Why Is Beyond Essays, (A Short Film American Sign Language Drama) Important For The American Sign Language Community?

SYNOPSIS OF THE SHORT FILM AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE DRAMA, “BEYOND ESSAYS”

A college writing professor, Genevive, frantically tries to finish her dissertation before the deadline tonight. When a disgruntled student, Wanda, unhappy with her grade refuses to leave her office, Genevive is forced to cross boundaries with the student in order to finish on time.

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Gallaudet University was the main source of inspiration for this short film. I was an undergraduate student there for four years, and anyone who’s been there knows this: Gallaudet University is a unique campus that is almost utopian in it’s own way– for the deaf community. It supports the deaf community in many ways that people don’t realize. For instance, the role model of all the professors there. Half of the teaching department is deaf or hard of hearing, and the entire teaching department uses American Sign Language to teach their students. Anyone who’s studied deaf history also knows this: this place was the first place to encourage deaf people to start obtaining doctorate degrees after 1988, the week of the Gallaudet revolution, when they wanted a deaf president to represent their university.

Now, in addition to this, since the deaf community is known for coming in flocks, that says one thing: they often stick together, and live with each other, even if they may not like each other. They share the same language and culture, and they recognize their needs for people who share that language and culture. And, that, in itself can also cause unique relationships between people who are taught to not cross a certain line initially, but have to break it, because of their need to share their language and culture.

For instance, professors and students. It’s been known in the past time and time again that deaf professors and deaf students have crossed the line, and became friends, or got married, or had the kind of relationship that is usually considered forbidden or taboo in our society. Deaf people have to resort to ignoring the taboos and unspoken societal codes in order to get what they simply want: to share with others who are just like them.

The key point I must bring up here that makes this project even more unique: the approach used for the dialogue in this film is very uncommon in the Hollywood system, or even the theatre, arts, and home movies.

Let me back up a little bit. Here’s what I see is the problem. I, myself, a deaf individual, am very fluent in American Sign Language. So one would think: if there was a film in ASL, I would be able to enjoy it just like a hearing person would enjoy hearing their language spoken on their film. That’s not quite the case for me. Simply because of the common approach they used with American Sign Language, the script is always originally written in English (just like how hearing people would speak it) and then is translated into ASL. Because of that, the original spirit of ASL is lost.

There’s much that’s difficult to explain, but essentially, the natural feel of ASL is not there because of the original script in English. So because of this approach, I am unable to have ever seen an ASL scene that’s loyal and true to the authenticity of the deaf characters, and for me to actually relax, enjoy and feel the characters for once.

In “Beyond Essays” I have chosen to “write” in ASL originally, have the actors get the signs directly from me, and make it work with their characters, just like the privilege of any hearing actor with their English dialogue. Because of this approach, I am not forcing my actors to translate the written English into ASL. They are able to add layers to their lines just like anyone else would.

By doing this, I wrote the script by thinking the ASL out in my head, recorded it on video and handed it over to the actors.   They would take the lines I have given them, and do it without having any dependency on English whatsoever.

I sincerely hope to see a positive artistic outcome from all this, and to be able to find a method that would work for the acting process for ASL-fluent artists, and at the same time support the deaf community and have more films to authentically represent deaf characters better.

We are looking for your help to support us.  To help support this film and find more backers to raise at least $2,000 to help produce this film by April, please click this link:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/julesdameron/fundraising-for-beyond-essays-a-damname-film-p

To learn more about “Beyond Essays,” go to http://www.damname.com/Beyond_Essays

Jules Dameron is a filmmaker with a Master’s degree in Film Production from the University of Southern California. She’s also an avid supporter of all who are frequent users of American Sign Language. Hailing from Minnesota, she extends a friendly demeanor towards all she works with. Jules pursues her abiding love for directing films, having directed a large number of short films. She has additionally directed a few short plays for Deaf West Theatre. Jules is the CEO of her film production company, Damname Productions. She resides with her husband and three cats in North Hollywood.

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Learn Popular Used Signs From Sign Language Books

Dealing with people that are physically disabled particularly with their hearing or speech can be difficult. Although some people who do not understand their situation consider them as not normal, they are still people. They meet with other folks and communicate with them accordingly. The only difference is the way they relay their message to other people. For both deaf and mute people, they communicate together through the use of sign language. And if you are one who wants to communicate with them, you need to learn how to use sign language.

 

The sign language is a form of communication for deaf and mute people. It is sometimes hard to talk to deaf people if you do not know how to use the sign language. It’s sometimes funny how most people would think that the deaf can read lips. There maybe some deaf people who can read lips but using the sign language is much easier to learn. Since deaf people are used to receiving sign languages, they would respond through sign language even though they can provide sound from their mouth.

