Weekly Journal 1

                                                                                                                                         October 2, 2014 

On September 26, 2014, I began my Twenty Percent project with studying the alphabet in sign language. On this date, I learned A-P of the alphabet and today, October 2, 2014, I learned Q-Z. The alphabet is important to know in sign language particularly for abbreviations such as “T.V.” where only the letters “T” and “V” are needed to communicate this word. The alphabet serves as the foundation of sign language just as our alphabet serves as the foundation for the English language. Whenever the opportunity arises it is almost guaranteed that knowing the alphabet will come in handy when I speak to a deaf-mute. In order to learn the first half of the alphabet, I had to practice over and over again until I felt comfortable enough to move on with the second half. It took me approximately 15 minutes to learn the first half of the alphabet, however, I was not able to go through it quickly until my second day of practice. I had difficulty with the letters “D” and “F” due to the similar hand gestures between the letters. I learned the second half much easier than I learned the first half. The second half took me approximately 12-15 minutes to learn even though I struggled with the letter “Q”.  Next, I plan on learning simple terms such as “mom,” “dad,” “girl,” and so on.