DEFINITIONS

Language Styles:

“AASL monolinguals:  Deaf people who are comfortable expressing themselves only in ASL, and in understanding only ASL.  They have no skills in English.

AASL dominant bilinguals:  Deaf people who are more comfortable expressing themselves in ASL than English, and are able to understand ASL better than English (either printed or signed English).

ABalanced bilinguals:  Deaf people who are comfortable expressing themselves in both ASL and English, and who are able to understand both equally well.

AEnglish dominant bilinguals:  Deaf people who are more comfortable expressing themselves in English, and who are able to understand English (in printed English or signed English) better than ASL.

AEnglish monolinguals:  Deaf people who are comfortable expressing themselves only in English (oral or signed English) and in understanding English (in printed or oral or signed English).  They have no skills in ASL.

ASemi-linguals:  Deaf people who do have some skills in both English and ASL, but are not able to master either language fully.” (Kannapell 23)

    These are some of the categories that Deaf people are placed into based on the type of signing they use.  Not all Deaf people use sign language.  Deaf people feel so comfortable communicating with each other because they understand 100% of communication in the Deaf world.  In the hearing world, if a Deaf person has a poorly trained interpreter, that person is only going to receive partial information; however, without an interpreter the Deaf person may receive no information at all.  (Kannapell)

    Other Definitions:

A
American Sign Language (ASL):  The visual language that serves as the primary means of communication for many deaf Americans and Canadians. The grammar and syntax of ASL are as different from English as another spoken language. (

 

American Sign Language user:  A person whose primary language is American Sign Language.

assistive listening system:  A hearing enhancement system consisting of a transmitter and receivers. There are several types of assistive listening systems including audio loop systems, FM systems and infrared systems.

 

audiology:  The science of hearing.

 

audio loop:  One form of a hearing enhancement system.

Am

B

bilingual-bicultural programs:  Often called bi-bi programs, these academic programs emphasize both ASL and English. These programs also encourage children to learn about both Deaf and hearing cultures.

bilingualism:  The use of two different languages - in this context often one form of sign language such as American Sign Language and a spoken  language such as English. (Ma

yer an
British Sign Language (BSL):  The visual language the serves as the primary means of communication for many deaf people in the United Kingdom.an

Li

C
captioned (closed and open):  Refers to films or video programs where dialogue and sound effects appear in text form on the screen along with the picture. The text may always be visible (open captioned) or visible only with the use of a decoder device which translates the invisible signal into visual text (closed captioned).

 

Cochlear Implant:  A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing. The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin.

 (American Library
CODA:  Children of Deaf Adults

computer assisted note taking (CAN):  A system whereby a notetaker types on a computer keyboard what is being said during a meeting. After a short lag time the notes are displayed on a projection screen or monitor.

computer-assisted real-time captioning (CART):  A system whereby a highly skilled court reporter uses a shorthand machine and a computer to translate spoken language into written text. The verbatim text may be read on a video monitor or projection screen immediately.

D
deaf:  A person who is either partially or wholly unable to hear. The term “deaf” is generally preferred to “hearing-impaired” in the deaf community.

 
Deaf:  A deaf person who considers deafness to be a positive characteristic rather than a disability, respects and may use American Sign Language and values Deaf Culture and membership in the deaf community.

Deaf Culture:  A system of values common to people with certain shared experiences; these values are generally learned from culturally Deaf parents or while attending residential schools for deaf students. Values including language (American Sign Language), literature (ASL poetry, humor and stories), folklore, history, use of certain types of assistive devices (TTYs, closed-caption decoders, etc.) and standards for social interaction.
decoder:  A device which, when attached to or built into a television, translates the electronic signals of a closed captioned video program into words printed on the screen along with the rest of the video images.

F
fingerspelling:  The use of the manual alphabet within sign language to spell out words - often used to spell out names.

G
Gestuno:  The informal combination of gestures and signs used by deaf people from different countries to communicate with each other.

H
hard-of-hearing:  A person who has mild to moderate hearing loss. The term “hard-of-hearing” is generally preferred to “hearing-impaired” in the deaf community. (

American
I
interpreters:  Individuals skilled at translating spoken communication into either sign language or clear oral speech.

L
late-deafened or deafened:  An individual who loses hearing after acquiring spoken speech.

O
Oral Interpreters:  Individuals who silently mouth a speaker’s words for a deaf person who communicates primarily by using spoken language and speechreading.  They use no sign language and are skilled at making substitutions for words that are difficult to speechread. Oral interpreters are used by very few deaf people.

S
Sign Language Interpreters:  Individuals skilled at translating the meaning of spoken language into sign language and translating sign language into spoken words.

speechreading:  Formerly called lipreading. Understanding spoken language through the visual analysis of mouth and face movements. Usually only effective with individuals with significant residual hearing. Speechreading is difficult and tiring as many spoken languages (like English) have many similar mouth shapes.