Comments on: Real English for the Deaf - ASL & ESL http://realenglish.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/hello-world/ News, Tips, and an Open Ear for Real English Users Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:18:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: realenglish http://realenglish.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/hello-world/#comment-122 realenglish Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:24:19 +0000 #comment-122 I don't know the answer to your question, Michael. I hope that Sandie, or James, or Nelba ( http://blena.wordpress.com ) will be able to give you some advice. Sandie finds that the Closed Caption esl videos ( http://www.real-english.com/cccorner.asp ) are helpful for her Deaf students. I don’t know the answer to your question, Michael. I hope that Sandie, or James, or Nelba
( http://blena.wordpress.com )
will be able to give you some advice.

Sandie finds that the Closed Caption esl videos
( http://www.real-english.com/cccorner.asp )
are helpful for her Deaf students.

]]> By: michael Zapata http://realenglish.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/hello-world/#comment-121 michael Zapata Sat, 29 Mar 2008 02:38:03 +0000 #comment-121 Maybe you could give a little advice i have wonderful girlfriend whos has about 50 percent of her hearing with hearing aides but only speaks Spanish,and does not now signn language ,i am going to marry her but i need her to learn English please help if you can... Michael.. Maybe you could give a little advice i have wonderful girlfriend whos has about 50 percent of her hearing with hearing aides but only speaks Spanish,and does not now signn language ,i am going to marry her but i need her to learn English please help if you can…

Michael..

]]> By: realenglish http://realenglish.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/hello-world/#comment-95 realenglish Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:57:09 +0000 #comment-95 Thanks a lot for your comments, Nelba. For readers of this post who are not familiar with the Webheads, I tried to explain who we are on the blog: http://realenglish.wordpress.com/category/webheads/ I'm not surprised that "Technology and Webheads saved me." as Nelba said. Mike Marzio Thanks a lot for your comments, Nelba.

For readers of this post who are not familiar with the Webheads,
I tried to explain who we are on the blog:
http://realenglish.wordpress.com/category/webheads/

I’m not surprised that
“Technology and Webheads saved me.” as Nelba said.

Mike Marzio

]]> By: Nelba Quintana http://realenglish.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/hello-world/#comment-94 Nelba Quintana Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:18:33 +0000 #comment-94 I am a teacher of English from Argentina. Unfortunatelly I have lost most of my hearing abitily. To make matters worse I have a constant tinnitus which sometimes drives me crazy. If you are a teacher, you may understand how I feel. In fact, I would say how I felt: terribly depressed and lost. I cannot work as I used to and had to re direct my career. Technology and Webheads saved me. I feel stronger now and want to help all those who have lost their hearing ability partially or completely. That is why I have opened a blog in English and Spanish at http://blena.wordpress.com Please, if you have information about teaching or medical development on this topic let me know. I will upload it immediately. Thank you, my e-mail is nelbaq@gmail.com I am a teacher of English from Argentina. Unfortunatelly I have lost most of my hearing abitily. To make matters worse I have a constant tinnitus which sometimes drives me crazy. If you are a teacher, you may understand how I feel. In fact, I would say how I felt: terribly depressed and lost. I cannot work as I used to and had to re direct my career. Technology and Webheads saved me.
I feel stronger now and want to help all those who have lost their hearing ability partially or completely. That is why I have opened a blog in English and Spanish at
http://blena.wordpress.com
Please, if you have information about teaching or medical development on this topic let me know. I will upload it immediately. Thank you,
my e-mail is nelbaq@gmail.com

