TEMPORARY NOTES:
These notes were collected during the process of grading student Video
Submissions from an ASL 1 class.
Later these notes will be cataloged and used to
improve the curriculum.
(ASL 1) Feedback on Expressive video
-------------------
Dear
Your video was quite good. I really do wish I had the time to list all
of the "right" and "good" things about your video. Due to the realities
of "large classes" it expedient that I instead focus on providing
feedback for any items that need improving. I'm well aware that grading
of signing is largely a subjective process. Your grade is based on your
overall fluency, rate of recall, smoothness of signing, how accurately
your signs reflect the signs I taught in class (in context), your
handshapes, your palm orientation, your movements, any false starts,
hesitations, the location of your signs, and your use of facial
expressions - especially the yes/no and "WH" facial expressions as
taught in lesson two. To a very small extent I consider how well you
signed in comparison to other signers in the same class. I also consider
how well you sign compared with 20 years (dang I'm getting old) of
observations of thousands of other students at your level. If at some
time in the future you would like to sit down and review your video in
person I'd be happy to do so.
Cordially,
Dr. Bill
Your score:
Some suggestions for improvement are listed below.
Note: The items I mention below are not necessarily "misses" nor did
they all count against you.
Your grade was based on the things I mentioned above. The items below
are simply things I noticed that you might use as feedback for
improvement of your signing:
-------------------
1: The number "1" (one) is not a "D." They use different handshapes. The number
1 uses an "index finger" handshape similar to a fist with the index finger
extended. Contrast that with a "D" handshape that makes a circle out of the
middle, ring, and pinkie fingers.
15: Make sure the thumb is sticking out.
16 - 19: when doing the numbers 16 through 19 the twist is outward not
inward.
2010: The year "2010" is best done by signing "20"+"10." Show the
number 20 and then number 10 quickly with no pause in-between. While you may get
arguments about this sign, don't worry, the 20+10 method is as good as any and
better than most. Note: since this sign is a "compound" of 2 other signs, the
number 20 only uses a single movement and the number 10 only uses a single
movement, so the whole sign 2010 has 2 movements.
22: The bounce moves to the outside not the inside.
23 - 29 the orientation for the whole sign is palm forward. Don't bounce. Don't
twist. Do the whole sign in the same location. Don't try to show the ones column
and the tens column. It doesn't work that way.
100: When done in isolation (just the number "one hundred") I recommend you
do "1 + C" using a full "C" handshape and not just the thumb and the index
finger in a "C" shape. I've asked different generations of people how they sign
such numbers as 101 through 109. There is quite a bit of variety.
Interpreters tend to say that 101 through 109 you can show a 1+0+9 when you want
the equivalent of saying ONE OH NINE. Quite a few older native (Deaf of
Deaf, Deaf School) signers have adamantly claimed that you should sign
"1+C+0+9." I think both versions are fine and that "hearing Signers"
(people who can hear who are also signers) tend to map their numbers to their
mouths much more than native Deaf do. In any case, do it the way your instructor
wants it, (at least until you get the grade you want).
A-LOT: Use the sign for MUCH.
AFTER-(finish) vs AFTER-(from then on): When signing "I'm going to quit after I
graduate" you should use the sign "FINISH." If you wanted to sign, "After I
graduate I'm never going to read a book again" you would sign "I GRADUATE,
AFTER-(from then on) NEVER READ BOOK AGAIN ME."
AND: The sign "AND" uses a sideways movement as the fingers close together.
The sign AND doesn't go too far to the side since then it might be mistaken for
a version of LEAVE.
ARMY / MILITARY: The sign MILITARY uses a double contact. You thump your
torso twice (lightly).
AT: There are two common signs for "at." One
of the signs is "Signed English" and isn't used in ASL. The other sign
represents the "@" sybmol (as in an email address). The AT-@ sign should not be
used for such sentences as "I'm a student at XYZ college." Instead you should
drop the word "at" and simply sign "I/ME STUDENT XYZ COLLEGE." The order of the
signs in the sentence make it clear what you mean, so there is no need for a
separate sign for "at."
