By Zainab Husain
DUBAI- The American University of Sharjah’s Community Service Organisation is continuing its American Sign Language initiative online on Google Meet and Zoom, volunteer and mechanical engineering student Dana Fouad said April 20.
Fouad said the members take turns each week and conduct 30 to 45-minute class.
“We switch off our speakers and mics to mimic being deaf and practice what we learned by only communicating in ASL throughout the class,” she said.
She said by doing this it forces the members to use the language and get used it.
Fouad first joined the community service ASL classes in Fall 2018 because she was curious and became passionate about sign language.
“This is not exactly an official class but more of an initiative, we’re all just a bunch of people who are interested in sign language and teach each other,” said Fouad.
One of the things Fouad said she learned from the classes is that ASL is a beautiful language and that deaf people are very proud of their culture.
When communicating in sign language with a deaf person it is a completely different experience because they are finally able to have a broader connection, she said.
