My challenge for this week was to plan and execute an experiment where I would only use sign language for a whole day. My goal with this experiment was to test how well my NZSL skills were and to also attempt to get close to experiencing how deaf people might communicate on an everyday basis. I just wanted to say before I continue is that I don’t mean to offend anyone and I realise that I will never be able to experience or understand what deaf people go through. This is a personal experiment that I thought might help encourage me to use NZSL more regularly.

 

I chose a day where I didn’t have much to do (I know that it’s kind of cheating), because the days I go to university are usually full days that require me to speak during class. I had the idea to put headphones on and play music while I was out (I didn’t play music the whole day because it started to become draining and I didn’t have enough songs on my playlist). The first mistake I made was the moment I woke up because I forgot I was doing the experiment and answered my partner when he asked me what I wanted for breakfast. However, I had a reminder on my phone, so when I checked my messages I fixed my mistake by interrupting him and made him stand and watch me sign that I wanted chocolate and a sandwich with a coffee (because those were some of the only foods I knew how to sign). Of course, he didn’t understand what I was saying and I got an omelette instead, but I did get a coffee!

 

Later in the day I decided to go to the dairy to buy something. The dairy I went to was the one I bought from regularly, so the man who worked there knew who I was. When he started talking to me I signed that I was deaf and he gave me a weird look. I started signing sentences and before I left I typed on my phone that I could only use sign language for the day. I don’t know if that was cheating, but at least I tried to communicate in sign, even if he didn’t understand.

 

For the rest of the day I communicated to my partner in sign and he would sign nonsense back for fun. It kind of felt like we were having a conversation, but not really. I decided to video call my dad at one point and only used sign. He knows that I’m taking NZSL this semester, so after a while he sort of understood what was happening and tried to decode what I was saying to him. The facial expressions helped a lot and understood some of what I said. I did mess up a few times during the day either because I forgot or I was frustrated because no one I encountered that day understood NZSL, but I did find the experiment fun despite it.

 

What I took away from this experiment is that communicating in a language that isn’t widely known where you are living is extremely frustrating. I can’t imagine what it might be like for a deaf person, where NZSL is used more than anywhere else in the world! Especially if that person would want to travel to different countries and communicate with people there. I feel extremely privileged because I can communicate in English, a language that is spoken in so many parts of the world. This experiment was eye opening and it definitely took me out of my comfort zone, especially for someone who talks a lot, not speaking at all was tough. I probably won’t try this again, but I will try to incorporate sign language in my everyday life.