AMERICAN

SIGN LANGUAGE
One Word Questions in ASL
Signing Essential Expressions
SIGNING
THE
MANUAL
ALPHABET
NUMBERS
THROUGH
1-10
 Deaf Etiquette Do’s and Don’ts

As you become more confident in your ability to communicate through American Sign Language (ASL)
and begin to meet Deaf acquaintances and form friendships, keep some simple etiquette do’s and don’ts in
mind.
Do’s
• To get a Deaf person’s attention, tap him or her on the shoulder or flick the light switch.
• Let a Deaf person know that you can hear and that you’re learning Sign.
• If you’re at a Deaf social function, allow the Deaf friend you came with to introduce you to others.
• Introduce yourself using your first and last name.
• Converse about sports, the weather, politics, pop culture, or whatever else you’d discuss with your
hearing friends.
Don’ts
• Don’t barge into a Deaf person’s house because you think they can’t hear the
doorbell.
• Avoid ordering for a Deaf person in a restaurant, unless he or she asks you to do so.
• Never try to correct a Deaf person’s signing or lecture them that they don’t sign the
way your instructor does.
• Don’t initiate a conversation about a Deaf person’s hearing loss. Asking such
questions implies that you think of the person as broken or inferior.
 Angry
Your fingers represent the furrows that appear on an angry face.

Make the open-5 hand shape, palm toward your face, and pull
your hand away from your face, scrunching up your fingers
 Happy

Place your palms at upper-chest level, hands open and facing

your torso, and make little circles with your hands or pat your
chest.
 Sad

Using both hands, place your

spread-out fingers at your
face, palms toward your head
so that you’re peeking out
between your fingers. Then,
making a drooping face,
draw your hands down to
approximately shoulder level.
Scared
Make loose fists with both hands;
place one at shoulder level, the
other just above hip level. While
making a scared face, move your
hands into the open-5 hand
shape, wrists crossing each other
quickly in front of your body as
if you’re protecting your body
from something scary
 Safe

Cross your arms at your wrists, hands

in S shapes, palms facing but not
touching your body. Pull your hands
apart while twisting palms to face
away from your body, stopping at the
shoulder area. Keep those S shapes.
Sorry

Make a sad, apologetic face.

With a hand in the ASL letter S
shape, place your fist, palm
facing your body, over your heart
and make a circle.