The American Sign Language Phrase Book (57 page)

Rhythm is the most important quality to develop in fingerspelling. A rhythmical spelling is much easier to read than an unrythmical one, even when the letters are not perfectly formed. Rhythm is also critical for indicating when one word has ended and the next word has begun. This is done by holding on to the last letter of a word for about one-fourth of a beat of the rhythm you are using, then going on to the first letter of the next word. As you practice rhythmical fingerspelling, be sure you do not let the rhythm cause you to bounce your hand. Hold it steadily in one place.

Speed is not a goal to pursue. Work on rhythm, and then speed will come naturally in time. The tendency is to attempt to fingerspell too fast. Then the rhythm becomes broken when you cannot
remember how to make a letter. A slow, rhythmic pattern is far more desirable than a fast but erratic rhythm.

Do not say the letters, either aloud or to yourself, as you make them. This is a very bad habit to get into and exceedingly hard to break once established. As you fingerspell a word, say the whole word. For instance, as you spell "C-A-T" do not say the letters, but say the word
cat
. You may say it aloud or without voice. It will seem awkward at first, but you will quickly become used to it.

The reason for speaking the word rather than saying the letters has to do with lipreading. Deaf people are taught to lipread words, not letters. When you fingerspell they see both your hand and your lips, and the two complement and reinforce each other. (This is also the reason you do not let your fingerspelling hand wander out to your side, too far away from your face.) It is not necessary to speak the word aloud; you may mouth it without using your voice.

When fingerspelling long words, pronounce the word syllable by syllable as you fingerspell it. For example, say, "fin" as you fingerspell "F-I-N," then say "ger" as you fingerspell "G-E-R," and then say "spell" as you fingerspell "S-P-E-L-L." (Double letters are moved slightly to the side or bumped back and forth slightly.) Caution: Do not pause after each syllable, but keep the rhythm flowing.

Practice spelling words, not just running through the alphabet. Begin with three-letter words, then work your way up to longer ones. A first-grade reading book provides excellent practice material because most of the words are short and are repeated often. Practice fingerspelling as you read a newspaper, listen to the radio or television, and see street signs and billboards. You may get some odd looks from some people, but never mind, you are on the road to mastering an intricate skill.

You will find that fingerspelling is much easier to do than to read. This happens because, initially, you tend to look for each individual letter as it is fingerspelled to you so that when you reach the end of the word you cannot make sense of the letters. You must learn to see whole words, not individual letters, just as you are doing as you read this printed material. You will have to find someone to learn and practice fingerspelling with you, since you cannot practice reading
your own fingerspelling. As the two of you practice, do not speak or mouth the words since you would then hear or lipread them instead of reading the fingerspelling.

Here, in summary, are the tips to follow:

1.
Relax.

2.
Keep your elbow in and your hand in front of you.

3.
Maintain a constant rhythm, but do not bounce your hand.

4.
Pause for one-fourth of a beat at the end of each word.

5.
Do not try to fingerspell rapidly.

6.
Mouth or speak the word, not the letters.

7.
Practice with someone so you can gain experience reading fingerspelling. (In this kind of practice, do not mouth or speak the word aloud.)

8.
Look for the whole word, not individual letters.

*Note: The sign for the letter
O
is the same as that for the number "0" (zero).

Copyright © 2008 by the Estate of Lou Fant and Barbara Bernstein Fant. Click here for terms of use
.

T
HE
D
ICTIONARY
/I
NDEX
consists of a combination of three things:

1. All the signs in this book listed by sign labels.
All sign labels are in capital letters. When the meaning of the sign is not evident from the sign label, additional definitions and explanations are given.

2. English words that are glossed by signs in this book.
The word is printed in lowercase letters, and the correct sign is in all capitals within parentheses following the word. Example: food (EAT). It is suggested that you refer to the sign label in the Dictionary/Index to see if an additional definition or explanation is given before looking up the picture of the sign.

3. Topics that are discussed in various sections of this book.
They are printed as titles. Examples: "Past, Present, Future," "Labeling of the Drawings."

Abbreviations used:

SM:
Single movement. The movement of the sign is made only once.

DM:
Double movement. The movement of the sign is repeated once.

a lot of (MANY; MUCH)

ability (SKILL)

ABSENT

ache (PAIN)

acquire (GET)

ACT—actor/actress (also with the AGENT sign—optional); drama, play, theater

adapt (CHANGE)

administer (CONTROL)

adopted daughter/son/brother/sister

advice (ADVISE)

ADVISE—counsel, guidance, advice; influence

afraid (SCARE)

AFRICA

after a while (LATER)

AFTERNOON

AGAIN—
SM
: over again, repeat

    
DM
: over and over

AGAINST—opposed to; sue, bring suit against

against the law (PROHIBIT)

age (OLD)

AGENT—A sign used in conjunction with another sign in order to designate a person who does a particular thing. Example: AIRPLANE AGENT = pilot

ago (PAST)

AGREE—concur; agreement; fitting, appropriate, becoming

agreement (AGREE)

aid (HELP)

AIM—aspire, shoot for, hope to be; goal, objective

AIRPLANE—
SM
: ride an airplane, fly

    
DM
: airplane, airport

AIRPLANE LANDING

AIRPLANE TAKEOFF

ALARM CLOCK

ALASKA

ALL DAY

ALL MORNING

ALL NIGHT

ALL OVER

ALL RIGHT—be all right, be fine, be OK; it is all right; a civil right

all right (FINE)

ALLIGATOR

already (FINISH)

alter (CHANGE)

although (BUT)

ALWAYS

ambulance (EMERGENCY VEHICLE)

AMERICA

American Sign Language (ASL)

ANGEL

angle of the pictures

ANIMAL—beast, creature