Archive for May, 2011
Deaf Culture Uncovered
In 1965 Deaf Culture was first recognized as a real culture. That was only forty years ago. William Stokoe Carl Croneberg and Dorothy Casterline were the ones who introduced the culture of the Deaf to the world. They wrote the Dictionary of American Sign Language and included information about the thriving culture of the Deaf.
Before the Dictionary of American Sign Language was published people involved in the medical field and deaf education only saw deaf people in terms of their deafness or hearing loss. They never would have though that Deaf people had their own culture.
Carol Padden defines a culture as: learned behaviors of a group of people who share a language rules for behavior traditions and values. Deaf culture fits this definition just like every other culture in the world. They have a language values rules for behavior and traditions.
Language
American Sign Language is the language of choice for the members of the culture of the Deaf. If you are not fluent in American Sign Language you are not part of this culture.
American Sign Language is a real language just like any other language. William Stokoe was the first to publish the truth about ASLthat it has its own structure grammar and syntax separate from English.
ASL is a real language and is the natural language of the Deaf.
Values
American Sign Language is the most valued in Deaf culture. Speech and spoken English do not compare to the natural language of the deaf. Even if a deaf person can read lips comprehension is no where near that of ASL.
The preservation of ASL is also a value in the culture of the Deaf. Sign systems have been invented to try to help deaf children learn English. These systems include Signed English Cued Speech and Sign Supported Speech to name a few. These systems are not supported in Deaf culture and are not even languages. These systems have deprived deaf children of learning their true language and the ability to communicate naturally.
Not speaking is a value in the culture of the deaf. Because speech is often forced on deaf children it represents deprivation and confinement to a Deaf adult. If you are hearing know ASL and are around a Deaf friend turning and speaking to someone else leaves the Deaf person out and is incredibly rude.
Socializing is highly valued in the culture of the Deaf. When you are deaf having a social life is very important because there are usually very few Deaf people in a community. In a hearing world having Deaf friends is necessary for support. Before text messaging phones Deaf people would only communicate with their deaf friends through letters or in person. Today Deaf people still take advantage of the time they have with their Deaf friends. They will stay at a gathering for hours and leave very late. Long goodbyes are more than common.
The members of the culture of the Deaf also value the literature of their culture. These are stories and cultural values that are passed down through signed communication. Deaf culture also has its own art stories poetry theatre jokes games and books. These avenues teach about Deaf culture and Deaf pride.
Rules for Behavior
It is not rude to stare in this culture. Not staring is actually rude in this culture. When someone is signing to you if you break eye contact you are very rude.
Facial expressions are required when you are signing. Some nonmanual behaviors are part of ASL grammar.
When you introduce yourself in Deaf culture you use your full name. Deaf people also ask each other for information about where theyre from what city they grew up in what school they went to what residential school they attended etc. The Deaf community is very small so they try to find these commonalities with each other early in their introductions.
Deaf people also label themselves in different ways. People in hearing culture tend to label deaf people by their hearing losshard of hearing hearing impaired etc. In hearing culture being hard of hearing is seen as better than being deaf. These labels are viewed the exact opposite in the culture of the Deaf. Deaf people call themselves one thing and one thing only when they are part of this cultureDeaf. The term Deaf has nothing to do with the degree of hearing loss. Using the term hard of hearing is actually viewed negatively in the culture of the Deaf. Using it makes it look like you think youre better than everyone else because thats how its viewed in hearing culture. Using the term hearing impaired insinuates that you think there is something wrong with deaf people and that they desire to be fixed. This is actually the opposite of what members of the culture of the Deaf believe; they are Deaf and proud! The terms deaf little d and Deaf big D are also used and have much different meanings. Little d refers to someone who cannot hear while big D refers to someone who is part of Deaf culture and shares the language values behaviors and traditions of that culture.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Deaf culture is a real culture just like any other. If you want to gain a better understanding of the culture of the Deaf you need to know about the history of sign language. You can also learn American Sign Language for free at http://www.startamericansignlanguage.com.
Michelle J. has a Bachelor’s degree in Deaf Studies from California State University Northridge. She has a passion for American Sign Language and Deaf Culture and wishes to share her passion with the world for free on her website.
