Ben Barber ASL Year Off to Great Start
September 22, 2009 • written by Messhia Young
The classroom is so silent you could easily hear a pen drop. Standing before the students, a woman moves her arms and hands in meticulously organized motions. You may find it strange, but Peggy Cobb and her students are used to it. Cobb feels that the best way to learn a language is total immersion, so she teaches American Sign Language classes in relative silence.
“When I was a little girl, my parents discovered my older brother had a progressive hearing loss and we all started learning the language,” Cobb said, “after high school I still remembered some”.
Cobb’s connection to ASL goes way back, but It truly began one day at a car dealership where she worked as a receptionist.
“A deaf couple came in to look at cars and I offered to interpret for them. They actually ended up buying the car and began coming just about every single week to see me,” Cobb said.
The couple adopted Cobb as their “hearing daughter”, and as a result, she learned more ASL.
After this entrance back into the deaf community, she realized she did not want to remain a receptionist her entire life.
“I decided to go back to college to study sign language interpreting,” Cobb said, “I have been involved in the deaf community ever since”.
This is Cobb’s first year to teach sign language at Ben Barber, and her sixth year teaching overall. She has been interpreting since 1988.
“In my years as an interpreter I have interpreted for such things as Walker Texas Ranger, Former President of the United States Bill Clinton, cruises, heart surgery, hand surgery, in schools, and in court,” says Cobb.
Cobb says the knowledge of ASL can be used in all walks of life. “The opportunities are endless for someone who learns the language and skill of interpreting,” Cobb said,”I teach high school because I love to watch students’ eyes light up when they catch on to a concept and begin to blossom as they use the language,” Cobb says.
Cobb says she expects the year to be successful.
“I am amazed at the motivation of the students…” Cobb said, “We are off to an awesome start!”
Freshman Arieyana Smith decided to take ASL because she wanted to help out at her church.
“This lady at my church is deaf in one ear, and they need someone to help with American Sign Language,” Arieyana said.
Smith says Cobb’s enthusiasm for teaching is motivational.
“I love sign language,” said Smith, “you can tell she likes to help people that need help in sign language.”
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Great story little lady!!!!!!!