 

For the mute, they may hear you. But since they can’t speak, they have to communicate to you through popular used signs. Perhaps the popular used signs may only be known to them. If you are trying to talk to a mute but do not know the sign language, then you wouldn’t understand them at all. The solution is also obvious. You have to learn how to use their popular used signs so you can communicate with them properly.

 

So whether you are dealing with a deaf or a mute, you need to use the sign languages that are known to them. If you are not yet too familiar with the signs or that you do not know the popular used signs that makes up the overall communication method of the deaf and mute, you need to learn indeed. And it means owning sign language books.

 

Sign language books come in a variety of sizes. They could be in pocket books or in more detailed average size books. You can carry them as handy books or you can keep it in your bookshelf and refer to them every now and then to learn more popular used signs for deaf and mute. No matter how they are packaged, it is you definitely need to own sign language books if you need to communicate to a deaf or mute. The sign language books are guides on how you can communicate well to the deaf and mute people.

 

You can find sign language books in various bookstores online and in your local area. If you buy through a brick-and-mortar bookstore, you can find them in the miscellaneous section of the store. If not, you can simply ask the bookstore keeper where to find the sign language books. These items are actually popular so it’s not difficult to find one. If you buy them online, you can specially find it in exclusive bookstores such as Jak Books. The advantage of buying sign language books in exclusive books like Jak Book is that you don’t need to make several searches before you can locate the sign language books that you need. Besides, you simply have to know their location and find out how to buy from them. Through the exclusive online bookstore like Jak book, you simply have to find the appropriate and most useful sign language books. Usually, with exclusive bookstores like Jak Book you would get the books with the most popular used signs for easy reference and use. 

Jak Book offers popular used signs through is easy to understand sign language books. You can find details through their online site.

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Does learning sign language negatively impact a child’s speech development?

Parents are often divided as to whether using sign language with their children can have any sort of negative impact on their speech development. In fact, the field of baby signing for children with a variety of special needs and hearing impaired children has grown over the last years. However, some families introduce sign language early as a means to emphasize on their child’s communication skills, while others consider that learning sign language might delay their child’s speech.

Baby signing has been widely accepted by psychologists and childcare professional as encompassing a broad range of benefits both for parents and children. In this context, research studies suggest that deaf and hearing impaired children do not experience any negative impact as a result of using sign language. In contrast, sign language enables children to express themselves better well before they are able to speak.

Because they haven’t developed their speaking ability yet, young children use sign language with creativity, while learning about the sounds and speech patterns in their families. Anything they hear, feel, and experience, they communicate it with the sign language, which is always at hand and they know how to use it. Besides, the iconic nature of sign language often leads to stronger associations between words and meanings. Children use signs to bridge the gap between the picture they have on their minds and the physical experience of the word they cannot express. This reduces their frustration and enhances communication between them and their environment.

Besides, using sign language increases IQ levels of children. Lacking the ability to produce and articulate words, children have to think more of which sign to use to express their thoughts accurately and precisely. Children benefit from increased IQ scores that typically show a 12-point difference between children who use sign language and children who do not sign.

A common myth about using sign language in children is that as a child grows up will choose to use signing over verbal speech. On the contrary, research suggests that verbal speech is preferred over signing because the vocabulary skills of children who are taught the sign language are enhanced. Children use gestures as a natural social language of childhood and in this context signing can provide a more natural experience than English when it comes to learn a spoken language. Again, sign language is used to bridge the gap between the signals and imprint of the language.

Conclusively, learning sign language includes a broad range of benefits enhanced communication skills and stronger relationships between parents and children. Without any doubt, children benefit from development of fine motor skills, increased IQ scores, enhanced vocabulary, enhanced reading and spelling skills and increased creativity. Parents benefit from a great bonding experience with their children and a wonderful communication.

I work as a financial and investment advisor but my passion is writing, music and photography. Writing mostly about finance, business and music, being an amateur photographer and a professional dj, I am inspired from life.

Being a strong advocate of simplicity in life, I love my family, my partner and all the people that have stood by me with or without knowing. And I hope that someday, human nature will cease to be greedy and demanding realizing that the more we have the more we want and the more we satisfy our needs the more needs we create. And this is so needless after all.

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Is American sign language considered a second language that a lot of college’s require?

I plan to go to BYU. And all the high school teachers tell me that most colleges require a second language. I want to learn sign language instead of Spanish. Is sign language considered a second language that I need to get into college?
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The challenges of learning sign language

Sign language can be a universal means of communication that has the ability to bring together hearing and non-hearing individuals, connecting them in the most prominent manner. Using visually transmitted sign patterns and combining hand movements, facial expressions and body postures, sign language is mostly developed in the deaf communities and broadly used by deaf or hearing impaired individuals, their friends, families and interpreters.