Wilcox Sherman ed. 1989. American Deaf Culture: An Anthology. Linstok Press Inc.
Cultural Considerations Involved In Translation Services
Translation services link one language to another by taking careful consideration of the social groups involved this is very difficult and can be done wrong if one is not careful. As cultures are increasingly brought into larger connection one with another multicultural considerations are brought to tolerance to an everincreasing degree. We are not just dealing with words written in a certain time but with the aspect of the text as well.
Vast cultural differences play a role because it has had an impact on nearly all the people worldwide as well as on the international relations rising from the present new world order. Also as technology develops and grows at a fast pace nations and their cultures have started merging. Boundaries are becoming more unclear when they once were sharply outlined.
Translators offering translation services today are faced with many different cultures. They are required to provide translation services that relay messages from one culture to another and make it a smooth and solidly understood translation. The idiosyncrasies and cultural expressions must be known first hand. We are not talking about a minimum knowledge of having studied the language but about a vast and thorough understanding of having the language as a native tongue. It’s referred to as crosscultural translation and it’s relied upon heavily by organizations around the globe.
It is their task to focus primarily on the source culture and target culture but this is not cut and dry. The answer is not clearcut. Nevertheless the dominant criterion is the communicative function of the target text. Attention is drawn to the fact that among the assortment of translation methodology the use of the integrated approach seems the most widely used. This approach follows the model in which having a global vision of the text at hand is of primary importance. This type of methodology focuses on turning the macro into the micro so to speak.
In addition the transcoding process should be focused not merely on language transfer but also and most importantly on cultural transposition. As an inevitable consequence of the previous statement translators must be both bilingual and bicultural if not multicultural.
When dealing with diverse cultures it can sometimes be the simple mistakes we make like showing the soles of our shoes or giving a thumbs up that can ruin a relationship or lose a very important client. Learning the similarities and differences in customs mores and traditions or seeking the professional help of a translation services agency can make all the difference. Learning the simple cultural do’s and don’ts can avoid this and help generate respect and understanding. Also due to the number of people working in offices abroad nonUS nationals coming to work in the US and frequent business trips all around the world the need for language skills is imperative. Thus the proper use of translation services is vital to a successful business relationship.
About the writer: Armando Riquier is a freelance expert translator and writer and a member of the Tectrad control team. Tectrad is a translation service agency that specializes in translations between English and French of all types of business legal and financial documents.
Communicate With Confidence
COMMUNICATE WITH CONFIDENCE
The ability to communicate is the primary factor that distinguishes human beings from animals. And it is the ability to communicate well that distinguishes one individual from another.
The fact is that apart from the basic necessities one needs to be equipped with habits for good communication skills as this is what will make them a happy and successful social being.
In order to develop these habits one needs to first acknowledge the fact that they need to improve communication skills from time to time. They need to take stock of the way they interact and the direction in which their work and personal relations are going. The only constant in life is change and the more one accepts one’s strengths and works towards dealing with their shortcomings especially in the area of communication skills the better will be their interactions and the more their social popularity.
Today effective communication skills has become a predominant factor even while recruiting employees. While interviewing candidates most interviewers judge them on the basis of the way they communicate. They believe that skills can be improvised on the job; but ability to communicate well is important as every employee becomes the representing face of the company
Good Communication Skills
The way one communicates does not only have an impact on their own profession and personal relations but also an effect on others. Those who do not have appropriate communication skills are usually ignored or simply kept at bay. Where are those with good communication skills are looked upon and well respected. After all a good listener and a good orator are popular in their groups professional and personal.
Teaching communication skills can be a rather daunting task considering that almost every individual feels that they are very good communicators. In fact most trainers prefer to be regarded as facilitators who are able to bring to light the nuances that occur while communicating ineffectively rather than pointing a direct finger and saying You all cannot communicate well’. and when this occurs the participants are ready to delve deeper within and bring out the negative aspects of their communications and replace it with the corrective measures.
Here are some tips to good communication skills :
Maintain eye contact with the audience : This is vital as it keeps all those present involved in the conversation. It keeps them interested and on the alert during the course of the conversation.
Body awareness : One needs to be aware of all that their body is conveying to them as well as others. For instance if there is anxiety rising during the course of a conversation then one feels thirsty and there maybe a slight body tremor. At that point one needs to pause and let someone else speak. A few deep breaths and some water works as the magic portion at this point.
