Lindsay Richardson

Minor in ASL

Current Occupation: Educational Technology Manager & Adjunct Professor of Psychology
Current Location: Ottawa, Canada
Program: BA Hons (Psychology)/15; MA (Psychology)/17; PHD (Psychology: Quantitative Measures)/23

Notable Quotable:

Why did you choose this particular language?

My daughter (who was an infant at the time) was learning baby sign at daycare.

Your Learning Experience

I loved translating songs into ASL! I also very distinctly remember feeling like I was part of a community, which was important to me as a mature student and first-gen student.

What were the unique challenges of learning ASL

I love learning languages, but ASL has been my favourite. It is beautiful and endlessly expressive. One of the most challenging activities was playing charades without using sign!

I was surprised that we would get to learn so much about the Deaf culture. That had a huge impact on me. I was grateful to have a Deaf instructor in first year.

As a student, did you actively engage with members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community in Ottawa and/or your hometown?

I attended the Mike’s Nights on a weekly basis, which was great! I also earned a CCR for organizing a games night, where we only communicated in ASL.

Since then, I’m proud when I meet people who can sign. When I was working as a bartender, I had a Deaf following.

Using language after graduating

I still use sign! Although not as frequently as I’d like. Unlike other languages, though, I find my sign has held up for longer. In fact, if I’m asked to spell something “out loud”, I have to fingerspell to be able to do that.

I’m happy to know that I could have a rudimentary conversation with someone who relies on sign. However, I’d love to be able to use it more often.

I’m learning Spanish now via Duo Lingo!

Why study a second or additional language?

Being able to communicate with more people and have access to an increased array of expression is such a great thing!