. I just asked my buddy Byron Cantrell and he
spells it out but he also thinks GRAPE and FRUIT is "okay."
Young Student wants to become an
Interpreter
[Note: I have changed Lindsay's screen name to protect her.]
SuZuKi 31 :
Hi Bill, My name is Lindsay and I am 14 years old, I was wondering if you
had time to answer a few of my questions?
BillVicars:
go ahead
SuZuKi 31 :
Ok great, my first questions are, How old do you have to be to become a
qualified interpreter for the deaf? and about how long does it take?
BillVicars:
You need to be 18 years old.
SuZuKi 31 :
so I have plenty of time to study and become one huh?
BillVicars:
It takes approximately 480 hours of organized study combined with
approximately 960 hours of interactive practice.
SuZuKi 31 :
ok thats great
SuZuKi 31 :
Do you think you can help me out in finding a school or center somewhere
around the New Braunfels, TX area to learn more and start training?
BillVicars:
Is New Braunfels near Houston?
SuZuKi 31 :
sorta, about 2 and half hours away
BillVicars:
Are you near any large colleges?
SuZuKi 31 :
I'm about 30 mins. from San Antonio
SuZuKi 31 :
and about an hour from Austin
BillVicars:
You have a big library in N.B.?
SuZuKi 31 :
its not that big, its the N.B. Public Library
BillVicars:
Have you checked the Library for any ASL videos or books yet?
SuZuKi 31 :
I've checked out all the videos, they don't have that many though.
SuZuKi 31 :
I've gone through them all a few times
BillVicars:
Okay...here's my advice....
SuZuKi 31 :
ok
BillVicars:
Ask your librarian about "inter-library loan."
BillVicars:
See if they have it.
BillVicars:
Then if they do, seek out all the ASL videos you can get your hands on.
BillVicars:
Next ask your high school counselor about "early college enrollment." See if
your school has such a program
SuZuKi 31 :
I'm homeschooled...
BillVicars:
...fine...you can work with your mom or dad
BillVicars:
check out San Antonio colleges and find out how young they accept students.
SuZuKi 31 :
ok
BillVicars:
Next, check around to see if there are any "deaf students" or education
programs for the deaf in your area.
SuZuKi 31 :
ok
BillVicars:
Ask the teacher if you can volunteer as a peer tutor.
BillVicars:
Seek out opportunities to develop friendships with deaf youth.
SuZuKi 31 :
ok
BillVicars:
After you meet a deaf friend and are relatively sure he or she is fluent in
ASL...discuss the idea of setting up an ASL club.
SuZuKi 31 :
ok that’s a great idea
BillVicars:
In your ASL club you can then have the deaf person help you team teach a
basic sign language course to new members.
SuZuKi 31 :
alright
BillVicars:
You can use my website's curriculum for free. The website and your deaf
friend will help provide quality assurance that the signs you teach are
reasonably accurate.
SuZuKi 31 :
ok cool
BillVicars:
Then as more and more people join the club you can start going on "outings."
BillVicars:
“Outings” are excursions to deaf events. You can find deaf events in your
area by joining any large deaf clubs that have a newsletter.
SuZuKi 31 :
ok
SuZuKi 31 :
Well thank you so much!
SuZuKi 31 :
You've helped me alot and givin me some good ideas! I hope I'm able to
become an interpreter when I turn 18!
BillVicars:
If you work at it you can.
BillVicars:
Also, you might consider getting the CDs from my website bookstore. That way
you can test yourself and monitor your progress.
SuZuKi 31 :
ok
SuZuKi 31 :
thats a great idea too
BillVicars:
Also, are you religious?
SuZuKi 31 :
yes
BillVicars:
You might consider asking your church leader if your church has an outreach
program for deaf people. Your church might have access to ASL materials and
videos.
SuZuKi 31 :
alright
BillVicars:
Well, good luck.
SuZuKi 31 :
thank you so much!
BillVicars:
You are welcome. Have a nice day.
SuZuKi 31 :
you too
SuZuKi 31 :
bye bye
BillVicars:
bye
Simplified SigningIn a message dated 7/30/2004 4:50:21 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
sunday@islc.net writes:
Dr.Bill
I discovered your very helpful website, and was hoping you could advise
me.
I am a volunteer with a therapy dog at a Nursing Home. I visit a young
resident whom I have trouble communicating with because a stroke left
him
without use of his right side. He also lost his speech and gets very
frustrated when he try's to communicate with me. He can't write much
either, so its not like he can write what he's trying to say. I know
you
need two hands to sign, so I don't know if that would help.
