Patient, fun, and creative tutor. Completed 4 ASL classes at the University of Georgia. Introduced to ASL as a child. Future interpreter.

Find out more about Hannah

• Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  I first became interested in ASL around 8 years of age when I realized my grandma could benefit from it as she was hard of hearing. I asked my mom to buy me sign language DVDs so I could learn and pass my knowledge along to my grandma. I ended up falling in love with the language! Thanks to all my UGA professors, current teachers, and mentors, I'm able to fully communicate utilizing this beautiful language. Though I enjoyed ASL before I met my professors, it became even more fun with them. I was always captivated by the stories and jokes they'd tell because I had never seen anyone so animated, as I was only familiar with English speakers at the time.

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  The first person that comes to mind is a deaf American actress, Shoshannah Stern. I first discovered her through my all-time favorite show, Supernatural. One thing I highly admire about her character is that her presence on the show demonstrates what it's like for a deaf person to have a relationship with a hearing person. The interactions she has with the two main (hearing) characters on the show solidifies my desire to see more of this in real life. It also makes reality of segregation between hearing people and the Deaf Community more apparent. I really hope I live to see the day when both communities are more integrated and ASL is more widely known as a second language in America.

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behaviour in the language that you particularly like?

  I'm a visual learner, so I really enjoy watching someone tell a story in sign language because they don't only speak with their hands but their whole body. It's almost like playing Charades due to how stories are, in a way, acted out. Certain signs look like what they mean (aka "iconic" signs) - like the sign for spider looks exactly like a creepy, crawling spider! Because of the visuals provided by the signer, I can imagine being another character in their story and experiencing it myself.

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  This language matters to me greatly because I've always found it important to make people feel loved and understood, and knowing sign language gives me more opportunities to do so. I enjoy listening to people and truly getting to know them on a deep level. To think I live in the same country, maybe even the same neighborhood, as someone who desires to have a friend they could inaudibly talk to and to be understood and not feel like they're alone or an outcast from the hearing world… the thought of that brings me great joy. I've had plenty of deaf people tell me they don't feel like they're missing out by not being able to hear, so that's not what I'm referring to. I've met a deaf person who attended ordinary schools his entire childhood without the aid of an interpreter. He had no choice but to attain whatever knowledge he could just by reading lips. He's in his 30's now, still trying to learn ASL and English grammar. So what I am saying is… deaf people still have to function in a world that isn't very ASL friendly - at least where I'm from. I'm happy that deaf people have their own community, but how much more could everyone benefit if sign language wasn't so foreign to hearing people? How much easier would it be for the Deaf Community when it comes to simple tasks like ordering food at a restaurant or learning in school? I hope one day hearing and deaf people will become more integrated.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  The main difficulties of learning this language are learning the sentence structure, focusing on mind to muscle connection, and memorizing signs that don't look exactly like their meaning (aka "arbitrary" signs).

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  In my previous employment as a hostess, I recognized that this sweet elderly couple was deaf, and I was the only worker there who was able to communicate with them in sign language. The fact that what little ASL I knew back then made them smile, it makes me wonder how much easier and more enjoyable it would be for them if more people learned this language. I'd love to see every school offer ASL classes to students so that one day the Deaf Community and hearing people could easily intermingle.

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  Though I've never had the opportunity to take a trip to increase my ASL skills, I know first hand that immersion is always the best way to acquire a new language. Communicating with native speakers or those with "roots" in the Deaf Community will be the most accurate and legitimate way to learn. Sitting in a silent classroom with a deaf professor teaching ASL helped me grasp it more efficiently than just Googling random signs. At first, there were many signs my professors used that I didn't recognize. However, the more they repeated those signs in other conversations, I was able to piece together the meanings of those signs based on the contexts in which they were used. The immersive approach accelerated my ASL progress tremendously.

• What makes you a Superprof in language?

  I'm hearing, so there's no language barrier between myself and my hearing students. I've been taught by deaf professors who have "roots" in the Deaf Community, so every sign I teach is legitimate and not just another inaccurate sign found on Google. I LOVE this language, and it brings me great joy to share my knowledge with others! Therefore, I'm patient, passionate, and my students' biggest cheerleader. :)