BEFORE: If you want to say "I like to drink water before class," you'd sign
"I LIKE DRINK WATER BEFORE-(prior-to) CLASS." You would not sign
"PAST/before/previous." They are two different signs. (Note: If you like
to drink "beer" before class--don't come, or sign up to take someone
else's class instead of mine. - Dr. Bill)
BIRTHDAY: There are several acceptable versions of
"birthday." The bent-middle-finger version of the sign "birthday" should
start at the chin (not higher), and moves to the middle of the chest or over
the heart. Lefties can do a mirror image of the right-handed version
of the sign.
BOUNCING: Do your fingerspelling and numbers
very smoothly. Avoid bouncing or jabbing.
BOYFRIEND: When signing "boyfriend" you can drop the
second movement of BOY. Just close the hand once and go straight into the
sign for "FRIEND."
CALIFORNIA: Do the traditional, (non-initiallized) sign
for GOLD. In context this is interpreted to mean "California."
CHILDREN: The movement is to the outside, not the inside.
CITY: Use a double movement. No need for three
contacts. The sign "city" uses a quick movement, Don't sign HOUSE
HOUSE. No walls, just two rooftops, touch, small movement, touch. That's
it.
COFFEE: The sign coffee looks like you are turning an old fashioned
coffee grinder with the top hand while the bottom hand stays still. The
movement is a cranking movement, not a twisting movement. Compare this with
the sign MAKE. They are two different signs. The sign MAKE uses
a twisting movement of both hands.
COOK/COOKING: Generally uses just two movements, not three (unless you are
making a statement about how the cooking was being done.)
COOL: There are two different popular signs for
"cool." One of the signs refers to temperature as in, "The weather is
cool." The other sign refers to being socially positive or
acceptable as
in, "Sign Language is cool." The sign "COOL-(temperature)" looks like
you are fanning yourself. The sign "COOL-(neat)" uses the thumb on the
chest and wiggles the fingers.
DOG: Snap twice. If for some reason you feel the need to do the "slap"
movement (self-punishment?), go ahead and slap twice. I would not mark
it wrong if someone snapped once and then slapped once (but I know that
many of my colleagues don't like that version). But absolutely do NOT
combine a double snap and double slap. That's like sticking a sign on
your chest that says, "I'm a hearie." My advice? Stick with a single,
quick snap (starting with a modified "D" skipping the "O" and ending in
the letter "G". If you need to be "very" clear, you can do a double
snap.
E: The letter "E." Adult, native Deaf fingerspellers tend to do the
letter "E" as a "closed E." What that means is that the fingertips of
the letter "E" should rest on the top of the folded over thumb. If you
use an "open E" (also known as a "screaming E") it tends to show that
you are not very familiar with adult, high speed, fingerspelling.
Addtionally, sometimes the number of fingers resting upon the thumb is
influenced by the preceding letter. This is not "wrong." For example if
you spell the name "J-A-N-E," the letter E tends to end up having just
the index and middle fingers resting on top of the thumb. That's okay
and quite common.
EVERYTHING vs INCLUDE-all-included
FAT: Puff out your cheeks while doing this sign.
Fingerspelling: Practice words that you commonly
fingerspell (like your name, your family member's names, your city,
etc.) enough that you can mouth (articulate) the word on your lips as if
you were saying the word in English at the same time as you are spelling
it on your hand. For example while spelling the name "Jose" your
lips should look like you were saying "HOAZAE" on your lips. You
should NOT look like you are saying the individual letters: JAY OH ES
EE."
Fingerspelling: When doing double letters, if you do a small slide to
show it is a double letter, you should do the slide toward the outside
not the inside. For example, if you are right handed, and you are
spelling the name "B-I-L-L" you should slide the "L" slightly further to
the right (about two inches at most).
FINGERSPELLING: While fingerspelling, if you are going
to move your lips don't pronounce each letter. Instead, try to move your
lips as if you were stating the whole word the way it is normally
pronounced.
G: If you are right handed, the fingerspelled
letter G points either forward, to the left, or in-between, but NOT to
the right. Thus it is palm back, or palm to the side, but not
"palm front."
Graduate: Use a single smooth "flip, land" movement.
GROW vs GROW-up-(raised): These are two different
signs. GROW-up uses a flat hand that shows a child getting taller.
GROW uses two hands. The dominant hand represents a plant growing out of a
pot.
