When Jan has a very weak voice as a result of asthma I find it quite impossible to know what she is saying. We have both been to lip-reading classes for a couple of years, and this certainly helps, but my lip-reading skills are not really good enough. Twenty years ago we both went to Sign Language classes for a year when I lost my hearing in one ear completely overnight.
But that was just as a sort of insurance policy in case I lost the other side as well. Jan has forgotten most of what she learnt, and I’ve forgotten a great deal. But occasionally when I have a problem, Jan will just fingerspell something, or use a sign or two, and we manage.
It’s clear that if we both learnt to sign, communication between us would be a great deal easier. So we have decided to resurrect our very rusty signing skills and see if we can get them up to a useful level. The strategy we are going to try is that I am going to use Sign Supported English when talking to Jan, since my signing skills are a little better.
Hopefully, this will help Jan improve her own skills. We will combine this with going to classes, doing a lot of work at home with DVDs and flash cards, and watching CBeebies. CBeebies? Yes! Many years ago, when I wanted to learn Welsh as an adult, I watched a lot of children’s Welsh television. They spoke slowly, carefully and with a limited vocabulary.
I’m hoping that “Andy’s Wild Adventures” with signing will be just as useful when learning to sign. I’m assuming that the signing will be slow, clear and use a limited vocabulary. That’s the theory anyway. Watch this space!
