I was first learning how to talk with headphones and a microphone the teacher sat across from me I wear my headphones all alone hi I'm Alexandra Lloyd a French Canadian who's called Birmingham Alabama home since 2,017 welcome to from where to here the podcast that celebrates the rich diversity of languages cultures and the stories that connect us all each month I'll sit down with inspiring guests from different backgrounds to explore their cultures languages and tackle some fun in our truth or dare or debunk segment whether you're a language enthusiast a culture lover or just curious about the world you're in the right place let's dive into your next favorite cultural adventure what is Language Legacy it's a youth and elders interview series where teenagers from Alabama engage in meaningful conversations with elders from immigrant and refugee communities through guided storytelling and cultural exploration youth were able to record elders'language memories items childhood stories and first language expressions these interviews were edited into short video stories and shared across all platforms the goal is to bridge generations through the power of language and storytelling preserving cultural heritage by connecting youth with immigrant and refugee elders the possibility of this project is cultural connection intergenerational understanding and appreciation through the power of language and storytelling we want to foster cross generational and cross cultural connection elevate and preserve the linguistic and cultural stories of elders and finally empower youth as interviewers listeners and cultural documentary if you were telling me about who you are but not using your name job where you're from or what you do for fun how would you describe yourself me I am profoundly deaf I am 66 years old I am sweet and kind I love being around and with hearing and deaf people and I love dogs better than cats I am an animal lover what is your first language and how did you learn it when I was young grandma noticed that I may not hear well mom and dad told me they thought I was fine both said I was fine and I did not have hearing issues my parents put me into Lake View School at an early age the teacher taught me how to pronounce words with headphones and a microphone at that time I was hard of hearing I can hear perfectly clearly only close to my family grandma granddaddy and friends but that was it at that time I wore a hearing aid first a body aid second a hearing aid around the ear how I lost my hearing up in Mentone I went in the kitchen with my hearing aid on I was listening to Gigi talking I was stunned after I listened to her all of the words were running together and do not make any sense that's how I became totally deaf the nerve died so I stopped wearing my hearing aid I was encouraged to get a cochlear implant and and I refused because it causes side effects like headaches it could be anything you don't know and I don't like the look on the outside my head looks like a robot yes I do miss the sounds I remember my family pet I don't recognize the next generation their sounds like just my family my sister brothers my dog all of them I know but singers like my favorite singers Mac Davis John Denver I know their sounds but after that nothing when it comes to my brother and sister's children hear nothing it's gone I don't know what they sound like it's different and the dog too my parents put me into a Christian school at that time I did not really understand the teachers at all because I can't read their lips and they kept turning the head so I can't see her lips or if a student behind me talks I can't see their lips so I missed a lot that was a nightmare it was horrible sixth grade I left and went to ASD Alabama School for the deaf I did not know any sign language so I Learned but I was frustrated there but I Learned to see visual expressions with the signs I picked up pretty fast and it helped I won't miss out with conversations compared with hearing family or out in the world I would have frustration with them I can't read their lips I feel left out all of that sign really help me yes I feel more comfortable being around deaf culture I feel that I fit in with them I do how it helps we depend very much on interpreters ASL does not use verbs pronouns connecting words ASL uses only important words mixed with expressions I use a lot of visuals hand gestures in the old days there's technology now but in the old days we did not have closed captioning on TV none we didn't have no thank you you can call that was hard on deaf people but eventually finally we have back then we had an old metal machine it was loud bang Bang bang looks like a typewriter old metal TTY machine huge big heavy I don't have that some deaf people had that back then I remember it was horrible with the paper you type it would roll up you could talk to one another on the machine now we have small TTY with a phone on top just type with green like letters it will print and that helps it's wonderful then I bought a small Motorola Nokia but no Facetime just texting like that texting has helped a lot texting it helped oh yeah you can carry it around in the car instead of staying home another one was Blackberry also VP in a drawer at home you could see the face it was nice it was old version of a Facetime right yeah yes and now new technology is wow iPhone has everything for deaf can use very useful look the phone has vibrations and flashing lights you can see the vibrating and flashing is sensitive to your eyes you know the phone is ringing to be able to feel it and see it yeah and not need to be hearing you know ringing ringing yeah no it's mostly eyes more than ears except when you're driving you have to watch when you're driving a car you have to watch the mirrors especially the right mirror can be tricky could be a blind spot can't see a car coming blind spot yeah Facetime we use it a lot to see each other's faces the microphone on the phone go to the camera see the microphone push it see lights when it's finished send to text or messenger like I did that with one of my friends they were looking together at a video where I say they're doing is something with me so technology technology technology been very very helpful for improving yes communication uh huh something I was wanting to ask you how does it make you feel when you see someone signing in ASL just when you're out and about how does it make you feel I want to talk to that person signing it's easier to understand and communicate with each other and I won't feel left out you were talking earlier about how ASL you don't need all of the exact same words in English so are there