--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I learned to speak first, and then to…" description: "\"I learned to speak first, and then to sign. I have never really known what it was like to hear, so I cant compare hearing aids to normal hearing.\" — Ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/marlee-matlin-7644_aids_i-learned-to-speak-first-and-then-to-sig_374293.jpg" --- # I learned to speak first, and then to sign. I have never… ![“I learned to speak first, and then to sign. I have never really known what it was like to hear, so I cant compare hearing aids to normal hearing.” quote by Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/marlee-matlin-7644_aids_i-learned-to-speak-first-and-then-to-sig_374293.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/marlee-matlin-7644_aids_i-learned-to-speak-first-and-then-to-sig_374293.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/marlee-matlin-7644_aids_i-learned-to-speak-first-and-then-to-sig_374293.jpg) > “I learned to speak first, and then to sign. I have never really known what it was like to hear, so I cant compare hearing aids to normal hearing.” [Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlee-matlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She describes learning spoken language before sign language, noting the difficulty of comparing hearing aids to natural hearing. **In simple terms:** Learning speech first, hearing is hard to compare. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of auditory empathy. Themes disability communication perception technology Mood empathetic informative Type personal advocational When to use this quote - advocacy speech - education - technology evaluation Key Concepts sensory adaptation language acquisition Questions to Reflect On - How can we better support those with hearing loss? - What alternative communication methods help? A Different Perspective Hearing aids cannot fully replicate natural hearing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aids/) [Compare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compare/) [Compare Hearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compare-hearing-3407361/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Hearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearing/) [Hearing Aid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearing-aid/) [Hearing aids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearing-aids/) [Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known/) [Learned Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-speak-1593197/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Speak Sign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak-sign-3407362/) ## Related quotes > [I've been wearing hearing aids for a long time. The technology available now is simply unbelievable. 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More people should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-aguilera/im-not-really-religious-but-very-spiritual-i-give-money-to-this/) [Christina Aguilera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-aguilera/) > [Why do those people guess so much and shave so little, and are so disdainful of hearing aids?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/why-do-those-people-guess-so-much-and-shave-so-little-and-are-so/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [When I was little, I would draw hearing aids onto my Barbie dolls to make them look like me, so I am thrilled that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/when-i-was-little-i-would-draw-hearing-aids-onto-my-barbie-dolls-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [You should know that I've been hearing-impaired, not quite since birth, but I've been wearing hearing aids since I was 13, so I'm very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/you-should-know-that-i-ve-been-hearing-impaired-not-quite-since-birth/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I wonder if you have unprotected phone sex if you can get hearing aids?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/green-monk/i-wonder-if-you-have-unprotected-phone-sex-if-you-can-get-hearing-aids/) [Green Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/green-monk/) ## More by Marlee Matlin > [Looking back now, thinking about that moment in the lights, with my heart pounding, Oscar in my hand, all I can say is I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlee-matlin/looking-back-now-thinking-about-that-moment-in-the-lights-with-my/) [Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlee-matlin/) > [I'm tired of seeing listings of programs I want to watch that aren't closed captioned. 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For me, I believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlee-matlin/there-are-many-deaf-people-who-couldn-t-imagine-living-in-a-marriage/) [Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlee-matlin/) > [Watch me when people say deaf and dumb, or deaf mute, and I give them a look like you might get if you called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlee-matlin/watch-me-when-people-say-deaf-and-dumb-or-deaf-mute-and-i-give-them-a/) [Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlee-matlin/) > [YouTube is akin to having my own network.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlee-matlin/youtube-is-akin-to-having-my-own-network/) [Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlee-matlin/) > [I hope I inspire people who hear. Hearing people have the ability to remove barriers that prevent deaf people from achieving their dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlee-matlin/i-hope-i-inspire-people-who-hear-hearing-people-have-the-ability-to/) [Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlee-matlin/) > [It was ability that mattered, not disability, which is a word I'm not crazy about using.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlee-matlin/it-was-ability-that-mattered-not-disability-which-is-a-word-i-m-not/) [Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlee-matlin/) > [“Social justice is for everyone, including people with disabilities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlee-matlin/social-justice-is-for-everyone-including-people-with-disabilities/) [Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlee-matlin/) > [The only thing I can't do is hear. 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