Last month, I wrote about how non-signing deaf people keep saying “what about us?” when signing deaf people campaign for BSL related stuff, like a BSL Act.
That article went online at about 7am; lots of people read it and commented about it, including on Twitter and Facebook. Then, at 10 or 11am that day, I got an email from a signing deaf friend of mine that made me feel really bad.
To watch this article in BSL, click here or press play below:
He asked me; “I’ve been trying to read your column, but I couldn’t understand most of it. Is there any chance you could translate it to BSL for me?”
I was stunned. I thought I’d written it in quite plain English, but I obviously hadn’t. Of course, I was more than happy to translate it to BSL, but I also had a big work deadline that day, so was simply unable to do it then.
I knew it was important to do it, though, so I asked my friend Heidi if she could possibly do it. To my great relief, she said yes! However, there were a few technical issues, so the BSL version didn’t go online until the next day (click here to see/read it).
My friend was happy and thanked me, but I didn’t feel that I deserved his thanks. My column should have been in both languages in the first place!
BSL always comes last.
This all made me think about how the brilliant deaf comedian John Smith always jokes, “Why is it always about the ear?! Everything revolves around it!”, because we’re always up against annoying auditory barriers like loudspeakers and alarms and things.
The same could be said about English: Why is it always about English?! Everything revolves around it! English is everywhere. It’s all over the internet; it’s in books; it’s even on television, via subtitles.
The world is simply crammed full of English, which many deaf people don’t understand… and I’m actually ADDING MORE ENGLISH to it. Well, that’s just great(!)
But it’s not really great. So, from now on, I’m going to aim to try and make sure that everything I contribute to Limping Chicken is in both BSL and English. We need more BSL in this world!
I’m not trying to be some kind of martyr. I’m not a model of BSL perfection at all! I’m just trying to be practical; because if I can do something, I should.
Actually, lots of us are bilingual, so I hope there’ll be more Limping Chicken contributions in BSL. (I know it’s often not possible; people don’t always have the skill, technology, time or confidence.)
If you can do it, though, maybe you could consider it… after all, there’s plenty of English around already!
Jen Dodds is a Contributing Editor for The Limping Chicken. When she’s not looking after chickens or children, Jen can be found translating, proofreading and editing stuff over at Team HaDo Ltd (teamhado.com). On Twitter, Jen is @deafpower.
The Limping Chicken is the UK’s independent deaf news and deaf blogs website, posting the very latest in deaf opinion, commentary and news, every weekday! Don’t forget to follow the site on Twitter and Facebook, and check out our supporters on the right-hand side of this site or click here.
Martin
April 11, 2014
#Hands up and shaking!#
(a note for LC, no added plugin for sending videos for comments?
Cathy
April 11, 2014
It would be great if Limping Chicken had more BSL… however I’m noting the amount of time it took me to read the article (less than a minute) and the length of the video itself. For me this is the main issue of having articles presented in both English and BSL – the BSL version takes so much longer! With a new school of thought emerging that says we should be more mindful rather than jumping from reading an article to Facebook to checking our texts, maybe taking time out to watch videos and focus properly is an advantage! But I wonder should we be taking the approach that BSL videos should be translations of English articles (and vice versa). BSL is an ‘oral’ language – and oral storytelling is different to written storytelling. Maybe we can find a way to free BSL videos from the constraints of written articles so that they are as information-rich but shorter and more concise…?
Editor
April 11, 2014
Great comments Cathy – this is something we’re thinking about more and more – though we don’t have all the answers yet! I like the idea that the BSL video shouldn’t have to necessarily completely match the English version – and vice versa. They could be their own things, even if 90% of the information is the same. Lots to think about! Thanks Charlie
Jen Dodds (@deafpower)
April 11, 2014
That’s interesting – I actually did the BSL first and then translated it into English. I still haven’t decided if I am “different” when I do it that way. It’s easier, though. For me, anyway!
kirsty
April 11, 2014
This is great 🙂
Lana
April 12, 2014
Yes it is easier to think and sign in BSL which is your and my natural everyday language than writing and checking English afterwards. The more you practice signing on Video you will get better with shorter version on BSL/English translation. For me, it is more relaxing to watch you signing than reading – same with hearing people relaxing with listening than reading. Good Luck, Jen
Lana
April 12, 2014
My BSL students always tell me that they want to meet Deaf people to practice. They will be able to learn something from the signing videos on Limping chicken.
Hartmut
April 13, 2014
This has always been a challenge for me to present my “treatises” in ASL. All my writings involve a lot of rewrites, erasing, reformulating while I am composing. Then further editing of the complete texts, before I commit it to the world..
I tried to compose a high level discourse in ASL to a webcam. I found myself trying to “edit” on the go, very much in the same way I write in English. It is technically very difficult to erase the video using the available video-editing software. I find it, I have been more critical in composing something to a webcam, than when I am “orating” toward a live audience. No editing, but just continue, fixing any weaknesses already uttered in the following stream. It turns out, I would save more time, if I just rehearse a couple of times before I decide the video is good enough to upload.
I agree with Jen Dodds, more signing texts of quality should be out there from us “signing literati”. I just wish that we had a workable writing system for signs. *grief*.
I notice, I needed 35 minutes to complete this reply.
Hartmut