Handshape question, "Stand" and "Look"

Adam Frost frost at SIGNWRITING.ORG
Sun Nov 30 18:13:54 UTC 2008


After some searching, I found the webpage with the GIF that I created.  
It isn't preatty yet because there is still some working being done,  
but it is here none the less.

http://www.signwriting.org/lessons/iswa/group02/01-02-004-01.html

Adam

On Nov 30, 2008, at 9:58 AM, Adam Frost wrote:

> I love this question, and I will tell you why. It shows that you  
> have a handle on these handshapes, and you are thinking in real  
> world sense.
>
> As a Lexiconian in the truest sense (I'd love to make an ASL  
> equivalent to the Webster Dictionary, but that would be a life work.  
> *wink*), I have made the same observations that you have just made.  
> I have also noticed that it is rare for native users to realize that  
> they have their hands the way that you have just described. This is  
> the reason that the ASL Puddle, which is a collaborative dictionary,  
> usually has the first set. The other reason is that most people can  
> read the first set easier than the latter. ;-) The reason I mention  
> this is if and when I were able to create and ASL Webster-like  
> dictionary, then there would be something about this in the usage or  
> pronunciation guide.
>
> I know that I am not teaching your class, so I don't know the  
> students. But if I were teaching a class that I felt could handle  
> it, I would include both in the lessons and tell them that the first  
> set is more of a novice way of signing as well as the visual image  
> of how a native internally imagines their signing but are actually  
> doing it the second way. The reason is in order to do the first set  
> the elbow has to be in an awkward position or the wrist has to be  
> painfully bent, whereas the latter set does not.
>
> So now that I have rambled, I will answer your questions. :-) If you  
> want to have those concepts in the ASL Puddle, you are more than  
> welcome to add them. In fact, I think it is better to have both of  
> them so that people can compare. As for your second question, I have  
> been creating GIFs of all of the current handshapes. Because of  
> everyone being swamped with so many projects, it is coming along  
> very slowly. I have done these handshapes that you have mentioned,  
> but I don't know if they have been put up on the website yet. I am  
> not sure exactly why you are asking because you do understand it  
> just fine. I am also surprised that there isn't anything about the  
> latter set of handshapes on the website. I just find that odd. So I  
> will check to see if my GIFs are on the website or not. If not,  
> maybe I can figure something out.
>
> Hope this helps, and I am glad that Val caught this in Digest  
> because I never saw it. As always feel free to ask questions. It is  
> the way to learn. ;-)
>
> Adam
>
> On Nov 30, 2008, at 9:03 AM, Valerie Sutton wrote:
>
>> From: "Natasha Escalada-Westland" <shash90 at hotmail.com>
>> Date: November 30, 2008 7:33:52 AM PST
>> To: "SignWriting Listserve" <sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu>
>> Subject: [sw-l] Handshape question, "Stand" and "Look"
>> Reply-To: "SignWriting List" <sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu>
>>
>>
>> Greetings SW colleagues,
>>
>> I am developing a lesson on teaching classifers and I am debating  
>> which handshapes to use in my presentation.  The ASL signpuddle  
>> dictionary cites:
>>
>>
>> <symbol.php>   and   <symbol.php>   as the handshapes for "stand"  
>> and "look-at" respectively.
>>
>> As I look at myself signing these, and as I think of using them as  
>> classifiers to describe types or ways of standing or looking-at, I  
>> see the following actual handshapes used:
>>
>>
>> <symbol.php>  and  <symbol.php>
>>
>> The "Lessons in SignWriting Web Gallery" explanation of Handshape  
>> group 2 doesn't include the above handsapes, although I do  
>> understand them to mean index and middle fingers bent slightly at  
>> the proximal knuckle.
>>
>> First question...  Do the signs in the ASL SignPuddle need to be  
>> updated as written for these concepts?  To keep the fingers  
>> straight requires unnatural lifting of the shoulder and elbow.
>>
>> Second question... is there an updated lesson book or handshape  
>> list that includes the second set of handshapes somwhere on the  
>> SignWriting website?
>>
>> Thank you!
>>
>> Natasha Escalada-Westland, M.Ed. (D/HH), Macromedia Cert.
>> www.westlandasl.com
>

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