news & articles
HELPING HANDS: MOLINARI TEACHES ASL AND DEAF AWARENESS IN BRIDGEWATER
BY: REBECCA HYMAN
BROCKTON ENTERPRISE
Laura Gardner still remembers how amazing it felt the first time she had a real conversation with her older daughter when she was a tiny toddler just learning to speak.
Gardner, of West Bridgewater, has yet to experience that milestone with her younger daughter, 4-year-old Rozlyn, but she’s determined to make it happen.
And this time, their shared language won’t be English. It will be American Sign Language.
Rozlyn, who can hear but not speak, has Noonan Syndrome, a genetic disorder that can affect development in many parts of the body.
"I know her emotionally and medically, but I don’t know her personally because I can’t fully communicate with her," said Gardner, who is taking a course in ASL and Deaf culture taught by Marianne Molinari at the Conant Center in Bridgewater.
The class, open to residents from all communities, is primarily made up of parents of Deaf, hard-of-hearing and non-speaking children and professionals who work with manual language users.
Molinari said the world would be a safer place if all public safety and healthcare professionals, as well as many more teachers and members of the general public, were fluent in American Sign Language.
"As a mom, I know how upset I would be if a first responder could not receive the simplest information from my child," Molinari said.
In fact, one of her students who works in a hospital was able to put her ASL skills to use recently when a little Deaf boy who’d swallowed a quarter came into the emergency room with his babysitter, who didn’t know how to sign.
"He signed ‘I ate money’ and my student was able to understand him," Molinari said.
For student Penny Gilbert of Marshfield, the class is the fulfillment of a lifelong goal.
Gilbert’s brother was Deaf and blind. She remembers holding his hand as a child, the only way she knew to assist him and communicate with him. Gilbert also has a niece who is Deaf.
"I’m loving every minute of it. At first it was overwhelming but you start to pick it up," said Gilbert, who grew up in England and works as a nanny, a waitress and a coach in a gym.
Molinari’s class also includes local high school students, who are learning ASL to meet a world languages requirement, as well as medical and public safety professionals.
And "Team Rozlyn" is up to three members. In addition to Rozlyn’s mother, her grandmother and interpreter at school are taking the class, which is appropriate for all levels of learners, Molinari said.
As for Molinari, 48, she wrote a book report about Helen Keller when she was 12 and has been signing ever since.
She was captivated by the story of the brilliant little girl with the indomitable spirit and the teacher who was finally able to break through her isolation using the power of language — in her case a language of touch, since Keller was Deaf and blind.
Molinari said one of the greatest compliments she ever receives is when a Deaf person tells her she is "hearing with a Deaf heart" or "hearing with Deaf hands."
In addition to teaching, she does a lot of pro bono community outreach work to boost understanding of Deaf culture and has received requests from the Deaf community to spread the word about the importance of ASL — especially in a world with high profile incidents like the Boston Marathon bombings, Molinari said.
Deaf people can’t hear gunshots, an explosion or footsteps behind them, Molinari said.
"You might be the only person in a violent situation who can sign ‘Run!’," Molinari told her students at a recent Thursday morning class.
In Molinari’s talented hands, signing is far more than just finger spelling.
"This is a head-to-toe, 3-D language and you must be expressive," she said.
You can’t get by just learning "signed vocabulary." You have to learn "facial grammar," Molinari said.
"Expression is like the ink in your pen," she said.
It is possible to convey different ideas with the same signs by the expression on your face and the intensity of your signing, just as you would in a spoken language — for example, the degree to which you do or don’t like something, Molinari said.
"Deaf people are people of the eye. Their eyes are their ears," Molinari said.
And another thing, English idioms don’t translate into ASL. So, don’t sign, "It’s raining cats and dogs" or "cut to the chase" or you will get a lot of confused stares, she said. Instead, ask yourself, "What do I mean?" and sign that.
"You can’t learn ASL from a book. That’s my mantra," Molinari said.
Molinari said learning sign language is an exciting journey that never ends. She’s always learning new signs and loves every minute of it.
Perhaps most importantly, she said, ASL is not a substitute for English. It is a beautiful, expressive language in its own right.
Rozlyn Gardner has endured a great deal in her young life, including open-heart surgery, frequent hospitalizations and a feeding tube.
But despite all that, she’s a radiant little girl who looks on the bright side and "lights up a room" with her sunny disposition and unstoppable smile, her mom said.
Rozlyn is learning ASL in school but unless Laura knows it too, it won’t allow them to finally have that conversation, Laura said.
"I want to be able to talk to my daughter. This is my foundation," Laura said.
Marianne Molinari teaches American Sign Language classes Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings at the Conant Community Center in Bridgewater. For more information, contact Molinari at 781-447-2470 or [email protected].
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: http://www.enterprisenews.com/article/20140520/News/140529487/?Start=1
BY: REBECCA HYMAN
BROCKTON ENTERPRISE
Laura Gardner still remembers how amazing it felt the first time she had a real conversation with her older daughter when she was a tiny toddler just learning to speak.
Gardner, of West Bridgewater, has yet to experience that milestone with her younger daughter, 4-year-old Rozlyn, but she’s determined to make it happen.
And this time, their shared language won’t be English. It will be American Sign Language.
