Deaf Culture Research Paper

Words: 836
Pages: 4

Deaf culture consists of four main components: language, values, behavioral norms, and traditions. Deaf culture highly values language (ASL), eyes/rely on vision, hands/signs, videophone; Relay Service; Teletypewriter system (TTY), visual/vibrating alerting systems, interpreters, captioning, and Deaf clubs, Deaf civic and social organizations. People who can hear value spoken language, the use of their ears to rely on sound, value their mouth to use speech, telephone, sound alerting system, speakers, dialogue, and civic and social organizations. The preferred language of the Deaf community is American Sign Language. ASL is a visual gestural language with its own syntax and grammatical structure. ASL is the third most commonly used language in the United Sates. The signs represent concepts not words. Many common English words do not translate well in ASL.
The Deaf community and educators have been in a heated debate over the method of instruction in Deaf education. Parents have felt pressured to choose between English and ASL. Sign Supported Speech, Signed English, and Cued Speech are some of the language systems that have been invented to help deaf children learn English. The main goal of Deaf culture is to preserve ASL. The Deaf Community highly values not speaking, so many
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Making eye contact is very important and is essential to effective communication in Deaf culture. In hearing culture it is considered rude to stare, while in deaf culture breaking eye contact while a person is signing to you is considered very rude. Facial expressions and body movements are limited in hearing culture and making too many facial expressions or body movements while talking can be seen as weird. Deaf culture requires facial expressions and body movements for ASL because Deaf individuals need these expressions for more