words or expressions or phrases in ASL that are just not the same in English no no no I know what you're saying it's not English word for word I went to the store then I will come home tonight I wouldn't say that I say go store then come home tonight brief you don't have to do word for word it takes too long too exaggerated yeah the deaf don't do that so did you ever have to learn C Today's episode is brought to you by Red Cat Coffee House and their landmark series coffees as a cat lover I could not resist but introduce you specifically to this blend called Light Rails it features a cat on the label but not only that each blend features a landmark is inspired by a landmark of the city this one is inspired by our vibrant Rainbow Tunnel downtown and it has sweet fruits and mixed berries you can find the landmark series including blends like Iron Works Full Steam Ahead Alabama Audubon and John's Valley Trail either online at REDCAT locations or your local Biggley Wiggley it's coffee with a story and even with a feline charm no no no cause it was it was forced it was forced for a while right see yes in the 70s yeah people were before people were forced to learn sign exact English yes and they were from from what I understand it was supposed to help with reading abilities but it was so hard so ASL hmm how did you learn to learn to read English if you were signing in a very condensed language like ASL to read and understand a story you have to translate it it's not straight English like me stay here to be honest it's hard to explain it okay let's play a game I'm gonna give you a sentence in signed exact English but in C I'll give you a sentence OK you spit it back asl OK OK OK I want to go to the store to to buy some food to cook tonight for dinner ASL is I go store buy food come home cook dinner that's the way it is there's many many words that you just cut them out yes no verbs yeah that there's no helping verbs there's no articles you know a nope and and the right they're just all gone all of them so it makes your your sentences and communication much faster quicker yes and it really condenses the sentence yes yeah condensed yeah it's much easier that way too long too boring too slow if you keep doing exact words every time you understand me yeah is that something you enjoy about ASL yes OK and that was something you did not receive learning English in a hearing school as a kid as a child right yes I missed a lot yeah what's one of your earliest memories memories involving involving language so maybe your your first memories of of learning English when you were still hard of hearing or maybe learning ASL at your um at your new school when you moved there with my grandparents and all those sounds with phone calls I understood what they were saying on the phone daddy was very clear like he'd understand when he was talking you gotta chop the words but with my mom when she talked sounded like a southern draw yes yeah she had a southern accent uh huh made it harder to understand her and I think I have a southern drawl like my mother Claire told me I do have that I said really she said yes no problems with my sister I have problems with my brother I have two brothers the oldest brother it's really hard to read his lips his voice mumbling is not clear so you've had experiences even in your own family where communication was just not there have there been were there other times other experiences maybe um in your um teen or adult life with my hearing friends where you've you've met or encountered a a hearing person who made you feel really welcome they were patient sort of more maybe you've you've had experiences where they made you not feel not feel welcome and they were they were not understanding and and kind to you because of the language barrier barrier yes you tell me about that at hearing school like I said I have a hard time understanding lip reading there is no interpreter there when I turn around students would talk get to the talking I would not understand what they said they don't really talk to me they don't know how to communicate with me I feel left out I do I do has that happened as an adult as well oh yeah I feel left out with hearing people the hearing world yes are you willing to to tell me about maybe not specific names or places but in general a place or a time when you were not not treated treated well because of the the language barrier as an adult well in school or even recently okay yeah hearing people did talk to me she talked to me I still cannot understand her lips but I nodded my head like I understood I just nodded my head and then I walked away lip reading is really really hard for me to understand them just like with Joe and Sid Sid no problem when he was little he had a high pitch sounding voice no problem as he got older his voice changed low voice I have a hard time understanding him one time I got frustrated with him he thought I understood I told him no come here I wanna show you something turn the TV on turn the volume off while this person's talking I told Sid tell me what he's saying oh I know I know but he really doesn't he can't read his lips it's the same situation I'm going through that's one of them hearing people are hard to understand they really are I prefer signing with someone talking but when I was young I could hear and understand what they were saying only my family friends and grandparents not whoever is hearing I'm not used to them I'm very used to my family I'm familiar with them after I lost my hearing it made it harder I say what what'd you say what's like that no that's good thank you for sharing you've talked about a little already but what how important your language in your identity how important is it for you to know and communicate in ASL as a deaf person I feel like it's important to have ASL so you can communicate don't be left out or miss out on a lot of communication you will miss a lot of what's going on if you don't know what's going on with sign language you can pick up a lot and catch up on all the communication without signing what are they saying you miss out on a lot like at a table people talking I don't know what they're saying it's dinner maybe yes that like same thing so we were talking earlier about um words or expressions that are just not the same in English can you can you show me a sign or a or a yeah like a sign or a phrase in ASL that that you like to use and it's just not an English word maybe it's a a whole expression or a a whole sentence and it's just maybe one sign I'm mad at you leave me alone leave me alone really OK can you show it can you show it to me again a little bit slower I'm mad at you uh huh uh huh