Learning A New Language -- Using My Hands!
I'm halfway through my Basic Sign Language course at the Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf). I'm enjoying the process of "language acquisition" all over again -- it's like going back to basic ENGLISH school, what with past tense, past participles, nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, etc. WHOA...
But what I'm really enjoying most is actually piecing proper sentences and phrases together. So far, it's been really good. I'm so glad I took it up. For once in my life, I'm getting a glimpse of another world that is so remote to me. I only regret that I hadn't done it sooner -- because then I might have been able to better communicate with my cousin Mel earlier!
Anyway, I'm slowly picking stuff up, but the truth is, language doesn't "stick" so naturally. That is, with any language, you simply have to Practice, Practice, Practice in order to Successfully Retain. I really hope I can remember my signs, because I REALLY want to learn how to communicate with deaf people in real life.
And you know what's the worst part -- my fingers are just sooooo S-T-I-F-F... argh! I don't know how my cousins Mel and Kev fingerspell so fast -- I can seldom "read" what they had spelt, even though they had been kind enough to slow down for me. As for me, I literally "stumble" over my own fingers, alphabetising with what seems to be athritis-ridden hands that keep getting crossed!!!
Anyway, that said, I'm getting there, hopefully (albeit slowly). We have a signing test in three weeks. Yikes. Involves reading five fingerspelled words, five signs, and fully piecing together 10 sentences consisting 75 words! My problem is in Receptivity -- as in, understanding what the other person is signing -- and I'm a bit concerned about that. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed -- oops, no pun intended! :))
But what I'm really enjoying most is actually piecing proper sentences and phrases together. So far, it's been really good. I'm so glad I took it up. For once in my life, I'm getting a glimpse of another world that is so remote to me. I only regret that I hadn't done it sooner -- because then I might have been able to better communicate with my cousin Mel earlier!
Anyway, I'm slowly picking stuff up, but the truth is, language doesn't "stick" so naturally. That is, with any language, you simply have to Practice, Practice, Practice in order to Successfully Retain. I really hope I can remember my signs, because I REALLY want to learn how to communicate with deaf people in real life.
And you know what's the worst part -- my fingers are just sooooo S-T-I-F-F... argh! I don't know how my cousins Mel and Kev fingerspell so fast -- I can seldom "read" what they had spelt, even though they had been kind enough to slow down for me. As for me, I literally "stumble" over my own fingers, alphabetising with what seems to be athritis-ridden hands that keep getting crossed!!!
Anyway, that said, I'm getting there, hopefully (albeit slowly). We have a signing test in three weeks. Yikes. Involves reading five fingerspelled words, five signs, and fully piecing together 10 sentences consisting 75 words! My problem is in Receptivity -- as in, understanding what the other person is signing -- and I'm a bit concerned about that. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed -- oops, no pun intended! :))
posted by belle at 10:45 PM
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