Tuesday was the end of what could be the beginning of something different at ETSU.
Confused? Stick with me for a second. Tuesday was the last of three sessions on how to learn sign language. The three sessions, which took place on Oct. 26, Nov. 2 and Nov. 9, were set up to promote Deaf Awareness, something that started in October, and to get the word out on sign language.
Sponsored by the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Outreach Program of Disability Service, these three sessions were designed to help those who don’t know sign language to get a general knowledge of the language.
The class was taught by history teacher and interpreter Michael Depew for three Tuesdays. Classes lasted an hour long, but most would agree, as I do, that an hour was too little. With packets being handed out to all who came, one could pick up on a general knowledge quick.
The first session was a mixture of two things. For those who didn’t attend Depew’s lecture on Oct. 8, they were treated to the misconceptions about deafness – such as “people who are deaf are also mute,” “the speech of a person who is deaf or hard of hearing is difficult to understand” or “all people who are deaf can read lips.” Of course, all these are misconceptions and are far from the truth.
Those involved also were given knowledge about sign language, tips on one-on-one communication with individuals who are deaf and what to do and not do when signing.
Along with those facts, the participants were taught the alphabet in sign language. Depew sent everyone home with an assignment: Learn how to spell your name in sign language.
By the time the second session started everyone knew how to say, “Hello my name is …” and spell their name. In the second session, the participants learned the numbers one through 20.
Depew also told us that facial expressions play a major key in signing. Your expression lets the deaf individual know how you feel or how some talking feels.
Also in that second lesson, signing of family relationships, question words and days of the week were taught. Some signs taught were son, daughter, mother, father, wedding, married, nephew, who, what, where, when, how, and of course, days of the week.
The third and final lesson taught the participants education words; college and institution were just a few. Class subjects were also a part of the lesson such as history, English and poetry.
At the third session, Depew asked the crowd attending if ETSU provided a semester course would they sign up. More than 75 percent of the crowd raised their hands.
Depew, being the funny man that he is, threw in some of the funnier food related words, such as drunk and beer.
What made these sessions great were really three key factors. The first factor is more and more people are noticing that the deaf community is all around. It’s not something that can be ignored. That fact leads people to be more aware; thus sending the urge to want to learn sign language.
The second would be the awesome teacher the participants were provided with. Depew, who has been signing for 16 years, was funny and always got the class involved.
This leads me to the third reason why these sessions were successful.
Depew could’ve just stood up there, taught the signs and then gone home. Instead, after teaching six or seven signs he went up and down the classroom, sometimes twice in a row, quizzing everyone on the signs. This helped many to remember the signs and what they meant.
I asked Depew if he sees ETSU providing a course in the near future.
“I would want to see [a course],” he said. “Sure. I would love to see it. The only problem would be to find someone who is certified and willing to teach the class.”
Depew would also love to do more of these sessions.
“I hope [to be doing more of the sessions],” he said. “To increase awareness and to help increase campus awareness.”
As for teaching a course himself, Depew chuckled and simple said, “Yes.”
As of right now there are no plans for any more sign language sessions or courses.
However, if you would like to become a member of Silent Bucs, which is a student organization for the deaf and for the hard of hearing, call the DDH at 439-8346.