What is American What is American Sign Languague?Sign Languague?What is American What is American Sign Languague?Sign Languague?

Mrs. McClureMrs. McClure

Introduction to ASL • It is NOT universal• It is NOT English• There are several different sign

languages but only ASL is the REAL language.

Different kinds of Signs used in the US

• Non-verbal communication• In-group signs• ASL• Pidgin Sign English (PSE)• Manual English (SEE 1, SEE 2, LOVE)• Rochester Method

Non-Verbal Communication

• Used internationally• Used when common language is

not available• Natural gestures• Facial expressions• Body movement

– Head nod, wink, wave, etc.

In-group signs• Signs are unique to a particular

group or family• Home signs• School signs• Local signs• EX: football signs, baseball, gang,

Subway, etc.

ASL • Standard signs• Fingerspelling elements of

pantomime• Syntax of its own Ideographic• Visual language that is

conceptually accurate• EX: I went to the store yesterday is

signed as YESTERDAY STORE I GO.

Pidgin Sign English (PSE)

• Standard signs• Contact language between English

and ASL (combination)• 3 guidelines followed;

– ASL in English word order– using articles and verb tenses is optional– noun plurality is deleted.

• EX: I went to the store yesterday is signed AND mouthed as I GO STORE YESTERDAY.

Manual English• SEE 1

– Seeing Essential English: Used in Amarillo and sometimes in Richardson, TX (Amarillo sign System)

– One-on-One correlation for changing sound to hand movement.

– Uses initialized signs– visual code for Manual English– Example: comfortable, forgetfulness

Manual English• SEE 2

–Signing Exact English 2–one sign for each morpheme in

English–Example: I went to the store

yesterday is signed as I GO + ED TO THE STORE YESTERDAY.

Manual English• LOVE

–Linguistics of Visual English–Deaf morphemic language that

is/was not conceptually accurate.–Example: I went to the store

yesterday is signed as I GO + ED TO THE STORE YESTER + DAY.

Rochester Method• Used when a word needs to be

expressed but no sign is available.• Finger spell every single word.• Example: I went to the store

yesterday is signed as I W-E-N-T T-O T-H-E S-T-O-R-E Y-E-S-T-E-R-D-A-Y.

Finger spelling space• Chest area by your shoulder• Do NOT bounce! Keep it smooth!• Finger spell according to your

perspective, not the other way!

3 types of most frequently spelled

words:• Formal names• Places• Things

5 parameters of ASL• P – palm orientation• H – handshape• E – expressions (non-manual

signs)• L – location• M - movement

Palm orientation• Which way your palm should face

– Up– Down– out – in– Left– Right

• Example: Table or Baby?

Hand shape• Shapes of your hands (using the

alphabet and numbers to sign)• Confused hand shapes – 1/D, D/F,

E/O• Example: I am Rita vs. My Rita

Facial Expressions (or Non-manual signs)

• Head nods/shakes, eyebrows, nose, eyes, and lips each carry a meaning that can be attached to a sign.

• Example:

Location• Begin and end your sign at the

correct position • Signs are directional and originate

away from the body but end close, or begin close to the body and terminate away

• Example: I’ll see you tomorrow

Movement• Types

– Arc– Straight line– Circle– Alternating in and out– Twist of the wrist– Finger flick

Changes in Movement• Location change – one or both

hand(s) move from one location to another

Changes in movement• Direction change – one or both

hand(s) change direction

Changes in Movement• Hand shape change – one or both

hand(s) change hand shape in mid-sign