This semester I will be my minor advisor's (let's call him Kevin) TA for his ASL 390 class and I cannot wait. This will be my final class before I complete the requirements for the ASL minor at CMU; however, that isn't the reason I am so excited about this class.
Since this class began it was always a voiced lecture ... until two weeks ago. Kevin decided since ASL is frankly a significant part of Deaf culture, it seems silly that a 300-level Deaf culture class was not signed. I couldn't agree more with him! I never understood how we, as an ASL program (and maybe it was more my campaign than the program's) can argue and present about how ASL should be considered a foreign language and still have a 300-level lecture be voiced instead of sign. ASL is the medium with which members of the Deaf community teach and experience their culture. That would be the same as having an advanced Spanish-culture class taught in English!
I'm sure in my future posts I'll discuss the legitimacy of ASL as a foreign language (especially in the university setting) and other ASL/Deaf culture ideas but this is just my (new) introduction. I'm commandeering my old blog that I started for an English class and actually using it how it is meant to be used. I'll try to make weekly updates about what the class is going over, my experiences as a TA, blurbs about what the American Sign Language Society (ASLS) at CMU is doing, I'm sure a little venting at some points, and some other fun things. I hope you all enjoy the blog's metaphorical face-lift.
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