American Sign Language 2 Students Practice With Members of the Deaf Community
Students enrolled in American Sign Language 2 (ASL 2) had the opportunity to practice what they have learned with members of the Deaf community in class and in public during a “Silent Lunch” field trip. Members of the Deaf community at Christ Fellowship, Charlette and Mario, interacted with the students during class before joining them on the field trip.
“I wanted my students to have the experience of signing with a Deaf person,” said Thelma Pineda, Westminster’s ASL teacher. “For most of them, it was their first time interacting with a Deaf person.”
During the “Silent Lunch,” students practiced American Sign Language in a different environment for more than two continuous hours. The students learned to express themselves without using their voice in a hearing environment, to experience how the Deaf order food, and to interact with the people at the restaurant, and their peers. For most of the ASL 2 students, this was their first interaction with a Deaf person and the first opportunity to experience that they could maintain an ASL conversation.
ASL 2 students were also given their sign names by the guests. This is a special honor that only a Deaf person can give to someone after interacting with and getting to know them better. It was a very special moment as it represents a welcome into the Deaf community.
Westminster Christian School, located in Palmetto Bay, Florida, is a private, college-preparatory school for children from preschool through twelfth grade.