Friday, July 6, 2007
My poor English skill due to being as an Deaf Oralist. Not ASL!
I've often heard that many hearing educators mention ASL effects Deaf students' poor English skill. I prove this wrong. I grew up as a Deaf Oralist and my English skill was fairly poor! I often had a trouble understanding the English grammer rules. I was ashamed of myself as if I am not smart or a slow learner. I sometimes had to ask my sisters and even my mom to write me an essay for my class(es)! English is quite complicated! I came to Gallaudet, NWC --- Bingo! *The light bulb over my head* I finally understood! I am truly blessed that I came to Gallaudet at the right time and the right place! I wish I had learned ASL as a young girl but I have to remind myself it is never too late. I still learn English everyday like all of you! There is nothing to be ashamed of! As you can see my writing is not an 100 %. The bottom line is I can read and write!
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16 comments:
I grew up oral and my English skills were always great, but I also went deaf at 2.5 yrs old and I was already speaking a lot by that age. I continued to be able to speak after I lost my hearing and I learned to lipread VERY quickly, so my parents continued with oral training and English, not ASL. It's really different for everyone.
Hello Here I am....
Yes, I was also formerly Prep student at NWC, too... I agree with you. Dont blame on ASL!!! I thank for NWC because of my English was improving! But I do still learning my English everyday anyway..
Thanks for bringing up this vlog! Smiles
Good point, also blogging improves your English.
More you blog the more you improve.. Well that's in my case :-)
I feel for you and understood.
There are many of us oralist that went through the same experience.
Bilingual system for the deaf children is a THE idea to try across the country now.
John
Oh, by the way
Wonder if you could gather the oralist that have the same experience as we have and get testimonials?
John
Yes, I feel the same thing with you! Glad that you brought up this video clip! Oral Education waste my education life! Sighs!
I dont blame on you and also DONNOT BLAME ON ASL! I notice that hearies have a poor english grammer no matter they speak or talk.I dont know why hearie always think that way against asl what about black and hipicanc we deafies can read/write english nomatter how poor we are. what about redneck and hillbellies lol they are surely very poor grammer lol I am tired that Asl is always be targeted by hearies Please leave asl alone if we dont have asl what are we going to do with commuaction? we need asl in our life and asl need us too
Hey fellow former Oralist,
Just like you, I am also former Oralist (although I can adjust very well to talk-speak things out, just like hearing people, but however ... not perfect).
I understand how you feel, like many other former Oralists, I can see the paintaking of being behind English among the hearing peers in classrooms, I absolutely felt bad and very "disgusting" about how the hearing "special education" system would treat all Oralists much below the spectrum as equal among the hearings. In this way, I tried to get feel for that, if imagine, I would be in "same shoes" as yours. I had seen lot of special education programs for the deaf in public school systems are absolutely WRONG as its not given the equal fair for the deaf needs. I noticed some deaf students be put in very low setting as its like Third World classroom (except with flashy colors and things on walls). How terrible.
Did you get through like that in your high school ?? or what ?? they supposed to GIVE you the DOUBLE dosage of re-work the education skills, like English.
I, fortunately, am so lucky to have as much as equal education as possible in my high school in which I was only deaf student there. However with much cooperation from the public education authorities and greatest efforts from my parents, to keep PERSISTENT keep-going education be DOUBLE efforts like seeing the teacher etc over and over ... and I MADE the HONOR ROLLS honor status as I graduated from H.S.
I can imagine that SUPPOSE to put me into similar fashion like you did through the Prep in Gally, I might get too easily process, but I would feel much better -- why ?? No more Double efforts -- I can imagine that ????
Hey, Stu, you get double-up efforts in cooperation with English teachers something like that (not depend from Mom ??) ?????... Yeah you are RIGHT my Mom had tried to "cover up" my efforts, but in Junior and Senior, I had made lot of efforts to ignore my Mom and focus on normal common people like English people there. To be fair enough. Oh boy, I HATE to see Deaf students being "advantaged" and "low-excused-out" !!!!!! Sh*t !!
