ASL 2 Combo...

When I had finished Ed's ASL 1B class, I presumed I could continue to ASL 2A in the Spring of 2006. Unfortunately, Las Positas did not offer 2A that semester. That was a huge disappointment, because until this point I had taken the same two semesters I took so many years earlier. I so wanted to move on to new material and feel like I was advancing.

The solution was an ASL 2 class at the community college in another town. This ASL class was the highest this school offered, which basically merged the materials for ASL 2A and 2& together. I was happy the did have the class as night (all my classes are at night) taught by instructor Cole.

Cole! How lucky for me. I did great in Rick's class a year earlier so I was ready to see him again and continue.

Surprise - surprise... The instructor was not Rick, but rather his wife Melinda.

I had heard about her previously. Supposedly she was a much harder teacher, who signs beautifully yet really fast. Looking back, I am not so sure she is that much harder than Rick or Ed. Her style is different, but I find that to be a good thing. Just like hearies have different vocabulary and speaking styles, deaf folks have the same variations in their communication. If I wanted to move forward and learn something, I figured that a different set of hands to watch could only be beneficial.

The first night of class, I sat with a group of ladies who had taken the previous two classes with me. ASL 1A & 1B are typically fuller classes because they fulfill a language requirement for students. Moving on to ASL 2 meant that the students would be (should be) genuinely interested in learning, otherwise why would they continue to study it??

Melinda came in and her hands started flying right away. She had an interpreter the first night, which was almost more confusing. I have a hard time learning the signs by watching, only to have the English equivalent filter through my ears two sentences behind.

Melinda's style was graceful and beautiful, and fast. I don't know if it was her signing speed, or knowing that I was in the land of "new material", but I started second guessing whether I could keep up. It reminded me of how I felt back in 1988 when I started my 3rd semester of Audiology, only to drop the class. I had always regretted that, so I was determined to stick it out.

Once she ditched the interpreter, class was much easier for me. I enjoyed learning the new material and getting some Deaf Culture info sprinkled in.

In stark contrast to my sign semester in 1988, during the DPN Protests at Gallaudet, this semester Melinda shared with us the new protest happenings at Gallaudet. I was able to follow along with her stories, supplemented by reading blogs and vlogs. It felt good to be able to talk with Melinda about the current situation. I enjoyed adding her perspectives to the ones I was collecting. I think Melinda was pleased that I cared and spent my own time learning about her culture...