Two Girls at a School for the Deaf

5th Grade

Wisconsin School for the Deaf

Did you notice how I used my facial expressions to ask you about what

the objects were?

Well, now let’s talk about facial expressions also known as

non-manual signals

Hands aren't the only important things in ASL and Deaf culture. For the Deaf, the face is a fountain of information that quenches your every thirst for content and meaning.

Facial expression is vital to understanding precisely what the ASL hands are saying in context.

Hearing people know when someone is mad or glad

without looking at the person because the tone and volume of the voice give clues to the person's emotional state.

Deaf people determine tone and volume by looking at the facial expression of the speaker.

Facial expressions not only tell emotion, but in ASL, your facial expression also acts, grammatically speaking, as an adverb or as an adjective!

Facial Expressions and Non-Manual Signals

Non-manual signals (abbreviated NMS) are the various parts to a sign that are not signed on the hands.

For example, ASL adjectives use the mouth, tongue and lips.

One important group of NMS are facial expressions, which convey your tone of “voice” while you sign.

Facial Expressions and Non-Manual Signals

Your facial expressions should match the meaning and content of what you are signing so if you are signing I am happy, then look happy!

Comparisons

I’m not afrai....…I am afraid……………..I am terrified

bored vs. really bored stressed vs. stressed out! I’m not excited………..…excited…………….thrilled!

mad……………..angry……………….furious (“blew my top”)

It is normal to feel awkward or uncomfortable making different facial expressions at first, but with practice you will become more confident and skilled.

Without them you cannot sign questions, show interest, or carry on a satisfying conversation.

Think of learning facial expressions as a fun challenge!

Sentence Types

How do you show whether a sentence is a yes or no question or a wh-question in

American Sign Language ?

By looking at the signers facial expression, especially his/her eyebrows and his head movement.

Wh-q facial expression

When signing a wh-q question you need to squint your eyebrows and tilt your head.

WHO

WHO

(question)

WHAT

WHAT WHAT

There are two signs for WHAT. The first one is most commonly used by deaf people.

WHEN

WHEN

WHERE

WHERE

WHICH

WHICH

WHY

www.lifeprint.com

WHY

www.lifeprint.com

The sign "FOR-FOR" is interpreted as

"What for?" or "Why?“

www.lifeprint.com

FOR- FOR?

WHY

WHY (informal)

WHY (formal)

FOR-FOR?

Formal

Informal

What’s wrong?vs.

Wrong

What’s up?

Review whowhatwhenwherewhyfor-forwhichhowhow muchWhat’s wrong?What’s up?

Remember to go to shericook.wordpress.com to

review WH-Q signs

Please review “Wh-Q Signs” from my website (shericook.wordpress.com).

Go to “ASL I” and find it at “ASL Vocabulary”

Sentence Types

WH- WORD’ SIGNS

________wh-q (sign name)‘E.P’ WHERE

____wh-qWHO ME

In ASL a Wh-question can be signed at the end of a sentence

or at the beginning and end of a sentence.

NAME WHAT?WHAT NAME WHAT?

________________wh-qSHERI COOK WHERE

______________wh-qWHERE S.C. WHERE

Introducing Yourself

1. MY SIGN NAME _________

2. YOUR SIGN NAME WHAT?

3. NICE TO MEET YOU.

There are no ‘to be’ (is, are…) verbs in ASL.

1. MY SIGN NAME _________ 2. YOUR SIGN NAME WHAT?

3. NICE TO MEET YOU.

What is your Sign name?

Stand up and introduce yourself to two people in this class and ask for their sign names.

1. MY SIGN NAME _________ 2. YOUR SIGN NAME WHAT?

3. NICE TO MEET YOU.

How do you show a yes/no question in ASL?

Sentence Types

‘yes-no’ questions in ASL

Brow raise

Widened eyes

Tilting of the head

_____________qYou Sheri Cook

Sentence Types

‘yes-no’ questions in ASL

____________q YOU Sheri Cook

______________qYOU Erica Pancoast

Sentence Types

‘yes-no’ questions in ASL

________qHAPPY YOU

___________qYOU MAD

Practice Makes Perfect Faces

Here are some quick tips to help you make the best possible facial expressions:

* Practice with a mirror. • Videotape your face close up and critique your performance.

• Quiz your friends by asking them to identify your facial expression.

• Raise and drop only one eyebrow at a time.

• Lift and lower one corner of your mouth.

Squint one eye and then the other.

REVIEW

white

black

pink orange

green

brown

blue

yellow

red

purple gray tan

Review whowhatwhenwherewhyWhichHowHow muchWhat’s wrong?What’s up?

Numbers in ASL

Palm towards you 1 2 3 4 5

When you are counting or signing the amount of something (i.e. 4 apples) your palm is toward you.

This rule is different for signing time, age, money and so on.

You will learn more about this later.

Palm towards you 1 2 3 4 5

Palm out6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Please review “ASL Numbers 1-10” from my website (shericook.wordpress.com).

Go to “ASL I” and find it at “ASL Vocabulary”

_________whqHOW MANY?

NON-MANUAL FEATURE BROWS, HEAD TILTING

_______whq HOW MANY

Find a partner and take turns asking each other questions.

Activities for Eye Training

Same or Different

HOT / COLDGame

Do you remember playing the hot and cold game as a kid?

We will play something similar to that game.

One student will leave the room

Another person in the room will hide an object

That student will indicate using facial expressions only when the first student is getting closer to the hidden object

For example; your eyebrows will move up and down fast when the person is near an object and move slowly if he/she moves away from the object

EyebrowsLips

CheeksBlinkingNodding

Nose Twitching

EyebrowsLips

CheeksBlinkingNodding

Nose Twitching

That is all for today!