That's great you pulled out and become a real independent Adult responsibly person out in this free World. Imagine, if NEVER for Gally situation, maybe you would "meddled down" and begged back to closer to Mom for nothing !!!! Way to go !!!
Cheers and hope hear from you soon, Charles (former Oralist)
You're a pearl! Outstanding!
Hey!! Diane!! it's good to see you again.. I strongly AGREE with you because it's exact same experience as I have as yours..
I think that is time for us to tell the parents of the Deaf children that the language is very important thing that their kids can learn rather than pushing them to learn HOW TO TALK!
I hope other former oralists like me to share with their parents to understand our experience at the schools.
Keep your wonderful job up!
Smile,
PMRjr
I definitely agree with you. Many deaf oralists as well as deaf signers (SEE, Signed English, Rochester Method and other methods)have not mastered English and also ASL. Very sad part of our community. They are taught how to understand methods rather than languages. That is THE biggest flaw in education for the Deaf.
Deafchp
what about many deaf who were oralist and have excellent English? How did they reach that level? Any thoughts? Most have eventually used ASL later on in life but their English was already excellent prior to learning ASL.
I'm not saying oralist is good...no. But, I'm seeing different results no matter what mode of communication/language one has...it all varies based on a lot of factors..not just "one".
While I can't say exactly I understand what you went through what you did, I am sorry for your experience.
I take pain of what my late deaf grandmother went through as an oral failure, resulting her with a limited education. Her parents can't deal with her coming home crying, from whatever repercussions she experienced as a failed oralist, that they let her drop out of school. Her parents thought the school knew what they are doing and trusted them. Fortunately, they, including her older brothers, loved my grandma so much where they decided enough is enough.
It broke my heart when listening to her experience. It was hard for her to talk about it. In spite of her bad experience, I am amazed by the sweetness in her and how people loved her.
Because of her, my hard of hearing mother, who struggled growing up with lack of awareness and support for hard of hearing, fought to make sure we are not educated orally. Speech therapy outside of class was never banned from our lives.
Having 3 deaf grandchildren who are educated with the ability to read and write English are grandma's greatest joy and pride. She always emphasized and pushed us to go to college and finish.
She was my world and I kiss the ground she walked on. It is still hard that she has been gone for 7 years.
Every time I read about oralism such as yours, grandma is always in my thought.
Katherine
C~
To answer your questions:
1. what about many deaf who were oralist and have excellent English?
2. How did they reach that level? 3. Any thoughts?
1. Many deaf who were oralist and have excellent English: The Oral Education do not have good track of numbers and they hide the facts and throw us, some Oralists who did failed English... The Oral Educators DO NOT CARE because they want to KEEP US staying in Oral Education as Dummy English Students! The Oral Educators just want to make money by educating other excell Oralists how to make fun on some of us who do not have excell English! The oral educators and Excell English Oralists love to laugh on some of our dummy English!
2. From how they reach that level, they, the Excell English Oralists were too busy bragging out in the hearing world. They know how to reach the hearing world that they show that they are better than some of us, failure English skills. What's the point?
3. My any thoughts, the Excell English Oralists do love to put us down with our DUMMY Enlglish skills! Their attitudes STINK and will not work out well with the Excell English Oralists! They, the EXCELL ORALISTS did show us that they don't care then WE, the DUMMY ENGLISH oralists WILL DARE NOT TO CARE !!!
I was born deaf, raised as an oralist and continue to as an oralist -- I have strong writing and speaking skills.
Meryl -
Good for you I am very proud of ya! Even I speak fairly well, I am a very proud ASL-er!
*waving* (in ASL)
It is the either way - Blame on Oral education or ASL -- it depends on each person where they are from. I am very happy who I am now. Today, the Bilingual system is very key to all of us!
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