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ASL: Lesson 15:

Objectives:
___ I understand the concept of Facial Grammar
___ I can provide an example of a Multiple meaning sign
___ I know a bit about Navigating a Deaf environment
___ I am familiar with the "AGENT" sign
___ I have taken the Lesson 15 Quiz
___ I have taken the general practice quiz for this lesson.  See: PRACTICE QUIZZES

Vocabulary:
AIDE
BABYSITTER
BOSS
COOK
FARM
FIREFIGHTER
IN-LAW
LIBRARY
MAJOR-[profession, main, line of work]
NEIGHBOR-[NEXT-TO]
PICTURE-[photographer]
POLICE-[cop]
PRESIDENT-[superintendent]
PRINTER-[print, publish, newspaper]
PROGRAM
SCIENTIST
SECRETARY
SELF-[think-self, myself, yourself, himself, themselves, who-is, his-own, your-own]
STEPFATHER
STEPMOTHER
WAITER/WAITRESS-[serve, servant]

 

Review:
TALK-WITH-[L11]
HOW-MUCH-[L03]

Classifier: 1-[L14]

Practice sheet 15.A
01. YOUR MAJOR WHAT?  (What are you majoring in?)
02. YOUR TEACHER HAVE AIDE?  (Does you teacher have an aide?)
03. YOU USE BABYSITTER?  (Do you use a babysitter?)
04. YOUR BOSS NAME?  (What is your boss's name?)
05. YOU LIKE COOK?  (Do you like to cook?)

Practice sheet 15.B
06. YOUR GRANDPA FARMER?  (Is your grandpa a farmer? / Was your grandpa a farmer?)
07. PAST-[long-ago] YOURSELF LITTLE-BOY WANT GROW-UP FUTURE DO-what?  (When you were a little boy what did you want to be?)*
08. SUPPOSE YOUR DAD DIVORCE, MARRY NEW WOMAN, SHE YOUR WHAT? (If your dad were divorced and re-married, what relationship would the new wife be to you?)
09. YOUR FAMILY ANY LIBRARY+PERSON? (Is anyone in your family a librarian?)
10. YOUR NEIGHBOR NAME, WHAT? (What is your neighbor's name?)

Practice sheet 15.C
11. PICTURE YOUR FAMILY YOU HAVE?  (Do you have a picture of your family?)
12. U-S, PRESIDENT, WHO?  (Who is president of the United States?)
13. STEPFATHER, what-MEANING?  (What does the sign "stepfather" mean?)
14. BROTHER-IN-LAW YOU HAVE, HOW-MANY? (How-many brothers-in-law do you have?)
15. WAITRESS, YOU SHOULD TIP HOW-MUCH? (How much should you tip a waitress?)

Practice sheet 15.D
16. NEWSPAPER, YOU LIKE READ? (Do you like to read the newspaper?)
17. COMPUTER PROGRAM YOU USE, WHICH? (Which computer program or programs do you use?)
18. YOU WISH YOURSELF HAVE SECRETARY (Do you wish you had your own secretary?)
19. HOW SIGN S-C-I-E-N-T-I-S-T? (What is the sign for "scientist?")
20. POLICE he/she-HELP-you BEFORE HOW?  (How have you been helped by a police officer?)


Lesson 15 Story A:

MY STEPFATHER PRESIDENT HIMSELF COMPANY-(#C-O) SMALL, SELL COMPUTER PROGRAM. MOM HERSELF-(sign toward the left side) PROGRAMMER. SHE-(mom) WRITE. HE-(dad) SELL. THEY-TWO WORK TOGETHER SEVEN-YEARS, GOOD!

Sample interpretation: My stepdad is the president of his own small company that sells computer programs.  Mom is a programmer. She writes. He sells.  The two of them have worked together for 7 years.

