ASL fingerspelling

[Michael Hamm]

In response to my question on putting the left hand under the right while
fingerspelling in ASL, Victor Brown <signling at WANS.NET> wrote, yesterday,
in part:
> I was actually taught to do this. But, when I got out in the real world,
> I didn't see others doing it.
>
> The reason we were told to do it was to keep our dom-hand from
> "bouncing" up and down or "traveling" side to side.
>
> My teacher was not the only one who does this. I still see it today with
> new learners. In various cities.

Thanks fyi. Fwiw, the reason I had asked was that I had seen it once or
twice (at least once from a hearing ASL student), but had not been taught
to do it, and had never done it. But I decided once, in class (I'm hearing
and learning ASL), to do it, and see if my teacher made any comment. Well,
she told me to not do it.  :)  So I was wondering why. Maybe I'll ask her,
see what she (Deaf) says.

Michael Hamm
BA, Math, Jan. '01
msh210 at nyu.edu
http://pages.nyu.edu/~msh210/