H: If you are right handed, the fingerspelled
letter H points either forward, to the left, or in-between, but NOT to
the right. Thus it is palm back, or palm to the side, but not
"palm front."
HAMBURGER: The sign HAMBURGER only uses a double
movement not a triple movement.
HE/SHE vs HIS/HER: When referring to possessive third person pronouns, point
the palm of the flat hand toward the person. If referring to "he" or "she"
(non-possessive), just point.
HER: This sign can be done two ways. If you mean "HER-possessive"
then use a flat hand. If you mean "SHE/HER-objective" then you would use
the pointing gesture, (or in some cases you would express the meaning of
"her" via the location of the sign, for example, "I gave it to her."
(PRO.1-GIVE-PRO.3 or "I/ME-GIVE-SHE) could be done by moving the sign
"GIVE" from near the signer to a location off to the side (as if the
girl/woman were standing off to your side and you were handing her a
piece of paper).
HERE: There are two versions of the sign "HERE."
One version is the simple "point downward" version. While that
sign (pointing downward) is okay, I want you to know the formal sign
HERE which uses two "flat hands." When doing the sign for "HERE" each
flat hand moves in a small horizontal circle. The flat hands do not
go up and down. They both move forward, then out to the side, then back
toward the body, then in towards each other (the movements are very
small unless you have a reason for doing them big). Some people
just move them side to side a bit, but I like the small circle version
best.
I vs MY: Make sure to use an index finger when stating "I' or
"ME." Use a flat hand when stating "my." Sometimes it is
okay to sign "ME NAME ____" because that is the equivalent of saying "I
am ____." But we wouldn't sign "MY LIKE DANCE."
I-(English): Sometimes students learn "Signed
English" from other teachers, a book, the net, or a friend. Signed
English has features that are different from American Sign Language.
For example, in ASL the sign "I/ME" is done by simply pointing at
yourself. In Signed English the sign "I" is done by placing the
fingerspelled letter "I" on your chest (with the thumb-side touching the
chest). In an ASL class, it is appropriate to avoid
using signed English and instead focus on using the ASL versions of
signs since those are the versions that are respected and used by native
adult Deaf members of the Deaf Community.
IF: Use either a double contact (touch the cheek twice) or make sure
that you use only a very, very short contact for a single movement
(touch the cheek once briefly). Do not hold the pinkie on the face. Do
not twist it. Just tap the face briefly and move on.
IN: ASL doesn't use the word "IN" as much as English uses "in." For
example if you want to say "I went to school in England for three years"
you would sign, "I GO SCHOOL ENGLAND 3-YEAR ME." If you
wanted to say, "I live in Sacramento" you'd sign "I LIVE
S-A-C-R-A-M-E-N-T-O" (or I LIVE S-A-C). If you wanted to say, "I
like singing in the shower" you'd sign "I LIKE SING DURING SHOWER" or
"DURING I SHOWER, I LIKE SING."
INDEXING on the base hand: When indexing a list of
children or brothers and sisters, do so on the base hand. If you
are right handed, after identifying how many individuals you are talking
about, you hold up your base hand (the left hand) and you point to the
index finger (if there are two or four individuals) or your thumb if
there are three or five individuals. Then you add a digit for each
individual. The base hand (the left
hand if you are right handed) should be palm back, fingertips pointing
to the right. The dominant hand is in an "index finger" handshape,
taps the first referent twice, and each of the other referents once
(although it isn't a big deal whether you tap once or twice).
LAID-OFF: This sign uses a single strong movement.
If you use a double movement it means forgive or excuse.
LIKE: When signing "LIKE," start out in a "5" handshape and change it
into an "8" handshape.
LIKE-("don't_like"): When signing "don't like" make sure that the thumb and
middle finger separate at the end of the sign (as if throwing away
something).
LITTLE-small vs LITTLE-bit: Example: "I have a little dog." For
"little/small" use the two-handed version. For "little bit" use the single
handed index-finger/thumb flicking movement.
LONG vs SLOW: Long uses an index finger whereas slow uses a flat hand.
MAJOR: In the sign for "MAJOR" only the dominant hand moves forward. The
base hand stays still.
MEET-you: When signing "MEET-you" (as in "It is
nice to meet you."), the dominant hand (Index-finger handshape) moves toward
the base hand. The base hand is palm-back in an INDEX FINGER handshape
(not a "D").
