sign language

Not having any real exposure to sign language growing up, I held the belief, which is probably common among hearing people, that all sign language is the same. I did know that American Sign Language varied somewhat from other types for other countries, but that's about it. However, this week in class we discussed regional dialects and how they pertain to sign language, as well. Now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense; of course people who live in different parts of the country will express themselves differently and develop distinct patterns of communication. I wonder how much these differences in signs affects understanding between two people of different regions. My brother went to college at Rochester Institute of Technology where there is a fairly large deaf population, so he became interested in sign language. He said that there is a theatre at the school for deaf students; the entire process, including the tech work behind the scenes, can be done.

Sign language fascinates me because I am accustomed to having hundreds and hundreds of words at the tip of my tongue to describe any possible sensation or thought, while I feel like sign language is limited in the variety of signs that are possible. But I don't think deaf people are at any disadvantage in communication; I just do not have any way of completely understanding sign language because I will probably always rely on spoken words.

a true North Carolina accent, I think

I was able to attend MTV/Myspace's first Presidential Dialogue today with John Edwards. It was incredibly interesting to be in a fairly intimate gathering (a few hundred people) and listening to Edwards candidly answer questions from UNH students.

When he started answering the first question, I immediately noticed his strong North Carolina accent. Well, I thought it sounded strong. My roommate lived in North Carolina until a year ago, and when she watched the videos on-line of Edwards speaking, she actually thought his accent was not very strong. She says there are some people where she used to live who she can hardly understand due to their accent! But to me, who hears southern accents only occasionally, I thought John Edwards sounded completely foreign.

Either way, I think that his accent came through more than if he were speaking to the U.S. Senate. It was recorded to be on MTV, but initially it was just him speaking to a bunch of college kids in a small studio. The atmosphere was very casual; Edwards and the male moderator were both dressed in jeans, and people laughed and applauded when they felt inclined to do so. Because of this relaxed feeling, I think Edwards was able to speak more candidly than if were reading a prepared speech. His speech was more instinctual than formal, saying "y'all" and "I" as "Ah", and this definitely made a difference in how I perceived him. By being able to see the laid-back John Edwards, I think I can now make a more informed decision when I vote next year.

acknowledgement

While biking the roads of Durham and Dover on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, I passed quite a few people who were also enjoying the day, either biking, jogging, or walking. And almost every single one of them made some sort of effort to greet me, or at least acknowledge my presence. The friendlier ones, usually older couples taking a leisurely stroll, said hello or waved and smiled; others who were more focused on their work-out simply nodded or made eye contact. But even the smallest gesture I returned, even while whizzing by on my bike.

But why? Why do people make the effort to connect with a perfect stranger? It's not as if we might reconnect at a later point in time...the opposite is true, in fact. Yet most people still greet strangers on the street, and I don't think it's just to be polite. There must be something in all humans that causes us to yearn to connect with others, and to take that risk. It's risky business smiling at someone you don't know; who knows if they'll appreciate it and respond with an equally friendly greeting? I guess people have realized that the rewards are greater than the risks!

Oxford and Slang: Can you combine the two?

http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/wordfrom/modernslang/

When I saw a news clip that the Oxford Dictionary, probably the most widespread and respected, was going to include slang words in their next edition, I decided to further look into the idea of slang as being officially recognized by published dictionaries. I thought this page on askoxford.com was interesting.

"Slang is a colourful, alternative vocabulary. It bristles with humour, vituperation, prejudice, informality: the slang of English is English with its sleeves rolled up, its shirt-tails dangling, and its shoes covered in mud." I love this description of slang; it presents slang as a relaxed, casual English...maybe in a slightly negative way, but not overly so. It's natural that people will invent sub-languages to express themselves in various situations - standard English just does not apply to all contexts.

I think that slang is inevitable in a language, but especially English with all of its odd rules. Whether or not slang words should be included in dictionaries is something that can't be ruled one way or the other, but slang will always be a part of our language.

A Light!

Because I'm now living within a university rather than a town, my human-to-human contact is generally limited to the student demographic group of 18 to 22 year olds. So, whenever I come across a child, a family, or an elderly couple, I find myself happily observing them.
I especially enjoy watching toddlers explore their ever-expanding world. While I was reading my biology homework about cell organelles on the grass by the library (clearly looking for distractions), a curly-haired girl about four years old came walking along the stone semi-circle benches. Her father was holding her hand just in case, but she seemed confident and happy to go wherever her heart took her.
And all the while that she was walking she would say whatever came to her mind. If she saw anything that interested her or didn't make sense, she would stop and say something or ask her dad the most common question asked by children, "Why?". The cutest observation she made was when she eventually reached the end of the bench and came an obstacle - a stone base and a lamp post. She looked up at it, smiled, and proudly exclaimed, "A light!".
I realized that kids can say whatever they are thinking because they haven't yet learned the negative effects that can result from blurting out whatever is on your mind. Society hasn't yet taught them this lesson. I suppose that eventually you have to learn to keep some thoughts to yourself, but I also admire the power that young children have. Nothing is limiting their speech; there are no social barriers yet building a wall between their thoughts and what is "acceptable" to say out loud.
I know there have to be some limitations on what we say in the public sphere, I think that we all need to talk more like children. Say what you think when you think it. Let people know what's going on in your mind. It's probably important.

team camaraderie

As I was watching the men's soccer game this evening, I was able to experience the language of teammates during an intense game of futbol.
Some things I noticed...

• the guys did a whole lot of yelling at each other, each trying to get their idea of what should happen next across the field
• repetition seemed to be the best way to accomplish this. For example, they would yell, "Away away away!!!" or "Come on, C'mon, C'mon!". I repeat things, too, when I'm excited and the adrenaline is pumping.
• different languages were used, as some of the players on the opposing team were from Sweden. This added some game strategy, as UNH players couldn't understand what they were saying.

So, I noticed the group-specific language of college male soccer players, and I just thought it was interesting to listen to them yell advice, support, frustration to each other and the referees.