Hello everyone and welcome back. The school year has finally solidified, and schedules have been set. I have continued to work on my ASL education, and every week I can feel my understanding of the language expanding.
Over the past month, I have been working with Reba individually on Friday mornings and, on Tuesday evenings, Reba, Susmita Nibras, and I all meet together. Because I have taken ASL for several semesters now, much of the information that is covered is a review and not entirely challenging. For example, last week we reviewed colors and question words. Although I appreciate the review, this aspect of the Tuesday meetings can feel frustrating as the difference in our ASL comprehension is very clear, and sometimes, it feels as though my ASL education has slowed down. However, this past year has taught me even though the situation may not always be the greatest, one can often find what they are looking for if the perspective is changed. As such, I have changed my perspective to one that looks at this as an opportunity to act as a translator. I have acted as a translator in the past from time to time, but never really constantly. This requires me to clearly articulate the information Reba is conveying to the other students and from the students to Reba at a fast rate. I find that my ASL grammar is still not as strong as I would hope, but during my Friday sessions with Reba, we often work on grammar and more complex aspects of the language. I then try and use what I have learned from these Friday sessions in my Tuesday sections. Additionally, within the past week, Kaye has begun joining our Tuesday zoom sessions. Acting as a translator was great practice for my ASL, but I feel as though I could not effectively communicate Reba’s instructions and the student’s questions as well as Kaye's. Her presence has decreased the amount of stress placed on me during those Tuesday classes, and for that, I am thankful. Additionally, as Kaye translates for Reba and the other students, I am continuing to improve my vocabulary! If there is a sign I do not recognize Reba using, I can often determine the sign’s meaning as Kaye will verbalize the sentence. Whichever aspect of Reba’s signing I do not understand is then inferred to be the novel word.
I do feel that it is important to discuss some of the issues that have been occurring with the class and meeting. At the start of the month, when all the students and Reba joined together on the zoom, we experienced many technological issues. One of the biggest issues was that Reba was unable to access the “Gallery” view on zoom that allowed her to see all the students at once. In response, she could not get a visual of all the students and their signs. This proved to be extremely challenging as I tried to help her navigate the software, but doing so in another language was extremely difficult. Thankfully, Mary was able to visit Reba one day and guide her through how to operate the program appropriately. Since then, communication during lessons has improved! However, another problem that we had to face was the effects of icy and snowy weather. These conditions resulted in a decrease in internet speed, or even in some cases, the entire rescheduling of lessons due to the loss of power. Sign language is such an interactive and personal language, and the effects of COVID-19 and weather have a clear impact on the ability to learn the language. But, we have to pursue and adapt! So, that is was we did! I am hopeful that most technical issues have been solved and to continue my education in ASL.
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