Page 139 - Reading Between the Sign Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

124 Reading Between the Signs

lite. To show respect, one can give an indication of one’s own part
of the phone conversation (it is optional to convey what the other
party said). One’s choices in such a situation are to wait until the
call is over and summarize to one’s Deaf friend what it was about
or do what has come to be known as “sim-com” (simultaneous
communication).
Because the structure of the two languages is so different, it is
a well- recognized fact that it is impossible to simultaneously speak
English and sign ASL. When native English speakers try to do so,
they generally sign a poor approximation of their spoken English.
Nevertheless, in this situation, some Deaf people prefer sim-com
over waiting, without a clue, for the phone call to end, especially if
the call is a long one. In this case one’s memory may be hard put
to reiterate the entire conversation, and one is tempted to use a
phrase such as “Oh, it wasn’t important,” a rebuff which painfully
reminds some Deaf people from hearing families of the isolation
they felt around the dinner table.
It is a good idea to check with your friends to learn their pref-
erences. Or better yet, consider letting your answering machine
pick up the call.
Many hearing people find Deaf culture as fascinating as an
exotic flower, because it seems so different from their own expe-
rience. Yet, as we have seen, although it does contain several unique
features, it also shares numerous attributes with Japanese, French,
and Israeli cultures, among others. American Deaf culture takes
its place in the panoply of world cultures as the collection of ways
this particular group of people has found to meet challenges, per-
petuate what they hold dear, and enjoy rich, fulfilling lives.

05 MINDESS PMKR 124 10/18/04, 12:00 PM