Every damn time

[xp_echo]

Every time I think people can’t possibly be the worst they prove me wrong.

Every. Damn. Time.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/05/08/fake-sign-language-asl-tiktok/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWJpZCI6IjQyNTY5MzQiLCJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNjgzNjA0ODAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNjg0OTAwNzk5LCJpYXQiOjE2ODM2MDQ4MDAsImp0aSI6IjQwOTdjY2U0LTQ1NWYtNDE2ZC1hMzUzLWI5NjkwMTRiMTFkYiIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS93ZWxsbmVzcy8yMDIzLzA1LzA4L2Zha2Utc2lnbi1sYW5ndWFnZS1hc2wtdGlrdG9rLyJ9.iaMVT8gq1XfuzIn3vuEjDTkKMiNZE50cG_U4E_VRQPI

If you want to learn a language, learn it from qualified people, not viral TikTok memes.

Comments

[xp_daredevil]

what's this "gatekeeping" nonsense? there's classes practically everywhere

[xp_spectrum]

Apparently it's gate keeping if a deaf or HoH person corrects a hearing person's crappy ASL...

Seriously, if people who were teaching a foreign language like Spanish or Mandarin said "oh, we make mistakes sometimes, but that's okay", people would be pitching a fit. But since it's "just" ASL, it doesn't matter if the teacher is wrong? Bah.

[xp_daredevil]

I didn't take sign language for obvious reasons, but we had a club for it when I was in grade school, there were classes at Lighthouse, etc. I get that there might be a cost barrier, but if you want qualified teachers teaching correctly, then they need to be compensated accordingly. That's not gatekeeping, that's systemic structural endemic inequality.

[xp_darcy]

And there are plenty of free, qualified resources out there. The Oklahoma School for the deaf is offering conversational ASL online for free, and Gallaudet offers some free basics. And some immersive stuff for pay, which I kinda regret not knowing about while I actually lived in the DC area.