The Huddle
In 1894, The Gallaudet
University football team
invented the football huddle
to keep the opponents from
eavesdropping on the
quarterback in ASL.
1960 William Stokoe
•Published the first
linguistic book of
ASL as a language
1970 Linda Bove
•First deaf guest on
Sesame Street
•1976- she became an
actress
British Sign Language
•1983, Princess Diana
studied British Sign
Language after being
invited to British Deaf
Association
The Smurfs
• 1983- “The Smurfs” became the
first cartoon to use sign language
on American television. The
“Smurfing in Sign Language” show
had the highest ratings that “The
Smurfs had ever had.
Marlee Matlin
• 1986/1987 – Marlee Matlin
became the first deaf signer to
win the “Best Actress” Oscar
award for playing “Sarah” in the
film “Children of a Lesser
God”.
How Many Use Sign Language
• It is estimated that the number
of Deaf people in the United
States and Canada who use
American Sign Language as
their primary language is
between 100,000 to 500,000.
Fingerspelling
• In an informal conversation
among deaf people,
fingerspelling constitutes
less than 15% of the
conversation.
ASL Recognized in Manitoba
• 1988- December 6 in Winnipeg
Canada, a private member’s resolution
was passed unanimously which
officially recognized the cultural
uniqueness of the deaf community
and ASL as a distinctive language of
deaf people in Manitoba.
ASL Program in Public Schools
• 2000- The public school board
approved the second-language
program in Alberta, Canada.
The second language program
was the first of its kind in
Canada.
Strategies for Learning ASL
• Develop active listening behaviors:
nodding, responding (huh, wow,
really) I may not stop to repeat
information because you do not
nod to indicate you are following
along. This is a cultural behavior!
Listeners have active roles in
signed conversations.
Strategies for learning ASL
• Follow all conversations whether it
be between the teacher and the
class, teacher and student, or
student to student.
• Focus on the signers’ face, not
hands. Don’t break eye contact
while in a signed conversation
Strategies for learning ASL
• Participate as much as possible
by agreeing or disagreeing, etc.
The more you participate the
more you will retain. Don’t
worry about mistakes that is
part of the learning process.
Strategies for learning ASL
• Try not to worry about a sign you missed. Work
on getting the gist of the conversation. If a
particular sign pops up over and over, and you
haven’t a clue to it’s meaning, then ask the
teacher (using sign language!). Try to avoid
asking your classmate for a quick English
translation. You would lose out on valuable
communication experiences that can strengthen
your comprehension skills.
Strategies for learning ASL
• Leave English and your voice
outside the door! Try not to
translate in your head as you watch
someone sign. Don’t worry about
memorizing, as repetition and
context will help you acquire the
language.
Strategies for learning ASL
• Try to maintain a signing environment during
class breaks, before class begins, and whenever
deaf people are present.
• Lunch is a great time to develop a signing
environment: try having a silent lunch with your
friends or join the deaf group.
• ASL Club meets here during lunch on
Wednesdays. We learn to sign songs and
socialize.
Spatial Agreement
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
To give directions using ASL you need to
use the signing space in front of you and
non-manual behaviors that correlate.
Give general information by pointing in
the direction of the place
Give specific directions
Help the listener visualize the route
Use skills with your eyes, face and hands to
show relative distance
Eye gaze/location agreement
• Eye gaze should agree with the
route you trace. You should
visualize the places along the route,
and shift your eye gaze to “look at”
the places you describe. Also, tilt
your head as you indicate a location
(left or right).
Conveying Distance
•Non-manual behaviors
can indicate distance
such as far away,
moderate distance, or
very near.
FAR AWAY
1.
2.
3.
4.
Tilt head
Squint eyes
Open mouth slightly
Trace route, extend arm fully
Moderate Distance
1. Tilt head (in agreement
with direction)
2. Purse lips slightly
3. Trace route: arm
moderately extended
VERY NEAR
1. Tilt head in agreement with
direction
2. “cs” (cheek to shoulder):
clench teeth
3. Trace route: keep hand close to
body (do not extend arm)
Fingerspelling
• Remember fingerspelling is not a
substitute for a sign. Do NOT spell
a word as your first alternative for
expressing an idea for which you
do not know the sign. Instead,
point, describe, act out, gesture,
draw, anything but fingerspell.
ASL Review
• Who is the first Deaf president of Gallaudet
University?
• Who went to France to learn sign language
and why?
• Who is the first Deaf, deaf education
teacher?
• Who is the first black deaf education
teacher?
ASL Review
• What is a cochlear implant?
• Who is a candidate for a cochlear
implant?
• Why is it so controversial?
• What is a TDD? How does it work?
• What is a sidekick or blackberry?
• What is Sorenson?
ASL Review
• What does NAD mean?
• What is Camp Sign?
• Tell me about Gallaudet
University. Where is it located?
• What is TSD? Explain.