"For all practical purposes, there is no such thing as a "private" ASL conversation in public--that is, within eyeshot of other people. What two Deaf people are discussing is out in the open for everyone else to see."--pg. 139, p. 3Since the ASL conversations we might see in public will most likely be on topics that are not private, I think it is fine to watch if your reasons for watching are purely because of your interest in the language. I also think common sense should be used when deciding whether or not to attempt to join a conversation, just as we use common sense when deciding whether or not to engage hearing strangers in conversation.
I do not have a name sign but I think it is nifty that they are given by peers instead of parents. I wonder if Deaf parents give their children name signs or wait for other Deaf friends their children will develop to do the honors.
I imagine it would be frustrating to not have a form of whispering. Using a jacket as a "sign-shield" (pg. 140, p. 1) sounds cumbersome and it seems like it would be much less subtle than whispering. This is definitely a down side to purely visual communication.
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