Tip:
Sign to yourself in a mirror.
Once your body gets used to doing the movements required of ASL, non-native users will develop bad habits. Anything from brushing hair out of the face to thrusting your hand forward forcibly when fingerspelling, if it distracts you in the mirror, it probably distracts your clients. By the way, I've done both of those examples smile. Everyone develops bad habits. The goal is to find them and change them.
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Monday
Thursday
Idioms Thursday
I don't know when I started doing Idioms on Thursday, but whenever I do blogs, Thursday seems the day.
So here we are.
One of my favorite idioms of all time is "batting a thousand: To have a perfect record, good or bad. From baseball scoring system, 1.000 being a perfect batting average."
In my family it usually is meant disparagingly...like "When it comes to driving tests, John is batting a thousand."
And here is how I would sign that sentence, if you are interested.
See you Monday with another tip or trick!
PS: some people are having trouble getting the file to open in internet explorer. It is an mp4, so quicktime should open it. If ie doesn't have the plug in try Firefox. It works great there.
So here we are.
One of my favorite idioms of all time is "batting a thousand: To have a perfect record, good or bad. From baseball scoring system, 1.000 being a perfect batting average."
In my family it usually is meant disparagingly...like "When it comes to driving tests, John is batting a thousand."
And here is how I would sign that sentence, if you are interested.
See you Monday with another tip or trick!
PS: some people are having trouble getting the file to open in internet explorer. It is an mp4, so quicktime should open it. If ie doesn't have the plug in try Firefox. It works great there.
Monday
Tips and Tricks revisited
Some of you may remember an on line blog we kept several years ago which we converted into a cd called Tips and Tricks.
We have decided to update it.
The goal is to re-introduce some books we thought were valuable, some ideas for suggestions to keep you in the business and an English idiom with its translation to add to your "bag of tricks." Tips will be posted on Monday, and idioms on Thursday.
We hope you enjoy these updates as much as we do.
The first Tip:
Fingerspell road signs and billboards.
Just as riding a bicycle required one's body to become accustomed to balance, a non-native's hand must become accustomed to the movements from one letter to another in a wide variety of patterns. Please remember to drive safely: only fingerspell at stop signs and lights or while another is driving.
We have decided to update it.
The goal is to re-introduce some books we thought were valuable, some ideas for suggestions to keep you in the business and an English idiom with its translation to add to your "bag of tricks." Tips will be posted on Monday, and idioms on Thursday.
We hope you enjoy these updates as much as we do.
The first Tip:
Fingerspell road signs and billboards.
Just as riding a bicycle required one's body to become accustomed to balance, a non-native's hand must become accustomed to the movements from one letter to another in a wide variety of patterns. Please remember to drive safely: only fingerspell at stop signs and lights or while another is driving.
Tuesday
Deaf In the News
Extreme Makeover: Home edition is going to help the Oregon School for the Deaf build their Halloween Fundraiser called the Nightmare Factory.
The Seabeck Conference Center, in Seabeck Washington, is hosting an annual Deaf-Blind Retreat and expects participants from all over the World, including Japan and Holland.
The University of Washington is developing ASL friendly software to reduce the band width needed to video chat over mobile phones.
The Seabeck Conference Center, in Seabeck Washington, is hosting an annual Deaf-Blind Retreat and expects participants from all over the World, including Japan and Holland.
The University of Washington is developing ASL friendly software to reduce the band width needed to video chat over mobile phones.
Sign Language Message from Space
Tracy Caldwell Dyson recorded a signed message from space.The accompanying article states that ASL is the "fourth most commonly used language in the United States." Regretfully, Astronaut Dyson uses acombination of ASL phrases and English grammar.
However her message to the Deaf childred she recorded it for is priceless and one many in our community support: Deaf people can do anything but hear.
To learn more about the space station on which Astronaut Caldwell is serving, go to http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
However her message to the Deaf childred she recorded it for is priceless and one many in our community support: Deaf people can do anything but hear.
To learn more about the space station on which Astronaut Caldwell is serving, go to http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
Monday
I Love this book!
This is the story of a child with deaf grandparents, raised at the Lexington School for the Deaf where her parents lived and worked on site. She has unique insights as one of those "neither culture" people - raised in a deaf friendly environment but born hearing. She relates stories of becoming an interpreter, the frustrations of dating a Deaf man, and shares stories not her own as she follows the lives of two students from the school.
I hope you learn as much as I did about what I call the "tweener" culture of the 70's and beyond.
I hope you learn as much as I did about what I call the "tweener" culture of the 70's and beyond.
Tuesday
Baby Sign Language
It is back in the news. A friend who lives in Philadelphia sent me this link to a local story about using signs to communicate with young children.
In 30 plus years of working with people who sign, I have only met one who felt that teaching her child to sign was a detriment. Most have told me they found using some sort of gesture or sign in addition to pointing reduced the frustration of parent and child. Not scientific, just the stories I have heard.
If you want to get started, try the book below - it comes in paperback or kindle formats.
In 30 plus years of working with people who sign, I have only met one who felt that teaching her child to sign was a detriment. Most have told me they found using some sort of gesture or sign in addition to pointing reduced the frustration of parent and child. Not scientific, just the stories I have heard.
If you want to get started, try the book below - it comes in paperback or kindle formats.
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