Sign language may be our first ‘other’ language!
See more: Teaching Hearing Subjects: 12 things you should know
For some of us, sign language may be the first ‘new’ language that we learn. We learned our mother tongue, as babies. We may have had grammar and spelling lessons in school. But we may never have had any formal instruction in a second or foreign language.
When we learn to sign, we become aware of the differences between our mother tongue and sign language. We have to think about our mother tongue: Why do I use these words, why do I put the words in this order? This is very difficult!
We have to become aware of something that we usually do automatically. It the same as when you ride a bicycle. No problem. Now, someone asks you how you keep your balance. What do you do with your shoulders, when you turn to the right? What do you do with your arms? Some more questions, and you will not be able to ride a bike any more!
What was automatic has become conscious – and impossible! It is the same with language: someone asks why you use these words, why in this order, what about your intonation? Pretty soon, your language will break down.
Some of us know several languages, we know that there are differences. That for French people, it is ‘natural’ to call a dog a ‘chien’. And for German people, to call the same animal a ‘Hund’.
However, if sign language is the first ‘other’ language that we learn, we may think that our own language is the only correct, or the only ‘natural’ or ‘normal’ language. It may take us some time to accept that our first language is our first language, but not the first or the best language for everyone. In a larger perspective, our first language is just another language, and not superior to other languages.
Learning that there are other perfectly normal, perfectly correct ways of expressing ourselves may be confusing, or even upsetting to some of us. It may take us some time, to get used to this. Until then, we may have our doubts about you, our sign language teacher. We may have our doubts about this new language, sign language. We may even blame you, the teacher, for the fact that we don’t understand you, and for the fact that sign language is so very different from what we think is ‘normal’.
Please do not be upset, we just need time to get used to this new perspective.
