Unit 2 Notes
There is a time and place.
ASL students, eager to practice ASL with Deaf people, will approach them out in the community, such as a
restaurant. Be respectful and use common sense. Starting conversations “out of the blue” are not
appropriate. There is a time and a place for “tutorials”.
Directionality:
The meanings of some signs in ASL change, depending the way signs are moved. For example, the sign “HELP”
can mean “I-HELP-YOU” or “YOU-HELP-ME” if the movement is toward the signer or someone else. This
feature of ASL is called directionality. If you want to sign something being done to, for or with you, then the
sign tends to be directional. Examples: “HELP”, “GIVE”, “to ASK”, “to SHOW”, etc.
Iconic Signs: ASL Isn’t Just Gestures or Making Pictures in the Air
Some people believe ASL is a simple language of gestures like “DON’T-DO-THAT”. Also, some signs resemble
the meaning behind the signs (like BOOK). These are called iconic signs. Most signs are NOT iconic. Here is a
list of a few iconic signs. If there is no visual reason for the sign, it is arbitrary.
to CLOSE-DOOR
to OPEN-DOOR
PERSON (standing) to GET-UP, STAND-UP
to TURN-ON-LIGHTS
to TURN-OFF-LIGHTS
to JUMP
to SIT-DOWN
Labels and Identity
Minority groups are often labeled by the larger, surrounding community who are uninterested in how the
group identifies itself. This is especially true with individuals considered disabled or handicapped. The Deaf
community has been labeled “deaf and dumb” and “deaf mute” in addition to handicapped, disabled, hearing
impaired or abnormal. Over the years, the Deaf community has worked to educate hearing people about the
negative connotations of many labels, preferring that a positive view of deafness and Deaf culture be
respected.
Many people in the Deaf community prefer to be referred to as “DEAF” instead of “HEARING-IMPAIRED”.
…due to the negative connotations of “impaired” and broken”. Hearing people consider this term more polite
than saying “Deaf”.
Hard-of-hearing – generally refers to individuals who have some degree of hearing loss and can use a spoken
language, though hearing and speech skills vary from person to person. Many hard-of-hearing people
consider themselves to be culturally Deaf, meaning they fully participate in the Deaf community.
Deaf people form a cultural and linguistic minority whose language and experiences are unique. When a
group of people, who share a language, and come together to offer mutual support in pursuit of common
goals and interests, a community is formed. Over time, a culture develops from this community. Deaf culture
is the shared experience of deaf people that has its own values, social norms (ways of doing things), a unique
history, and a rich tradition of storytelling and poetry passes from generation to generation. The common
bond in Deaf culture is the experience of being deaf and the use of American Sign Language.
What is Deafness?
The text book Master ASL! (pg 52) has a definition of deaf. Notice the difference between “deaf” and “Deaf”:
deaf
adj. deaf.er, deaf.est
Partially or completely lacking in the sense of hearing.
Deaf or relating to the Deaf or their culture.
Unwilling or refusing to listen; heedless: was deaf to our objections.
n. (used with a pl. verb)
Deaf people considered as a group.
Deaf The community of deaf people who use American Sign Language as a primary means
of communication.
deaf ly adv.
deaf ness n.
The term deaf refers to a loss of hearing. When capitalized, (Deaf) it refers to a group of people and their
culture. For a better understanding, read the next section.
Pathological/medical model vs cultural model:
The pathological/medical model focuses the attention on the “broken ear” and how much one does or does
not hear. The cultural model is a cultural point of view in which deafness is considered to influence a unique
way of life. It is not considered to be an overwhelming handicap or disability but instead is part of one’s
identity….it is a way of life for a large group of people. Deaf is capitalized to distinguish those persons who are
deaf and use American Sign Language from the medical model. In summary, deaf people who use ASL,
identify themselves as part of the Deaf community, and don’t feel the need to be “fixed”. The Deaf
community makes adaptations to live in what they often refer to as, the “hearing world”.
What is Culture?
Culture, as defined in Master ASL! (page 53):
n., v: The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other
products of human work and thought. These patterns, traits, and products considered as the
expression of a particular period, class, community, or population.
n 1: a particular civilization at a particular stage
2: the tastes in art and manners that are favored
by a social group
3: all the knowledge and values shared by a society.
As we learn more about the differences influenced by deafness, we will also gain a better understanding of
Deaf culture.
Sign Variations
As you meet Deaf people, you will notice slight differences between signs, called variations. There are certain
signs that vary from region to region. In many ways, these sign variations resemble regional differences in
spoken languages. In English we may say soda, pop, coke, soda pop, etc. The same variation between signs is
seen in ASL. Always use the sign variation preferred by your local Deaf community.
Several reasons for sign variations are:

