Have you ever had
a circumstance growing up where you try to do your best at something and learn
all you can about the specific details and such? Then you set it aside and
forget about it for a while. Eight months later, you drag it out of your closet
while spring-cleaning, and it rekindles your enthusiasm for the activity.
However, after taking it out in the world and trying to start where you left
out, you find that most of the rules and nuances of what you’re trying to do
are no longer the way you learned it. It’s frustrating!
But it’s not all
that uncommon. And for students learning American Sign Language to be able to
interpret for a career have this occur often. You just have to learn to expect
it.
Some of the
things that have been changing are the name for countries. Whereas before,
there was a sign used in ASL that went for a specific country, for example,
GERMANY. It was done with putting the side of each five hand, one on top of the
other, while you wiggled your fingers. That’s been used forever. But now it’s
starting to change.
What’s happening
is that, just as each country has their own Sign Language, each country has a
sign done in their sign language to mean where they live. To illustrate, GERMANY isn’t signed that way
nowadays. The “new” sign, which is the sign taken from Germany themselves, is
the right index finger pointed up into the air and set on the top of your head.
But this can get
tricky, since the sign for HORNY is pretty close to the new GERMANY. The people
having the conversation have to know what each other is referring to or you
might end up in trouble with your partner.
Other countries
have done this, too. AUSTRALIA, ITALY, KOREA, JAPAN, CHINA, and many more
places. And it doesn’t just go for locations. Languages evolve and, ASL being a
full language has changes, too.
American Sign
Language also adapts within our country. I was raised to learn ASL in Illinois.
When I moved to Michigan, signs that I use for METAL are used here for TRASH.
Our sign for EARLY is different than what most of the country uses. Same thing
with OUTSIDE or ELECTRICITY. But it’s OK. If it’s your language or your second
language, it is best that you learn all variations and be prepared like the Boy
Scouts you meet along the way.
So be careful out
there and have an open mind. The best interpreters out there are those who
learn as many of the signs for the same time that they can. That way, they’re
fully ready to adapt to the Deaf person’s accent.