Million: The sign starts near the butt of the palm
and arcs a few inches toward the front of the palm.
MONTHS: In ASL, the months are expressed by fingerspelling.
Months with six or more letters are abbreviated. The shorter months are
spelled in full. Note that September is abbreviated to 4 letters,
whereas the other abbreviations are abbreviated to 3 letters: JAN,
FEB, MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUG, SEPT, OCT, NOV, DEC.
MOVIE: For the sign "MOVIE" your dominant hand makes a side to
side twisting movement the individual fingers are spread but they don't
wiggle independently.
NO: If you want to say, "I have no children," sign "I CHILDREN
NONE"
using zero hands. Do not do the "NO" sign for this concept. Do the
NONE concept instead.
NOW: When doing the sign "now," the your hands should be palms up. The
handshapes are "Y" hands, just make sure that the palm side of each hand
is pointing upward.
NEXT: The sign "NEXT" isn't used as much in ASL as
it is in English. For example, in English you might say, "I will
graduate next spring." In ASL you'd sign "I GRADUATE SPRING." If
it isn't clear what Spring you will graduate (this spring or spring of
next year) you would sign "I GRADUATE THIS SPRING" (for the sign THIS
you'd just point at the ground) or you'd sign "I GRADUATE next-YEAR
SPRING." The idea of "next" as applied to time concepts such as
next-week, next-month, and next-year tends to show up as a modification
in the way you do the sign for the "time concept" (not as a separate
sign).
NUMBERS: When doing 1 through 5 in isolation we
generally do them palm back. When doing 1 through 5 as part of a series
of numbers (like a large number, an address, or a phone number) the
numbers 1 though 5 are done palm forward.
OLD: When signing someone's age, a good way is to sign OLD and then the
number of years. You don't need to add the sign "YEARS" because it is
assumed you are talking about years. An even better way to indicate age
is to touch the tip of the number sign to your chin and then sign the
number. If you wanted to say that you are 33 years old, you would touch
the tip of the index finger of a "3" hand to your chin, then you would
sign "33." If you are talking about an infant or toddler in terms of
months then you should use the "MONTH" sign. For example if a child is
three months old,you would sign "HE OLD 3-MONTHS." (The number three
would slide down the index finger.)
ON: The sign ON isn't used as much in ASL as the word "on" is used
in English. For example, if you wanted to sign, "I'm working on it" --
you'd sign "I WORK I-T." (You'd fingerspell "it.") Or you would use some
other sign such as IMPROVING, PROGRESSING, or getting-CLOSE-(by
increments). If you wanted to say, "I'm on the wait list," you'd
sign, "I NOW WAIT LIST," using a slight double movement on the sign
"NOW" to make it mean "currently."
ONLY vs SINGLE: In the sentence "I'm the only girl." You would do the
sign "ONLY" using a single rotation. If You wanted to sign, "I'm single"
you would use a double rotation.
P: The index finger of letter "P" points forward, not down. The middle
finger of the letter "P" points down.
PART-SOME: The dominant hand in the sign PART/SOME (as in "I work PART
time") moves back toward you.
PART-TIME: When doing a compound sign like
"PART-TIME) you would reduce the movement. For example, you would only
use a single contact for the sign "TIME." Contrast that with
asking "What time is it?" which we do by using a WH-facial expression
(furrowed brows) and tapping the wrist twice.
REPETITIONS: In everyday signing, most signs that have
repeated movement do not repeat their movement more than twice. For example,
the sign for "NAME" (noun form) would only touch twice (movement, touch,
movement touch). And if you are watching "high speed signing" of long
sentences you'll often see signs shortened to a single touch or "contact."
ROLL-SHIFT: If you have indexed someone on your right, (by signing
HE/SHE with your index fingers) and you need to talk another person, put
that other person on the left. Don't point to the same place when
referring to a second person.
S: The fingerspelled letter "s" should have the tips of the fingers
tucked in and the thumb wrapped around. This helps differentiate it from
an "a" wherein the tips of the fingers are pointed down and not tucked
in.
SAN-FRANCISCO: You can use the letters SF to refer to the city of San
Francisco.
SEASON: The sign SEASON uses an "S" handshape that draws a circle on the
left palm.