region

race

formal vs informal setting

age

gender

sub-cultural group
The Signed Question Mark
The signed question mark does not replace the Non-Manual Signal for yes/no questions. It is used to
emphasize that a question has been asked and that the signer expects a response. (yes/no questions) It may
be glossed as ‘wiggle’, ‘HUH’, or possibly other ways.
The Signed Question Mark can be used as a closing instead of deixis/pointing/indexing.
Use the signed Question Mark:

informally, between friends and people you know well

NOT for questions using WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, WHERE, WHICH, HOW, HOW-MUCH/HOW-MANY
(WH questions)

often when asking general questions to more than one individual

allows an individual to pose a question whose answer can be provided by anyone
Tense Markers (“When” signs):
Signs that show when something happened, such as the day of the week, come first in a sentence. It is the
tense marker in ASL. The tense will remain the same until the signer changes it. Master ASL! refers to them as
“when” signs.
Don’t sign or fingerspell the English word “on” in ASL sentences involving dates. Simply sign the date, then
the comment.
Visual Signals:
Deaf people use visual signals for doorbells, the telephone, fire, or smoke alarms. A silent vibrate on your
phone is there because the Deaf community advocated for the alert.
Visual alerts for public smoke and fire alarms are required by federal law.
Spatial Agreement:
When giving directions using ASL, always start with the general information by pointing in the correct
direction, then give specifics.
Also, there are specific Non-Manual Signals that must be used to show direction and distance.
Eye gaze is a crucial part of giving direction, as well as a head tilt. When showing something to the right, the
eyes must look that direction, while the head tilts the opposite direction. This will be referred to as “agree
with”.
Conveying Distance is accomplished visually with the following:
Far Away:
1. tilt head (in agreement with direction)
2. eye gaze (in agreement with direction)
3. squint eyes
4. Non-Manual Signal - open mouth slightly
5. trace route by extending arm fully
Moderate distance:
1. tilt head (in agreement with direction)
2. eye gaze (in agreement with direction)
3. Non-Manual Signal – mm (pursed lips)
Near:
1. tilt head (in agreement with direction)
2. eye gaze (in agreement with direction)
3. Non-Manual Signal – “cs” (cheek to
shoulder) to the dominant side
4. trace route by keeping arm bent and close
to body
Very Near:
Follow the “Near” but add “clenched teeth”
4. trace route by extending arm moderately
Signer’s Perspective:
The signer always gives direction from his/her perspective. The person watching must always visualize things
from the signer’s perspective.
Fingerspelling:
Languages can be influenced by other languages. English has incorporated many words from other languages
as a natural part of the language. Easy examples of this are foods. ASL has been influence by English by the
incorporation of fingerspelled English words.
One general rule of thumb is to fingerspell when there is a purpose. If you don’t know a sign, try other visual
means of getting your message across before relying on fingerspelling. It shouldn’t be thought of as a
substitute for signing.
Fingerspelling, in general, is used to give:

names of people

titles of movies or books

names of cities and states

brand names
Fingerspelling continued on next page.
When you do fingerspell, here are guidelines to remember:
1. Keep your elbow comfortable at your side, close to your body. Keep your arm relaxed.
2. Fingerspell without bouncing or jerking your hand.
3. Keep your hand in one place, do not move further and further out with each letter.
4. Focus on the word, not each individual letter. (this takes practice)
Master ASL!: Unit 2
Signing Naturally: Unit 3, 4 & partial CR 1-6