Intensive First Year American

Sign Language (ASL 134) class

Summer Quarter
Instructor: Kristi Winter, MA
University of Washington
Dept. of Linguistics
ASL Program
Agenda:
 Today:
 Review VGC
 Signing Naturally (SN) Unit 1.1 -1.4

 Wednesday:
 SN Unit 1.5-1.8
 Signing Lunch at HUB, near Starbucks – 12:15 pm

 Thursday:
 SN Unit 1.9-12
 Sample Video Assignment due (See the Canvas for information on this
assignment)

 Monday, June 27th

 Quiz #1 (ASL Facts & History, Deaf Awareness Quiz, Unit 1 and Syllabus)
Did any of you have problems accessing the class
website?

Do all of you have the ASL 134 syllabus and course
schedule? If you don’t, I will send you e-mail
attachments. They’re also available in the class website.
(Canvas)
Review: Survival Signs
These are ASL signs that will 1. SLOW
help you communicate with 2. KNOW
your instructor and your 3. DON’T KNOW
classmates, during the first few
weeks of course. 4. HOMEWORK
1. YES/NO 5. READY
2. DON’T UNDERSTAND 6. PRACTICE
3. AGAIN or REPEAT 7. FINGERSPELL
4. FORGET 8. LATER
5. GOOD
9. ALL DONE or FINISHED
6. SICK
7. MISSED 10. COPY ME
8. HELP 11. QUESTION
9. RESTROOM 12. more??
More Survival Signs

1. BREAK
2. EMAIL
3. QUIZ, TEST, or EXAM
4. RIGHT or CORRECT
5. WRONG
6. STOP
7. GO AHEAD or
PROCEED
8. GIVE-TO
9. SORRY
Survival Signs
If you don’t understand or miss your partner’s signs or
sentence, ask him/her to repeat. You are learning to
communicate with one another. If you don’t
understand what I said, raise your hand, and I will
repeat or clarify what I said.
VGC Homework #1
 List at least ten gesture signs you know. (Different
than the ones we discussed in class today)
Give each gesture sign English word(s) so that you
will remember them.
Bring the list to class tomorrow. You will share your
list with your group.
Then turn the list to me at the end of activity.
Gesture Signs
Set up a group of 3-4 students and show your
word list and how you would gesture each word
to other students in your group. NO VOICE
PLEASE.
Turn in your list to the teacher.
I will demonstrate some gestures from lists.
I will distribute a list of common gestures
vocabulary.
 Review Selected
Gesture Sign List
1. HE
TIMESMELLS
/ what time is it?
2. CALL
EAT ME / HER/HIM
3. TALK
HUNGRY / FULL
4. GESTURE
DRINK
5. MIME
DRIVE / CAR
6. BODY
I KNOW LANGUAGE
7. FACIAL
I UNDERSTAND
EXPRESSION
8. TOO
I DON’T
LOUD
UNDERSTAND
9. QUESTION
I DON’T KNOW
10. OH
TURNWELL
RIGHT / LEFT
 Review Selected
Gesture Sign List
1. CONFUSING 1. WELCOME
2. ITCHING 2. BE QUIET
3. COME HERE 3. GOOD / BAD
4. I DON’T CARE 4. PEACE
5. STOP / GO-TO
5. LOVE
6. YES / NO
6. OKAY
7. SO-SO
8. TO-APPLAUD 7. HI, HELLO /
9. SEARCH / LOOK 8. GOOD-BYE
FOR
 Review Selected
Gesture Sign List
1. TIRED
WALK
2. KISS
ONE MOMENT
3. GOOD
MONEYJOB
4. WHAT?
OH, MY GOODNESS
5. GO
THINKING…
AWAY
6. NICE
BOREDTO MEET YOU
7. CRAZY
SLEEP
8. BOOK
SICK
9. CRY
WRITE / PEN / PENCIL
10. HOPEFUL
 Review Selected
Gesture Sign List
1. MOTORCYCLE
DUMB / SMART
2. HOT / COLD
TOUCHDOWN
3. ANGRY
WIN / LOSE
4. SURPRISED
SAFE
5. PLEASE UP?
WHAT’S
6. THANK/ THERE
HERE YOU!
7. BIG / SMALL
SNEEZE
8. FUNNY, HUMOR
LOOK-AT
9. BICYCLE
CUT W/ SCISSORS
Aspects of Gesture Vocabulary

What are all gesture vocabulary made of?