One needs to be aware of how to effectively use hand gestures and the way they need to posture their body to convey their messages effectively. Sometimes it may happen that they verbally convey something but their gestures and facial expressions have another story to tell.
Convey your thoughts : It is important for one to courageously convey what they think. This is because when things are left unsaid then what is being spoken is not as convincing as it should be. Then a lack of confidence develops.
Improving Communication Skills
When one is required to communicate complicated ideas one needs to first and foremost work on improving their skills in communicating. Firstly one needs to overcome all language related barriers by first seeking how to learn English speaking. This is essential because most people find it difficult to convey their thoughts because of a strong influence of their national language regional language and mother tongue.
Well to overcome the language barrier one can attend English speaking classes. But then thereafter one also needs to be aware of other nuances involved in improving communication skills. In fact one needs to ensure that as when they communicate they should not be misunderstood so as to ensure a free flow of thoughts and ideas doing away with stumbling roadblocks.
One way of ensuring that one will not be misunderstood is to look into the use of scope’. Scope’ essentially refers to the words that combine with each other in order to create a sense unit’ in a sentence. For instance which nouns are covered by a particular verb or preposition. Often poor punctuation or poor sentence construction brings about ineffective communications.
There are varied grammatical devices that help to indicate scope’. These devises can be perfected by constantly practicing grammar. In fact no matter how eloquent a speaker or communicator one maybe one should spend sometime ever so often in practicing grammar exercises.
One can refer to the various English speaking books that will help them improve. In fact parents can improve their own grammar skills by working on exercises with their children making it a family activity rather than a boring homework lesson
Practice makes a man perfect: One should practice speaking and listening skills as often as possible. In order to practice effective speaking skills one cane read passages from a book aloud in front of a mirror or simply perform a free speech in front of the mirror. And where listening is concerned one can try transcribing from the radio or television etc. this helps in honing sharper listening skills.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Accomplished educator with demonstrated ability to teach motivate and direct students while maintaining high interest and achievement. Articulate communicator able to effectively interact with diverse populations of students at a variety of academic levels. Consistently maintain excellent relations with students parents faculty and administrators. Selfmotivated with strong planning organizational and leadership skills.
Profile:
A highly energetic and enthusiastic individual specialized in English and linguistics. Dedicated to providing the best education and care to college students.
Academic Background
Obtained Bachelors Degree from the Bharathiar University Coimbatore India in English as the major in the year of 1991.
Obtained Masters of Arts Degree from the Bharathiar University Coimbatore India in English Linguistics as the major in the year of 1993.
Obtained Masters of Philosophy Degree from the Bharathiar University Coimbatore India in English Linguistics as the major in the year of 1996.
Obtained Masters of Arts Degree from the Annamalai University Coimbatore India in English as the major in the year of 2003.
Pursuing Doctorate Degree at Bharathiar University Coimbatore India in ELT English language Teaching under the guidance of Dr.K.Sundar Singh Prof. Karunya University Coimbatore India.
Professional Excellence Summary:
Have over ten years experience in teaching at college level.
Have experienced as cocoordinator in organizing various seminars and workshops at colleges.
Have over one year experience as NSS Officer Organizing camps and awareness Program.
Have experienced with Language lab operations.
Have experience as student Advisor and counselor .
Conducted various adequate classes on communication skills and second Language learning methods.
Have known well as an author teacher lecturer along with as a debater.
Implemented various methods to develop relations between the students teaching staffs and administrative staffs.
Experienced with Photoshop software and designed college booklets applications and Identity Cards.
Professional Background
1997 Worked as a Lecturer at Karpagam College Coimbatore India.
2000 Worked as a Lecturer at VLB Janakiammal College Coimbatore India
2007 present date: Works as Lecturer at RVS College Coimbatore India With the following work responsibilities
Teaching communication skills to college students.
Provided necessary education counseling as the education advisor to the students.
Provided numbers of lectures on development of communication skills and self confidence.
Planned and implemented special college events with the proper coordination with the supportive officials along with the community representatives.
Offered required help to the students outer the classrooms if needed.
Published a book Communicate with confidence for engineering college students.
Personal Details:
