ASL Practice words and phrases – Lesson 1
www.asl.com Signing 30% signing / 70% Expression
If you don’t understand – ask!
Alphabet A-Z
Learn your own name
Why – fingers flat from forehead out to form ‘y’ sign
What - shrug with hands out
When -pointing index fingers circle downward
Where -shake the index finger
How -knuckles together, roll forward
Bathroom - shake the ‘t’ sign
Remember- close fists bring thumb from forehead to other thumb
Forget - hands flat on forehead, then wipe away to closed fingers
Understand - pop the index finger up beside the forehead
Name - two fingers tap other two fingers twice
Visual - cup your eyes with both hands
Help - lift a fist with the other flat hand
Easy - The right hand brushes up twice against the back of the left hand fingers.
Hard - Pound one fist on top of the other
Don’t know-fingers to cheek and then circle outward (flat hand)
Signs / Signing- opposite circles in front of chest
Deaf - index finger from ear to mouth
Hearing - roll index finger in front of mouth
Right - cross pointed index fingers over one wrist
Wrong - letter ‘y’ on chin
What is your name? point to the person then make the sign for ‘name’
My name is…
Nice to meet you - rub one flat hand over the other, then bring two index fingers together
and point to the person
Numbers from 1-20
Lesson 2
Numbers from 1-30
Paper - Push the heel of your hand onto the other flat hand twice
School - "Clap" the hands together twice (soundlessly)
Short - flick one ‘h’ sign over another ‘h’ sign
Train - make two ‘v’ signs face down and move the right one over the left one
Drive - mock driving (steering wheel) /
Drive to - push steering wheel forward /
Which car? - mock driving with thumbs up
New - The back of the dominant hand skims along the palm of the non-dominant hand.
White - flat palm to front of shirt and bring fingers together
Like - start the sign a bit out from the chest with middle finger and thumb pointing back
towards chest (but not touching either my chest or each other). move the hand forward
while bringing the middle finger and thumb together
Write - do the motion of writing on one hand
Draw - draw downwards on a flat hand with the pinkie of the other hand
High school – Make the ‘h’ sign followed quickly by the ‘s’ sign
College – Bring the ‘c’ sign over the other flat hand
University – wiggle the ‘u’ sign downward
Class-create a ball shape by moving open palms around a circular motion
Teacher / teach-starts with both hands held up near the head in somewhat "flattened O"
handshapes. Then both hands move forward about six inches (For teacher, do the same
then move flattened hands in a downward motion for ‘person’)
Student- hold the non-dominant hand out in front of you as if resting a book flat on it.
Then use the dominant hand and reach down to the palm of the non-dominant hand and
grab some "imaginary" information off of the palm and stuff it in your head, then sign the
PERSON sign.
Man – bring open hand to forehead touching the thumb to forehead and then down to
chest
Woman – bring open hand to chin touching the thumb to the chin and then down to chest
Deaf – bring index finger from ear to mouth in one motion
Hearing- circle the index finger near the mouth
Same / same as - shake the ‘y’ sign back and forth
Different – cross index fingers and bring apart
Spanish – bring index fingers together in a clasp
English – clasp one hand over the other
French – make an ‘f’ sign and flick it once at the forehead
Learn – hold the non-dominant hand out in front of you as if resting a book flat on it.
Then use the dominant hand and reach down to the palm of the non-dominant hand and
grab some "imaginary" information off of the palm and stuff it in your head (like student)
Important - make an ‘f’ sign with each hand and bring them together
Move - with both hands facing down and outward in ‘b’ signs, move them from one side
to another
Bad – move your fingers from your lips down towards the floor
Good – move your fingers from your chin to an upward hand
Toronto - point four fingers to the chest and move from left to right
Describe someone’s appearance ie: man, short hair, named Jim
Use the following words in your description: shoes, apple, watching, glasses, banana,
skinny, writing, sitting, fat, listening, pop, beer, tying shoes
S.O.V (Subject, Object then Verb)
Learn to sign these names really fast! Ann, Bob, Liz, Eve, Jim
Lesson 3
Review Lessons 1 & 2
Practice areas around you and giving directions
Room – sign a box
Cafeteria – sign the ‘c’ across the chin
Classroom – the sign for class followed by the box
Office - sign to ‘o’s, have them one in front of the other and pull them apart
Library – circle the ‘L’ sign
Bookstore – Open hands like a book and then face hands downward
Candy store – place index finger to cheek then make the sign for store (face four fingers
of each hand downward and move forward twice)
Elevator – curl fingers of one hand and run it up and down the other flat hand
Computer – place a c at the top of your forehead and touch twice
Enter – scoop one hand under the other flat hand
Exit – pull four finger shaped hand out of a curled palm
Door – put palms side by side facing out and bend the right one down
Front door – bring a straight hand down over your face and then make the sign for door
Back door – point your hand to the back of your shoulder and then make the sign for door
Hallway – put palms out in front of you to simulate a hallway (like air traffic ground guy)
Stairway up – point your index finger as if up a stairway
Stairway down – point your index finger as if down a stairway
Phone –put the ‘y’ sign up to your ear
Near – tap your flat hand facing sideways to your other flat hand facing outwards
Far away – put two fists together and push one out in front of you
Next corner right – point and switch directions with your index finger to the right
Next corner left – point and switch directions with your index finger to the left
Give directions to someone somewhere on the complex ie:
A Where’s the bathroom?