Rozlyn, who can hear but not speak, has Noonan Syndrome, a genetic disorder that can affect development in many parts of the body.
"I know her emotionally and medically, but I don’t know her personally because I can’t fully communicate with her," said Gardner, who is taking a course in ASL and Deaf culture taught by Marianne Molinari at the Conant Center in Bridgewater.
The class, open to residents from all communities, is primarily made up of parents of Deaf, hard-of-hearing and non-speaking children and professionals who work with manual language users.
Molinari said the world would be a safer place if all public safety and healthcare professionals, as well as many more teachers and members of the general public, were fluent in American Sign Language.
"As a mom, I know how upset I would be if a first responder could not receive the simplest information from my child," Molinari said.
In fact, one of her students who works in a hospital was able to put her ASL skills to use recently when a little Deaf boy who’d swallowed a quarter came into the emergency room with his babysitter, who didn’t know how to sign.
"He signed ‘I ate money’ and my student was able to understand him," Molinari said.
For student Penny Gilbert of Marshfield, the class is the fulfillment of a lifelong goal.
Gilbert’s brother was Deaf and blind. She remembers holding his hand as a child, the only way she knew to assist him and communicate with him. Gilbert also has a niece who is Deaf.
"I’m loving every minute of it. At first it was overwhelming but you start to pick it up," said Gilbert, who grew up in England and works as a nanny, a waitress and a coach in a gym.
Molinari’s class also includes local high school students, who are learning ASL to meet a world languages requirement, as well as medical and public safety professionals.
And "Team Rozlyn" is up to three members. In addition to Rozlyn’s mother, her grandmother and interpreter at school are taking the class, which is appropriate for all levels of learners, Molinari said.
As for Molinari, 48, she wrote a book report about Helen Keller when she was 12 and has been signing ever since.
She was captivated by the story of the brilliant little girl with the indomitable spirit and the teacher who was finally able to break through her isolation using the power of language — in her case a language of touch, since Keller was Deaf and blind.
Molinari said one of the greatest compliments she ever receives is when a Deaf person tells her she is "hearing with a Deaf heart" or "hearing with Deaf hands."
In addition to teaching, she does a lot of pro bono community outreach work to boost understanding of Deaf culture and has received requests from the Deaf community to spread the word about the importance of ASL — especially in a world with high profile incidents like the Boston Marathon bombings, Molinari said.
Deaf people can’t hear gunshots, an explosion or footsteps behind them, Molinari said.
"You might be the only person in a violent situation who can sign ‘Run!’," Molinari told her students at a recent Thursday morning class.
In Molinari’s talented hands, signing is far more than just finger spelling.
"This is a head-to-toe, 3-D language and you must be expressive," she said.
You can’t get by just learning "signed vocabulary." You have to learn "facial grammar," Molinari said.
"Expression is like the ink in your pen," she said.
It is possible to convey different ideas with the same signs by the expression on your face and the intensity of your signing, just as you would in a spoken language — for example, the degree to which you do or don’t like something, Molinari said.
"Deaf people are people of the eye. Their eyes are their ears," Molinari said.
And another thing, English idioms don’t translate into ASL. So, don’t sign, "It’s raining cats and dogs" or "cut to the chase" or you will get a lot of confused stares, she said. Instead, ask yourself, "What do I mean?" and sign that.
"You can’t learn ASL from a book. That’s my mantra," Molinari said.
Molinari said learning sign language is an exciting journey that never ends. She’s always learning new signs and loves every minute of it.
Perhaps most importantly, she said, ASL is not a substitute for English. It is a beautiful, expressive language in its own right.
Rozlyn Gardner has endured a great deal in her young life, including open-heart surgery, frequent hospitalizations and a feeding tube.
But despite all that, she’s a radiant little girl who looks on the bright side and "lights up a room" with her sunny disposition and unstoppable smile, her mom said.
Rozlyn is learning ASL in school but unless Laura knows it too, it won’t allow them to finally have that conversation, Laura said.
"I want to be able to talk to my daughter. This is my foundation," Laura said.
Marianne Molinari teaches American Sign Language classes Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings at the Conant Community Center in Bridgewater. For more information, contact Molinari at 781-447-2470 or [email protected].
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: http://www.enterprisenews.com/article/20140520/News/140529487/?Start=1
Learning a new language: ASL teacher provides hands-on experience
BY: Tessa Fitzgerald
GateHouse News Service
Hanover —
American Sign Language Teacher Marianne Molinari is not deaf.
And neither are any of her family members. It’s a question her new students often ask her. So here’s how she got into it. “The reason why I was interested and began to teach really was based on a book report I did on Helen Keller in the seventh grade,” Molinari said.
She said she was intrigued by the story of this woman who had been told what she couldn’t do all her life and how she overcame perceived disabilities and proved everyone wrong. She said members of the deaf community are still oppressed now.
“When it comes to the deaf, there’s only one thing the deaf can’t do,” Molinari said. “Hear.”
A resident of Whitman, Molinari is currently teaching two five-week courses in American Sign Language (ASL), one for beginners and one for advanced speakers. The classes are held on Monday nights at the Cardinal Cushing Center in Hanover.
