American Sign Language Observation Report

American sign language first captured my fascination when I was a sophmore in highschool, it was also going to be the first language, other than other than English, that I would learn. Little did I know, that the language is an excellent method of communication and has a creative beauty. Through the way hands described spaces, and created vivid poetry I knew American sign language was meant for me. Sign language found its way into my heart after increasing my confidence and introducing me to friends. Because it is a language that relies on visuals and body movement, standing in front of my class and being forced to use my whole body to convey a message, my self confidence increased. Sign language led me to deaf socials, a part of deaf culture where information is shared, and there I met many deaf and hearing friends. When I was first enrolled into the class I did not know what to expect. My teacher insisted on a no talking rule. This rule formed a different atmosphere than all of my other classes, and I fell in love with it immediately. Because we were unable to talk to our fellow classmates, we were forced to find ways to gain the attention of others, an obstacle deaf people go through daily. This challenge may have been annoying at times, but it created the best environment to learn from. Time progressed in …show more content…
The way the class was taught had a profound beauty. The way hands moved to convey thought and emotion was breathtaking. From a hearing person's perspective, our hands were made to manipulate objects. However, from a deaf person's perspective, their thoughts, ideas, emotions, and secrets were all in their hands. What seems like a simple language with gestures for each word, is more complex than it lets on. Sign language has its own syntax that is more than a word for word copy of the spoken language. Sign language supports the ability to express stories, tell jokes, and create