1. Gestures (What’s the gesture sign for “gestures”?)
2. Mime (Gesture sign?)
3. Body Language (Gesture sign?)
4. Facial Expressions (Gesture sign ?)

Note: As you communicate in gestures, think visually how you

use them. Do not gesture as if you are following English
grammar rules.
Imagine yourself in a foreign country where your
English is useless. How would you communicate with those
foreign people around you? Naturally, you would use
gestures, mime, body language, and facial expression. They
are the foundation of VGC.
“Making Faces”
Practice making facial expressions for the following phrases.
1. I can’t move another muscle.
2. That’s the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted.
3. Kill the umpire!
4. Sometimes you do the strangest things.
5. Stop before I burst out laughing.
6. I just won a trip to Hawaii.
7. What do you mean we have to make an
emergency landing!
8. I accept this award with great pride.
9. That’s disgusting!
10. I haven’t got the slightest idea where they are.
Making Faces Activity
Pick one facial expression and have your partners
guess what number you are doing.
Respond in number gestures.
Switch turns and repeat until you have done all 10
facial expressions.
“Making Faces”
Practice making facial expressions for the following phrases.
1. I can’t move another muscle.
2. That’s the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted.
3. Kill the umpire!
4. Sometimes you do the strangest things.
5. Stop before I burst out laughing.
6. I just won a trip to Hawaii.
7. What do you mean we have to make an
emergency landing!
8. I accept this award with great pride.
9. That’s disgusting!
10. I haven’t got the slightest idea where they are.
 Practice with your partners.
Use
Body Language number gestures to give
answers
Practice using yourfor
bodyeach body language.
to communicate.
1. I wonder where I left my car keys?
2. We left the fish in the refrigerator too long.
3. Bye! Have a good trip!
4. My daughter is in the second row in the daisy
costume.
5. I still don’t see them anywhere.
6. It must have been something I ate.
7. I think everything will be fine now.
8. The surgery was a complete success!!
9. Don’t come any closer.
10. Thanks for all your help.
 Recreational Gesture Sign List
1. BASKETBALL 1. DANCING
2. BASEBALL 2. WALKING
3. GOLF 3. RUNNING
4. SWIMMING 4. CLIMBING
5. BILLARD 5. BOXING
6. BOWLING 6. TENNIS
7. DRAWING / 7. ROWING
PAINTING 8. VOLLEYBALL
8. PING PONG 9. FRISBEE
9. FISHING 10. CANOEING
10. ARCHERY 11. BADMINATION
11. HOCKEY 12. SOCCER
Questions About Activities
Skill Levels
How would you describe your skill level for a
specific recreational or sports activity?
1. “Are you good at tennis?”
2. “My tennis stinks”
3. “I am really good at tennis”
4. “I can play tennis alright”
Ask 5 other students for their skill level on your
favorite recreational / sports activities. Each
student must have a different activity.
 Do the following dialogue with your partners
Review & Practice Dialogue
then with 5 other students in class.

How do you gesture the following dialogue?

Greeting.
“How are you?”
“I am fine / okay / tired / happy”
“Good!”, sympathize, or “SAME ME”
“Good-bye”
At the Hotel Activity
At the Hotel Activity
 Two students role play at a time. One is a guest at a hotel, and the
other is the receptionist. The guest reads the request card, and
explains that s/he must make the request without using signs, but
rather by acting out the situation. S/he must continue until the
receptionist, again without signing, demonstrates that s/he understands
the request.

