Activity Report】 <Ichigaya>Sign Language Class Special Edition (12/5)

Sign Language Lecture Special Session (12/21)

1 Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023

2 Place: Room G501, 5th floor of Fujimi Gate, Hosei University Ichigaya Campus

3 Outline
The Ichigaya Volunteer Center Student Staff VSP conducted a sign language course and introductory course for undergraduate students of the University from October 10 to December 28, 2023. This course was followed by a special version of the introductory course, featuring Mr. Kentaro Hayase, who has participated in the Deaflympics cycling event. While the introductory course focused on acquiring basic knowledge and skills, the special course aimed to deepen understanding of the Deaf through hands-on experience of sign language used in conversation and by listening to Mr. KENTARO HAYASE speak. Next, he talked about his experience of participating in the Deaflympics, his motivation to become an instructor at NHK's Minna no Sign Language Course, and his current thoughts after 8 years of performing in the course. He also talked about his activities as a film director, including the movie "Saku" (Bloom), which is currently being released in theaters, and his efforts to provide live sports broadcasts that can be enjoyed by the deaf. It was a good opportunity for us to hear from Mr. Hayase about a part of the world of the deaf in depth. (Yui Takagi, 1st year student, Department of Sustainability Studies Faculty of Sustainability Studies Volunteer Center Student Staff VSP)

4 Number of student participants: 33

5 Impressions of the organizer
This special sign language lecture was the first time for me to experience the sign language used by the Deaf. I had practiced conversing using sign language with Mr. Nakano in the introductory class, but what I felt was the most different was the "inflection". I realized that sign language is a "living language," although the inflection was expressed in sign language as much as we, the hearing people, speak. One of the most memorable parts of the lecture was the difference in the way hearing people and Deaf people hear. When Ms. Hayase was a small child, her sister once warned her about how to close the door. She said that when she was a small child, her sister warned her about how to close the door. She said that because she could not hear, she would close the door as hard as she could without being aware of it, but she realized for the first time that hearing people close doors slowly and carefully. She felt again that the point where a hearing person feels uncomfortable with a deaf person is whether or not he or she is "aware" of this, and that the rest of the situation is the same as for a hearing person. In addition, the words that Ms. Hayase's mother threw at me, "Don't be afraid of failure and don't hesitate to try," left a strong impression on me, and I will keep these words in mind in the future. (Yui Takagi, Volunteer Center Student Staff VSP, 1st year student, Department of Sustainability Studies Faculty of Sustainability Studies )

We held an introductory session of 8 times and a special session yesterday. In the introductory session, many participants said that they enjoyed learning, some said that they made new friends through the sign language course, and some said that they realized once again the importance of being considerate and understanding in communication. The course itself was very motivating, and the participants were able to communicate with each other, making it an opportunity to enjoy learning about "sign language" and to deepen their new knowledge and existing ideas, which was the goal of the course. In the special session, we invited Mr. Hayase, who is Deaf, as a lecturer and conducted the project in the form of a lecture. There were 33 participants, some of whom have Deaf relatives and some of whom have already decided on their future jobs. My personal impression of the live sign language was that it was really lively, and since I had learned many things in the introductory course, I could understand some parts and enjoyed it. On the other hand, I also became aware of prejudices I had held myself, and I felt again that it is sad not to know. (Yusa Morita, 1st year student, Department of Lifelong Learning and Career Studies Faculty of Lifelong Learning and Career Studies Volunteer Center Student Staff VSP)

6 Impressions of participating students
I had seen Mr. Hayase in a moral education textbook when I was in elementary school. I was very moved to see Ms. Hayase actually signing. I felt very sad that I would not have been able to listen to Ms. Hayase's words if I had not had a sign language interpreter. I realized once again that learning sign language, like learning English, is not so much about learning a new world as it is about learning the experiences of many people. I was surprised when he asked me what difference my being left-handed made to a deaf person. It made me think about the meaning of the distinction between the two. (Sakurako Shimura, 1st year Department of Law student, Faculty of Law )