- Hi there, my name is Robyn Mackie.
- Hello, I'm Jax Warner.
- Jax and I are here today, to share some information with all of you about O Canada. And what we recommend to use when you're signing O Canada in your classrooms.
It's not compatible to be signing ASL and singing or listening to the English version of O Canada at the same time, because the languages are so different.
So we found a resource, made by Angela Stratty, based in Alberta.
- Of an accurate ASL translation of O Canada. Part of the reason why you can't sign and sing, or listen to the English version of O Canada at the same time, is because the languages are so different.
In ASL, there are a lot of facial grammar, and expressions that are required, to go along with the signs that you will miss, if you are listening to English at the same time.
So we recommend turning the sound off and practicing O Canada line by line, as you are trying to learn the ASL version.
It's not something that can happen just by practicing once. So we recommend practicing frequently, so that you will notice some of the subtleties of ASL as you're going.
- You'll notice that there are a lot of ASL resources that have been filmed, and have been put online.
A lot of those have English, singing or listening to the song in the background of the ASL version.
- This is not something that we recommend. We recommend practicing this song with the sound off.
We decided that we would send you a resource, of a good version of O Canada done in ASL, to be able to set more of a standard here in Atlantic Canada.
While we have borrowed this resource from the West Coast, these are the same signs that we would use in Atlantic Canada.
- And here in Atlantic Canada, this video can be used by anyone, teachers, students, itinerant teachers, parents, anyone who would like to learn.
Robyn and I are ASL specialists, which means we are ASL linguistic experts, as well as deaf culture experts.
So please feel free to reach out to us at any time, if you would like some more information about the ASL version of O Canada, and we would be happy to help you, also please check out our website, at www.apsea.ca
- And please check out the link at the bottom of our screen.
- Everyone enjoy. Thank you.