Don’t Talk with Your Mouth Full
100 Tips to Sign Language Sanity
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
I walked into the room and saw 60 pairs of eyes eagerly staring my way. I was expected to say something profound, in sign language of course. I scanned the faces of the students, lifted my hands, and signed Good Morning. There wasn’t a sound in the room. “How great is this?” I thought. If only all my audiences paid attention with such intensity and interest. I was in the Media Center at a local middle school. In celebration of National Deaf Month, I had been invited to talk to the sixth graders about sign language. This was my time to tell them all I knew, and I had 40 minutes to do it! I placed the index cards on the podium and proceeded to hold the interest of these students with fascinating stories of my many years in the field of Deafness. I supported the stories by using sign language and humor. Clearly, it was one of my most cherished moments. It gave me the opportunity to talk about my professional experiences working with Deaf and hard of hearing individuals, ranging in age from infancy to adulthood. I’ve had a long, diversified, and wonderful professional career, and it’s not over. It has been and continues to be a good life! But this book isn’t about me. It’s about you, and your journey to become a signer, a communicator, and maybe even an interpreter. It’s about refining signing skills you may already possess or acquiring those you have yet to learn. This quaint little book can be your companion as you embark on your new adventure. Take the time to look inward and examine why you’re going down this road. It’s a journey with no end. There will be many side trips you’ll experience, and many challenges you’ll face. It’s worth it! Along with acquiring this new language comes the opportunity to explore the history and culture of the Deaf population. So let’s get started! Contained in this publication are 99 tips to maintaining sign language sanity. There is no order of importance. You can go from one to 99 sequentially, or you can pick and choose at random. The choice is yours. INSERT YOUR OWN ONE HUNDREDTH TIP ON KEEPING YOUR SIGN LANGUAGE SANITY! Discuss them with friends. Add your own notes. Expand the list as you think of more. The possibilities are endless. When you are satisfied that you’ve covered all 100 tips, yours included, your work is still ahead of you to be the best signer you can be, in whatever arena you choose to use your new skill. You will be a shepherd of the language. Use this responsibility wisely. Good luck to you! Don’t forget to INSERT YOUR OWN ONE HUNDREDTH TIP ON KEEPING YOUR SIGN LANGUAGE SANITY! The 100th tip is YOURS. You have ownership of it, so make it a good one!
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
In every culture, there are guidelines as to what is most appropriate and what actions need to be avoided. This also holds true for the Deaf community and the hard of hearing population. In Don’t Talk with Your Mouth Full, author Dr. Marie LaBozzetta Laurino provides a host of dos and don’ts when learning to become a signer, communicator, or interpreter.
Laurino presents helpful tips, motivational moments, and facts related to deafness, such as the importance of
• respecting the culture and the community;
• practicing;
• learning the language’s history;
• using signs correctly;
• finding a mentor;
• remembering to breathe.
Don’t Talk with Your Mouth Full provides advice, aphorisms, and encouragement appropriate for both the occasional signer and the American Sign Language interpreter.
Praise for Don’t Talk with Your Mouth Full
“Finally, an easy reference to answer ninety-nine questions I get all the time when people ask me about sign language. These are truisms that are as useful today asthey were twenty years ago and will still be useful twenty years from now.”
—Jerry L. Conner, certified, Florida
About the Author
Marie LaBozzetta Laurino earned a master of science degree in aural rehabilitation and a doctorate in education. She is certified through the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf and holds a Florida teaching certificate for Deaf and hard of hearing students. Laurino lives in Pasco County, Florida.