My Language story

                 I am trilingual. I am fluent in English Spanish and A.S.L. I was raised in a
Hispanic household, and didn’t learn to speak English until I began elementary school. Throughout most of my life I went back and forth using both languages depending on who I was around, easily transitioning or combining both. (Spanglish). I read and wrote in both languages, and was able to translate for my mom whenever she didn’t understand something.

              When I was 25, I had a rare form of cancer in my saliva glands. A relatively large tumor was removed from my mouth leaving me with a severe speech impediment, and I had to relearn how to speak using the muscles in my face, tones, and voice differently.  As a result of my aftercare treatment, I lost partial hearing, labeling me “hearing impaired/hard of hearing”. I state this because it changed the way I used language, as well as the way I received it. Where I was once very vocal and spoke, sang and relished in oral speech, I’m now very quiet and reserved, not because I’m shy, but because it’s sometimes frustrating to talk. I’m not able to use language in the same way, and had to learn to communicate differently because I simply wasn’t being understood. I thrive using alternative forms of communications and ASL is one of the primary ways I “speak”.

.                          Sign Language was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I love the visual aspect of the language and the fluidity that makes it feel like an art form to me when I could no longer sing. It gave me the freedom to express myself without the strain of trying to speak and be understood. The process has been challenging, and because it is a completely different language, with its own set of rules, grammar, and structure, proves a little confusing at times. After all, I didn’t grow up using this language, I’ve never been exposed to it on a consistent level, and I’m learning it later on in life. The signs are so close one sign can mean several different words. There are different “dialects” of ASL, including slang and ever-changing signs that update according to the times. ASL which is much more rigid, adheres strictly to the rules of proper language. English ASL, which is often used among younger people now that are more exposed to main stream, merges the languages. (This is very controversial in the Deaf world.)

               In the present time most of the people in my immediate world speak English or Spanish. Anyone that knew me before I got sick hardly ever have communication issues with me; they’ve been through the journey and have evolved to understand my progressing form of speech. I’ve made friends with many people in the Deaf community to make my transition smoother. It has been stellar in its ability to aid me in speaking freely, without the stares, questions, blank faces, or having to repeat myself ten times. A few of my friends have learned to sign, to better understand me in different situations where it proves itself difficult. I have taken the initiative to offer anyone that plays a role in my life free lessons in basic sign because in the end it benefits me and opens the door for them to decide if they want to continue learning a new language. I now live alone so I can easily go days without orally speaking and function just fine texting, signing or simply being quiet around people I don’t know. Because I struggle with people that don’t know me my situation and/or aren’t accustomed to the way I speak, if I have to interact with them, I often mouth and sign at the same time, and that’s how I communicate on a day to day basis.