Authors: Adan R. Penilla,Angela Lee Taylor

Signing For Dummies (16 page)

During introductions, simply
fingerspell
(sign each letter individually) your name.
Deaf people are the only ones who give
name Signs.
Those who can hear, the hearing, don’t invent their own, nor do they give name Signs to each other. (See the nearby sidebar for more on what exactly name Signs are.)

Follow the conversation that’s started — understand what you can.
If you don’t catch something, don’t interrupt the Signer. Wait until she’s finished.

Keep a steady hand.
Your Signs are easier to read when your hand isn’t shaking.

Ask questions for clarification.
Don’t be embarrassed if you didn’t understand something. Asking questions is the best way to learn.

What’s in a name Sign?

Name Signs aren’t formal names; they’re manual letters that express some characteristic of a person or even just a manual letter or letters that represent someone’s name. Name Signs are manual handshapes that you use to signify a person. Having a name Sign allows everyone in the Deaf community to know who you’re talking about and helps avoid constantly having to fingerspell someone’s name. Name Signs are signed on the Signer’s body or in front of the Signer. You normally make the handshape of the first letter of a person’s first name and, sometimes, last name(s).

Addressing people

When introducing yourself to others in Sign, you use both first and last names. Sign doesn’t use titles that are used in English, such as Mr., Mrs., ma’am, or sir. If a Signer who’s Deaf will have continual contact with someone, that person’s name will be fingerspelled, or the Deaf person will give a name Sign to him or her.

Pointing, like staring, isn’t polite in the hearing world. In Sign, however, pointing is appropriate because it lets people know exactly to whom and what you’re referring.

Talking about where you’re from

Signing about where you’re from is a great way to converse with a new friend. Because it can lead to other topics of conversation, it’s a common ice-breaker and will help you practice your Sign vocabulary. You can practice your fingerspelling — you may not know the Sign of a particular location, or it may not have a Sign — and expand your geographical knowledge. For example, you could sign about different famous landmarks and tourist sites.