In 'Mother Tongue,' author Sara Nović examines deaf history, and writes her own

Sara Novic’s memoir, Mother Tongue, explores her complex relationship with language, identity, and communication after losing her hearing at age 12. Her story traces how she uses multiple languages—ASL, English, Croatian, and even music—for distinct communicative and emotional purposes, revealing the nuanced intersections between language and self-understanding.

Sara Novic Uses ASL, English, Croatian, and Music for Unique Communicative and Emotional Purposes

Novic Learned ASL at 12, Unlocking Deaf Community Access and Self-Understanding

Novic learned American Sign Language (ASL) at 12, which became a turning point by granting her access to the Deaf community and supporting her journey of self-understanding. Although her grandparents’ Croatian added another layer to her linguistic repertoire, ASL provided a vital link to identity for her and many deaf individuals.

Music: Novic's Evolving Fourth Language From Denial to Expression

Music, in addition to ASL, English, and Croatian, is considered Novic’s fourth language. When she first lost her hearing in middle school, music became a facade—a way to convince herself and others that her deafness wasn’t truly happening. Over time, music evolved from a symbol of denial to a form of expression based mainly on sensation and vibration. Novic notes that now, “most things for me is vibration related,” describing an intimacy with music that is more physical than cognitive.

"Mother Tongue" Is Complex for Novic; 90% of Deaf Children Have Hearing Parents Who Rarely Become Fluent in Sign Language

For Novic, the concept of a “mother tongue” is complex. She points out that 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents, but only about 8% of those parents learn enough sign language to hold real conversations with their children. This dynamic means that, like most deaf people, ASL was not Novic’s first language, complicating her own sense of linguistic belonging.

Thinking in Sign Language Shapes Novic's Written Expression

Signs Her Thoughts, Then Transcribes and Translates for Her Audience

When writing Mother Tongue, Novic first signed much of her thoughts to herself, then sat at her computer and translated those signed expressions into written English. This process reflects a bilingual practice and highlights her engagement with both her linguistic identity and her primary language.

Bilingual Writing Practice Reflects Her Engagement With Linguistic Identity and Primary Language

Novic’s fascination with primary language—“What is a primary language and how do you get one?”—runs throughout her writing. She also observes how her own children, more comfortable in the space between ASL and English, move fluidly between the hearing and Deaf worlds, an ease she her ...

Sara Novic’s experience as a mother is shaped profoundly by her two sons, who have markedly different deaf and hearing profiles. This family dynamic informs her understanding of identity, language, and emotional development.

Novic Parents Sons With Diverse Deaf and Hearing Profiles Shape Identity Understanding

Novic’s older son, whom she calls Kay in her memoir, is adopted from Thailand and deaf. At his orphanage, Kay was mostly deprived of language and perceived as fearless—he would do whatever he wanted with no signs of fear, according to the caregivers. When Novic and her husband adopted him, Kay learned American Sign Language (ASL) from them at age four. Now, with hearing aids, he prefers verbal communication and loves to speak, yell, and make noise.

Her younger, biological son, S, is hearing. He grew up with ASL as his first language and is fluent in both ASL and spoken English. Both boys move fluidly between signing and speaking, navigating the in-between space of Deaf and hearing worlds. Novic observes that her sons are much more comfortable in this dual existence than she was growing up, stating it took her many years to become comfortable “teetering” at the crossroads of these worlds. She admires the unique linguistic journeys each boy has taken and the ways they have come to embrace both cultures.

Novic's Memoir Documents Deaf History for Her Sons

Motivated by motherhood, Novic took on the task of consolidating Deaf history, which she felt was scattered across various sources, into a single book for her sons’ benefit. Her memoir serves not only as a resource for her children but also as a project that allowed her to examine the past and provide a framework of their cultural and linguistic heritage.

Through Language, Novic Views Parenting Challenges and Identifies Gaps In Her Children's Emotional Develo ...

Deaf Education Declines, Schools Close, Fewer Spaces for Deaf Community Formation

Elissa Nadworny explores deaf history by visiting the Old Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (PSD) with Sara Novic. The abandoned and deteriorating campus now sits mostly empty, symbolizing the decline of dedicated educational institutions for deaf children. Novic observes that the closure of such state schools for the deaf has been occurring across the country. This trend undermines the educational infrastructure for deaf students and eliminates crucial cultural spaces where the deaf community could gather, form bonds, and transmit their unique culture across generations.

Ableism Frames Deafness as Deficiency, Not Cultural Identity

Nadworny explains that safe spaces for deaf people have long endured a fraught history in America. In the 1800s, ableist laws explicitly excluded deaf people from public participation, emphasizing their supposed deficiency rather than recognizing their dist ...

Misunderstandings and Assumptions About Deaf Identity

Sara Novic explains that most people’s first impressions rarely identify her as deaf. Instead, they interpret her lack of immediate response as aloofness or even rudeness. This highlights how deafness often becomes an invisible identity to others. Novic describes feeling exhausted by the need for inauthentic self-presentation and explains that she wears her hearing aids around hearing people, removing them as soon as she gets home. She likens this relief to taking off a bra at the end of a long day, saying the sensation is “like that times 10.”

Diverse Relationships of Deaf Individuals With Technology, Communication, and Culture

The variation in the deaf experience becomes even more apparent in Novic’s relationship with her son, Kay. Unlike Novic, who finds hearing aids an uncomfortable imposition, Kay eagerly wears his, even wanting to keep them on in the bath. Novic constantly finds herself trying to remove the devices from him. This difference underlines the diversity within the deaf community: the deaf experience cannot be reduced to a simple narrative of hearing loss or fixed relationships with technology. The role of language and technology in shaping her son’s childhood continues to leave Novic with more questions than answers.

Novic: Disability Rights Activist and Deaf Studies Academi ...