Soon after Ariya Ahona began learning American Sign Language (ASL) at U of T, she realized that language would be only one of the many things she’d be learning.
That’s because in instructor David Wiesblatt’s class, students learn not only to sign, but to understand the values, norms and etiquette associated with Deaf culture. “If I hadn’t taken this class,” Ahona says, “I’d never have had the opportunity to see this whole other side of life.”
Demand for Sign language classes has been growing rapidly over the last several years: the Modern Language Association reported that in 2016 it was the third most-studied language in American universities, behind only English and French. In popular culture, ASL is seemingly everywhere: from Deaf West Theatre’s revival on Broadway of the play Spring Awakening, performed partly in ASL; to the reality show Deaf U, which takes place at Washington D.C.’s renowned Gallaudet College; to the movie CODA, winner of Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards.
ASL’s popularity has given rise to concerns about the quality of instruction, says Ahona. For example, a recent TikTok craze saw Non-Deaf people teaching each other how to sign the Regina Spektor song Two Birds on a Wire — “and they weren’t necessarily doing it right,” she says. “It’s much better to learn ASL from someone who’s always been using the language.”
David Wiesblatt is one such person. Wiesblatt, who is Deaf, has taught ASL at campuses across the country, and has longed worked as an advocate for high-quality instruction and Deaf cultural awareness. This year, he taught the Faculty of Arts & Science’s first-ever ASL course through the Department of Linguistics.
Wiesblatt began tutoring students privately at the age of 14. These days, in addition to teaching ASL at the high-school and university level, he also works as an interpreter. “My mom was my role model,” he says in a video relay interview. “She was a successful Deaf woman who communicated in ASL, and a real inspiration for me.”
His class stresses the importance of educating students about Deaf culture — something films and television shows are starting to reflect as well. “Back in the day, if you saw Deaf characters they were struggling as disabled people; they were not respected as members of a cultural minority,” he says. “The attitude has shifted now that people are more informed, and I think that shift is drawing people to learn the language that is used.”
Wiesblatt stresses that learning ASL requires commitment. Like any language, it is not simply a series of vocabulary words but a system with its own complicated grammar and syntax — in the case of ASL, a grammar that actually has more in common with French than with English. “It’s a fast-paced course and I have high expectations of the students,” he says. “It takes a tremendous amount of practice to become fluent.”
All these different conversations came up in class, and I was like — wow, this entire world has always existed. And now we’re finally starting to see it emerge.
All these different conversations came up in class, and I was like — wow, this entire world has always existed. And now we’re finally starting to see it emerge.
ASL involves the face even more than the hands; the position of eyebrows and mouth are key to proper expression. This has made communicating during the pandemic especially difficult, owing to the necessity of masks. “70 per cent of ASL is on the face, with only 30 per cent on the hands,” Wiesblatt says. “And the grammar is all on the face — so when a mask obstructs that, the grammar is compromised.” Still, he notes that COVID-19 has also increased awareness of and interest in ASL, thanks to frequent televised announcements.
Given that ASL was designed for Deaf individuals, why do so many who can hear want to learn it? “It really opens up a different sort of processing for students, and shows them a new way of learning,” Wiesblatt says, adding that in the workplace “the applications are endless.”
In any public-facing profession, ASL could be useful for professionals wishing to communicate not only with Deaf clients, but those who cannot communicate verbally. In recent times, there has also been a push toward teaching infants Sign language, so that they communicate before they can speak. The demand for ASL interpreters is growing as well.
ASL has been offered at University of Toronto Scarborough since 2007. In Arts & Science, the idea for a course was conceived several years ago thanks largely to the efforts of Deaf alumnus Michael Samakayi, and his establishment of a popular ASL club which attracted hundreds of followers.
For her part, Ahona is enthusiastic about how far the course has taken her. “One of the goals is to be able to have a conversation, and even tell stories,” says the incoming fourth-year student, who is a life sciences major and member of University College. Since ASL combines words with visuals, she believes it’s also a great way for younger people to communicate. “With everything being online now,” she says, “we’ve become so used to being able to rewind and fast forward. It makes listening hard to process; and since it has multiple inputs, ASL feels easier to understand in a way.”
Ahona especially appreciates what Wiesblatt’s class has taught her about Deaf culture. “When we started, we didn’t go straight into ASL,” she says. “We spent a couple of classes just talking about the cultural aspect.” She says she is much more sensitive to the difficulties that Deaf people experience in a world built to serve the needs of the hearing.
“All these different conversations came up in class, and I was like — wow, this entire world has always existed. And now we’re finally starting to see it emerge.”
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- Michael Samakayi, an international grad, leaves his mark on U of T with ASL club and course
June 24, 2021 | U of T News