She immersed herself in the deaf community, taking classes, learning the culture, befriending people and eventually getting her certificate in American Sign Language and deaf studies at Northeastern University. As an ASL teacher, Molinari said she loves how she’s continuously making the world a better place for the deaf and continuing to learn more herself.
“There’s so much to learn,” she said.
For example, back when she was learning ASL, there was no sign for the word Internet, and now there is. The culture is also ever evolving.
In the beginner class, students learn the basics of the language – and it’s voices off during the advanced class.
The first class, held last Monday (Aug. 11), drew a variety of learners from professionals to kids.
Ten-year-old Anthony Attardo, of Marshfield, was the youngest student in the class.
During camp this summer, he met and befriended a girl who is deaf. He took the class because he wants to be able to communicate with her and others.
“We had discussed, after his camp experience, looking for courses,” his mother, Mary Jane Attardo, said. “By chance, we picked up the paper and saw this course.”
Anthony said his friend had three interpreters with her and that she knew how to write in English. He feels strongly that he will succeed in ASL. “I think I’m going to pick it up,” he said.
ASL is just one signing system. There are 22 others.
Molinari said at times it’s a safety issue and it’s an important language for emergency workers to learn.
She said sometimes, when people are trying to communicate with someone who is deaf, they will write down what they want to say.
Here’s the problem: not all native ASL speakers read English. Just as the opposite is true.
It’s a language you have to learn by doing. Molinari said a student can’t learn ASL out of a book.
A lot of expression and emotion go into the signs in order for the speaker to show what they are saying. Quick, abrupt movements can signify anger while slower movements with a smile show that the person means something in a good way.
Though they appear in books, the signs for the words “very” and “because” are not used in ASL as the sentences aren’t structured the same way as they are in English.
Out of respect, when teaching, Molinari wears a black shirt so her hands show up better. She also doesn’t wear nail polish and only limited jewelry, as it is a distraction and considered to be in poor taste, she told the class of about 20 students.
For students, she said she gets a lot of educators, first responders, and medical professionals. Sometimes parents of autistic children learn ASL as an alternative communication format for their children. Sometimes there are men and women who have returned from Iraq that have hearing loss due to what they were exposed to overseas. There’s also the student that wants to learn ASL just because they find it interesting.
When Molinari is not teaching, she’s a full-time mom, and her family is her first priority. The night classes, she said, allow her to do what she loves and to care for her young children.
Her classes usually begin with cultural content about the deaf, updates on news and the community.
During the first class, she said, students can get overwhelmed.
“Just the fear of I’m never going to get this because it’s so different,” she said.
But if they persist, they will learn.
For more information about the class contact Molinari via phone or email at 781-447-2470 or [email protected].
Copyright 2008 Hanover Mariner. Some rights reserved
Read more: VIDEO: Learning a new language: ASL teacher provides hands-on experience - Hanover, MA - Hanover Mariner http://www.wickedlocal.com/hanover/archive/x411734796/VIDEO-Learning-a-new-language-ASL-teacher-provides-hands-on-experience#ixzz1HfbShr5z
And neither are any of her family members. It’s a question her new students often ask her. So here’s how she got into it. “The reason why I was interested and began to teach really was based on a book report I did on Helen Keller in the seventh grade,” Molinari said.
She said she was intrigued by the story of this woman who had been told what she couldn’t do all her life and how she overcame perceived disabilities and proved everyone wrong. She said members of the deaf community are still oppressed now.
“When it comes to the deaf, there’s only one thing the deaf can’t do,” Molinari said. “Hear.”
A resident of Whitman, Molinari is currently teaching two five-week courses in American Sign Language (ASL), one for beginners and one for advanced speakers. The classes are held on Monday nights at the Cardinal Cushing Center in Hanover.
She immersed herself in the deaf community, taking classes, learning the culture, befriending people and eventually getting her certificate in American Sign Language and deaf studies at Northeastern University. As an ASL teacher, Molinari said she loves how she’s continuously making the world a better place for the deaf and continuing to learn more herself.
“There’s so much to learn,” she said.
For example, back when she was learning ASL, there was no sign for the word Internet, and now there is. The culture is also ever evolving.
In the beginner class, students learn the basics of the language – and it’s voices off during the advanced class.
The first class, held last Monday (Aug. 11), drew a variety of learners from professionals to kids.
Ten-year-old Anthony Attardo, of Marshfield, was the youngest student in the class.
During camp this summer, he met and befriended a girl who is deaf. He took the class because he wants to be able to communicate with her and others.
“We had discussed, after his camp experience, looking for courses,” his mother, Mary Jane Attardo, said. “By chance, we picked up the paper and saw this course.”
Anthony said his friend had three interpreters with her and that she knew how to write in English. He feels strongly that he will succeed in ASL. “I think I’m going to pick it up,” he said.
ASL is just one signing system. There are 22 others.
Molinari said at times it’s a safety issue and it’s an important language for emergency workers to learn.
She said sometimes, when people are trying to communicate with someone who is deaf, they will write down what they want to say.
Here’s the problem: not all native ASL speakers read English. Just as the opposite is true.
It’s a language you have to learn by doing. Molinari said a student can’t learn ASL out of a book.
A lot of expression and emotion go into the signs in order for the speaker to show what they are saying. Quick, abrupt movements can signify anger while slower movements with a smile show that the person means something in a good way.
