HappyLady Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I have a question that will probably sound silly, but I honestly don't know the answer to this. I want to learn sign language, but whenever I watch a video it doesn't tell me if I should do *exactly* as they do (as in use my right hand if they use their right hand) or do I do the mirror image of what they do. Can someone please tell me? :confused: I'd love to have my children watch some sign language videos as well, but I'm afraid if they have to do the "opposite" of what the video is doing then they'll be learning it incorrectly. Help! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabeline Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I highly recommend "Signing Time" for kids. My library has them. I think you should do signs with the same hands they use. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shalom22 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I believe that the right hand is the main hand used to make the signs. I have difficulty trying to learn to sign as I am left handed and want to sign with my left hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenncslp Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 "Signing Time" is definitely the way to go!! It's awesome, and easy to pick up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Which sign language? :P (ASL, I know, I'm just teasing.) It doesn't matter which hand you use, as long as you are consistent. Don't think of left and right, think of dominant and submissive hands. Deaf people can be left handed too. :) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustybug Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Which sign language? :P (ASL, I know, I'm just teasing.) It doesn't matter which hand you use, as long as you are consistent. Don't think of left and right, think of dominant and submissive hands. Deaf people can be left handed too. :) Rosie :iagree:THIS. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Most deaf people will sign with their right hand as the moving hand and their left hand as the base hand, regardless of handedness. If you are using a video, and the person moves the right hand while keeping the left stationary, go ahead and do the same. If you're in the US, look for a local ASL class. Many community colleges will have them. You can also contact your state school for the Deaf for leads on local classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Which sign language? :P (ASL, I know, I'm just teasing.) It doesn't matter which hand you use, as long as you are consistent. Don't think of left and right, think of dominant and submissive hands. Deaf people can be left handed too. :) Rosie :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5KidzRUs Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 This is what I was told by my ASL teacher ... Usually right handed signers sign dominate with right hand and left hand is the 'helper' hand. Lefties do opposite usually. I am right handed but severely (reversal) dyslexic so I learned left dominate. I didn't realize this until my 3rd year of majoring in deaf studies. My teacher was going to give me a D on my final because I was a righty and signing left dominate. I was so upset and sobbed to her that because of my reversal issues I didn't realize what I was doing. When she realized what was going on she and I had a talk and she ended up giving me a B. Whew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farouk Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 There are courses in linguistics which include sign language, I think. It's sometimes called part of language pathology, if I'm not mistaken. Not sure about where exactly the official terms fit in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunD Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I don't think you have to worry. I never pay attention to which hand is doing what. It's not like an exercise video where they say, "Let's go to the right!", and you're thinking, "But that's left! Um wait, oh, the other way!" It should be pretty natural. DH is left-handed and so he does a lot of signs mirroring the way I do. It's fine. The kids have no trouble understanding him and neither do the few deaf people we've met. They do comment on his left-handedness, but in an "Oh, you're left-handed?" kind of way, nothing bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmama Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I also recommend Signing Time. My whole family uses as to help my 3yo with limited verbal skills. He knows 40+ signs -- most of which he signs with his left hand. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 We love Signing Time too...we have them all. The problem I myself have is that I have a really hard time understanding when someone else is fingerspelling to me. Obviously it's the opposite of how it looks when I do it. I guess I'm just a lame brain because I'm always like :001_huh: :confused: . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 The problem I myself have is that I have a really hard time understanding when someone else is fingerspelling to me. Obviously it's the opposite of how it looks when I do it. I guess I'm just a lame brain because I'm always like :001_huh: :confused: . It's normal. It just takes practice. If you keep practicing reading the spelling, it'll come. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 It's normal. It just takes practice. If you keep practicing reading the spelling, it'll come. :D Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farouk Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Yes, singing is a memorable aspect of language learning. (Ask anyone who went to church as a child and they will remember words of songs and hymns that the have 'always known'.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fhjmom Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 If you are right-handed, then you should sign with your right hand as the dominant (moving) hand and left hand as the non-dominant (base) hand on signs that are two-handed, asymetrical signs. If you are left-handed, it is acceptable to sign with your left hand as the dominant hand but even then, I know people who write left handed but choose to sign right handed. In the case of left-handedness, it is important to pick one and be consistent. If you are otherwise right-handed and sign left-handed, most Deaf I know would catch it and think you are a hearing person that doesn't know any better. :lol: The ASL University website has a couple of good discussions regarding which hand to sign with: Which hand for signing? Left handed signing My husband, who is almost finished with his interpreter training certification program, has an irrational dislike of watching left-handed signers. There is a woman at our church that signs the music sometimes that is left handed and he hates to watch it. :tongue_smilie: I told him he needed to get used to it since he will surely have to interpret for a left-handed deaf person at some point. Sometimes I sign lefty just to mess with him. LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farouk Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Oops - I misread 'signing' for 'singing'. I need to read more carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabitha Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 You generally mirror them. Whatever handed person you are, that will be your dominant hand. Practice signing infront of a mirror to see how others will see you. It's the same as watching a video. :001_smile: I know lefty signers, and righty signers. It's all good. The Deaf person won't have a problem understanding you. So, do what you feel most comfortable with, and stick with it. As an adult, the Signing Naturally series is awesome. It's what I used in college. Signing Time is awesome too. Hands down the best I've seen for children (and their parents). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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