By nature, sign language is complex. Whether it is learned as a means of communication or as a language itself, learning sign language can be quite challenging. However, the ultimate experience and the benefits derived far offset the challenges.

One of the most common mistakes that people make when learning sign language is that they confuse the rules of the sign language with those of English grammar. Having set their brain on English grammar rules, they think in English and try to translate English into sign language. Although it is not a spoken language, in fact, sign language has its complex grammar, which is fundamentally different from the grammar of any spoken language. Sign language follows its own rules for grammar, sentence structure and punctuation and it also includes its own idioms and jargon. Besides, using sign language may be subject to one’s age, gender and ethnicity.

Sign language differs depending on the geographical location it is used and who is using it. It is widely acknowledged that people who have learned English before learning sign language use different grammar and structure than people who are native users of sign language. Variations of sign language are also the result of geographical differences. Deaf or hearing impaired people from different regions of the U.S. or from different countries cannot communicate properly in sign language. In fact, sign language has accents and functions like any spoken language.

Another major challenge of sign language is that there is not a corresponding sign for every English word. Signers should be able to use the signs that express the exact meaning of the word they want to say, even if there is no sign to use. The challenge is to apply a combination of signs, facial expressions and hand movements that will give the meaning of the word through a skillful use of sign language.

Besides, hand movements are very difficult to be illustrated. Even when using books of sign language that are illustrated by extremely skillful artists, there are possibilities of errors and misinterpretations.

Conclusively, just like learning any spoken language, learning sign language requires commitment, enthusiasm and practice. However, sign language is quite more challenging because it requires a great deal of energy to learn visual means of communication that do not entail acoustic sounds. However, mastering the treasures of deaf culture is a unique experience that stands alone as the fourth most frequently used language in the U.S.

I work as a financial and investment advisor but my passion is writing, music and photography. Writing mostly about finance, business and music, being an amateur photographer and a professional dj, I am inspired from life.

Being a strong advocate of simplicity in life, I love my family, my partner and all the people that have stood by me with or without knowing. And I hope that someday, human nature will cease to be greedy and demanding realizing that the more we have the more we want and the more we satisfy our needs the more needs we create. And this is so needless after all.

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ASL can provide on both large and small scales

If intricate wiring and cable systems are involved, so are control panels. They run in every size, from the small ones used in cars, to the bigger and more complex ones used to run airports. Regardless of the size and intricacy of the needs of a project, Assembly Solutions Ltd. offer their clients cables, control panels, wiring and wiring harnesses that are on budget, to specification and on time.

ASL worked in conjunction with Schneider, the leading control panel source for Heathrow Airport, for a period of around 18 months. During this time, Schneider enlisted the help of ASL to help them manufacture one of the most complicated and technically difficult control panels that you can imagine and they were very happy with the results. Given that Schneider had procured the assistance of ASL before, to help with the manufacturing of smaller control panels used for cars, they knew that ASL could handle the work load and provide the quality that they needed.  All of these control panels were produced in the Bolton factory and when the job was complete ASL had delivered over 500 control panels on time and to order.  The control panels for Heathrow Airport baggage conveyor systems control their efficiency skills through the terminal’s central control system.

ASL also caters to the needs of highly demanding fields by providing control panels and wire harnesses along with other misc. electrical parts.  Recently, WH Bence chose them to supply the company with PNP (Plug and Play) control panels and wire harnesses for specialized vehicles that incorporate highly complex satellite communication technology.  When the job was finished, WH Bence said that ASL’s expertise had drastically reduced their electrical assembly time and improved their lead time by roughly two weeks.

The utilities industry has also made use of ASL to manufacture control panels and wiring harnesses.  As a matter of fact, United Utilities gave ASL a contract to produce over 300 telemetry control panels that are used to control and monitor their remote substations at the Manchester Headquarters.

These are just a small sample of Assembly Solutions Ltd’s proven track record of providing control panels and wire harnesses of strict, high quality to fields that can’t compromise on quality.  Regardless of where the parts were manufactured, Bolton, Poland or Pakistan, ASL can supply Assembly Solutions those in both large and small industries without any compromise on quality.

To know more about wiring harnesses cables, control panels, wiring and wiring harnesses that are on budget, to specification and on time by Assembly Solutions Ltd visit http://www.assembly-solutions.com/wiring_harness.html

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A Look at the Free Sign Language Charts Available Today

Sign languages are of great importance in deaf communities, which can include the friends, families and even the interpreters of deaf people as well as people who are hard of hearing. Sign language is different for each place, just like spoken language.