Though they appear in books, the signs for the words “very” and “because” are not used in ASL as the sentences aren’t structured the same way as they are in English.
Out of respect, when teaching, Molinari wears a black shirt so her hands show up better. She also doesn’t wear nail polish and only limited jewelry, as it is a distraction and considered to be in poor taste, she told the class of about 20 students.
For students, she said she gets a lot of educators, first responders, and medical professionals. Sometimes parents of autistic children learn ASL as an alternative communication format for their children. Sometimes there are men and women who have returned from Iraq that have hearing loss due to what they were exposed to overseas. There’s also the student that wants to learn ASL just because they find it interesting.
When Molinari is not teaching, she’s a full-time mom, and her family is her first priority. The night classes, she said, allow her to do what she loves and to care for her young children.
Her classes usually begin with cultural content about the deaf, updates on news and the community.
During the first class, she said, students can get overwhelmed.
“Just the fear of I’m never going to get this because it’s so different,” she said.
But if they persist, they will learn.
For more information about the class contact Molinari via phone or email at 781-447-2470 or [email protected].
Copyright 2008 Hanover Mariner. Some rights reserved
Read more: VIDEO: Learning a new language: ASL teacher provides hands-on experience - Hanover, MA - Hanover Mariner http://www.wickedlocal.com/hanover/archive/x411734796/VIDEO-Learning-a-new-language-ASL-teacher-provides-hands-on-experience#ixzz1HfbShr5z
Students are joining the conversation in Hanover sign language class
BY: Alex Jones
Featured In: The Patriot Ledger
HANOVER —
Marianne Molinari’s hands are a blur to the untrained eye. Moving and
twisting along with her spoken words, they condense complex sentences
into simple, yet effective, gestures.
Her motions are full of meaning: They spell words and tell stories in American Sign Language. And they’re what bring her students to the Cardinal Cushing School, so they, too, can learn to speak by signing.
The classes began after the Hanover school requested a basic American Sign Language course for its staff. The program that blossomed provides the surrounding community with everything from an introduction to basic sign language to a home for those who are already native signers and want to keep improving their skills.
Punctuating her words with facial expressions, Molinari gives students both small details and the big picture – like how the wrong expression can derail a conversation.
“There’s no homework; there’s no pressure. We have no deadlines,” she said. “The common denominator is that everybody needs to learn for whatever reason.”
Molinari says she became interested in sign language when she wrote a book report about Helen Keller when she was 12. Now she spends her time educating people about deaf culture in addition to teaching them to converse without words.
Read more: http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x53548867/SLIDESHOW-Students-are-joining-the-conversation-in-Hanover-sign-language-class#ixzz1HffIcsSP
Her motions are full of meaning: They spell words and tell stories in American Sign Language. And they’re what bring her students to the Cardinal Cushing School, so they, too, can learn to speak by signing.
The classes began after the Hanover school requested a basic American Sign Language course for its staff. The program that blossomed provides the surrounding community with everything from an introduction to basic sign language to a home for those who are already native signers and want to keep improving their skills.
Punctuating her words with facial expressions, Molinari gives students both small details and the big picture – like how the wrong expression can derail a conversation.
“There’s no homework; there’s no pressure. We have no deadlines,” she said. “The common denominator is that everybody needs to learn for whatever reason.”
Molinari says she became interested in sign language when she wrote a book report about Helen Keller when she was 12. Now she spends her time educating people about deaf culture in addition to teaching them to converse without words.
Read more: http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x53548867/SLIDESHOW-Students-are-joining-the-conversation-in-Hanover-sign-language-class#ixzz1HffIcsSP
Local woman makes sign language accessible at Bridgewater program
BY: Kendra Leigh Milled
Featured in: Taunton Gazette
BRIDGEWATER --
One local woman is bringing sign language to the community in a way that’s both fun and user-friendly.
Marianne Molinari has been teaching an American Sign Language (ASL)/Deaf awareness program at the Conant Community Center for nine years. The program is intended for people who deal with the deaf, hard of hearing, and non-verbal population.
Molinari, an ASL teacher for 18 years, always starts her beginners class talking about deaf culture. Before beginners can actually interact with the community, she said, they must have an understanding of its history, literature, poetry and humor.
“Once students have that understanding, then we get into the signing,” she said. “To learn to sign without offending someone is a must because it’s very hard for a hearing person to break into the deaf world and gain trust.”
Molinari’s desire to teach ASL was evident when she was 12 years old.
“I did a book report on Hellen Keller through my social studies class and was absolutely fascinated,” she said.
Although she has her formal education from Northeastern University, most of what she has learned about the deaf community was gleaned from personal experience.
“I absolutely love teaching,” she said. “I’m always reading and learning. There’s no end to this journey. You constantly have to be knowledgeable about changes in society.”
She offered the example of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the color green versus the term “going green.”
“These dates and terms didn’t exist years ago,” she said. “Going green isn’t the same as signing the color green and now there’s a sign for September 11.”
Molinari said that once parents learn their child is deaf, their first inclination is to fix it through cochlear ear implants. While this choice may be fine for some, she believes it’s important to inform parents of their options and urge them to learn about ASL in order to see if it suits their child.
“Signing can be the bridge to spoken language,” she said.