SHORT: When signing "short" as in "I love to read short stories" you
would use the "SHORT-duration" sign rather than the SHORT-length sign.
SIGN: The sign for SIGN is done with index fingers , not "L" hands and not
"D" hands.
SINCE/"up-to-now": In ASL the phrase "I've lived in Sacramento for the
past 25 years" would best be expressed as: "I LIVE S-A-C SINCE 25 YEAR."
SISTER: The beginning part of the sign "SISTER" should NOT touch the
palm to the chin. If you do touch the face, do so with the tip of the thumb,
on the jaw, about an inch to the right of and a bit up from the chin. I
suggest starting a half -inch away from the side of your jaw and moving the
dominant hand down to meet the base hand.
SLOW vs.
LONG: Long uses an index finger whereas slow uses a flat hand.
SMALL: When signing, "My bedroom is small," you'd use
the version of small that uses two slightly curved hands. You wouldn't
use the version that uses two index fingers. Nor would you sign short-(in_height).
SON: The sign for son doesn't rock. It just moves down from the forehead
to the forearm in one quick smooth motion and then stops. Daughter moves
from the chin to the forearm and stops.
SPRING: The handshape changes from fingers and thumb together to fingers
and thumb slightly apart as if representing a plant or flower blooming.
STORE: The sign store swings forward twice. It doesn't swing to the
sides.
STORY: The sign for story is done relatively small, unless you are
trying to indicate that it is a "tale" or a flamboyant telling of a
tale.
STUDENT: When signing "STUDENT" make sure that the base hand doesn't
travel upward. For this sign, only your dominant hand moves near your
forehead. Keep the base hand down in your torso area.
STUDY: The sign STUDY doesn't move downward like the sign read (unless
you have a specific reason). The sign STUDY can indeed be inflected for
aspect (changed to show the manner or frequency in which the studying
occured) but this is different from just doing the sign wrong.
SUMMER: The palm points down, (not back).
THERE / OVER-THERE: At most use a double jab. If you use a tripple jab
it looks like you are uncertain.
THEIR vs THEM: If you mean "their" then use a flat hand. Point the
palm at them and use a small horizontal sweep of the arm. If you
mean "THEM" then just point and them and use a small sweep of the arm.
Or if they are together as a group you can just point without the
sweeping movement.
TIME-up-to-now: When signing, "I've worked there for three years." You could
sign "I/ME WORK INDEX-there SINCE-up-to-now 3-YEAR."
TWO: The number two looks like a "V" not an "L." (Hard to tell from your
video which you were doing. But you did do it right in the numbers
portion at the end of your video.)
WE vs WE-2: When you've already identified a single individual with whom
you are interacting, it is more clear from that point on to use the sign
WE-2 instead of WE.
WHY: The sign for "WHY" does NOT end pointing
forward like the fingerspelled letter "Y." The sign WHY ends with the
"Y" handshape facing backward and toward the head.
UNDERSTAND: Do the sign for understand near the forehead, off to the
side a bit, with the palm side of the hand facing the forehead. Start in
an "S" handshape (or a closed x handshape) and change quickly (flick it)
into an index finger handshape.
X: Make sure to do this letter upright.
YEAR(s)-#: When incorporating numbers into years, end in an "S" handshape,
not the number handshape. For example for 3-years you start with
the dominant-hand-3 above the base-hand "S" then as you rotate the 3
around the base-hand "S" (or above the "S") you change the dominant hand
from a 3 into an "S." The base hand (left-hand for
most people) in "YEAR" should for the most part stay still and not move.
The base hand might move a very small amount but try to keep it fairly
still. Circle the dominant hand (the right hand for most people) around
the base hand.
YEARS-(date): If you were showing "what year it is"
as in 2005, you do the numbers with the palm facing forward, not
backward. You do not use the sign "thousand" when doing the years.
DEAF: Sign DEAF, not DEAF-person. "Deaf Person" is not that common. "MY
FRIEND MARRY DEAF" is good. Or you could sign, MY FRIEND MARRY SOMEONE
DEAF." Best would be, "MY FRIEND WIFE DEAF."