 When they finish, the students in the audience, identify the request and
describe the response. 
How do you gesture these phrases?
1. You have locked yourself out of your room and
want to borrow the spare key.
2. You have lost your dog – a brown and black
spotted cocker spaniel (miniature size) with
floppy ears. You want to know if the
receptionist has seen him
3. You need larger bath towels.
How do you gesture these phrases?
4. You need a stamp to mail a letter.
5. You need change to make a phone call.
6. One of the light bulbs in your room is out.
7. The elevator doesn’t work.
8. You’d like to change your room because the
people next door are too noisy.
How do you gesture these phrases?
9. You want some coffee sent to your room.
10. you dropped your ring down the sink.
11. The toilet doesn’t flush.
12. You’re cold and need more blankets.
VGC Limitations
VGC is a wonderful way to communicate across
different languages and cultures, BUT … it is NOT
advanced enough to be able to convey more
complex and abstract concepts effectively.
Name Signs in History
Remember the name signs below.
They
 This isare
howfamous in got
Deaf people Deaf
theirhistory.
name sign
100 years ago.
Thomas Gallaudet, co-founder of American
School for the Deaf, had glasses.
Laurent Clerc, first Deaf teacher in America
had a scar on his cheek.
Will I have a name sign in ASL?
This is a common question from ASL students.
There is no “translation” from your English name
into ASL sign. You have to be given a new ASL
sign. Sometimes name signs are based on your
personality, hobby, interest, looks, etc.
I don’t normally give name signs in class. I
encourage you to get one from other Deaf people,
as you become more involved in their community.
It is appropriate and an honor to receive a name
sign from a member of the Deaf community.
If you do receive one, check with me to be sure
it’s culturally appropriate sign.
Source:
Forshay, L. (2009) Visual Gestural Communication
curriculum
Manual Alphabet
Another foundation to ASL sign vocabulary is
manual alphabet. 26 out of more than 40 ASL
handshapes are based on English alphabet.
Handshapes for English alphabet were
derived from LSF (French Sign Language)
handshapes. British uses a completely
different set of handshapes for their alphabet.
Focus on how handshapes are made to
represent each letter of English alphabet.
REVIEW: ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
ASL Manual Alphabet
Homework
Memorize all Manual Alphabet. (Best if you practice
fingerspelling words rather than letters only) Signing
Naturally Units 1-6, pp 19-20.
Practice fingerspelling your full names.
I will start fingerspelling your names on Wednesday.
You better practice so that you will catch your names
when I fingerspell them.
Review
1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10
Review

A E I O S T N M
A E I O S T N M
Fist Letter Combinations

sa so se st
an en in on
ta ti to te
ma me mi mo
Practice letter combinations on your own. I
will circulate around the room to check
your form.
Stan Esme

Tom Mia
A E I O S T N M
Joe Joe
9 6
A E
Signer A: Greet, give name,
and then ask for name
Signer B: Give name
A & B: Express pleasure in meeting
Fingerspelling
Practice fingerspell on your own. I will circulate around the room
to check your form.

1. Ted Tim Tom

2. Nina Tina Ina
3. Tami Sina Sami
4. Mae Moe Mona
5. Naomi Toni Stan
6. Sean Sina Sam
7. Mimi Tami Mia
8. Ines Ina Ian
Greetings (Not in student’s workbook)
1. Hello!
2. Hi!
3. What’s up?
4. How are you?
5. What’s up? How are you?
6. I’m fine.
Greetings
Classroom Exercise A:
1. Exchange greeting with a classmate and ask how he or
she is doing.
2. How are you? Ask a partner to tell you how another
classmate is doing.
3. Look at the list of people in italics. Would you use
What’s up? Or How are you? To greet them?
Greetings
Classroom Exercise A:
1. Look at the list of people in italics. Would you use What’s
up? Or How are you? To greet them?
1. an acquaintance
2. parents
3. an ASL student
4. your partner
5. your ASL teacher
6. grandmother
7. buddy
8. younger brother
9. teacher
10. School administrator
Vocabulary – How are you? & What’s up?
(Not in textbook)
1. to be busy
2. confused
3. fine
4. to be good, well
5. to be happy
6. nothing, not much
7. same old, the usual
8. sleepy
9. so-so
10. to be tired
ASL Pronouns
Using the index finger to point at person(s)
or object(s)
I AM/ME
YOU ARE
HE, SHE, IT IS
WE ARE, US
YOU ARE (plural)
THEY ARE
Classroom Exercise B
How is everybody? Sign each sentence in ASL
following the example. Use deixis as needed.

1. They are busy.

2. She is happy.
3. I am confused.
4. We are happy.
5. She’s good.
6. I’m sleepy.
7. It’s so-so.
8. He’s fine.
Classroom Exercise
Dialogue II ( in groups of three)

Signer A: What’s up? How are you?