]]> By: James Barrie http://realenglish.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/hello-world/#comment-9 James Barrie Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:38:59 +0000 #comment-9 The captions can help deaf people, especially those that have a lower hearing loss. But those deaf individuals dependent on sign would need the ASL with the captions. I am not aware of the deaf population Dr. Linn works with, so the captions might be useful and accessible to her deaf students. When I saw the word "deaf" and did not see ASL on the video, a red flag popped up, causing me to investigate the videos and captions. Having worked with deaf students at The Clerc Center, the pre-college component of Gallaudet University, for 33 years, I was obligated to offer another perspective on deaf students, video, and captioning. I did not want readers to assume that what worked for Dr. Linn would provide equal results for others working with deaf students. My experience with deaf students is in an educational environment totally accessible through American Sign Language. For example, although I am hearing, when I teach or communicate with deaf individuals or even hearing individuals on campus I use American Sign Language with no voice. Using voice with sign tends to confuse the message, and deaf people tend to labor to decode the simultaneous use of sign and voice. If we use interpreters in class, we use voice interpreters for hearing impaired students not skilled in sign language. The interpreter voices the sign communication for the hearing impaired student, until they acquire American Sign Language. At that point the oral interpreting support ceases. At Gallaudet University, we use American Sign Language to teach English concepts. ASL is the first language and most accessible language for the majority of deaf individuals, while English is the second language. This follows a typical ESL methodology in teaching a second language to users of another language. Yours....in searching for accessible communication for all. Jim Barrie Jim is a retired teacher from The Clerc Center, Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C.. He currently tutors reading at Anne Arundel Commuity College, Maryland. The captions can help deaf people, especially those that have a lower hearing loss. But those deaf individuals dependent on sign would need the ASL with the captions.
I am not aware of the deaf population Dr. Linn works with, so the captions might be useful and accessible to her deaf students.
When I saw the word “deaf” and did not see ASL on the video, a red flag popped up, causing me to investigate the videos and captions. Having worked with deaf students at The Clerc Center, the pre-college component of Gallaudet University, for 33 years, I was obligated to offer another perspective on deaf students, video, and captioning. I did not want readers to assume that what worked for Dr. Linn would provide equal results for others working with deaf students.
My experience with deaf students is in an educational environment totally accessible through American Sign Language. For example, although I am hearing, when I teach or communicate with deaf individuals or even hearing individuals on campus I use American Sign Language with no voice. Using voice with sign tends to confuse the message, and deaf people tend to labor to decode the simultaneous use of sign and voice.
If we use interpreters in class, we use voice interpreters for hearing impaired students not skilled in sign language. The interpreter voices the sign communication for the hearing impaired student, until they acquire American Sign Language. At that point the oral interpreting support ceases.
At Gallaudet University, we use American Sign Language to teach English concepts. ASL is the first language and most accessible language for the majority of deaf individuals, while English is the second language. This follows a typical ESL methodology in teaching a second language to users of another language.
Yours….in searching for accessible communication for all.
Jim Barrie

Jim is a retired teacher from The Clerc Center, Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C.. He currently tutors reading at Anne Arundel Commuity College, Maryland.

]]> By: Sandie Linn http://realenglish.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/hello-world/#comment-8 Sandie Linn Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:09:37 +0000 #comment-8 Dear James Barrie, Michael Marzio from Real-English forwarded your message to me. I am a hearing instructor teaching English to Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. I know some ASL, but I have a team of interpreters in my class to voice for me when I lecture. I use Real-English videos as part of my weekly lesson. I understand your concern about not having ASL to accompany the videos, but I use the videos as a vehicle to teach the English concept. I have made worksheets to accompany each series. They are totally interactive. If you want to e-mail me to speak further about this issue, I would be happy to reply. Dear James Barrie,

Michael Marzio from Real-English forwarded your message to me. I am a hearing instructor teaching English to Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. I know some ASL, but I have a team of interpreters in my class to voice for me when I lecture. I use Real-English videos as part of my weekly lesson. I understand your concern about not having ASL to accompany the videos, but I use the videos as a vehicle to teach the English concept. I have made worksheets to accompany each series. They are totally interactive. If you want to e-mail me to speak further about this issue, I would be happy to reply.

]]> By: realenglish http://realenglish.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/hello-world/#comment-7 realenglish Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:35:08 +0000 #comment-7 James, I understand your disappointment, and I think I understand what you mean when you write "I expected to see deaf people signing in the videos with captions added." As videomaker, however, I filmed and edited these clips for the general English-learning public, not for the Deaf. In fact, I simply hadn't given it a thought since I have never worked with the Deaf. Dr Sandie Linn, who wrote to me about her use of these videos with her Deaf students, will hopefully write to us here on the Real English blog. James, I understand your disappointment, and I think I understand what you mean when you write “I expected to see deaf people signing in the videos with captions added.”

