My Thoughts on Baby Sign
By nature I am a curious individual. I enjoy learning about different cultures, religions, and customs. In fact, it was my curiosity, that lead me to take an ASL course while in university. If I had never taken the course, I would not had developed a passion for ASL and an appreciation of the Deaf culture. I feel that it is human nature to explore and try new things. As a result, we as human, all, take advantage of other cultures, whether its based on the clothing we buy, food we eat, or activities we choose to participate in. The act of adopting a specific aspect(s) of a culture different from your own is known as culture appropriation. Baby Sign is a form of cultural appropriation, as members of the Non-Deaf community have taken parts of the Deaf community's language, and turn it into a profitable business. As seen in the Different Views section of this web site, the Non-Deaf community have developed an interest on Baby Sign as a means of giving their child(ren) the best possible start in life, while the Deaf community feel that Baby Sign devalues their culture and language, and promotes audism. Audism is defined as:
"discrimination or stereotypes against Deaf or Hard of Hearing people, by assuming that the cultural ways of hearing people are preferable or superior to those Deaf or signing culture;
or that Deaf people are somehow less capable than hearing people"
(All Deaf, 2013)
There are two key points addressed in the above definition, which directly relate to the Baby Sign debate:
1. "assuming that the cultural ways of hearing people are...superior"; and
2. "that Deaf people are somehow less capable than hearing people".
1. Assuming that the cultural ways of hearing people are superior:
This part of the audism definition has three implications for Baby Sign. One of the problems with Baby Sign is the misconception that Baby Sign and Sign Language, such as ASL are one in the same. As well as the false impression that Sign Language is easier to learn than spoken languages. Finally, most parents stop signing with their child(ren) once they begin verbal communication. As a results, people are left with the impression that spoken languages are more complex and thus superior. However, Baby Sign is not actually a language, as it does not consist of any grammar, sentence structure, or syntax rules. Rather, Baby Sign is simply a list of common words used with infants taught showing the words sign equivalent. If those families who took Baby Sign courses were to continue with learning an official signed language, they would quickly come to realize the complexity and value of signed languages.
2. Deaf people are somehow less capable than hearing people:
During the course of my research, I was not able to find a Baby Sign company which is owned and operated by Deaf individuals. Instead all the courses are taught by Non-Deaf individuals. I was shocked to see that some companies advertise "certification" to become a Baby Sign instructor, which simply consisted of purchasing a teaching kit or taking a two day workshop to learn the basic signs taught within the course. Personally, I would never take a language course which was taught by someone who was "certified" in this manor. The fact that Non-Deaf individuals are trying to teach signed based courses gives the impression that the Non-Deaf community to more capable of teaching signs than the Deaf community are. This is simply just not true. Regardless, of the language being taught, it is always best to learn it from someone who is a native language user.
Considering all of this information the question remains:
"Should Non-Deaf families teach their infants Baby Sign?"
I feel that this depends on what the motivation or intent is behind wanting to teach your infant Baby Sign. If you are interested in learning Baby Sign for the purpose of:
1. Being able to communicate with your baby before they can speak;
2. Reduce "tantrums" and/or behavioral problems; and/or
3. Improve bonding between you and your child; then,
in my opinion learning Baby Sign is not necessary. Communication is a natural occurring phenomena, whether its verbal or non-verbal (Humphrey and Alcorn, 2007). New borns communicate their needs by crying. Parents typically are able to quickly learn what type of cry indicates that their baby is hungry, tired, scared, in pain, and so forth. As the baby develops their fine motor skills they begin to use gestures and movements that are natural for them. These gestures and movements are their way of communicating. If parents take the time to watch and respond to their babies natural form of communicating, they will be able to achieve the same end goals as those listed above. Therefore, in this case Baby Sign is not needed.
If the motivation from wanting to learn Baby Sign is based on:
1. Strengthens cognitive skills;
2. Gives the child a "head start" on language acquisition which can lead to increased future
academic success; and/or
3. Improved confidence; then,
in my opinion, learning Baby Sign can be a possibility. Parents should know that the above possible benefits are only achieved if the child continues to learn and use Sign Language. Therefore, its requires continued use, even after the child has begun to speak. In this situation, parents should consider the source of who is teaching them Sign Language. In stead of going to a Baby Sign class which is taught by Non-Deaf individuals, look into taking courses through a Deaf organization, taught by a Deaf individual. This way you will have access to more reliable source, develop a better understanding of the language, and gain an appreciation for the Deaf culture.
