ASL Midterm Notes

  • Formal Dialogue & Informal Dialogue classified as register and discourse 

  • register = language used in different social settings, two levels (formal and informal contexts)

  • Informa communication = used in initiate contexts (gatherings like a party) 

    • Less reliable, very fast, not time consuming

  • Formal comunication = on stage presentations (banquets) 

    • More reliable, slower speed, time consuming

  • ASL Paramaters = non-manual markers, palm orientation, hand shape, location, movement 

  • ASL Grammar = Topic + Comment 

    • Time - object - subject - verb (Today - the blue car - the man - drove)  

  • Yes/No question = raise eyebrows 

  • “Initalized signs” = incorporate first letter of english word in sign 

    • Manual signs at “Initialized” 

    • Ex (algebra, calculus, geometry, trigonometry, days of the week except sunday)  

  • Intialized signs = all numbers 

  • Intialized signs = class, family 

  • Intialized signs = Aunt, Uncle 

  • Initalized signs = math

  • Serial numbers = palm faces outwards

  • Signing multiple numbers in a row = palm faces you 

  • Sign phone number = palm faces away from you 

  • Indexing =  pointing when using asl

    • not considered rude in deaf community

  • Person Pronouns = pointer finger (Me, you, them)

  • Possesive pronouns = palm (My, yours, theirs) 

  • Past tense = behind you 

  • Present tense = by you 

  • Future tense = infront of you 

  • Big D = Deaf is a culture, Prefers ASL, think they are normal, presfers term “deaf”, associates with deaf world 

  • Little d = deaf is a medical issur, preffers to speak/lipread, wants to become normal, prefers term “hearing impaired”, wants to associate with hearing world 

  • Deaf person = attend deaf school, ASL main form of communication, connect to deaf culture 

  • Age spot = place on chin you touch before signing number to refer to somethings age 

  • Time spot = place on wrist were watch  

    • Time spot + number sign = hour 

  • Rule of 9 = incorporating the numbers up to 9 with specific concepts into a single sign 

  • Rule of 9 concepts = ages, minutes, hours, days, weeks, moths, money 

  • Name sign types = arbitrary and descriptive 

  • Arbitrary name signs = made up of common signs, not personlized to each individual, mad eup using the first letter of name 

    • Ex (sign for emily is E)

  • Descriptive name signs = more personlized ot individual, indicating some distinct physical feature or characteristics  

    • Ex (sign for mickey mouse is mouse ears)