Sami Davis, of Hingham, is a middle school student interested in learning sign language because her friend is partially deaf.
“I did one session of ASL, so I wanted to sign up for more,” she said. “The benefit it’s giving me is learning the difference between a classifier and an actual word.”
Allison Gingras, of Raynham, adopted a 4-year-old girl from China nine months ago.
“She’s deaf and never learned sign language,” Gingras said. “We home school and feel it’s very important to teach her this.”
Gingras has been a student of Molinari’s for two years and called her class invaluable because she can go back to her family and teach them.
“It’s the easiest thing to teach because you’re teaching the basic needs of life,” she said. “She was learning words within hours.”
Gingras, who also has two biological children, said the most challenging part is teaching words pertaining to emotions and thoughts.
“Marianne is the most supportive person,” Gingras said. “As long as I need help signing, I can come to the class. I’ve learned so much.”
She was taking the class before she got her daughter and wasn’t always sure about what questions to ask, but in the past nine months she’s made tremendous progress.
Classes run for five weeks on a continuous basis. Beginner and advanced classes are available. The enrollment fee is $60, which includes all materials, however, Molinari noted, no one has ever been turned away for financial reasons.
For more information or to register, call Marianne Molinari at 781-447-2470 or email her at [email protected].
Contact Kendra Miller at [email protected].
Copyright 2010 The Taunton Gazette. Some rights reserved
Read more: http://www.tauntongazette.com/archive/x297555034/Local-woman-makes-sign-language-accessible-at-Bridgewater-program#ixzz1HfYRq2Ke
LINK TO ARTICLE: http://www.tauntongazette.com/education/x297555034/Local-woman-makes-sign-language-accessible-at-Bridgewater-program
One local woman is bringing sign language to the community in a way that’s both fun and user-friendly.
Marianne Molinari has been teaching an American Sign Language (ASL)/Deaf awareness program at the Conant Community Center for nine years. The program is intended for people who deal with the deaf, hard of hearing, and non-verbal population.
Molinari, an ASL teacher for 18 years, always starts her beginners class talking about deaf culture. Before beginners can actually interact with the community, she said, they must have an understanding of its history, literature, poetry and humor.
“Once students have that understanding, then we get into the signing,” she said. “To learn to sign without offending someone is a must because it’s very hard for a hearing person to break into the deaf world and gain trust.”
Molinari’s desire to teach ASL was evident when she was 12 years old.
“I did a book report on Hellen Keller through my social studies class and was absolutely fascinated,” she said.
Although she has her formal education from Northeastern University, most of what she has learned about the deaf community was gleaned from personal experience.
“I absolutely love teaching,” she said. “I’m always reading and learning. There’s no end to this journey. You constantly have to be knowledgeable about changes in society.”
She offered the example of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the color green versus the term “going green.”
“These dates and terms didn’t exist years ago,” she said. “Going green isn’t the same as signing the color green and now there’s a sign for September 11.”
Molinari said that once parents learn their child is deaf, their first inclination is to fix it through cochlear ear implants. While this choice may be fine for some, she believes it’s important to inform parents of their options and urge them to learn about ASL in order to see if it suits their child.
“Signing can be the bridge to spoken language,” she said.
Sami Davis, of Hingham, is a middle school student interested in learning sign language because her friend is partially deaf.
“I did one session of ASL, so I wanted to sign up for more,” she said. “The benefit it’s giving me is learning the difference between a classifier and an actual word.”
Allison Gingras, of Raynham, adopted a 4-year-old girl from China nine months ago.
“She’s deaf and never learned sign language,” Gingras said. “We home school and feel it’s very important to teach her this.”
Gingras has been a student of Molinari’s for two years and called her class invaluable because she can go back to her family and teach them.
“It’s the easiest thing to teach because you’re teaching the basic needs of life,” she said. “She was learning words within hours.”
Gingras, who also has two biological children, said the most challenging part is teaching words pertaining to emotions and thoughts.
“Marianne is the most supportive person,” Gingras said. “As long as I need help signing, I can come to the class. I’ve learned so much.”
She was taking the class before she got her daughter and wasn’t always sure about what questions to ask, but in the past nine months she’s made tremendous progress.
Classes run for five weeks on a continuous basis. Beginner and advanced classes are available. The enrollment fee is $60, which includes all materials, however, Molinari noted, no one has ever been turned away for financial reasons.
For more information or to register, call Marianne Molinari at 781-447-2470 or email her at [email protected].
Contact Kendra Miller at [email protected].