When two people who use different types of sign languages come together, communication between them will be a whole lot simpler when compared to people who speak different languages. Sign language is however not a universally standardized language, and many unintelligible sign languages still exist.

Development of sign language is inevitable as long as there are communities of people who are deaf. Sign language has developed in various forms such as Warlpiri Sign Language and Signed English Language. You will find that plenty of sign languages that are used around the globe have become the heart of local Deaf cultures. A few sign languages have been obtained from some of the legal recognitions, while others have no status at all.

Several free sign language charts are being supplied to several orphanages and hearing impaired people as they cannot afford to buy the technologies needed for learning this sign language. Several websites provide free sign language charts to people to gain knowledge on this sign language and to spread the importance of this technique of conversing among the general public.

There is one thing called as Baby sign language charts available these days. It is found that if small babies are taught this sign language their IQ level increases. There are several helping organizations giving this coaching for interested people free of cost. Generally the cost for learning this sign language may be around 12$ per month.

In order to make the learning more effective and understanding Sign language charts are developed. These free sign language charts have the image of the hand sign which are used to represent alphabets, Arabic numerals etc. Unlike the spoken language which can be learnt in a theoretical format this sign language needs more practical training rather being theoretical to master it.

The free sign language charts have a list of several alphabets and Arabic numerical with it. All these are signed invariably with palms orienting them in different ways. For an example a closed fist denoted the alphabet A, flat hand represents the alphabet B. Letter C can be represented by keeping palm forward and thumb bent.

Letter D is represented by stretching the palm flat and with index finger alone raised keeping all other finger closed. Letter E has a similar representation like A alphabet but here the thumb is kept under the closed fingers. Letter F is represented by keeping the palm flat and stretched and keeping the index finger and thumb coupled.

Palm in position represents letter G. Letter H also has the similar position to that of character G but in the palm in position both the index and middle fingers are stretched out. Letter I is denoted by keeping the fist closed with little finger alone raised up. Thus the Sign language chart has a representation for all 26 alphabets, all Arabic numerals and several other additional things.

Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Sign Language for Years. For More Information on Free Sign Language Charts, Visit His Site at FREE SIGN LANGUAGE CHARTSI Will Also Highly Appreciate Your Views On Free Sign Language Charts At My Blog here

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Asl Wins Wire Harness Contract From Canberra The Uks Leading Nuclear Leak Detection Company

An ISO 9001 accredited company, ASL is known for its its brand image and quality efficiency around the world. As Britain’s topmost contract manufacturing company, it has built a niche in electric cable assemblies, power leads and the control panels industry. ASL also manufactures wiring loom harnesses.ASL bargains hard with its supply partners based in China and Poland, so that the operation enjoys profits generated from economies of scale. For the same reason, ASL offers its customer’s quality product at affordable prices. ASL, being an international company, faces major competition, but it still survives for its distinct quality of services and affordability. ASL offers unmatched quality as its quality department works in close collaboration with its research and development wing. ASL aims to lead through innovation and quality work practices, whilst placing a distinct focus on work ethics.

Canberra is a United Kingdom based company that deals in the instrumentation of a number of applications in the nuclear industry. Following the divestment of AEA technology’s instrumentation wing, Canberra has come to being. Canberra seeks to work closely with its partners and customers alike, for providing high quality innovative products and measurement systems. Canberra’s after sales support service and follow ups mean that customers remain the focus of the company, even post sales. Canberra’s varied product line includes Gamma and Alpha spectroscopy, Radiation Protection Instrumentation and non-destructive assay systems. The company caters to a wide variety of services of Nuclear Power Plants.

Wire harness, also known as cable assembly, is a string of cables that transmit signals to operating currents. The cables are clumped together by cable ties. Wire harness is widely used in automobile industry and it has numerous other applications as well. Wire harness is preferred over loose cables. Binding the wire cables mean it is well protected against adverse conditions, vibrations, moisture and abrasions. Wire harnesses are generally produced at the request of the customer, according to their specifications.

ASL has entered into a contract with Canberra. It’s a huge achievement both for Canberra and ASL. It means that ASL will produce wire harnesses on a mass scale and as per the specification of Canberra. Since it is a long term association, both companies will benefit from economies of scale and quality of the end product. The companies may also benefit from providing in-house training to their employees in each other’s plants and sharing the technical know how regarding their pool of products. This contract can lead to exploring possibilities in other products and sharing feeds between resource and development centers in both companies. While Canberra will be able to offer competitive prices for the end product to its customer, this contract will open new doors for ASL too.

To know more about wire harness and assembly solutions visit.