Since we want to learn more about deaf communication, my colleague Sarah and I attended our first lesson at a basic course in sign language. We will, from now on, report from our experience there:

In our first lesson (with our deaf teacher Raoul), we learned some basic words, geometrical forms, played “silent post” (“stille Post”) – of course only by signing – which was actually pretty fun. We noticed:

• Sign Language requires high concentration
• Sign Language requires (as any other language) a clear articulation
• The partners of communication really  (have to) focus on each other   
• Minimalism and efficiancy – Sign language seems to cut off unnecessesary gadgets
• intersting + obvious word combinations
• Reduce-to-the-max
  e.g.: “What’s your name” in sign language is more like “Your-Name-What?”
• images, metaphores and mnemonic hooks and tricks:
  e.g.: sign for “german” reminds of a prussian spiked helmet; sign for post reminds of a post horn; the hand shaking, when counting the numbers 13-19 reminds of a shaking after having 13-19 coffees ;- )

We are looking forward to our next lessons. The course is being provided by “Gehörlosenverband Berlin” http://www.deafberlin.de