Can you be of any assistance to me, his family hasn't been of any help,
since he's been in a Nursing Home for years with no help. Any idea
would be
helpful.
Thanks
Sunday
Hi Sunday,
Actually, you don't need two hands to sign. You can modify the signs to
be done with one hand.
Another option to consider is a special communication system called
"simplified signing." You can find out more about this system by
visiting:
http://www.simplifiedsigns.org/
Additionally, you might consider getting a "communication picture board."
Google that phrase and see what you come up with. Picture boards are
specially designed to enhance nonverbal communication.
Keep up the good work.
Dr. Vicars
Possessive "ITS"In a message dated 8/23/2004 11:50:29 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
smdaniluk@yahoo.com writes:
Dear Dr. Vicars,
Could you please explain when to use the possessive "its", as in the
following example- talking about buying French wine: "...French wine ITS
buy I". Our teacher explained this as, "that specific wine and no other"
ie, not wine from California or Australia. But I don't understand why
the adjective "French" is not sufficient to describe which wine you buy.
Also, what is it that's possessing-- what or who does "its" refer back
to? (does that make any sense?) Thank you!
Suzanne Daniluk
Houston, Texas
Suzanne,
First of all you need to understand the difference between the possessive
pronoun "HIS/HERS/ITS" and the concept "PERTAINING-to / characteristic of"
If I want to indicate that a trench coat belongs to Bob I will sign: IT
HIS.
If I want to indicate that Bob considers the wearing of a trench coat to
be part of his persona and/or a signature style of dressing then I will
use the same signs "IT" and "HIS" but I will do add a second movement when
signing "HIS." That additional movement changes the meaning of the
possessive pronoun "his" to instead mean "his way of doing things." For
discussion purposes can indicate this additional movement by adding a
"plus sign." For example "ITS+." The plus after the word means to use
duplicate the movement.
Now, quite honestly, I wasn't there in your class and there might have
been additional information influencing his explanation. So please don't
be quick to dismiss your instructor's expertise. But since you asked my
opinion I'll share it with you.
I wouldn't sign "FRENCH WINE ITS BUY I" to mean I only buy wine
that is from France.
If I had to teach those two vocabulary concepts together because of some
curriculum being used by my school, I'd modify the sentence a bit. I'd
sign: I BUY WINE (eyebrows up, topicalization) ITS+ must French."
Which would be loosely interpreted as "If I were to buy wine, it would
have to be French."
But realistically I wouldn't use ITS+ when referring to my preference in
wine sources.
I'd sign one of these sentences:
I BUY FRENCH WINE ONLY!
I BUY FRENCH WINE PERIOD
I BUY WINE? MUST FRENCH
I use the sign "ITS+" to mean either "belonging to," "characteristic of,"
"his way," or "pertaining to."
I would use it in such concepts as:
DEAF ITS+ = "The Deaf Way Festival and Conference"
DEAF ITS + = That is how deaf people do things
FRENCH WINE ITS+ = Characteristics pertaining specifically
to French wine.
You can also modify "ITS/HIS" by using an emphasized single movement.
IT-index (pointing at a dog in the vicinity) HIS! (done directionally
toward Bob with a single
strong movement held a bit longer than normal) = "That dog is definitely
Bob's dog."
Dr. Vicars
Paradigm Metric
Signing2Kewl [11:07 AM]:
Hello Dr. Vicars....
BillVicars [11:07 AM]:
hi
Signing2Kewl [11:07 AM]:
My name is theresa chang
BillVicars [11:07 AM]:
Nice to meet you.
BillVicars [11:08 AM]:
What can I do for you?
Signing2Kewl [11:08 AM]:
I'm a sign language interpreter terping for a performance measuring class
Signing2Kewl [11:08 AM]:
I am stuck with signing "paradigm" and "metric"...are u able to help me?
BillVicars [11:09 AM]:
I'll do what I can.
BillVicars [11:09 AM]:
"Paradigm"
Signing2Kewl [11:10 AM]:
TY so much
BillVicars [11:10 AM]:
A good sign match would be:
"point of view"
BillVicars [11:10 AM]:
hold up your left index finger ("one" handshape" Then use
your right "V" hand to look at the left index finger. Move your right
"V" hand so that it looks at different sides of the left index finger.
BillVicars [11:11 AM]:
The left finger is pointing up.'
Signing2Kewl [11:11 AM]:
Ok...what do u think about "mind set"
BillVicars [11:12 AM]:
I reckon that would depend on the deaf person.