Copyright 2010 The Taunton Gazette. Some rights reserved
Read more: http://www.tauntongazette.com/archive/x297555034/Local-woman-makes-sign-language-accessible-at-Bridgewater-program#ixzz1HfYRq2Ke
LINK TO ARTICLE: http://www.tauntongazette.com/education/x297555034/Local-woman-makes-sign-language-accessible-at-Bridgewater-program
A Sign of Increased Communication
Featured In: "Cushing Today" 2006 Semi-Annual Newsletter
Cardinal Cushing Centers' fiveweek American Sign Language (ASL) classes with Instructor Marianne Molinari have been well attended by Cushing staff and diverse groups of community members. Classes started three years ago as an offering to Cushing staff as school enrollment evolved to include more students with communication challenges. The course has been open to the community since last fall. Learning about the linguistic aspect of ASL and how to communicate in the fourth most commonly used language in the U.S. is of great interest to many--teens, nurses, and retail employees. It encompasses cultural diversity, the need for healthcare professionals to be able to better communicate with those in need, and for those in service positions to communicate with their customers accurately and efficiently. Marianne Molinari describes teaching ASL as not only her career, but her passion. She has worked with students and staff at Cushing and has taken the classes at the Hanover campus to another level by encouraging police officers, firefighters and paramedics to take her course. "Marianne is a great asset," says Patti Nelson, the School's Coordinator of Specialist Services. "Her enthusiasm helps to make a real connection with her audience, which makes classes compelling and helps increase ASL usefulness in daily life for those at different levels." The course is open to 16-year olds and up. "It's one of the ways in which we, at Cushing, try to serve the community at large," Patti said. "And to be a resource to other professionals as well as to all who are interested in education for those with special challenges."
Sign them up: ASL course teaches communication and culture
BY: Kristen Jacobson
Featured In: 2008 Hanover Mariner
Hanover --
Together, a senior citizen, a 14-year-old boy, a nurse, a supermarket worker and a high school senior make for a diverse group of people.
On Tuesday nights, though, this group comes together with about 30 other eager students at the Cardinal Cushing Center in Hanover to gain an understanding of American Sign Language (ASL) from instructor Marianne Molinari. Molinari's class consists of five weekly sessions in which she teaches Deaf awareness, the linguistic aspect of ASL and how to use ASL as a practical conversational language.
"The goal is to gain ASL literacy," Molinari said, "to understand the language and culture and to sign without offending."
ASL is a complete and complex language that employs signs made with the hands and other movements including facial expressions and postures of the body. It's the first language of many deaf North Americans and it is the fourth most commonly used language in the United States.
Molinari has been teaching ASL for the past 20 years. She became interested in it as a child and has pursued it ever since.
"I did a book report on Helen Keller when I was 12 years old and I was hooked," Molinari said. "I have made this (ASL) my career and my passion."
Molinari's class is for beginners. A few of the students in attendance are hearing impaired, but most participants are individuals who can hear but would like to communicate with the Deaf.
"I'm here because of a little girl in my community who is Deaf," said Joanne Sullivan, a Marshfield resident. "She goes to my church and comes into the supermarket where I work. I want to learn ASL so that I can communicate with her when she gets older."
Amanda Smith is a high school senior who wants to become an audiologist. "I am going to be a speech pathology major next year," she said, "and I think it will benefit my studies if I can start learning ASL now."
Although the format of each class is the same, Molinari said she never repeats the content. She begins each session with a discussion of Deaf culture. Molinari stresses that there are "many faces of Deaf," and that not all Deaf share the same language, social norms and cultural concerns.
Molinari also spends time in her class discussing the linguistic aspect of ASL.
"ASL is often mistaught and misunderstood and this offends the Deaf hugely," Molinari said. "Finger spelling is not ASL and signed English is not ASL. ASL literate means to be able to tell history, tell folklore, give directions, chat, etc., the whole package."
After discussing culture and literacy, the bulk of the class is devoted to learning the signs, facial expressions and body movements that comprise ASL.
In a class last week, Molinari focused her instruction on travel.
She taught the signs for various destinations and about 70 signs for items you would pack for a trip. From pajamas to sunblock, she ran the gamut, even taking time to differentiate between such items as a "thick jacket" and "thin jacket."
Molinari's class has been offered at the Cardinal Cushing center for the past three years. The course started as in-house training for the school's staff.
"We had a changing need," said Patti Nelson, Cardinal Cushing's Coordinator of Specialist Services. "We began to have many more children and young adults who needed these (ASL) services. It (the class) has evolved and it is now offered to the community."
The Cardinal Cushing Center is a multi-denominational organization dedicated to educating and supporting individuals with special needs. For 57 years, the school has offered a wide array of services, programs and opportunities to these individuals.
While the class began as a service to the students and staff at Cardinal Cushing, Molinari has taken it to another level by encouraging "first responders" such as police officers, firefighters and paramedics, to take her ASL course.
"The public safety standpoint is huge," Molinari said. "It is so important for first responders to understand ASL and Deaf culture. Sadly, a lot of first responders come to my class after there has been an emergency and they have felt helpless."
Molinari said she feels every town should have at least one first responder who is ASL literate, and that the ASL alphabet should be posted in ambulances.
Molinari's dedication to ASL and the Deaf community is undeniable, as is her passion for teaching. Last week's class was interesting and informative, and also humorous, and this makes her truly an asset to the Cardinal Cushing Center and the South Shore community, because experienced teachers of ASL are difficult to find.
"She is a great asset," Nelson said. "She has a lot of enthusiasm and really connects with the audience to make ASL functional and useful for everyday life."
For more information about the ASL classes, which are offered at different times during the year, contact Marianne Molinari at (781) 447-2470 or by email at [email protected].
Copyright 2008 Hanover Mariner. Some rights reserved
Read more: Sign them up: ASL course teaches communication and culture - Hanover, MA - Hanover Mariner http://www.wickedlocal.com/hanover/archive/x563312711#ixzz1HfidpLoQ
Together, a senior citizen, a 14-year-old boy, a nurse, a supermarket worker and a high school senior make for a diverse group of people.
