2. Cultural Notes

3. Deaf people have their own distinct culture. 1.Deaf culture is equal to that of other cultures such as American, French, and English cultures. 2.Just like all cultures, Deaf culture includes a set of shared customs and values

4. 3. As in any language instruction, cultural information must be included when learning ASL.

5. How do you get a Deaf person’s attention? ~A gentle tap on the shoulder ~Waving one’s hand towards the person ~Stomping foot that causes vibration

6. How do Deaf person wake up in the morning? ~ A brief flashing light alarm ~ A tap-on-the-shoulder ~ Bed shake alarm

7. There are two common ways or views of looking at Deaf people. “Handicapped Perspective” AND “Cultural Perspective”

8. “Handicapped Perspective” Views Deaf people with PITY Emphasizes what Deaf people CAN’T do (can’t talk, hear, laugh, or lead normal life) Perceives being Deaf as a “problem” that needs to be fixed.

9. “Cultural Perspective” Views Deaf people as belonging to a culture equal with all other cultures Views Deaf people in a positive light. Focus on potential of Deaf people: They can have full lives, laugh, have good times and bad.

10. Grammatical Notes

11. ASL grammar and English grammar are different. ASL tends to place the sign showing negative at the END of the signed sentence. A negative headshake shows negation. EX. Me understand not

12. Y/N Questions There are many ways of asking questions in ASL: Yes/No question includes: Eyebrows raised Head is slightly tilted Eye contact

13. WH-Questions WH-question asks who, what, where, when, how, which, why, etc.: Eyebrows are down Head is slightly tilted Last sign is held, waiting for response

14. Adjectives ASL: tends to put adjective AFTER the noun English: tends to put adjective BEFORE the noun. EX. Car blue me have

15. Non-manual Signals (markers) NMS refers to physical movement including eyebrows, eye gaze, head tilt, and mouth movements. NMS provide important grammatical information such as question types.