BillVicars [11:12 AM]:
"mind set"
Signing2Kewl [11:12 AM]:
Oic
BillVicars [11:12 AM]:
would be signed with the signs
Signing2Kewl [11:12 AM]:
Ok
BillVicars [11:12 AM]:
THINK ESTABLISH
BillVicars [11:12 AM]:
right?
Signing2Kewl [11:12 AM]:
Yes
BillVicars [11:13 AM]:
So perhaps THINK and then a series of small "set" movements in a short
sweep.
Signing2Kewl [11:13 AM]:
Ok...
BillVicars [11:13 AM]:
because a paradigm is a "set" of established thoughts.
Signing2Kewl [11:13 AM]:
Yes
Signing2Kewl [11:13 AM]:
Cool
BillVicars [11:13 AM]:
Another good interpretation would be MIND "vision"
Signing2Kewl [11:14 AM]:
I like that one too
BillVicars [11:14 AM]:
meaning a sign that is done in front of your face, a little up.
Signing2Kewl [11:14 AM]:
Ty so much u r great
BillVicars [11:14 AM]:
starts with "S" hands and flutters into loose "c" hands.
Signing2Kewl [11:14 AM]:
Ok
BillVicars [11:14 AM]:
The other sign METRIC
Signing2Kewl [11:14 AM]:
Yes
BillVicars [11:15 AM]:
are you signing "metrics" or metric? which?
Signing2Kewl [11:15 AM]:
Metric
Signing2Kewl [11:16 AM]:
Like a measuring tool
Signing2Kewl [11:16 AM]:
Like what kind of metric would u use for the value of customer
satisfaction?
BillVicars [11:16 AM]:
Spell it out on first reference. If the teacher explains it then you don't
need to. Just spell it out and then sign "measure." If the teacher doesn't
explain it then
Signing2Kewl [11:18 AM]:
Ok
Signing2Kewl [11:18 AM]:
Sorry
BillVicars [11:18 AM]:
sign "WHAT KIND M-E-T-R-I-C (head tilt) MEASURE (head normal) CAN YOU USE
FOR DECIDE CUSTOMER
BillVicars [11:19 AM]:
SATISFY
BillVicars [11:19 AM]:
or
BillVicars [11:19 AM]:
HOW CAN YOU MEASURE CUSTOMER SATISFY?
Signing2Kewl [11:20 AM]:
Ok
BillVicars [11:20 AM]:
Depends on if the person needs to understand the English word "metric" or if
it is just part of a passing comment that won't show up on a test.
Signing2Kewl [11:20 AM]:
Ok
BillVicars [11:20 AM]:
Anything else?
Signing2Kewl [11:20 AM]:
Nope
Signing2Kewl [11:21 AM]:
But ty so much
Signing2Kewl [11:21 AM]:
I love ur newsletter
BillVicars [11:21 AM]:
ur welcome
Signing2Kewl [11:21 AM]:
Letter
BillVicars [11:21 AM]:
thanks, you have a nice day
Signing2Kewl [11:21 AM]:
U 2
BillVicars [11:21 AM]:
bye ga to sk
Signing2Kewl [11:21 AM]:
Bye sk
BillVicars [11:21 AM]:
sksk
Can an online program prep you for an interpreter program?
In a message dated 8/5/2004 6:41:20 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
hucklbelle@ftc-i.net writes:
Dr. Vicars,
My name is Kendra
Winegar and I have been looking at your ASL program on your web site.
I am interested in receiving an associates
degree in interpreting. I have been using a personal communicator and
SignLink(
a self paced program) on my computer to learn ASL, however, I need to
become more proficient before I can begin the classes for my degree.
Do you think that through your program I will learn enough to elevate
me to the level that I need to be at? I am also hoping that you will
be able to tell me what job opportunities may be available to me if I
have an associates in interpreting. I am
interested in being a private interpreter for high school age
children.
Thank you for you
time,
Kendra Winegar
Kendra,
I'm sure my program can help you prepare for an interpreter training
program. Whether it will be enough or not depends on the
prerequisites of the program you are entering. If they require the
equivalent of 2 semesters of ASL then my program would be sufficient.
In any case there is certainly no reason for you to register for my
program. You can study for free from Lifeprint.com. Someone in your
shoes might wish to get the CDs though to help improve and test your
receptive skills.
As far as job opportunities do a google on the following line of text:
"sign language" qualifications "three letters of recommendation"
Copy and paste it exactly that way with the quotes around the words the
way I have it.
You will get a long list of various job opportunities relating to sign
language usage.
Then you can vary your search to more specific by adding the word
interpreter to the search string.
Good luck.
Dr. Vicars