As videomaker, however, I filmed and edited these clips for the general English-learning public, not for the Deaf. In fact, I simply hadn’t given it a thought since I have never worked with the Deaf.

Dr Sandie Linn, who wrote to me about her use of these videos with her Deaf students, will hopefully write to us here on the Real English blog.

]]> By: James Barrie http://realenglish.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/hello-world/#comment-6 James Barrie Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:31:44 +0000 #comment-6 I was was excited to see the term closed captioning on the Ral English web site. I'm taking a TESOL class in teaching vocabualry and grammar online. I believe the captioning can help hearing people aquire English. The visual input is an excellent supplement to the aural input provided. However, I expected to see deaf people signing in the videos with captions added. This would provide first language input (signing) with second language support (captions in English). As the videos appear, the captioning is a help. But the oral input is fast and the captions do not match the speakers voice/reactions on an equivacol basis for deaf people. Deaf people would simply read the captions, like you would read a book. Deaf people would not be able to attend to the people, they would be caught up reading captions. This is not a real communicative environment for the deaf. Deaf use American Sign Langugae. Deaf people would not be able to know which person is responding. Therefore, the use and impact of the video is greatly reduced. I will share these videos with my colleagues at Gallaudet University to get their reaction to the use of captioning in this educational environment. My 33 years experience with the deaf community indicates that the videos should have deaf people filmed signing, with captions added. I was was excited to see the term closed captioning on the Ral English web site. I’m taking a TESOL class in teaching vocabualry and grammar online. I believe the captioning can help hearing people aquire English. The visual input is an excellent supplement to the aural input provided.
However, I expected to see deaf people signing in the videos with captions added. This would provide first language input (signing) with second language support (captions in English). As the videos appear, the captioning is a help. But the oral input is fast and the captions do not match the speakers voice/reactions on an equivacol basis for deaf people. Deaf people would simply read the captions, like you would read a book. Deaf people would not be able to attend to the people, they would be caught up reading captions. This is not a real communicative environment for the deaf. Deaf use American Sign Langugae.
Deaf people would not be able to know which person is responding. Therefore, the use and impact of the video is greatly reduced.
I will share these videos with my colleagues at Gallaudet University to get their reaction to the use of captioning in this educational environment. My 33 years experience with the deaf community indicates that the videos should have deaf people filmed signing, with captions added.

]]> By: realenglish http://realenglish.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/hello-world/#comment-3 realenglish Wed, 03 Oct 2007 08:23:44 +0000 #comment-3 Hi John - sorry for the belated reply - I have often thought about trying to create "Real Business English" video since most of the students in my own language school need business English too (we only do continuing adult EFL for the companies in the region). However, I just haven't been able to figure it out. It's relatively easy to film people being themselves on the street, but when they are in a meeting, it's extremely difficult for them to be spontaneous. My attempts have so far left me with videotape of mediocre actors making believe they were having a real meeting. Hi John - sorry for the belated reply - I have often thought about trying to create “Real Business English” video since most of the students in my own language school need business English too (we only do continuing adult EFL for the companies in the region). However, I just haven’t been able to figure it out. It’s relatively easy to film people being themselves on the street, but when they are in a meeting, it’s extremely difficult for them to be spontaneous. My attempts have so far left me with videotape of mediocre actors making believe they were having a real meeting.

]]> By: John Matheson http://realenglish.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/hello-world/#comment-2 John Matheson Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:30:36 +0000 #comment-2 <strong>I've been using your videos off and on for over 5 years, according to the types of courses I've been taching, and especially with the low and mid levels. This year, I'm teaching higher students who need "Business English" and I don't see any Real English videos in business meetings or negotiations. Why don't you get your camera into a real business meeting? Sure would be useful. This story on the deaf is inspiring. Hats off to prof Linn.</strong> I’ve been using your videos off and on for over 5 years, according to the types of courses I’ve been taching, and especially with the low and mid levels. This year, I’m teaching higher students who need “Business English” and I don’t see any Real English videos in business meetings or negotiations. Why don’t you get your camera into a real business meeting? Sure would be useful.

This story on the deaf is inspiring. Hats off to prof Linn.

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