Unit 7 – More Descriptions

Unit 7 – More Descriptions

Tonight, you will learn…

• Introductions to ASL classifiers • About classifiers that show the size and shape of an object. • About classifiers that indicate how an object is moved or placed. • To use classifiers that indicate the location of objects in relation to each other.

• How to show quantity by using numbers or quantifiers such as MANY, SOME, SEVERAL, OR A-FEW.





Introduction to ASL Classifiers

In our textbook, “Learning American Sign Language”, it explains very minimally about ASL classifiers. I feel it is my obligation as your ASL instructor to present, clearly explain and expand on the concept of classifiers using examples. This will give you a better feel for what ASL classifiers really are before I begin teaching you the Unit 7 lesson.


One sign technique that is relatively easy to understand and incorporate in ASL is the use of ASL “classifiers”.

But what exactly are classifiers, you may ask?

Classifiers are simply a variety of hand shapes that usually represent a noun and show location and also possible action of that noun.


For example, the vertical raised index finger of the fisted handshape (cl:1) could represent:

a person who could move from one spot to another, or meet another person (when the two identical fisted hand shapes with index’s raised (cl:11) are brought together).


Another one of many possibilities might be to use the classifier shape to represent telephone poles zipping by outside a bus or train window. The speed of the train or bus could be represented by the speed of movement of the hand (as the poles go by the window).


Still another classifier of this type is the ‘3’ hand shape (cl:3) that represents a motorized land or water vehicle (car, bus, truck, van or boat). For example, “The car stopped and backed into the parking spot” could all be communicated with the ‘3’ hand shape held in a horizontal position. Similarly, a boat could be represented as it moves forward through choppy water.


Classifiers are not unique to ASL. The spoken language, Navajo, uses classifiers in ways almost identical to ASL. Japanese use classifiers when counting people, objects, and events. But native speakers of English may find classifiers difficult because English has no classifier system. We might even say that classifiers have a sense for the dramatic. At the very least, your knowledge of classifiers will help you paint images in the air.


These ASL classifiers and others can be used to outline the shape of a building, pattern of a dress, flow of tap water; ray of sunbeam, limp of a hurt baseball player, scattering of many ants, and so forth. Actually, there are many, many more ASL classifiers. It is just not possible to learn all classifiers during the remaining of our ASL I course, but if you plan to take up ASL II, III and IV course, you will learn more classifiers one by one.


Don’t try to sign and translate into English in your mind at the same time. Remember, ASL is a visual language. It shows, doesn’t not merely tell. ASL classifiers often convey a lot of information and details and can match and sometimes exceed that which spoken English can convey.


The most important thing for you as ASL students is to start trying to use classifiers. For ASL viewers like you, it is relatively easy to visualize and to understand the concept from the ASL signer, but as a person using ASL as a second language, it is bit challenging to learn and to master using classifiers. It takes time and takes a lot of practices, practices and practice to feel comfortable using classifiers in ASL.









About classifier that show the size of an object.

Grammar Note: Some predicates have classifiers that show the size and shape of an object. For example. In the sentence below:

MY GLASS I CL:C>-PUT-THERE. GONE. I put my glass there. Now it’s gone.

the classifier, CL:C>, represents a cylinder-like shape the size of glass, cup, or bottle. Compare the properties of some classifier predicates:

About classifier that show the size of an object.

See p. 84 of your ASL textbook

CL:C> CL:CC> CL:CC>

CL:F CL:LL CL:LL









About classifiers that indicate how an object is moved or placed.

Grammar Note: Some predicates with instrument classifiers indicate how an object is moved or placed as in CL:C>-CARRY-TO in the previous example. Some other such classifiers are: (see p. 85 of your ASL textbook)

CL:C* CL:O*

CL:5 CL:S>

About classifiers that indicate how an object is moved or placed. .

Exercise 7A

a. Working in pairs, indicate the size and location of the following objects. Follow the prompt.

Prompt: a glass

CL:C>-THERE

1. A can of soda2. A silver dollar3. A wastebasket4. A large pizza5. A thick candle



Exercise 7A

b. Indicate that you moved the following objects. Follow the prompt.

Prompt: a glass

CL:C*-CARRY-TO

1. A book2. A thick stack of paper3. A cup4. A peach5. A pitcher6. A box of candy7. A mug8. A newspaper9. A letter10. An orange






Grammar Note: Classifier predicates can be used to indicate the location of objects in relation to each other as in CL-5-NEXT-to-CL:5-PUT-THERE below. The sentence below shows the relationship of more than 2 objects:

GLASS CL:C>NEXT-TO-CL>NEXT-TO-CL:C>. There are three glasses in a row.

To use classifiers that indicate the location of objects in relation to each other.

Exercise 7BDescribe the location of the objects in the

following pictures:

(See p. 87 of your ASL textbook)

To use classifiers that indicate the location of objects in relation to each other.









How to show quantity by using numbers or quantifiers such as MANY, SOME, SEVERAL, or A-FEW.

How Many?

_______q________

Lisa: CLOTHES YOU HAVE? I WASH-CLOTHES.

Chris: YES. HAVE SOME. I BRING-HERE.

(Chris brings a pile of clothes.)

______whq______

Lisa: WOW! MANY SHIRT. HOW-MANY THERE?

Chris: I THINK 8. PLUS 4 PANTS.

Lisa: SEEM YOU NOT-YET WASH-CLOTHES SINCE 1-MONTH.


Grammar Note: One of the ways to show numbers (plural) is by using quantifiers such as MANY, SOME, SEVERAL, or A-FEW. These quantifiers can appear before or after the noun as in MANY SHIRT in the previous example of SHIRT MANY.


Note that the question form HOW-MANY? is made with the eyebrows squeezed together and the head tilted forward like the other questions asking for information.

Another way to show numbers is by adding a number before or after the noun as in 4 PANTS or PANTS 4.


I THINK 8. PLUS 4 PANTS.

I think eight. And four pairs of pants.

or

I THINK 8. PLUS PANTS 4.

I think eight. And four pairs of pants.


Exercise 7C

a. Following the prompt, tell how many cars you have.

Prompt: four

HAVE FOUR CAR I.

1. many

2. several

3. three

4. two

5. a few

6. seven


Grammar Note: The plural of MINUTE, HOUR, DAY, WEEK,

MONTH can be made by incorporating numbers. Some

examples are:

7-MINUTE 4-HOUR 3-DAY

7 minutes 4 hours 3 days

2-WEEK 6-MONTH

2 weeks 6 months


Exercise 7C

B. Following the prompt, tell how long you have been taking ASL classes.

Prompt: 1 month

I TAKE-UP ASL SINCE 1-MONTH.

1. 2 weeks

2. 6 months

3. 11 weeks

4. 4 days

5. 24 hours

6. 2 hours

7. 3 minutes









ANY QUESTIONS

Documents

Unit 7 – More Descriptions