At my son's school a lot of the kids are taking ASL and because of this his social life is active.
Over the last few nights as I watch my son walk out of rehearsal I have noticed him signing away with one of his friends. The other kid is hearing and they became friends this year. I knew this kid was learning to sign but what I saw startled me. They were conversing at a normal pace but not in ASL. They didn't appear to be using PSE. In fact for the first time I didn't understand my son. The boy finger-spelled a couple of times and not in the halting way a hearing person who is learning does. Their conversation flowed in the most natural way. They were so engaged. I asked my daughter to look and tell me what they were saying. I usually don't ease drop on my son but this was too weird. She wasn't able to figure it out either.
So maybe my tired eyes deceived me but it look like they created a new language. I will call it VSAASL (Vancouver School Of Arts And Academics Sign Language). Maybe I will contact Oliver Sacks to research it. I am sure he would take a look and tell my I needed to get some rest and the kids were just swatting at mosquitoes. I am sure my son would tell me they were using PSE and I need new glasses.
I love the way this deaf kid and the hearing kids at his school don't let hearing lose get in the way of a good time.
maybe they were cussing
ReplyDeleteJK. Don't forget SEE or sign languages from other countries like BSL or Auslan
ReplyDeleteOh, after reading your blog post, I am reminded of a time when my daughter had a friend. That boy never took a class of ASL but did some self-study of ASL. He would come to our house and played chess or lacrosse with my daughter. I never really paid attention to their "language." Until my daughter asked if he could stay for dinner with us. I thought, "boy, he doesn't know what he's getting into" in terms of communicating with the three of us at the table. During dinner, he engaged in "limited conversation" with my husband and me. If he didn't understand us, he would turn to my daughter who would re-state. Really, it was a language I didn't understand either. I guess it could be called "adolescent language." The first time he stayed didn't keep him away from subsequent dinners. We thought he was either an awfully brave soul or he really really liked our daughter! They are still friends today.
ReplyDeleteMe shouting with my hands, "Haddy if what Anonymous said is true go wash your hands!!!!"
ReplyDeletemarla that is so awesome. So does that mean I am not crazy? If we are not alone in this I wonder if it happens often?
Teenagers (even Deaf ones) do develop their own jargon and ways of talking. This may have happened here. In that case, you're SOL unless you learn how to figure out what they might be saying.
ReplyDeleteJargon and teen slang appears in ASL too...it requires familiarity with the language pattern and expressions to know the difference between jargon and profanity. (smirk)
ReplyDelete" ... go wash your hands!!!!" -- had me on the floor :)
ReplyDeleteMany of my students in New York invent new signs annually. (I remember needing to learn the signs for pimp, google, and text... which my kids gleefully told me.) Hearing parents face the same phenomenon when their kids invent terms like "LOLZORS! MUAHAHAHAHA!"
ReplyDeleteYou know he did that a lot with the kids at the deaf school but it just surprised me he was communicating so freely with a kid who has been signing for only a couple of months.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments