Page 91 - Reading Between the Sign Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

76 Reading Between the Signs

Following our egalitarian beliefs, we feel that everyone should
be treated in the same way. Our monosyllabic one-size-fits-all greet-
ing, “Hi,” is extended to friends, salespeople, and sometimes even
strangers we pass on the street (though definitely not in New York
City). Foreigners, depending on their own predilections, may find
this behavior refreshing, disconcerting, or rude. “Whereas the
average American tends to consider formality, style, and protocol
as somewhat pompous or arrogant, in other cultures these ele-
ments provide the context within which dependable expectations
for the behavior of others is established” (Stewart and Bennett
99).
Many languages have built-in distinctions of formality. Japa-
nese, Thai, and other Asian languages have complex systems of
personal pronouns that express the relative status of the speak-
ers. Most European languages also make a distinction between a
formal and informal relationship in their second-person pronouns:
vous and tu in French, Sie and du in German. In Germany, this
division is taken seriously. One must be invited to switch to the
informal du. In a lovely old custom no longer in vogue, the shift to
the more intimate style of address was formally acknowledged by
the new “du” friends hooking arms, taking sips from the same
glass, and announcing their first names to each other (Hall and
Hall 48–49). English, on the other hand, has only one form: you.
We also tend to use first names with the vast majority of people
we address out of a belief that we are showing respect through
equal treatment. What leads to some foreigners’ disappointment
in this regard is their assumption that our friendliness equals the
initiation of a friendship, while we never feel that our easy greet-
ings obligate us to anything beyond the moment. When we use
phrases such as “Let’s get together sometime” or “Don’t hesitate
to call me,” a foreigner may read into them an offer of a relation-
ship much deeper than anything we had in mind.
On a scale of formality, Deaf Americans rank as even more
informal than hearing Americans. Conversations get to the point
faster and intimate details are quickly shared with Deaf strangers.
Maybe the point is that another Deaf person is never really a
stranger. While some hearing Americans may share details of their
lives with someone standing next to them in the checkout line, it
is with a security that they will probably never see them again. In
a similar exchange between two Deaf strangers, one may very
well bump into the other person next week or next month. Per-

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