B It’s downstairs
A Near the elevator?
B No, near the front doors
Lesson 4
Review Lessons 1-3
Play tic-tac-toe in the air with a partner
Spot the difference between to letters quickly signed ie: Bm Ba, Ps Pa, etc.
New words:
Fine
Come to
Come back
Have an exchange with various areas interchanged for underlined:
A: water fountain, where?
B: around the corner near the bathroom
A: Fine, me go to bathroom
B: Fine, then come back, fine
Pick up: Use the thumb and index finger to gesture picking up
Put down: Place fingers down on the other flat hand and then flatten against palm
2
1
Open Book: Sign for book then bring wide apart
Close: Face ‘b’ sign, palms out and wide apart, bring together in front of face
Crumple: Gesture crumpling paper with both hands
Show to: Point directly onto other flat palm and move forward
Show How:
Throw:
Pencil: Bring the thumb and index finger to the lip and then back down to a flat hand,
then flick
Paper: Heel of one palm rubs upwards against the other palm
Cup: Make the letter C and tap it twice on a flat palm
Ball: Make a round circle with both hands (fingerspell if needed)
Key: Rub the knuckle of one index finger into flattened palm (face palm up and down)
Structure:
Sample:
A:
B:
A:
B:
Object
Command
Noun
Verb
Blue
Book
Pick
Up
pencil, pick up, you?
yes, finished
cup, pencil, put into cup, finished?
yes finished
I live: with two fists, thumbs up, raise from lower chest towards face
Milton: form an ‘M’ sign with each hand (face up) and circle them
Kitchener: form a ‘K’ sign and shift from the face to the shoulder
Waterloo: form a ‘W’ sign at the chin and move away into an ‘L’ and then an ‘O’
sideways
Cambridge: form a ‘C’ sign from the chin to a ‘B’ sign to the shoulder
Toronto: Bent B hand shape with extended thumb, moved across the upper chest
Mississauga: form two ‘M’ signs, one on top of the other and flip one over and
downward
London: form an ‘L’ sign from chin to shoulder
Belleville: with palms facing downward place one on top of the other and then move
it downward
Ottawa: form an ‘O’ sign and sway it back and forth
Montreal: form a bent B hand shape and bring it down onto flat hand
Windsor: form a ‘W’ sign and sway it back and forth
Oakville: form an ‘O’ sign and place it on the inside elbow area
Brantford: place two fingers at the top of the nose
Erin: finger spell E R I N
North Bay: point in upwards (north) with two fingersand fingerspell B A Y
Sudbury: with one hand in a fist facing up, place on down turned hand and rotate
Hamilton: bring index finger and thumb together twice at the side of the head
Oshawa: form an ‘O’ sign from the chin to shoulder
Guelph: put index finger and thumb together and tap twice at the side of the head
Acton: finger spell the name
Brampton: form a ‘B’ sign and move from chin to shoulder
Tomorrow morning: with hand formed in a ‘A’, rotate the hand forward and then
downward away from the side of the face – morning: bring bent arm upward on top of
palm
House: sign a box with a peak in front of you to signify house
Apt: place one hand upwards and sideways on a flat open palm to signify apartment
segments
Dorm: slide two finders up from face-up palm and then sign for sleep
Now: form two ‘Y’ signs and bounce them upwards and downwards
Break time: with two fists side by side, snap dowwards
Lesson 5
Bus: finger spell and form a wide steering wheel
Salt: form two ‘v’ signs and (facing down) and wiggle one on top of the other
Pepper: form the sign for ‘pick up’ and bob it up and down twice
Walk: (done two ways)walk with two fingers or step with both feet (exaggerated)
Bike: move two fists in front in a circular motion like the pedals
Garage: with one palm facing sideways and down, move the other hand underneath
formed in a ‘v’ sign
Ride (Lift): with hands in front of you, clutch your left thumb with two bent fingers and
push forward
Come here: point towards yourself with both index fingers
Work: make two fists and tap one on top of the other at the wrist
Ask each other their name:
Where do they live:
How do you come to class?:
Sign these letters as fast as you can, then add the other letters to form the names
ph
phil
dr
drew
gl
glenn
fr
fran
gr
greg
be
beth
st
stan
ja
jane
ju
judy
jo
joy
mr
ax
max
qu
quinn
ap
april
ho
holly
ch
chris
ab
abby
Sign the following names as fast as you can
Column 1 names
Column 2 names
Al
Ed
Jay
Sid
Katy
Bea Bob
Judy Sean Bev
Rob Sue
Jim
Pam Bob
Don Ann
Jack Pete Bill
Joe
Mae
Joe
Pat
Bea
Mel Leo
John Ken Ben
Gil
Amy
Sam Kim Max
Van Max
Sue Kris Mike
Meg
Mel
Mae
Eve
Eva
Edna
Ella
Use column 1 names and column 2 names to sign to a partner. See if your partner can
interpret what you are saying:
Ie: Van lives in Toronto near Bea.
