The deaf school in Savannakhet is the only school I’ve had the chance to distribute the signing books directly to each student. I was looking forward to this treat. My bicycle bags were packed and I dropped in unannounced.
The director made sure all 24 students had gathered and instructed them to take care of the books. “Don’t rip the pages. Use it so you can learn to sign well.” In this interaction, I could learn a new sign for “Take care of” It was fun to hand the books out one-by-one.
I gave books for them to take home to their parents too. I figured that everyone would already know all 600 signs in the book, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Without any instruction, students moved into little study groups to look through the book. Through the years of teaching, I’ve spent a lot of energy trying to get hearing students to sit down and use a book. There’s so much chatter. There are mobile phones and endless exchanges. I’ve seen carefully cultivated concentration shattered to bits at the smallest distraction.
I sat with a small group of older boys to sign as I still need as much practice as I can get. I didn’t know the sign for “foreigner” so I made it up by signing “country” + “outside” and the boy gave me an astonished look, “What ARE you saying?” The director is a pleasant, competent and helpful woman and she showed me the proper sign which is “different” + “country”. I’m sure that the boy was saying, “You’re signing is really hopeless” and then repaired his slip of hands with a not completely insincere comment of, “You’re doing OK.” For me, comprehension through signing is like a holographic flash of understanding. I catch myself and think, “Did I really understand that?” It’s so clear, it’s beyond doubt. There’s a particular certainty when we use our right brain.
The girl-group was sitting quietly (well, of course) under a tree and all were intently going through the book. In the way that speaking people would read out loud, they were going through each sign with their hands in motion. It was an very beautiful moment. When I was leaving, the director wanted to tell me. “You know, all the other students are in their rooms reading the book.”
When I bicycle by the deaf school, kids recognize me and wave. I wave back and try not to sign and drive. I don’t dare use two hands to say something.