Signer B: I’m busy. How are you?
Signer A: Same old. I want you to meet my friend ____.
Signer B: Hi, How are you?
Signer C: I’m fine. Nice to meet you.
Eyes on ASL
Maintain eye contact when signing to others or when
others sign to you.
1. Eye contact
2. hold on
3. look at me
4. focus
5. pay attention
6. no eye contact
Breakaway
Game
Fingerspell your name and someone else’s name. The
second person fingerspells his/her name and someone
else’s name, and so on.
Review Student’s Names
Spelling Your Own Name
1. Names with mostly fist letters
1. Marie, Stan, Mateo
2. Short names
1. Mia, Amy, Bob, Sue
3. Names with double consonants like tt, ll, mm, nn
1. Ella, Anna
4. names that are long and hard to fingerspell
1. Elizabeth, Antoinette, Magdalena
WH-Word Questions (p. 16)
Use these non-manual markers (facial expression)
furrow brows together
lean head forward slightly without breaking eye contact
with the listener
hold the last sign (which should be a wh-word sign)
until your listener starts to answer.

 Smith, C., Lentz, E., & Mikos, K. (2008) Signing Naturally, Units 1-6. DawnSignPress.
San Diego, CA.
Vocabulary for WH-Word Questions
1. WHO
2. WHAT
3. WHERE
4. WHY
5. WHEN
6. HOW
Review: Introducing Oneself with Wh-Word
Questions
Signer A: Greet, give name, and then ask for name
Signer B: Give name
A & B: Express pleasure in meeting

Be sure you :

furrow brows together and lean head forward to indicate
a wh-word question.
use correct hand position to spell name
use correct orientation for the sign phrase NICE TO
MEET YOU
What’s your name?
ASL structure

Why do I have to point twice?

 Pointing back to yourself or the person you’re talking about
shows completion of a train of thought. This allows somebody
else to begin signing without interrupting you. Using deixis at
the end of a sentence is called a closing signal. Closing signals
are especially important when asking questions using the
Yes/No Question or the WH-Word Question. Remember to
use a closing signal when:
 Making a statement or comment about yourself or somebody else.
 Asking a question.
Review:
1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10
Basic Color
Eyes on ASL
Maintain eye contact when signing to others or when
others sign to you.
1. Eye contact
2. hold on
3. look at me
4. focus
5. pay attention
6. no eye contact
Cardinal Numbers 11-15
11 12 13 14 15
 11
12 13

14
 2
12 13

3
 11
1 14

4
Give me the next number.
Numbers
1-20

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20
ASL Numbers 0-15
FYI Numbers 1-5 always face inward unless I’m signing
addresses
telephone numbers
a series of numbers in a group
 Ex.: SSN, Credit Card numbers, etc.
How Many?
ASL Structure:

__________HOW MANY?
 Vocabulary
1. COPY-ME

Review: 2.
3.
NAME
point at
1. Ask for name 4. SAME
2. Grammar 5. DIFFERENT
6. SHAPE
Wh-word questions
7. LETTER
1. WHO
8. NUMBER
2. WHAT
9. AGAIN
3. WHERE
10. HELLO
3. Cardinal Numbers 11. NICE-TO-MEET-YOU
4. Color Signs 12. REMEMBER
13. FORGET
5. Fist Letters
14. FINGERSPELL
1. A,E,I,O,S,T,N,M
15. HOMEWORK
Homework:
Practice fingerspelling your first and last name until
you become comfortable spelling quickly and clearly.
Watch the video for examples of fingerspelling.

Homework assignment 1.1 due tomorrow (pg. 5)

(written)

Do homework 1:1 - 1:5 for tomorrow

Sources:
Smith, C., Lentz, E. & Mikos, K. (1988)Signing Naturally
Student Workbook Level 1. DawnSignPress. San Diego, CA

Smith, C., Lentz, E., Mikos, K. (2008) Signing Naturally

Units 1-6. Dawn Sign Press. San Diego, CA.

Zinza, Jason E. (2006) Master ASL! Sign Media, Inc.

Burtonsville, MD.
Eastman, G. (1989) From Mime to Sign. T.J. Publishers,
Inc. Silver Spring, MD.
Pictures from Microsoft Clip Arts