Al lives near Jay in Oshawa.
Pam lives in Mississauga with Bill near her office.
Ken and Eva live in Guelph near the Universiry.
Homework:
Review Unit 3 and 4 Next week will be a quiz on both units
Lesson 6
Big unit and too many words for me to translate into descriptions.
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Videos repeat on their own so you don’t have to keep refreshing them.
Breakfast
Milk
Candy
Baby
Mother
Male
cousin
Younger
Lunch
Toast
Man
Pregnant
Father
Female
cousin
Older
Supper
Cereal
Woman
Boyfriend
Younger
GrandMother
Died
Eggs
Cold meats
Boy
Girlfriend
Older
GrandFather
No
Bacon
Soup
Girl
Married
Brother
Niece
Sandwich
Roast beef
Daughter
Wife
Sister
Nephew
Not
None
Potatoes
Peas
Son
Husband
Aunt
Yours
Coffee
Carrots
Friend
Family
Uncle
Mine
Me 2 brothers (sign brother to the left)
Me 3 sisters (sign sisters to the right)
Good morning
Good afternoon
Good night
Practice shifting the body from left and to right for signs like:
Student/teacher
Deaf/hearing
Forms of transportation
Colours Yellow Black
Red
Brown Blue
Green
Grey
Puple
Pink
Orange White
Private
Love it
What colour is your car? Car – colour – what?
Kitchen
Living rm
Bedroom
Basement
Street
Conversation:
Are you married?
Do you have any children? How many?
NB: Final test will be good dialogue ½ the class on June 17 the other half on June
24 (Practice Practice Practice!!)
Lesson 7
Practice signing family members from left to right (moving torso) from side to side, to
sign each family member.
Sign this conversation in couples:
A You live where?
B I live Waterloo
A You live in a house (left side) apt. (right side) what?
B I live in apt.
A You live with mother/father?
B Yes
A You have brothers/sisters how many?
B Yes, 2 brothers (left) / 1 sister (right)
A Oh I see…
Purpose for practise in a less controlled dialogue in which information is relayed without
specific questions.
A Ask B if married
B Respond and volunteer info about
-family member
-any deaf people in the family
-residence
-respond and volunteer info etc.
New Words:
Monday – Sunday
Night
Afternoon
Night
This
Next
Last
Week
Test
Happen
Lesson 8
Now!
Yesterday
Today (same as now! But not as emphatic)
Tomorrow
Monday – Sunday
This Monday-Sunday
Last Monday-Sunday
Next Monday-Sunday
Every Monday-Sunday
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Week
Weekend
Birthday
Party
Verbs:
Studying
Working
Playing
Chatting
Cleaning
Cooking
Baking
Shopping
See
Watch
Go to
Go out
Visit
Eat
Habits:
Drinking wine
Exercising
Partying
Taking care of
Stay at home
Places:
School
Class
Meeting
Church
Dentist
Dr.
Movies
Videos
Hospital
Restaurant
Store
Park
Sports:
Basketball
Football
Baseball
Volleyball
Play cards
Tennis
Hockey
Golf
Rowing
Soccer
Team
Sometimes
Depends
Park the car
Panic
Numbers:
5, 10, 20 to 50
3, 6, 9 to 50
2, 4, 8 to 50
Lesson 9
Calendar
Conversation:
A) What did you do last (Monday)
B) Give info
A) Respond
A) Ask B what they like or what they hate (Cleaning, babysitting etc.)
B) Give opinion
Like
Enjoy
So-so
Not like
Hate
Sorry I’m late but, I was…..
Can’t
Need to
Must
Should
Supposed to
I have to leave early
I have to move
Excuse me, I must leave to go to the washroom
Sorry, I’m late, I had to _______
Last (Thursday) I couldn’t come to class, I had to go to a meeting.
Excuse me, I must leave now, I have an appointment.
A) I want us to go out to eat tomorrow at noon
B) Ok fine
Or
Sorry I have plans for tomorrow, how about Wed at noon?
A) Ok, Wed at noon is fine
Exam Unit 6 + pairs for final marks