I have decided to accept a challenge to sign more on my YouTube channel by publicly sharing my sign language journey.
sign language
When subtitles/captions are not enough…
It’s very common to see people say “just read the subtitles/captions” when there are calls for sign language interpreters.
But is it really that simple? Spoiler alert: no. But it’s not complicated to understand it either.
Click here to learn when are subtitles/captions are not enough
Why learning French in high school was a big struggle
As much as I love languages, I have mentioned previously about how I’m never learning oral languages again. But I’ve still got some stories to share about my experiences of learning them, like the one time I was learning French in high school.
Even though I managed to get through, it wasn’t without its unique challenges that comes with listening to other people speaking in French. And that became a problem during exam times.
Why I will never learn oral languages again
As someone who loves languages and has learn to speak a few in various fluency levels, I have decided that I am never going to learn oral languages again. This is primarily because of the challenges of learning them as a deaf person.
It’s a huge shame that I fully agree with the concept of learning languages to everyone as it has opened my mind to many parts of the world, people and culture.
Sign language vs oral/spoken language: Which is better & more important?
It’s the battle between sign language vs oral/spoken language; which one is better? Which one is more important? I outline what both sides have over the other and who will the battle of languages.
Both sides have their own strengths and weaknesses. But which will have the upper hand?
Why you should learn sign language from deaf people
Because of a (yet another) resurgence of worrying sign language videos taught incorrectly, this is an important video for everyone to learn why you should learn sign language from deaf people.
This is especially important if you want to be as fluent, natural and authentic as possible when signing…which is something I imagine you would like to be. In this video, you will learn various reasons why it’s so important to learn sign language from deaf people.
“Which sign language should I learn first?” – My thoughts
The question ‘which sign language should I learn first?’ is a common one for those who wants to go on that journey of learning it. And that is great.
By asking that question, it is hoped that you are looking to learn sign language for the right reason (communicate with deaf people) and not for social klouts like attention and because “it looks pretty”.
This post will help guide the way for you.
“There should be a universal sign language…” – My thoughts
There has forever been an ongoing trend by hearing people to demand a universal sign language (yet you never see sign language users say the same thing…hmmm). It is never too long before one sees comments on social media about “why is there no universal sign language”.
But even for me, as someone who is learning sign language, I have my own thoughts around this trend. And it’s an uncomfortable one.
The power of non-verbal communication & how deaf people depends on it
Since most of our communication is estimated to be non-verbal communication (body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, etc.).
As someone who is deaf, I also depend on those clues and use it as part of the jigsaw when trying to understand what that person is saying.
But anyone can benefit from learning and being aware of the non-verbal communications that exist as it will make you a better overall communicator when you are conversing with anyone, not just those who are deaf.