CASLI Deaf Culture 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is meant by the 'Deaf President Now' (DPN) movement of 1988?
- A political campaign to elect a Deaf person to the U.S. presidency
- A student protest at Gallaudet University that successfully demanded the appointment of Gallaudet's first Deaf president (Correct answer)
- A legislative push to require Deaf representation in Congress
- A movement to establish a separate Deaf governing body within the NAD
Correct answer: A student protest at Gallaudet University that successfully demanded the appointment of Gallaudet's first Deaf president
The DPN movement was a week-long student protest at Gallaudet University in 1988 that resulted in the appointment of I. King Jordan as Gallaudet's first Deaf president.
Question 2: How does the Deaf community generally view cochlear implants for prelingually deaf children?
- The community universally supports cochlear implants as they restore full hearing
- There is significant debate, with many Deaf adults viewing implantation — especially without Deaf cultural exposure — as a threat to Deaf identity and community (Correct answer)
- The Deaf community has no official stance on cochlear implants
- Cochlear implants are fully embraced because they allow children to attend mainstream schools
Correct answer: There is significant debate, with many Deaf adults viewing implantation — especially without Deaf cultural exposure — as a threat to Deaf identity and community
Cochlear implants for Deaf children are controversial in the Deaf community, with concerns that they pathologize deafness and deprive children of Deaf cultural identity and language.
Question 3: What is 'Sim-Com' (Simultaneous Communication) and how is it viewed in ASL interpreting?
- A communication system using computers to translate ASL in real time, widely used by interpreters
- Speaking English and signing at the same time — generally considered problematic because it distorts both languages (Correct answer)
- A method of communicating through text and sign simultaneously, accepted in educational settings
- A relay service that allows Deaf people to make phone calls, similar to VRS
Correct answer: Speaking English and signing at the same time — generally considered problematic because it distorts both languages
Sim-Com involves speaking and signing simultaneously, but because English and ASL have different grammatical structures, it typically distorts both, compromising communication quality.
Question 4: What is the cultural significance of Gallaudet University to the Deaf community?
- It is the only school in the U.S. that offers vocational training for Deaf students
- It is the world's only liberal arts university for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students and a center of Deaf culture and activism (Correct answer)
- It is a mainstream university that offers a Deaf studies department as an elective
- It is a state school in Washington D.C. that became Deaf-focused through government mandate
Correct answer: It is the world's only liberal arts university for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students and a center of Deaf culture and activism
Gallaudet University, founded in 1864, is the world's only liberal arts university for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students and serves as a major hub of Deaf culture, research, and civil rights activism.
Question 5: Which of the following describes 'transliteration' as distinct from 'interpretation' in a Deaf context?
- Transliteration converts written text to ASL, while interpretation converts spoken English to ASL
- Transliteration renders one language into another, while interpretation refers specifically to ASL-to-English conversion
- Transliteration follows the grammatical structure of the source language (e.g., English), while interpretation involves meaning-based conversion between two distinct languages (Correct answer)
- Transliteration is used only in legal settings, while interpretation is used in all other contexts
Correct answer: Transliteration follows the grammatical structure of the source language (e.g., English), while interpretation involves meaning-based conversion between two distinct languages
Transliteration involves rendering a message into a visual form that follows the source language's grammar (e.g., Signed Exact English), while interpretation involves conveying meaning between two distinct languages like ASL and English.
Question 6: What is the concept of 'visual vernacular' in Deaf culture?
- The written form of ASL used in Deaf literature and publications
- A highly visual storytelling technique using mime, classifier handshapes, and body shifts without relying on specific ASL signs (Correct answer)
- The use of facial expressions as a replacement for spoken tone of voice
- A sign system developed for Deaf-Blind individuals who cannot see standard ASL
Correct answer: A highly visual storytelling technique using mime, classifier handshapes, and body shifts without relying on specific ASL signs
Visual vernacular is an artistic genre of Deaf performance that uses mime, cinematic techniques, classifiers, and body movements to create vivid visual narratives, often without conventional signed vocabulary.
Question 7: What is the term for a hearing person born to Deaf parents who grows up immersed in Deaf culture?
- HoH (Hard of Hearing)
- CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) (Correct answer)
- TC (Total Communication)
- SODA (Sibling of Deaf Adults)
Correct answer: CODA (Child of Deaf Adults)
CODA stands for Child of Deaf Adults and refers to hearing children raised by Deaf parents, who are often bilingual and bicultural, navigating both Deaf and hearing worlds.
CASLI Deaf Culture 3
What is meant by the 'Deaf President Now' (DPN) movement of 1988?