I/ME-bent-handshape: Sometimes people
"accidentally" sign "I/ME with a "bent" handshape. The "bent handshape" version of I/ME tends to show up before
signs like "KNOW" and "HAVE." This is a linguistic happening known as
"assimilation." Signing I/ME with a bent hand in these situations is
not as clear as signing I/ME with an "index finger" but people do
it rather often-- even skilled, native users of ASL and thus doing so
should not be
considered "wrong" when signed by students on tests. Note: If the bent-hand
version of "I/ME" shows up consistently before other signs (signs that don't use a
flat or bent hand) that would indicate the student may need encouragement to
stick with the "index finger version."
WHEN: The phrase, "When I was six years old I
didn't speak much" would not use the sign WHEN. It would be
signed, "PAST-(back when) I/ME OLD-6 I/ME TALK-neg MUCH" (using a
negative headshake while signing TALK and MUCH).
SIGN: The sign for "SIGN/SIGNING" is done with
index fingers not "L" hands.
NURSING: When signing that you are "majoring in Nursing," the base
hand is palm up. The dominant N hand taps the upturned wrist twice.
Advanced Classes
ADMINISTRATION: The spelling of the concept "administration" is commonly
abbreviated to A-D-M-I-N.
MICROWAVE: Review the sign for microwave.
NEAR/NEARBY vs "This far apart": The dominant hand moves toward the base hand
in "NEARBY." In "This far apart" both hands move up and then down an
inch, then repeat.
NUMBERS: (26 - 29) Use less bounce.
SPEND: The sign for SPEND doesn't apply to "I love spending time with my
family. Instead sign ASSOCIATE.
ON: If you want to sign something like, "I have a large house on a
farm," you'd sign, "I LARGE HOUSE, CL-claw handshape: "house here"
FARM AREA-general surrounding."
Notes for the curriculum:
Phrase: "My wife and I..." or "My friend and I..." Sign as,
"MY WIFE WE-2..." or "MY FRIEND WE-2"
CALIFORNIA: The sign for CALIFORNIA is an older version of the sign
GOLD. Do not use the letters CA to mean CALIFORNIA.
The
following comments are random comments on various student's videos.
These comments are not intended to make sense to anyone other than the
student involved.
ADDRESS:
The sign LIVE/LIFE/ADDRESS uses an "A" handshape on both
hands. The various meanings "life, live, and address can all be
shown by that one sign. The sign moves upward not downward. Some signers
insist that the sign "address" has a double movement, but this is
debatable--especially when you consider high-speed sentence-length
signing. It is not
The letter P should look like a palm-down version of "K." You did a
palm-down version of the letter "V" and thus your "P" is wrong.
The compare the sign SINGLE/alone vs the sign ALWAYS. Note that the
sign SINGLE is done lower, with the palm up, and with a smaller
movement.
Your version of "LIKE" is a less popular version. More people these
days tend to start the sign with a "5" handshape near the chest that
changes into an "8" handshape as it is pulled forward.
The sign "I" is an index finger pointing at or touching the chest
(compare that sign with the sign "MY").
The sign EAT and the sign FOOD are often used interchangeably.
Technically the sign eat should be a single motion, and the sign for
food should be a double motion (if you consider these signs a noun/verb
pair). But what about the concept of "eating?" I use a slower double
motion to indicate a process is taking place: "eating." In any case, I
wouldn't get uptight about this sign. if you get corrected by a Deaf
person, just smile and try to remember to sign it that way around
that person. Anyway, my point though is that you repeated the
sign 3 times, that is one time too many for the type of meaning you are
trying to convey.
RED only needs one movement (for normal usage), the finger is
perpendicular to the ground and changes from an INDEX finger to an X
finger. The palm orientation is "palm back."
COLOR flutters the fingers.
The sign MY is a flat hand, palm back, on (or in some cases "near") the
chest.
The sign FOOD uses a handshape that looks like a flattened "O" rather
than a bent "B."
The sign PANCAKE scoops under the pancake (palm up) flips it into the
air and lands palm to palm on the base hand.
While spelling "hotmail.com" you used an "E" instead of an "O" and you
did some funky "I" combo "S" shape instead of an "M." The sign you
used for "DOT" is meaningless in ASL and I have no idea where you got
it. The real method is to poke the air with the tip of an index
finger. In "com" did a strange "E" (with the thumb hanging out)
instead of an "O" and again the funky "I"/"S" shape instead of an "M."