   


Lesson 15 Story B:

I TWO BROTHER, ONE STEP-SISTER
FIRST-of-four (Tap the tip of the non-dominant palm-back, sideways four-hand index finger) BROTHER, FIREFIGHTER.
SECOND-of-four (Tap the tip of the non-dominant four-hand middle finger), BROTHER, POLICE.
THIRD-of-four (Tap the tip of the non-dominant ring finger of the non-dominant "four hand" held horizontally) ME SCIENTIST.
FOURTH-of-four (Tap the tip of the non-dominant four hand pinkie finger) STEP-SISTER LIBRARIAN.


I have two brothers and one step-sister.  The first of four children, my oldest brother, is a fireman.  The second born (my other brother) is a cop.  I'm the third oldest and I'm a scientist.  My younger step-sister is a librarian.



Facial Grammar:

Typically the sentence "YOUR BOSS NAME?" is signed with furrowed eyebrows at the end. In English that sentence would likely be translated as, "What is your boss's name?"

The sentence "What is your boss's name?" -- requires an answer beyond "yes/no." You expect a "name." It is not a "yes no" question. It is a "wh"-question because it implies the "WH" as in "What" is your boss's name?

We don't need to sign "WHAT" (in this particular sentence) because the concept of "what?" can be replaced with furrowed eyebrows.

Instead of doing the sign "WHAT" we can instead just furrow our eyebrows when signing NAME.

The concept and meaning of "what?" -- is still there -- however it is conveyed by our facial expression not by our hands.

The facial expression for "Wh" questions is to furrow your eyebrows a bit when signing the "WH"-type sign (such as WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, HOW, how-MANY, and WHICH). If you are being rhetorical and you plan on answering your own question then you should raise your eyebrows on those concepts instead of lowering them. If you are asking someone a (wh) question and want an answer then you should furrow your brows.

The question: "YOU LIKE COOK?" should signed with raised eyebrows at the end. This would be interpreted into English as: Do you like to cook?

The sentence "Do you like to cook?" can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." In the sentence "Do you like to cook?" the concept of "do" is not "signed" because the concept of "do" is already expressed via your raised eyebrows. Also, the head may (or may not) tilt forward a bit.

WH-questions: eyebrows down.

rhetorical WH-Questions: eyebrows up

Yes/No questions: eyebrows up



Multi-meaning signs
Many signs have multiple meanings.  Plus the meanings of signs can change over time.  The sign we label (or gloss) as "PRINT" can mean:
1. A
machine for printing text or pictures onto paper, especially one linked to a computer. (Lexico)
2. To publish (generally uses a single movement)
3. To write something (using a pen or pencil) clearly without joining the letters (Lexico)
4. A newspaper (generally uses a double movement)

As time and technology progress, the sign PRINT took on yet another new meaning wherein we show the number 3 and the letter "D" and then the sign PRINT to refer to a "3D printer." It is likely that the "3D" portion of the sign "3D-PRINTER" will be dropped and "printing" of objects will become the normal use of a printer (since society will become more and more paperless). 

If you are discussing Deaf History and talking about a person who worked as a printer you should add the non-initialized "PERSON" sign to the PRINT sign to create the meaning of "printer" (as in a person who operates printing or publishing equipment).  

Navigating a Deaf environment:
If two Deaf people chatting in the hall and you need get through--just walk through DON'T hesitate at all.  If you slow down or hesitate it will be more distracting than if you just keep going.  Of course, use common sense, if the passageway is narrow you might need to slow down just to avoid tripping, but the point is that you don't become a distraction.  You don't need to sign "excuse me."  Don't duck.  Just walk through at a steady pace.



Signing notes:
TALK-WITH can be used to mean "interview." Often people initialize the sign with "i" handshapes to mean "interview" but if there is enough context you don't need to initialize the sign with letter handshape.  TALK-WITH is also the basis of several other signs such as "communication."  The sign COMMUNICATION is generally initialized with "C" hands.


For a practice quiz, visit:  Lesson 15 Practice Quiz
Check with your instructor or your syllabus regarding any graded quizzes for this lesson.

 




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