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Jim Beaux wrote:...We hearing people are not conscious of the lessons we learned from verbal cues and nuances until we watch the challenges for the deaf.

Several years ago I worked with a woman who was mostly deaf from a very young age due to illness, but used hearing aids and could communicate well as an adult. She was one of my favorite people I've had the pleasure to know, and my absolute favorite person to tell jokes to. Jokes rely on verbal cuews and nuances to be funney, and I could tell her a joke and she would sit there looking confused for hours trying to piece it all together. Sometimes she would "get it" before the end of the day, but more than once she told me she had to explain to her husband why she started laughing for no reason after she got home, as it just dawned on her and she "got it" out of nowhere. I understand the challenge, but at the same time enjoyed putting her to the test. She always got a kick out of it as well, most people would explain it to her and it wasn't as funny as getting it on your own.