Cross Cultural Communication

90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. A small percentage of those parents even learn ASL, and this causes the child to find alternate ways of communication.

There are five basic strategies for communication with the hearing world: pen and paper, gestures, lipreading and speech, adapting signs to others, and using a third person to interpret.

Pen and Paper Most common type of communication. Used in so many situations Ordering Getting information Having complete conversations Getting directions

Gestures Used in short interactions Used when interacting with people you see regularly Relatives Regular waitress Co-workers Neighbors If the interaction lasts longer than a few minutes they will normally change to a different type of communication. Usually pen and paper.

Lipreading and Speech This is the least preferred by Deaf people. Only about 30% of speech can be understood by lipreading. This percentage can increase if the person they are talking to is someone familiar or if the topic is familiar.

Adapting Signs to Others This happens when the Deaf person is interacting with someone that knows ASL in some degree. There are many ways to adapt ASL Including more fingerspelling More mouthing words Gesturing Simple sentences Slower pace More English word order Deaf people are willing to do this, because the goal is to communicate.

Using a third person to interpret Utah law states that if an interpreter is getting paid they have to pass certification tests Sign to Voice Voice to Sign Code of Ethics A Deaf person can get someone to volunteer to interpret and they don’t have to be certified. Most medical, legal, educational, and professional places are required to hire an interpreter for the Deaf person. Deaf people like professional interpreters, because they are fluent in ASL and they understand Deaf and hearing culture.