Conversing in ASL
Six strategies for confirming understanding and asking for clarification
When
you miss a whole statement:
Avoid using the signs "again" and "slow". Deaf people
see ASL students use these all too often. Just as hearing people don't just
say to each other, "Again" or "Slow" when asking for clarification,
that's not how Deaf people sign to each other when they don't understand.
Instead, use the same language Deaf people use when conversing with each other.
Rather than signing, "again" or "slow" when you miss an
entire sentence, sign "What?" with a questioning
facial expression.
- When you miss some signs or want to confirm understanding:
To confirm that you understand the signer correctly, restate or repeat
the message back to the signer with a questioning
facial expression. This will allow the signer the opportunity to confirm
that you understood them correctly or to clarify parts you misunderstood.
- When you miss a fingerspelled word:
Sign "finger
spell" with a questioning facial expression to ask the person to
respell the word. Simply signing this one sign with a questioning facial expression
is the equivalent to asking, "What did you just finger spell?" or
"Could you finger spell that again?"
- To slow down fingerspelling:
In
order to avoid having the person spell a word you missed over and over again,
finger spell the word with the person. This allows you to control the speed
of the fingerspelling because the signer shouldn't move on to the next letter
until you sign the letter they are currently signing. Spelling with Deaf people
significantly slows down their finger spelling to a pace you can read!
- To improve your fingerspelling and comprehension:
Both while finger spelling yourself and while reading others' fingerspelling,
rather than spelling out the word letter by letter in your mind, sound out
the word. To improve your comprehension when reading fingerspelling, it also
can help if you catch the first and last letters of the word or if you have
a foreknowledge of the topic being discussed.
Don't
fake it:
Don't pretend you understand what a person is signing to you if you don't
really understand. This will only get you in to trouble when the person you
are conversing with realizes you don't understand. It shows you don't really
care when the person has to tell you. Take the time to ask for clarification.
One technique to help you understand the general gist of the conversation
is to mimic the facial expression of the signer. This can help you understand
the tone or feelings that the signer is trying to convey.
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