FARMINGTON — Mt. Blue High School students recently participated in a collaborative venture between the World Language Department and the Business Department.

First year American Sign Language students, whose teacher is Lori Lewis, were invited to give a presentation about deaf culture and language to Priscilla Conner’s medical office assistant class. Lewis’ students worked in teams to present information about many deaf issues, including deaf cultural norms, individualist versus collectivist cultural expectations, ASL grammar and syntax, the manual alphabet and number system and some likely conversational vocabulary Conner’s students would encounter in the medical field.

Conner’s students praised the ASL students’ “patience, confidence and knowledge” in teaching them about the differences between deaf and deaf cultures. One student said she better understands “how difficult and frustrating it can be to be deaf” in a hearing world.

Conner’s class was unanimous in finding the information helpful, productive and interesting. Lewis’ students enjoyed preparing their material, and were pleased to share their knowledge with their peers.

The classes hope to pursue their collaboration as Conner’s business students continue to consult with Lewis’ ASL students to learn how to sign specific medical information and questions. Many of Conner’s students anticipate a future career in the medical field, so their experience in becoming more sensitized to the needs of the deaf and deaf populations will have a direct influence on patients they serve in the future.