So What's Your Sign?

Some months ago (and they might've added up to become a year), Benji and I signed up for a Sign Language course with the SIngapore Association for the Deaf at Mountbatten Road.

Initially, we approached it with trepidation because we didn't know if communication was going to be difficult. But it turned out that they approached their would-be students with the same amount of caution as we did them. Learning sign language is like learning any other languages except that you have to work harder at it and be alot more expressive than usual.

Before you get signed up for any real course, you have to go through an introductory lesson. This is compulsory. It is not the acredit your aptitude for sign language but for you to understand the deaf community before you learn their language, and rightly so.

It is a common misconception that people think that the deaf are also mute. That is untrue. Their vocal chords are all working well but because they do not hear well, therefore they are unable to replicate the words through speech. It is also believed that deaf people cannot hear anything but vibrations and thumps. That is also untrue.

There are varying degress to how much the deaf can hear. At the same distance, some of our friends can hear speech at a close distance (so don't go talking bad about them), or loud music, or if their listening ability is heavily imparied, only the decibels of construction pounding. In fact, if they are not totally deaf, they would like to be referred to as hard of hearing. Because this is true. They can hear, just not as well as you and I. One of our instructors was even a contestant on Singapore Idol. How awesome is that?

As we began Beginner Course 1 (BS1), we realised that it was tougher than we imagined. Beside having to learn the signs for the alphabets, we learnt various baby words like 'I', 'you', 'we', 'them'. 

My own Sign Language textbook.

Just so you don't think I was bragging and ripped info off the web and take it as mine. 

Those were easy. The exam was easy. The teacher will sign out a phrase and we had to write it down. We passed that with flying colors. Then came Beginner Course 2.

BS2 was fun. We learnt how to sign in sentences like 'I am going to the grocer to get vegetables, salt and butter. What would you like me to get for you?". If I were to sign in Singlish, I'll ask "I'm going to buy things, what you want?"

The easy part of the lesson - the alphabets

I remember once, Benji and I wanted to practice our signing. We were at a fast food restaurant waiting for a friend. So we gave ourselves a rule. No talking until our friend came. We had to sign everything we wanted to say. So we had our food and signed for about 20mins.

During that 20mins, there was a family seated beside us that keep glancing over and kept giving us the Oh you so poor thing, cannot talk look. We knew they were looking at us so we kept signing until we saw our friend and did a very big wave & shout, "DAVID! HERE!". The look on the guy's face was priceless! It was mixed with a WTF and a WTH all together. Also then, we learnt one advantage of learning sign language, people cannot evesdrop. 

The deaf community is a very vibrant and fun community. During the course of our study, we were invited to a fund raising dinner. It was held at The Legends at Fort Canning. We were afraid to attend initially because we didn't know anyone and after all we were beginners. We can't possibly hold a conversation all night with, "So have you been to the grocer lately"?

But surprise surprise! We had so much fun! We were at a table that had a mix of students and people from the deaf community and it was really a challenge and great fun trying to get to know them, speaking their language. I grew in respect for them.

Even with their disability, they never see it as so. It is a different form of communication. They are still going out and doing their thing, living life as fulfilled as us. 

93% hor.

But Benji was top student, with 97%. 

We didn't manage to complete the Beginner Course because there wasn't enough students to make up a class, but we will be back! Plus it's always fun learning a new language and discovering a new world.

If you are interested in picking up sign language, visit www.sadeaf.org.sg and click on the Sign Language tab to find out more.

Have fun!