Have you ever wondered about...
HOW DEAF PEOPLE COMMUNICATE (Series 2)
Page 4
Usually when deaf people communicate, they fingerspell only parts of the conversation,
like a name or an unusual word. In the rest of the conversation, they
use signs.
What are signs? They are basic elements of sign language, just as words
are basic elements of spoken languages. You already know some signs.
Let's prove it. How would you sign "baby," "smile," "cry," "eat", "cut,"
"rain"?
Look on page I I for drawings of these signs. You'll probably find
that your guesses are very much like the actual signs. But most of the
time you can't guess the signs. You need to learn the signs and the
way signs are put together to express thoughts and ideas -- just as
you learn any other language.
Train
Sit
But there is a difference. Sign language is a language you can see.
Instead of spoken words, sign language uses visible handshapes. The
different movements, placements, and positions of the hands in relationship
to the body help us tell one sign from another.
Let's look at a group of signs which are made using one handshape.
Each sign has the same handshape but a different movement, position,
or placement in relationship to the body.
Some of these signs will look alike to you at first. But as you practice,
you will begin to see, feel, and remember the differences in the movements
and positions.
Egg
Name
Many signs are made with handshapes that look like a letter of the
manual alphabet. The sign for "cat," for example, is made with a handshape
that looks like the letter "f. "
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