ASL Unit 1 Test Study Guide

Group of us

1-finger handshape, then sign group.

Answer

Both hands point with dominant hand closest to you.

Help

Thumb up on palm.

Sentence

Same sign as grammar.

Add

Bring hands together, add tips from up and down.

Multiply

Cross K's.

Divide

Flat hands together and out.

How do you sign

Sign "how?" followed by “sign”

Stress

Hand on fist, bounce both together.

Location (Vocabulary Sign)

Rub open palm on fist.

Type / What type

K on both hands, top K circles above hand and lands.

Hearing deteriorated

Point to ear, then balloon thumbs down.

How are you

How (open thumb-up fists like gate) + You.

Fine

Open hand with thumb touching chest (no finger sprinkle).

Not much

Y-shape down.

Lousy

3 fingers on nose and throw away.

Great

Praise sign.

Feel

Middle finger stroke up chest.

Happy

Two hands strike up on chest.

Silly

Y-shape on nose.

Nice to meet you

Both palms slide, index fingers out, fists together, You.

Excuse me

Fingers on palm and brush.

Like

Pinch chest.

Know

Fingers on forehead.

Don't know

Fingers on forehead and move outward.

New

Hit palm with fingertips and scrape up.

Worksheet

Work sign, palms together twice.

Joint point

Two-finger claw on arm.

13

"Come here" motion using 3 handshape.

Bored

Finger on nose, turn outward while moving.

To kid

Hook up fists on top of each other.

Student

Sign "know" then "person".

Problem

Claw hands against each other.

What's new?

Flick up from chest.

Wrong

Y-shape under chin.

Brainstorm

Point to brain and sign storm.

That / There

Y-shape down quickly.

What for?

Finger to forehead and move outward.

Open your book

Open flat hands fully.

Help you

Thumb on palm moving towards the other person.

Which

Thumbs up and down in fists.

Help me

Thumb on palm moving towards yourself.

Now

Y-shapes going down.

Share

Open hand sweep.

Later

L-shape going downward.

Ask me

Inching index finger towards yourself.

Ask you

Inching index finger towards the other person.

Equals

Two hands straight together.

Math

Two M's on top of each other.

Study

Sparkle fingers on palm.

Discuss

Index finger tapping on palm.

Write on the board

Outline board and make writing motion.

Teacher

Fingers out from forehead, then sign person.

Homework

Touch chin twice, then fists on top of each other.

Definition / Meaning

Peace sign on palm switching direction.

Five Parameters of ASL

Handshape, Location, Movement, Palm Orientation, and Non-Manual Markers (NMM).

Handshape (Parameter)

Specific shape of the hands (90 distinct handshapes in ASL).

Location (Parameter)

Where the sign is placed relative to the body.

Movement (Parameter)

The directional motion or action of the sign, down my crab hands side to side

Palm Orientation (Parameter)

Direction the palm is facing (e.g., inward vs. outward).

Non-Manual Markers (NMM)

Facial expressions, head tilts, and eyebrow movements.

ASL Sentence Structure & Word Order

ASL follows an Object-Subject-Verb (OSV) order, unlike English which uses Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).

Topicalization Structure

The topic (time, subject, or object) is placed first with raised eyebrows, followed by the comment.

Eyebrow Signals by Sentence Type

Statements use neutral eyebrows, Yes/No questions use raised eyebrows, and WH-questions use furrowed eyebrows.

Singular Pronouns (Indexing)

Point to the side.

Plural Pronouns (Indexing)

Sweeping circular motion.

Possessive Pronouns

Open flat hand facing person.

'We / Us' Pronoun Sign

Arcs from one shoulder to the other.

Group Indexing

2-3 people face number shape slightly inward; groups larger than 5 sweep near body and sign 'group'.

Pointing (Grammatical Function)

Functions as the word 'the' or a determiner in ASL.

Palm Orientation for Numbers 1-5

Palm faces inward toward the signer.

Palm Orientation for Numbers 6 and Above

Palm faces outward toward the listener.

Twin Numbers (e.g., 11, 22)

Signed with the palm facing downward.

Teen Numbers (Variations)

Sign 10 + number, rub fingers together, or shake the handshape.

Signing 20

L shape with number.

Signing 21

Finger gun shape inward/upward.

Signing 23

L shape with middle finger shaking in a 3 shape.

Signing 24

L shape followed by 4.

Hand Posture in Fingerspelling

Keep palm facing outward toward viewer; keep arm and elbow relaxed near body; keep hand stationary without bouncing, rocking, or squeezing.

Signing First Names

Hold first letter and pause with raised eyebrows and head leaning forward slightly.

Signing Full Names

Pause between first and last name while moving hand slightly to the right without dropping it.

Formal Sign Names

Assigned if a name has 4+ letters or double letters.

Double Letters in Fingerspelling

Executed using one of three movements: slide, bounce, or repeated contact.

Fingerspelling Strategy

Always use a dedicated ASL sign if available instead of default fingerspelling.

Gaining Attention in Deaf Culture (name the 5 ways)

Tap shoulder twice using fingertips or bent hand; wave hand within field of vision; tap table, stomp floor, or flash room lights.

Signing Space & Etiquette

Seating in semi-circle; active signing space is waist to head and elbow to elbow; use dominant hand as base; maintain eye contact around neck/chest area.

Backchanneling

Nodding and using facial expressions to show active listening and comprehension.

Line of Sight Adjustment

If someone is blocking your line of sight, gently push their upper shoulder in the direction they need to shift.

ASL Linguistic Status, and who made it?

ASL is a fully developed, distinct visual-spatial language with its own grammar rules, formalized by William Stokoe.

Deaf Community Statuses

Deaf, DeafBlind (utilizes ProTactile signing), DeafDisabled, Late-Deafened, Hard of Hearing, and Hearing.

Cultural vs. Disability Perspective on Deafness

Culturally viewed as a linguistic identity rather than a disability, though recognizing DeafDisabled identity avoids marginalizing those with additional disabilities.

Definite Vs. Indefinite

Definite article is there, like I want THAT bike, indefinite is just one in general. Definite is with a point or that

What kind of language is ASL

a visual spacial language

how much of ASL is just in the face

70%