On Tuesday nights, though, this group comes together with about 30 other eager students at the Cardinal Cushing Center in Hanover to gain an understanding of American Sign Language (ASL) from instructor Marianne Molinari. Molinari's class consists of five weekly sessions in which she teaches Deaf awareness, the linguistic aspect of ASL and how to use ASL as a practical conversational language.
"The goal is to gain ASL literacy," Molinari said, "to understand the language and culture and to sign without offending."
ASL is a complete and complex language that employs signs made with the hands and other movements including facial expressions and postures of the body. It's the first language of many deaf North Americans and it is the fourth most commonly used language in the United States.
Molinari has been teaching ASL for the past 20 years. She became interested in it as a child and has pursued it ever since.
"I did a book report on Helen Keller when I was 12 years old and I was hooked," Molinari said. "I have made this (ASL) my career and my passion."
Molinari's class is for beginners. A few of the students in attendance are hearing impaired, but most participants are individuals who can hear but would like to communicate with the Deaf.
"I'm here because of a little girl in my community who is Deaf," said Joanne Sullivan, a Marshfield resident. "She goes to my church and comes into the supermarket where I work. I want to learn ASL so that I can communicate with her when she gets older."
Amanda Smith is a high school senior who wants to become an audiologist. "I am going to be a speech pathology major next year," she said, "and I think it will benefit my studies if I can start learning ASL now."
Although the format of each class is the same, Molinari said she never repeats the content. She begins each session with a discussion of Deaf culture. Molinari stresses that there are "many faces of Deaf," and that not all Deaf share the same language, social norms and cultural concerns.
Molinari also spends time in her class discussing the linguistic aspect of ASL.
"ASL is often mistaught and misunderstood and this offends the Deaf hugely," Molinari said. "Finger spelling is not ASL and signed English is not ASL. ASL literate means to be able to tell history, tell folklore, give directions, chat, etc., the whole package."
After discussing culture and literacy, the bulk of the class is devoted to learning the signs, facial expressions and body movements that comprise ASL.
In a class last week, Molinari focused her instruction on travel.
She taught the signs for various destinations and about 70 signs for items you would pack for a trip. From pajamas to sunblock, she ran the gamut, even taking time to differentiate between such items as a "thick jacket" and "thin jacket."
Molinari's class has been offered at the Cardinal Cushing center for the past three years. The course started as in-house training for the school's staff.
"We had a changing need," said Patti Nelson, Cardinal Cushing's Coordinator of Specialist Services. "We began to have many more children and young adults who needed these (ASL) services. It (the class) has evolved and it is now offered to the community."
The Cardinal Cushing Center is a multi-denominational organization dedicated to educating and supporting individuals with special needs. For 57 years, the school has offered a wide array of services, programs and opportunities to these individuals.
While the class began as a service to the students and staff at Cardinal Cushing, Molinari has taken it to another level by encouraging "first responders" such as police officers, firefighters and paramedics, to take her ASL course.
"The public safety standpoint is huge," Molinari said. "It is so important for first responders to understand ASL and Deaf culture. Sadly, a lot of first responders come to my class after there has been an emergency and they have felt helpless."
Molinari said she feels every town should have at least one first responder who is ASL literate, and that the ASL alphabet should be posted in ambulances.
Molinari's dedication to ASL and the Deaf community is undeniable, as is her passion for teaching. Last week's class was interesting and informative, and also humorous, and this makes her truly an asset to the Cardinal Cushing Center and the South Shore community, because experienced teachers of ASL are difficult to find.
"She is a great asset," Nelson said. "She has a lot of enthusiasm and really connects with the audience to make ASL functional and useful for everyday life."
For more information about the ASL classes, which are offered at different times during the year, contact Marianne Molinari at (781) 447-2470 or by email at [email protected].
Copyright 2008 Hanover Mariner. Some rights reserved
Read more: Sign them up: ASL course teaches communication and culture - Hanover, MA - Hanover Mariner http://www.wickedlocal.com/hanover/archive/x563312711#ixzz1HfidpLoQ
Teacher knows sign language can save lives
Featured on: www.alldeaf.com
BRIDGEWATER - Whitman teacher Marianne Molinari signs to save lives.
She's a sign language teacher.
While Molinari illustrates the significance of sign language in our everyday lives, she also stresses its link to public safety.
A sign language teacher at the Conant Community Center in Bridgewater, her class is geared mostly toward EMTs and paramedics, with a focus on communication during emergency situations being her biggest concern at hand.
"I do a lot of emergency preparedness," Molinari said. "I train people to sign basic life-saving information, especially EMTs, in addition to sensitivity training."
Though sign language is the third-most-used language in the country, there is a statewide and nationwide lack of interpreters.
This lack of interpreters in turn has an effect on public safety, and is something that Molinari's class helps to bring attention to and hopefully rectify.
"The ASL (American Sign Language) alphabet should be posted in every ambulance, police station, fire station, hospital, and school," Molinari said.
If a person can finger spell and learn to count to 10, they can ask basic life saving information and give or receive any phone number, which is important during life-saving situations.
Molinari's class, a beginner's course, attracts everyone under the sun, from schoolteachers, to nurses, to students to state troopers, for so many different reasons.