I'm mad at you OK use your facial expression mm hmm you have to use expression it's language that's part of language you have to use your facial expressions you can't really blank face I'm mad at you I know you listen to from where to here because you're not into surface level travel you want the story not just the sights but let's be honest breaking the language barrier can be intimidating that's why I created the five phrases that unlock any culture these are five simple phrases designed to pass small talk into real conversations from almost anywhere in the world don't just be a tourist be a connector you can grab it at from where to here pod.comslash 5 phrases that's your shortcut to unlocking real conversations see you use facial expressions you have to use them like that and if you are emotionless and when you are interpreting you have to use facial expressions for preaching with the tone of their voice and to show expression with your face when you interpret it's the language really get lost that's not good I love you are you happy are you sad what's wrong and that's that's a a sign for what's wrong yeah all you're doing is signing wrong but with the face it means what's wrong what's wrong right you're asking someone offering offering to to talk and encourage them yeah with the face looking sad uh huh some interpreters will sign but don't show much expression on their face I can't tell there's no emotion no sad no happy you have to show here face to show the language show emotion happy sad laugh or I mean yeah so the skill of the interpreter it's not only you know do they know the signs it's it's how are they showing the the expressions and and what is the the speaker feeling or are communicating through their their body language their their movements are they emphasizing something or or maybe it's a it's a gentle part of the conversation and they should be signing slower with gentle face yes uh huh like my niece when she was younger she picked it up fast she knows I'm deaf and she knows all of the family are hearing so she did it herself she Learned from me when I signed to her with my facial expressions even her voice I can tell when she scolds oh yeah or if she saw a sign Mama she turned around and talked to her mom no signing she turned around and signed to me and how old was she when she started doing that she was young she was little maybe three or four or five she picked it up really well with the facial expressions I teased her a lot yeah and how did that how did your niece signing and really interpreting for you how did that make you feel I feel great I love having her I am very thankful for having her my niece I feel like I fit like I fit in I like to mess with her tease her in a way but she knows if people sound mad or upset at her she knows the way she talks or the way I sign she knows the same way yeah it's wonderful yeah I was supposed to ask you how how have you passed on your language or your culture to younger generations but it sounds like you're you're already doing it by exposing exposing your niece to ASL and she picked it up readily right yeah I would have loved for my whole family to learn sign back then but it didn't work out but one of my friends told me a story it's history Martha's Vineyard have you heard about that story history in the past it's an island in Maryland no Massachusetts Mm hmm yeah Martha's Vineyard that she told me a story I was like shocked I wish I was born there because I never knew but she told me that most hearing and deaf people know sign language in their neighborhood Martha's Vineyard and they're all mixed together you won't be it's an island off the coast of of Massachusetts have you been there before I've been there Martha's Vineyard history I don't know what year maybe 1900s or before 1950 I don't know I have a book but that's what I want around here the whole world to do the same thing but my family I want them all to learn sign I wish I had that over there speaking about the past and and wishing you had had other things available available available to you before before what is one thing if you could go back back and tell your younger self myself what would it be if there was one one piece of wisdom or one piece of advice advice you you would have given to your younger self you mean teach them what would you tell yourself yourself I want to teach everyone to learn sign language and pass it down to other generations to learn sign language I mean not everyone would do it you know does that answer my question yeah cause sometimes people say oh if I if I could talk to myself when I was younger I would have told me young me to to pay more attention in school or um or maybe a care you know take better care of your parents when they're getting older you know so giving yourself wisdom that it took you a long time to learn later in life so what what would you what would you pass on to yourself if you could I don't have a picture in my head I wish I'd want my family to learn sign language yeah I want them to it I want them to do it I want to be fit in with each other I want to get to know my brother well enough I know my sister very well mama and daddy so so but brother no I'm very happy to have my younger sister I'm very fortunate to have her she gave me advice to learn right from wrong I Learned without my sister I would be no good I might not know what I'm doing no advice or no help I'm happy to have my sister because my two brothers ditched me yeah because they're not around with me much hardly couldn't communicate hardly but without my sister I would be no good I feel lost with my brother's gone what would become of me I'd probably be miserable upset mom and dad are gone maybe if Claire was not born there I would not have my niece Catherine I'm very fortunate to have her so you you wish that you would encourage your own family to learn ASL even though they're not they're they're all hearing so you wish you had been more blunt with them yeah I tried but mom said she didn't really want a fourth baby but that was my sister that's what I said thanks mom I'm very happy to have my sister I need her bad need her bad we're very close sorry for crying hey thank you to everyone who shared their stories and helped bring this project to life thank you for tuning in to from where to here if you enjoyed this episode be sure to hit subscribe leave a review and share it with someone who loves discovering new cultures follow us on Instagram at from where to hear pod for exclusive updates behind the scenes moments and a peek at upcoming guests until next time keep learning keep connecting and keep celebrating the beauty of languages and cultures adiós