Weird Language Moment
Jan. 23rd, 2007 03:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
catsittingstillWe had a test in sign language class today, on fingerspelling. I was really worried about it, and spent a long time staring at that part of the videotape (that comes with our textbook) beforehand, trying to follow the fingerspelling (which Deaf people do really fast).
Turns out I needn't have worried so much. It was doubtless good practice, but the teacher went much slower on the test. So much slower that I took to writing little comments by my answers. Like she would sign "MY (girl) COUSIN* NAME S-A-M" and in the blank I would write "Sam. Unusual name for a girl. Short for Samantha?" because I had so much time to think about it before she went on to the next question.
But here's my point (which I realize I've been tardy about getting to; bear with me.) One of the things she fingerspelled was H-S (which is a common abbreviation for high school), but she did it in a way I'd never seen before, with the S facing toward her instead of toward us. So I wrote "H-S high school? Never saw it done that way before." Except when I got to "Never" I blocked for a second, because my first impulse was to draw the curve that the flat hand follows to sign "never"—a curve that is not related to N or any letter in "never." It was the oddest thing. I think that for just a second there I was actually thinking in ASL. I'm so hopeful and proud.
*COUSIN is one of those signs that has gender in ASL and not in English. The sign for male cousin is made near the temple, that for female cousin is made just below the cheekbone.
Turns out I needn't have worried so much. It was doubtless good practice, but the teacher went much slower on the test. So much slower that I took to writing little comments by my answers. Like she would sign "MY (girl) COUSIN* NAME S-A-M" and in the blank I would write "Sam. Unusual name for a girl. Short for Samantha?" because I had so much time to think about it before she went on to the next question.
But here's my point (which I realize I've been tardy about getting to; bear with me.) One of the things she fingerspelled was H-S (which is a common abbreviation for high school), but she did it in a way I'd never seen before, with the S facing toward her instead of toward us. So I wrote "H-S high school? Never saw it done that way before." Except when I got to "Never" I blocked for a second, because my first impulse was to draw the curve that the flat hand follows to sign "never"—a curve that is not related to N or any letter in "never." It was the oddest thing. I think that for just a second there I was actually thinking in ASL. I'm so hopeful and proud.
*COUSIN is one of those signs that has gender in ASL and not in English. The sign for male cousin is made near the temple, that for female cousin is made just below the cheekbone.
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Date: 2007-01-23 09:42 pm (UTC)W00t! Way to go! how is it said, make a C and circle it on your fist? (i.e. you get Chocolate :)
I was noticing at GaFilk just how many folks, including all of UT, were into ASL at some level... it's funny how a community so oriented to music would also gravitate to ASL, but somehow it doesn't surprise me, either...
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Date: 2007-01-24 02:16 pm (UTC)Hmm. Well, you could hold both hands by your head, palms facing forward and fingers flat and spread and push them forward and back rapidly about two inches while looking pleased--that means WONDERFUL.
Yeah, I am kind of startled that the rest of the filk community finds ASL as cool as I do. :-)
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Date: 2007-01-23 10:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 02:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-23 10:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 02:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 07:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 02:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 11:00 am (UTC)I know a little bit of sign language. Ailsa & I took a "Sign Language for Toddlers" course because David has Down Syndrome and children with that can often use signs before they have the oral coordination to talk.
Are his core ASL signs. He's been dropping them as he's started talking, but he occasionally uses both the word and sign for emphasis. He has several more "David Signs" that we understand, but are not ASL.
I know one ASL pun. <a href="http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/m/milk.htm?>Pasteurized Milk</a>.</p>
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Date: 2007-01-24 02:21 pm (UTC)He has several more "David Signs" that we understand, but are not ASL.
This is pretty common too; it's callled "homesign" in books about Sign Language.
Cool about the pun; thanks!
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Date: 2007-01-24 08:21 pm (UTC)With the new car, one of us if not both, will be able to go back to the ASL course next fall! (the old car was a rough 14 yrs and we were nervous about it making the trip)
At GaFilk, Steve Stirling asked me what was up with the signing and I signed, "what signing?" back at him. *g*
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Date: 2007-01-24 11:46 pm (UTC)Well, actually, not that much. It's pretty easy to see from the back of the hand that 1) the hand is in a fist and 2) the thumb tip is not showing anywhere, so it must be an S. Most Deaf people can apparently read fingerspelling from any angle that shows the hand, front or back. It's just easier to read from the front.
Yay on taking ASL again! That will be fun, and we can practice at cons if you want :-)
At GaFilk, Steve Stirling asked me what was up with the signing and I signed, "what signing?" back at him. *g*
I'm unclear on whether he knew you were taking sign language and was asking how it was going, or whether he was asking why there was so much ASL at a con with (AFAIK) no Deaf people.
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Date: 2007-01-24 11:47 pm (UTC)