ASL1110 Unit 2.1 Vocabulary

Nursery

Fingerspell** check if there is an alternative sign

School

Clap palms perpendicularly to each other twice

Child care center / Daycare

Fingerspell “daycare”; check if there is an alternative sign

Kindergarten

Place non-dominant arm sideways with palm facing the floor. Using your left hand, find the “K” handshape and place it underneath your other arm. Wave the “K” handshape left to right (side to side) multiple times

Preschool

Elementary school

Place non-dominant arm sideways with palm facing the floor. Using your left hand, find the “E” handshape and place it underneath your other arm. Wave the “E” handshape left to right (side to side) multiple times

Junior high

Fingerspell “JR” by signing a “J” and then immeditely signing an “R” (the R will face you); then sign “HS” (for high school) by signing the letter “H” and “S”

Middle school

Sign “Middle” (as shown) and then sign “school” (clap palms together perpendicularly twice)

High school

Fingerspell “HS”

Basic adult education / Continuing education

Sign “continuing” (as shown) by placing your two thumbs together and moving both hands forward twice; then fingerspell “Ed” (for “education”)

Adult

Raise each arm progressively high than the other (as in, higher authority; adult)

Vocational school

Fingerspell “VOC” and then sign “school”

Public school

Sign “Public” by opening your palms outwards (as shown); then sign “school”

Parochial school (religious)

Sign “religion”, and then sign “school afterward

Private school

Sign “private” (as shown) and then sign “school”

Boarding school

Fingerspell “boarding” and then sign “school”

Home school

Sign “home” (as shown) and then sign “school after

*Oral Deaf education program

review in class?***

Charter school

Fingerspell “Charter” and then sign “school”

Residential school for the Deaf

Sign “deaf” first, and then sign as shown in the image

Residential school

Tap left pinky onto right hand twice

Regional Day School for the Deaf

First, sign “location”; then, sign “day” (as shown); then, sign “deaf” and finally, “school” ; order: “location, day, deaf, school”

Public school: Mainstream

Place right palm over left palm

Public school: solitary/solitaries

Similar movement as “mainstream”, but you will point your left index finger under your right palm as you collide your hands together

Public school: self-contained classrooms (a deaf classroom within a public school)

First, sign “deaf”, then “classroom” (this is done by signing “class”…when your hands come together, open them out with your palms facing eaching other); then, form a wide circle with your two hands to the side of your body (to indicate a group that is “contained”)*** review in class/make a video demo

Grade (as in Grade levels - Ordinal numbers)

Fingerspell “grade”

1st Grade - 9th grade

Sign the number (1-9) with your palm facing outward and then rotate your palm so that it faces inwards (this is how you sign ordinal numbers). After signing the ordinal number, fingerspell “grade” to give context to what the number is describing (1st grade, 2nd grade, etc.)

Preparatory (class status)

Dominant flat hand (or dominant index finger) taps the pinky finger of your stationary non-dominant "5"-hand twice

Freshman (class status)

Dominant flat hand (or dominant index finger) taps the ring finger of your stationary non-dominant "5"-hand twice

Sophomore (class status)

Dominant flat hand (or dominant index finger) taps the middle finger of your stationary non-dominant "5"-hand twice

Junior (class status)

Dominant flat hand (or dominant index finger) taps the index finger of your stationary non-dominant "5"-hand twice

Senior (class status)

Tap left palm on right thumb twice

Community College

*****COME BACK TO

College

Similar to signing “University”, but you will use a flat left palm instead; make the same curving motion and face your palm outward at the end of the movement

University

Graduate / Graduated / Graduation

Enroll / Enter

Transfer

Hold a bent “V” handshape in front of you and swiftly sway it to the left in sweeping motion

Graduate school

Law school

Medical school

St.

Sign “S” and “T”, and then pause and raise your eyebrows. Then spell any other part of the name regularly

When fingerspelling someone’s name that has an "‘s” (apostrophe s), what should you do? Ex: O’Conner

Place hand in “O” handshape; while in this handshape, draw a small counterclockwise circle to the left of you (denotes O’). Raise you eyebrows at the end of the circle.Then, fingerspell the rest of the name (…Conner)

When fingerspelling a brand (company) name that has an “‘s” (apostrophe s), what should you do? Ex: Wendy’s

Fingerspell regularly up to the “y” in Wendy’s. For the apostrophe s, sign the letter “S” and quickly rotate your wrist so that the “S” faces towards you (do this in a swift motion).

CSUN (California State University-Northridge)

Fingerspell “CSUN” and then sign “university” after

Ohlone College

review in class?***

Lamar University

review in class?***

SWCD (Southwest College for the deaf, formerly known as SWCID - Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf)

Fingerspell “SWCD”

McDaniel College

Fingerspell “Mc”, then pause and raise eyebrows momentarily. Fingerspell the rest (“Daniel”) with neutral facial expression

NTID (National Technical Institute for the Deaf)

Fingerspell “NTID”

Gallaudet University

How do you fingerspell a name like McDonald?

Sign “M” and then “C” immediately after (M handshape opens to C handshape easily. Raise your eyebrows after signing the “Mc” part. Then sign the rest of the name regularly.

How do you fingerspell a name like MacBerry?

Sign “Mac” using the handshapes for “M”, “A”, and “C”. Raise your eyebrows after signing the “Mac” part. Then sign the rest of the name regularly.