1. Master ASL Unit 4 Family & Friends
Student Booklet
Name: _________________________

2. Unit 4 Objectives To recognize and use gender distinction in ASL
To understand and use contrastive structure
To gain exposure to Deaf art
To sign about family, friends, and relationships
To use pronoun signs appropriately

3. Family Size

4. Family Members

5. How many people in your family
How many people in your family? Get the attention of someone across the room from you and ask them how many members there are in their family.

6. FYI
Don’t sign who in sentences like “I have a brother who is Deaf.”

7. Related Signs

8. Did you know?
CODA
Read pg 129 and be ready to discuss

9. CODA Child of Deaf Adults
~ Approximately 90% of Deaf people have
hearing children. ~ CODAs are hearing, but are an important
part of the Deaf Community ~ Often, CODAs first language is ASL ~ CODAs have the best of both worlds (hearing
and Deaf)

10. ASL UP CLOSE Using Shoulder Shifting – Grammar Structure DVD pg 131
~ Used to distinguish several pieces of information in a signed sentence
~ Slightly move your head and shoulders in a different direction for each detail

11. Shoulder Shifting Used For:
Contrasting: multiple topics or pieces of information in the same sentence
Comparing: What more than one person says or does
Separating: More than one idea or concept in the same sentence

12. Don’t switch your dominant and non- dominant hands when using the Shoulder Shift.
Simply orient your shoulders in a different direction and continue signing
Accent Steps DVD pg 131

13. Compound Signs Many ASL words are compound signs
- two separate signs combined to make an additional meaning
Sign each portion quickly and smoothly in one motion
Parents: Mother + Father
Breakfast: Eat + Morning
Daughter: girl + baby
Others?
Compound Signs

14. Household Pets

15. What’s your family like?

16. Deaf Family Dynamics Deaf Culture Note Read pg 134
Be ready to discuss what you learn
Deaf Culture Note

17. Deaf Family Dynamics Why are you interested in Learning ASL?
~ This is a sincere and deeply rooted question (you might know someone in common/maybe you have a Deaf family member/etc)
~ Often families of Deaf children do not sign (you are learning their language – this is of interest, why?)
~ Historically, very few people learned sign language (why do you?)
~ The more people that learn to sign, the better the communication with Deaf people

18. Signing somebody’s age follows a general pattern of touching a number sign at an area of the chin known as the Age-Spot
This is an important part of making conversation.
NOTE: The WH-face accompanies the phrase “how old are you?”
Signing Age

20. There are four things to know about signing age:
1) Ages 1 -9 always follow the Rule of 9 format

21. 2) Ages 10 – 100+ except for 13, 14, 15 follow either variation, depending on the style preferred in your area

22. 3) Generally, age numbers follow this format

23. 4) Ages 13, 14, 15 are ALWAYS signed like this

24. Get the attention of someone near you, but not directly beside you and ask them how old they are. Switch partners and ask how old their brothers and sisters are.

25. Age-Related Signs

26. The Listing & Ordering Technique – Grammar Structure
Making a visual list of information:
Names
Ages
Things
The non-dominant hand forms the list with the information being signed by the dominant hand

27. Focus: The Deaf Experience and the Arts
Read pg 140
Deaf Arts are extensive. What you have just read about is only a snippet of the contribution to the Deaf World.
Does this surprise you?
This brings us back to the question:
Is there anything that Deaf people can’t do?

28. Life Events

29. Should & Need share the same Sign (5 Parameters)
Should & Need share the same Sign (5 Parameters). Context and eyebrows are often the only thing differentiating them.

30. Deaf Culture Minute
All languages develop and change over time, including Sign Languages.
Think of the sign Kris just used in the description of her family: telephone.
It has changed from the old sign, to the sign for phone, to the sign for cell.
Many international signs have changed over time to become more social appropriate and acceptable:
Africa
China
Can you think of any others?

31. Friendship

32. More Friendship Signs

33. Accent Steps
The sign since also means “for” but only when signing about a period of time:
“I’ve known him for five years” uses since, but not “Tell her for me.”
Since is considered a when sign, meaning that depending on the context, it may need to be used with topic-comment structure.

34. FYI
The sign to have indicates the literal possession of something, so you don’t need to include have when signing “How long have you…”

35. Conjugating Verbs (everyone’s favourite): To Go
The basic form of the verb to go is modified when used in the plural form.

36. Singular Plural

37. Deaf Culture Note
Read pg 146: Friendship Patterns in the Deaf Community
Answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper.
How does this differ from your own experiences?
What benefits do you think the Deaf Community gains from being close-knit?
Would there be any drawbacks to this type of community connection?

38. Relationships

39. More on Relationships…

40. Expression Corner

41. Accent Steps

42. and remember… Love: romantic emotions
Love-it: sentimental or emotional attachment to person or things
and remember…

43. How Do I Fix Mistakes? Pg. 50 Note: Use wave-no to correct information
“No, I’m not from Alberta. I’m from BC.”
“No, I don’t want that.”

44. Pronouns and Numbers
Use the ASL pronoun that shows the particular number of people being talked about:
The two of us, three of us, four of us, five of us…
The two of you, three of you…

45. Physical Qualities

46. more physical qualities…

47. and still more…

48. and……. more…..

49. …

50. Expression Corner Dive-In

51. Expression Corner Deaf World

52. SIGN FOR BEING FLUENT IN ASL

53. Expressive Practice
What qualities would the ideal friend have and not have?
Using contrastive structure and the Listing and Ordering Technique, describe in detail the qualities of these two individuals.
Prepare to sign your presentation to the class.
You should have a min of 8 complete ASL sentences.

54. Journal Activity ~ Pg 161 ~ Respond to question #3
~ Respond with an in depth, quality response to show your thorough understanding of the perspectives on educating Deaf children and using ASL.