Linda Robinson, of Whitman, a nurse who works with special needs children, has found the class so helpful that this is her fourth time taking it.
"A lot of my children learn to communicate through sign language and understand a sign better if they don't have verbal skills," Robinson said. "It's easier for them to grasp the concept of a sign."
Signing helps not only with her deaf children, who wear hearing aides, but it also helps those who are autistic understand her better as well.
Molinari, who received her certification in American Sign Language and Deaf Studies from Northeastern University, has been captivated by the deaf culture ever most of her life.
"When I was a little girl, I did a book report on Helen Keller, and I was just so intrigued by the deaf culture," Molinari said. "I found it so beautiful and interesting."
Embraced by the deaf community in her area, Molinari has been signing since she was 12 years old
"I was very close knit with the deaf community," Molinari said. "They knew I was very interested in their culture, so they took me under their wing which is how I learned."
Aside from the public safety aspect of the class, Molinari also stresses the importance of cultural awareness, which goes hand in hand with signing.
"Cultural awareness is important in learning sign language," Molinari said. "Unfortunately, sign language is misused and misunderstood by the hearing. A lot of people are misguided as to what deafness is and many sign incorrectly."
ASL is different from sign language. ASL is not something that can be written down. It consists of gestures and is based on concept, while sign language is based on vocabulary.
"It's offensive to a deaf person if you sign incorrectly, and it puts up a barrier between the deaf and us," Molinari said. "We are working to change that."
Molinari teaches all over South Eastern Massachusetts, including at the Cardinal Cushing School in Hanover, and various home school groups.
Thirteen-year-old Cyle Beall, of Bridgewater, who is home-schooled, thought the class would be a fun way to get credits toward his curriculum as a language.
"It's not a spoken language," Cyle said. "You have to use your hands, and it's interesting because not many people know it or would think to study it."
For Robinson, learning sign language benefits the whole community.
"The deaf are in our society everyday, it helps to learn to communicate with them," Robinson said. "It makes them feel included in society, rather then offending or secluding them."
Molinari added, "The one thing I hope people take from my class is the understanding that deafness is not a disability," Molinari said.
She's a sign language teacher.
While Molinari illustrates the significance of sign language in our everyday lives, she also stresses its link to public safety.
A sign language teacher at the Conant Community Center in Bridgewater, her class is geared mostly toward EMTs and paramedics, with a focus on communication during emergency situations being her biggest concern at hand.
"I do a lot of emergency preparedness," Molinari said. "I train people to sign basic life-saving information, especially EMTs, in addition to sensitivity training."
Though sign language is the third-most-used language in the country, there is a statewide and nationwide lack of interpreters.
This lack of interpreters in turn has an effect on public safety, and is something that Molinari's class helps to bring attention to and hopefully rectify.
"The ASL (American Sign Language) alphabet should be posted in every ambulance, police station, fire station, hospital, and school," Molinari said.
If a person can finger spell and learn to count to 10, they can ask basic life saving information and give or receive any phone number, which is important during life-saving situations.
Molinari's class, a beginner's course, attracts everyone under the sun, from schoolteachers, to nurses, to students to state troopers, for so many different reasons.
Linda Robinson, of Whitman, a nurse who works with special needs children, has found the class so helpful that this is her fourth time taking it.
"A lot of my children learn to communicate through sign language and understand a sign better if they don't have verbal skills," Robinson said. "It's easier for them to grasp the concept of a sign."
Signing helps not only with her deaf children, who wear hearing aides, but it also helps those who are autistic understand her better as well.
Molinari, who received her certification in American Sign Language and Deaf Studies from Northeastern University, has been captivated by the deaf culture ever most of her life.
"When I was a little girl, I did a book report on Helen Keller, and I was just so intrigued by the deaf culture," Molinari said. "I found it so beautiful and interesting."
Embraced by the deaf community in her area, Molinari has been signing since she was 12 years old
"I was very close knit with the deaf community," Molinari said. "They knew I was very interested in their culture, so they took me under their wing which is how I learned."
Aside from the public safety aspect of the class, Molinari also stresses the importance of cultural awareness, which goes hand in hand with signing.
"Cultural awareness is important in learning sign language," Molinari said. "Unfortunately, sign language is misused and misunderstood by the hearing. A lot of people are misguided as to what deafness is and many sign incorrectly."
ASL is different from sign language. ASL is not something that can be written down. It consists of gestures and is based on concept, while sign language is based on vocabulary.
"It's offensive to a deaf person if you sign incorrectly, and it puts up a barrier between the deaf and us," Molinari said. "We are working to change that."
Molinari teaches all over South Eastern Massachusetts, including at the Cardinal Cushing School in Hanover, and various home school groups.
Thirteen-year-old Cyle Beall, of Bridgewater, who is home-schooled, thought the class would be a fun way to get credits toward his curriculum as a language.
"It's not a spoken language," Cyle said. "You have to use your hands, and it's interesting because not many people know it or would think to study it."
For Robinson, learning sign language benefits the whole community.
"The deaf are in our society everyday, it helps to learn to communicate with them," Robinson said. "It makes them feel included in society, rather then offending or secluding them."
Molinari added, "The one thing I hope people take from my class is the understanding that deafness is not a disability," Molinari said.
