TSW e-newsletter now available in ASL
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You may notice that some parts of this e-newsletter are now accessible in American Sign Language (ASL). Since TSW is a bilingual (ASL and English) company, we felt it was time to make our materials accessible in ASL. We also hope to make our website ASL-accessible later this year.

Special thanks go to Andy Foster and Chris Kaftan for their help with the video settings.

 

 

To read interesting writing or ASL tips, learn fun facts and be inspired by quotes, follow TSW on Twitter. Go to www.twitter.com/tswriting and click on "follow."

Ask TSW!

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A reader asks: I've seen people signing "e-mail" with a C handshape and the other hand with the index finger moving through the C handshape. But I was told that from a linguistic perspective, it's not the right sign. So how should I sign that word?

That word has generated controversy among many people. Native signers often say they do not feel right with that new sign not because it is a new sign, but because it is awkward and does not fit in with the language. Just like some words do not sound "right" in English, there are many signs that do not seem "right" in ASL. To find out the answer, TSW decided to ask an expert, Dr. E. Lynn Jacobowitz. She is the former president of the American Sign Language Teachers Association, and has taught at Gallaudet University for 30 years. She is also the co-founder of ASL Rose.

 

"I usually fingerspell the word, although in its quick form, it looks like E-ILY. Generally, you do not use two different handshapes with one moving handshape when creating a sign. There are some signs, such as HELICOPTER and MUSHROOM that do use different handshapes; however, this is not common. In fact, I've seen this evolved into one handshape. It appears that the dominant/symmetry principles found within ASL linguistics have somewhat loosened, but generally, Deaf people will change the signs to ensure they are assimilated with ASL's rules. The sign for e-mail is to simply spell it out or sign SEND using the index finger," Dr. Jacobowitz said.

 

Robert Arnold, who recently earned a master's degree in Deaf studies and is an ASL instructor in California, has additional perspectives. "Noun signs using both hands usually come into contact: study, learn, school, research, chair, college, movie and so on. When someone says,I'll send you an e-mail, this doesn't fit the contact rule. Language always has exceptions. Bute-mail the exception to the rule? Nope.

"With e-mail as a verb, such as I'll e-mail you tonight, there's a problem. Classifiers should describe things, but the classifier for e-mail does not fit the picture and meaning well. Some have argued that the C handshape represents the computer monitor. Not so good because it isn't about something that zips away in the viewer. It's more of a signal or information being sent. Furthermore, all along, ASL has already had the sign for e-mail - using the 'electricity' classifier for SEND, ZAP, and so on. Many fluent signers simply fingerspell the word. Also, the sign is similar to ASK, or like when our minds think of the same thing at the same time. This indicates the lightning-fast/electronic transfer of information. I use the ASK/SEND sign, because it's easily understood, just like fingerspelling it."

What do you think? Let us know by e-mailing news@tswriting.com!
 

Have a question about American Sign Language or English? Send your question to news@tswriting.com. We'll try to answer your question in an upcoming issue. All names will be kept anonymous.
 

The American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) is an organization that supports and educates families of deaf and hard of hearing children and advocates for high-quality programs and services. With 1,600 members, ASDC is a strong proponent of partnerships. Although ASDC has been around since 1967, it's within the past few years that it's become more visible and tangible. President Beth S. Benedict, a Deaf mother of two Deaf daughters, attributes this to several things. "We've had a change in the board with a vision to reach out and to build bridges between the deaf and hearing communities, and partnerships seem to be the key. We're also more visible than ever."

 

Benedict adds that the ASDC board is representative of as many families as possible. "We have both deaf and hearing parents, and professionals, to ensure all perspectives are considered," she says. "There is so much we want to do, but with a limited budget, it's tough. Volunteerism from the board is overwhelming, and I truly am very proud of the board. We also have a director of advocacy, Cheri Dowling, who contributes a lot."

 

So why should you care about ASDC if you don't have deaf or hard of hearing children? Benedict says, "This is so easy to answer. ASDC is really for all people, regardless of their children being deaf or hearing. For instance, professionals who work with deaf children could join, especially because they need to understand families' perspectives and to be as resourceful as they can be. Deaf adults make excellent role models for hearing parents of deaf children. Joining ASDC is one way they can become part of our resources and programs."

  

One of ASDC's best outreach methods is publishing its quarterly magazine, The Endeavor. Editor Tami Hossler, a hearing mother of a Deaf adult and a hearing adult, works closely with T.S. Writing Services for the magazine. Benedict explains, "ASDC believes in working with other organizations and programs that have connection with deaf people, showing the world that deaf people are as effective as others. Not only that, but TSW clearly understands our mission and is very effective in implementing our mission and vision as well. TSW is very reliable, much more than many other companies we have dealt with for a long time. We consider ourselves very fortunate to be one of its clients."

 

In addition to working with deaf-friendly companies like TSW and the printing company at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, another fundamental outreach method is hosting biennial conferences, with the next one scheduled for July 2011 in Frederick, Md. ASDC also has a website with plentiful resources, and has an 800 number for families to call toll-free anytime. 

 

"Deaf children are our future, and 95% of Deaf adults have hearing parents. Most of them do not want new hearing parents to raise Deaf children the way their own parents did - without appropriate and effective support," Benedict says. "ASDC is for everyone who supports deaf and hard of hearing children and bilingualism through ASL and English."

 

 

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Poorly written e-mails can have serious consequences, especially in the workplace where weakly written e-mails can become costly. By requiring staff to participate in training to improve e-mail writing, Capital One said in an article that it "estimates that [the training] saves the equivalent of 11 workdays per employee per year." 

Think about how much you earn in one day. Multiply that amount by 11 days, then by the number of employees at your company. That adds up quickly to thousands, even millions of dollars per year. That's why TSW offers customized e-mail services and training workshops. TSW can edit your e-mail in monthly packages of 10, 25, or 50 e-mails at discounted prices. Contact info@tswriting.com today to get rates and to learn more about our e-mail services.

 

About TSW

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T.S. Writing Services, LLC, is a Deaf-owned company that provides writing, editing, design and translation services in American Sign Language and English. For more information, visit www.tswriting.com.