Rikki Poynter | you don't know sign language if you only know ABC's @rikkipoynter | Uploaded January 2024 | Updated October 2024, 15 hours ago.
A few days ago on Twitter, someone praised some famous guy because he fingerspelled a word. “He knows sign language!!” they yelled. Of course, that had to be corrected because, no, he only fingerspelled a word. How is that knowing ASL? This was stated and then people got very upset about it. But for what? Someone accused us of gatekeeping ASL. That’s not gatekeeping anything. That is simply making a statement that you do not know a language when all you know is the alphabet. I know the Korean alphabet very well, so I can read Korean if it’s presented to me, but I don’t know Korean.
This was also brought up because someone asked a popular Deaf TikToker, Liz, how she felt about someone coming up to her and only fingerspelling. She said it was fine, but don’t claim that you know sign language and only fingerspell. This isn’t efficient communication.
It’s not a dig at anyone. It’s not insulting someone for their language skills or lack thereof. Getting your start and learning the alphabet of any language is great. But don’t confuse that with being knowledgeable in a language and then being dishonest about your fluency (or lack thereof).
BookTube & writing Channel:
youtube.com/@RikkiPReads
Subscribe to my main YouTube channel:
youtube.com/user/rikkipoynter
Support my work on Patreon:
patreon.com/rikkipoynter
Transcript:
If you can at least have a basic casual conversation with someone, you can say you know some ASL. But don’t insinuate/say that you’re fluent. Because then obviously that’s not true. Like I’ll say I know (some) ASL but mention I’m not fluent. But yeah, if you can only fingerspell, that’s just not it.
Video Description:
Rikki with no makeup on, brown long hair down. She is wearing a long sleeve gray crewneck with the word “NEBRASKA” in red on the chest.
Comment says:
So what do you consider someone knowing ASL?
#SignLanguage
#AmericanSignLanguage
#ASL
#DeafCommunity
#LearningLanguages
#LanguageLearning
A few days ago on Twitter, someone praised some famous guy because he fingerspelled a word. “He knows sign language!!” they yelled. Of course, that had to be corrected because, no, he only fingerspelled a word. How is that knowing ASL? This was stated and then people got very upset about it. But for what? Someone accused us of gatekeeping ASL. That’s not gatekeeping anything. That is simply making a statement that you do not know a language when all you know is the alphabet. I know the Korean alphabet very well, so I can read Korean if it’s presented to me, but I don’t know Korean.
This was also brought up because someone asked a popular Deaf TikToker, Liz, how she felt about someone coming up to her and only fingerspelling. She said it was fine, but don’t claim that you know sign language and only fingerspell. This isn’t efficient communication.
It’s not a dig at anyone. It’s not insulting someone for their language skills or lack thereof. Getting your start and learning the alphabet of any language is great. But don’t confuse that with being knowledgeable in a language and then being dishonest about your fluency (or lack thereof).
BookTube & writing Channel:
youtube.com/@RikkiPReads
Subscribe to my main YouTube channel:
youtube.com/user/rikkipoynter
Support my work on Patreon:
patreon.com/rikkipoynter
Transcript:
If you can at least have a basic casual conversation with someone, you can say you know some ASL. But don’t insinuate/say that you’re fluent. Because then obviously that’s not true. Like I’ll say I know (some) ASL but mention I’m not fluent. But yeah, if you can only fingerspell, that’s just not it.
Video Description:
Rikki with no makeup on, brown long hair down. She is wearing a long sleeve gray crewneck with the word “NEBRASKA” in red on the chest.
Comment says:
So what do you consider someone knowing ASL?
#SignLanguage
#AmericanSignLanguage
#ASL
#DeafCommunity
#LearningLanguages
#LanguageLearning
