ASL 3 part A Vocab

Conversation

An unrehearsed sharing of ideas, feelings, and other information between two people or a small group of people

Collectivist

Prioritizing the group over the individual (Deaf culture and ASL are collectivist)

Contextual

Depending on the setting or surrounding words/signs to derive meaning

Individualistic

Prioritizing individual freedom over group needs

Receptive language

The ability to understand language

Dumb

Someone who was not able to (or didn't want to) speak, diminished intelligence

Deaf Accent

Features of being somewhat monotone and less clear

Inflections

Rises and falls in pitch and tone

Full rest

Hands are in lap, eyes are focused on speaker, no indication of a desire for a turn is given; full attention is on the speaker.

Half Rest

Listener is still demonstrating attentiveness, but hands are raised to waist or chest level, the body is leaned forward and eye contact is made with the speaker; however, no language is being used in anticipation of the turn being given.

Quarter Rest

One hand (usually dominant) is at or above the waist near the chest, one shoulder is slightly forward. This is usually used in rapid discourse in an anticipation to take the turn if it is not given.

In the Deaf community, people have been prescribed the wrong medication, given the wrong diagnosis, or even put in jail as a result of miscommunication. (T/F)

True

What grammatical feature is used to indicate pronouns such as he, she, or it in ASL?

Classifier

What is the most culturally appropriate way to get a Deaf person’s attention?

Lightly tap them on the shoulder

Which of the following is NOT a parameter of signs in ASL?

A. ) movement

B. ) classifier

C. ) non-manual markers

D. ) handshape

Classifier

Deaf people sometimes face discrimination in hiring, housing, and health care. (T/F)

True

Acculturation

The process of adopting cultural traits and behaviors

Deaf Acculturation Scale (DAS)

A more nuanced gauge of Deaf identity based on lengthy questionnaire

Deaf Identity Development Scale

Theory identifying four developmental stages in Deaf Identity formation: Hearing, Marginal, Immersion, Bicultural

identity formation

The development of a distinct personal sense of self

International Week of the Deaf (IWDeaf)

Celebration of Deaf culture, history, and language observed around the world during the last full week of September (Mon-Sun)

Languaculture

The idea that culture is contained in language along with the grammar and vocabulary of that language.

National Deaf History Month

March 13 to April 15; a celebration to honor three important events in Deaf history

Present continuous tense

English verb indicating that the action is ongoing or happening right now, aligning with the use of NOW, RIGHT-NOW, or STILL in ASL

Temporal adverbs

Changed or repeated movement of a time sign to turn it into an adverb

Time indicator

Time sign that is a way to indicate a specific time in the past, present, or future

Body Classifier (BCL)

Specifies a part of the body when the signer directly touches that part of the upper front of the body

Body Part Classifier (BCPL)

Describes a part of the body that is not in the signing space, like the back, the foot, etc.

Descriptive Classifier (DCL)

Describes shape, texture, or size

Element Classifier (ECL)

Describes the movement and properties is the elements of fire, water, and air

Hologram

A three-dimensional image made of light

Iconic modulations

Variations in the gestures representing things or people to convey meaning

Instrumental Classifier (ICL)

Describes how an object is handled, such as cutting with a knife, opening a book, using a tool, etc.

Language Geography

Study of how languages are distributed geographically

Linguistic Imperialism

The imposition of a dominant language on a local or indigenous language

Locative Classifier (LCL)

Indicates the location of an object or its pathway as it moves through space

Maritime Sign Language

Historic sign language of the Atlantic provinces of Canada, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island-that is dying out and being replaced by ASL

New Costa Rican Sign Language

Sometimes called Modern Costa Rican Sign Language, formed after the 1960s when ASL came to the country, a combination of the old system and ASL

Nicaraguan Sign Language

A mostly spontaneously developed sign language, brought into being by the children at the first Deaf school in Nicaragua

Old Costa Rican SIgn Language

Locally developed sign language used by Deaf Costa Ricans born before the 1960s

Plural Classifier (PCL)

Replaces a plural noun, like a flock of birds, or three people

Sandinista National Liberation Front

A socialist political party in Nicaragua

Semantic Classifier (SCL)

Replaces a noun or sometimes a noun and verb combined

Communication Service for the Deaf

A non-profit that has worked since 1975 to open opportunities to the Deaf community

Electronic Newsroom Technique (ENT)

Method using digital scripts to act as captions for news and other programs

Federal Communication commission (FCC)

Government that regulates interstate and international communications including radio, television, satellite, and cable

Interstitial

Short bits of programming appearing between other segments

Journalism

Writing for newspapers or preparing news for television broadcasts

Media

Means of mass communication such as tv, the internet, newspapers, magazines, and more

Op-eds

opinion pieces written by authors unaffiliated with the paper (“Opposite the editorial” page)

Real-time captioning

live typists converting the audio portion to text along with the live programming

Synchronous

occuring at the same time

Teleprompter

A device that electronically shows the script to the speaker or news anchor out of sight of the audience

Academic ASL

The study of grammar and structure of ASL as it is used in academic settings

Aphasia

Loss of the ability to express oneself or comprehend language due to a brain injury

ASL Expansion Techniques

Also called contextualization, giving extra detail to fully explain a topic or idea

Lexeme

A lexical unit (usually a word but in the case of ASL a sign) that communicates meaning

Lexicalized fingerspelling

A word that is so often spelled out in ASL that it becomes a sign where the letters start to morph together

Lexicalized

Formed or accepted into the vocabulary of a language

Lexicon

The vocabulary of a person or a branch of knowledge

Loan signs

Signs or words borrowed from another language and then incorporated into ASL

Muscle memory

The ability to reproduce movement and shape without conscious thought

Signed English

A form of communication using signs from ASL but with grammar and syntax of the English language

Syllable

A unit of spoken language that contains one or more vowel sounds and may contain surrounding consonants’ sounds

Backstory

The events or circumstances that occured before the story

Cultural appropriation

The use of things from a culture that is not your own

Framing device

An action, sentence, event, or setting that happens at the beginning and end of a story

Idiom

Phrase with a meaning that has little if anything to do with the meaning of the words

Metaphors

words/signs/phrases that are used to show a likeness between two things

Multiliteracy

A pedagogical and literary theory that highlights linguistic diversity and many modes of communication

Narrative devices

Techniques that help storytellers shape the story

Oral tradition

Culture and history passed from one person to another, and from one generation to another, without being written down

Parallelism

Narrative devices of repeating signs/words to give pattern, rhythm, or point out relationships between things

Plot twist

An unexpected turn in the plot

Repetition

Narrative devices of repeated elements of a story

Smooth signers

Particularly talented ASL storytellers who are called upon often to perform

Zap stories

Humorous stories that highlights getting justice for the oppression that Deaf people feel by the majority hearing community