Finally, if the reason behind wanting to learn Baby Sign, is so that your child can learn an additional language, which you plan on using on a regular bases, then it is my opinion that you skip the Baby Sign approach, and take real Sign Language courses through a Deaf organization. Get involve with the Deaf community. Its the best way to learn about their culture and language.
1. "assuming that the cultural ways of hearing people are...superior"; and
2. "that Deaf people are somehow less capable than hearing people".
1. Assuming that the cultural ways of hearing people are superior:
This part of the audism definition has three implications for Baby Sign. One of the problems with Baby Sign is the misconception that Baby Sign and Sign Language, such as ASL are one in the same. As well as the false impression that Sign Language is easier to learn than spoken languages. Finally, most parents stop signing with their child(ren) once they begin verbal communication. As a results, people are left with the impression that spoken languages are more complex and thus superior. However, Baby Sign is not actually a language, as it does not consist of any grammar, sentence structure, or syntax rules. Rather, Baby Sign is simply a list of common words used with infants taught showing the words sign equivalent. If those families who took Baby Sign courses were to continue with learning an official signed language, they would quickly come to realize the complexity and value of signed languages.
2. Deaf people are somehow less capable than hearing people:
During the course of my research, I was not able to find a Baby Sign company which is owned and operated by Deaf individuals. Instead all the courses are taught by Non-Deaf individuals. I was shocked to see that some companies advertise "certification" to become a Baby Sign instructor, which simply consisted of purchasing a teaching kit or taking a two day workshop to learn the basic signs taught within the course. Personally, I would never take a language course which was taught by someone who was "certified" in this manor. The fact that Non-Deaf individuals are trying to teach signed based courses gives the impression that the Non-Deaf community to more capable of teaching signs than the Deaf community are. This is simply just not true. Regardless, of the language being taught, it is always best to learn it from someone who is a native language user.
Considering all of this information the question remains:
"Should Non-Deaf families teach their infants Baby Sign?"
I feel that this depends on what the motivation or intent is behind wanting to teach your infant Baby Sign. If you are interested in learning Baby Sign for the purpose of:
1. Being able to communicate with your baby before they can speak;
2. Reduce "tantrums" and/or behavioral problems; and/or
3. Improve bonding between you and your child; then,
in my opinion learning Baby Sign is not necessary. Communication is a natural occurring phenomena, whether its verbal or non-verbal (Humphrey and Alcorn, 2007). New borns communicate their needs by crying. Parents typically are able to quickly learn what type of cry indicates that their baby is hungry, tired, scared, in pain, and so forth. As the baby develops their fine motor skills they begin to use gestures and movements that are natural for them. These gestures and movements are their way of communicating. If parents take the time to watch and respond to their babies natural form of communicating, they will be able to achieve the same end goals as those listed above. Therefore, in this case Baby Sign is not needed.
If the motivation from wanting to learn Baby Sign is based on:
1. Strengthens cognitive skills;
2. Gives the child a "head start" on language acquisition which can lead to increased future
academic success; and/or
3. Improved confidence; then,
in my opinion, learning Baby Sign can be a possibility. Parents should know that the above possible benefits are only achieved if the child continues to learn and use Sign Language. Therefore, its requires continued use, even after the child has begun to speak. In this situation, parents should consider the source of who is teaching them Sign Language. In stead of going to a Baby Sign class which is taught by Non-Deaf individuals, look into taking courses through a Deaf organization, taught by a Deaf individual. This way you will have access to more reliable source, develop a better understanding of the language, and gain an appreciation for the Deaf culture.
Finally, if the reason behind wanting to learn Baby Sign, is so that your child can learn an additional language, which you plan on using on a regular bases, then it is my opinion that you skip the Baby Sign approach, and take real Sign Language courses through a Deaf organization. Get involve with the Deaf community. Its the best way to learn about their culture and language.