(Sign language: Interview with a deaf person)
- Career philosophy
Communication is one of the most essential things that every person puts into consideration, in order for one to succeed in any area, activities or endeavors. In this case, therefore, effective communication between two people or two parties is necessary, as this will ensure that message is well conveyed between the involved parties (Fitton 57). At the same time, networking in communication is an essential area to consider, particularly, in effectively conveying messages between various interrelated parties. In business circles, in order for cooperation to be effective in business, communication encompasses the ability to think objectively and critically, and alternatively, clear and effective writing. The alternative is most effective, especially, in cases where verbal communication is not applicable or effective. I carried out an interview with Andrew Jones, on Monday 22nd April 2013, with the assistance of Jacinta Jones, his wife, who assisted me with the sign language. Andrew Jones, a 37 year old entrepreneur in the motor industry, has established a motor garage in Shoreline, Seattle WA, and has specialized in repairing various car parts, as well as renovation and servicing of the same. His entrepreneurship, AJ Motor Garage, is one of the garages in the city that have attracted many customers and clients, not only in Shoreline, but also other neighboring cities, such as Marilynn, Lynnwood and even various clients from Seattle. Despite his deaf state, one of the aspects that have led to the outstanding success of the motor garage is his efficient and effective communication with his clients, as well as his quality service’s backing.
Initially, communicating with Andrew Jones concerning his business establishment was challenging, especially, considering the fact that I am not well acquainted to sign language, as used by the deaf persons. However, with constant interpretation and assistance by his wife, Jacinta Jones, I was able to effectively communicate with him.
- Background experience
Andrew Jones was born deaf, and consequently, he is used to ‘the quite life’, as he jokingly refers to it. His wife, Jacinta, draws this to his quite, conservative and interesting nature, a character which he developed through his junior high school education, and that has made him effectively relate and develop good working relationships with his friends and clients. According to Andrew Jones, he first got fascinated by the motor world, both the motor cars as well as the motor bikes, at the age of five years. This is particularly, due to the fact that his father, Mr. George Jones, owned a motor car show room in Downtown, Seattle WA from as early as the mid-1970s, this encouraged Andrew to gain a lot of interest and fascination on motor vehicles. This prompted him to study car assembly in the University of Washington, Seattle, in 1995.
During vacations, especially through his junior high school and senior high school as well as university, he used to assist his father at the motor showroom in Downtown Seattle, and this is one of the factors that promoted and developed his desire to join the motor industry. Through his senior high school education, his desire did not only grow, buy also broadened his understanding and knowledge concerning motor vehicle parts, assembly, repair as well as renovations. This prompted him to make the decision to study car assembly and repair in college. After graduating in 1998, his father immediately assisted him to establish a motor garage, which he later moved to Shoreline WA in November 1999. For one and a half decade now, his motor garage has consistently gained clients, as well as constant customers, especially, across Shoreline and Edmond. He has also employed eight assistants, a cleaner, a marketer and one messenger, who assist him in running the garage. His wife Jacinta, who also understands all the activities at the garage through passion, assists him in communicating with the clients, as well as other visitors such as me. AJ Motor garage has, therefore, grown and developed into the major entrepreneurship which it is today.
- Communication approach
Communication is normally hindered and affected by various aspects, depending on whether it is verbal or otherwise. It is necessary to start by looking at the challenges that the compromised effective communication between Andrew Jones and I. One of the challenges that I initially had with Andrew Jones was effective communication, especially, considering the fact that he used fast sign language in his communication. At the same time, there were lots of distractions in the place, since I found him in the course of his business activities. Lots of renovation and repair activities were going on at AJ Motor Garage. Secondly, a lot of interruptions took place, since I booked an interview with Andrew Jones at a time when he was attending to many clients. One of the factors that undermine and hinder effective communication is repeated interruptions (Flodin 137), and attending to the clients as well as constant communication with his employees are some of the factors that hindered effective communication with the couple.
Andrew Jones has an easy-going nature and personality, and is an accommodative person. Consequently, he was patient with me, especially in cases whereby I failed to understand what he meant with some of his signs. Consequently, our communication mainly involved sign languages, except for cases whereby his wife, Jacinta Jones, interrupted to verbally explain or assert a point. Andrew Jones’ sign language communication, as seen with the signs he constantly used, were drawn from both societal and academic influences. Considering the fact that most of the conversation that we had revolved around his career and the garage, Mr. Jones took time to explain some of the aspects and activities that his activities entail, and took time to take me around his garage, and show me some of the parts. He also explained why some of his employees were carrying out certain activities.
Lastly, it is necessary to note that Mr. Jones has also developed various ways through which he passes short messages to his employees, as well as his wife. This form of communication, which is categorized under societal influences, is referred to as workplace communication, which can only apply among the employees, usual customers as well as anyone else in the garage. One of the factors that have led to this communication in development in the garage is due to progressivism, which includes the introduction of new technologies in the corporation, as well as new methods of carrying out tasks (Tom 221).
- Educational approach
Secondly, considering the fact that Mr. Jones was born deaf, he acquired formal education, but in special schools in order to address his partial disability. For instance, he went to high school at Southwest Washington Centre of the Deaf in Tacoma, before joining the University of Washington, whereby he joined the faculty for the deaf students. At the same time, through the assistance of his father who oriented him into the world of motor cars and motor bikes during his school vacations, Mr. Jones also improved his delivery, knowledge and even career development with the assistance of the Washington Sensory Disability Service, WSDS. One of the main roles that WSDS played in not only helping Mr. Andrew Jones, but also other deaf and physically disadvantaged students and members was to acquire internships for them according to Ackley, in institutions and corporations that would suit their physically disadvantaged conditions, within the state of Washington and beyond (Ackley 44).
Having acquired education in educational institutions and facilities that effectively facilitated his physically disadvantaged nature, Mr. Andrew Jones effectively acquired knowledge and skill in an area that he has always had passion and desire for, and these are some of the major steps that assisted him in establishing himself and his store as he has done today. At the same time, with total cooperation and assistance from his uncle, Andrew Jones acquired all the skill and knowledge that he required. Andrew Jones describes his father as an extremely patient, collaborative and supportive person, who played a major role in assisting him achieve his dream. At the same time, his father assisted him in developing his self-esteem, since having grown up in Edmond which is a region which has mixed races, Andrew constantly faced discrimination from his peers, who found it hard to not only converse with him, but also make long lasting friendship with him. His father has, therefore, played a major role in developing his education, both from a formal, as well as an informal perspective.
- Picture of Mr. Andrew Jones
- Examples of Mr. Andrew Jones’ work
- A car serviced by Mr. Andrew Jones
Works Cited
Ackley, Amy. Sign language. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.Print.
Fitton, Caroline. Sign language. New Jersey: Wiley, 2007. Print.
Flodin, Mickey. Signing Illustrated (Revised Edition): The Complete Learning Guide. New York: Prentice Hall, 2004. Print.
Nelson, Michiyo. Sign Language: My First 100 Words. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print.
Tom, Linda, C. Random House Webster's Concise American Sign Language Dictionary. New York: Wiley, 2002. Print.
