This one is very funny for me. Different hearing cultures have different conventions! The one you describe is particular to hearing Americans (and probably also other english-speaking cultures).
I have a LOT of trouble with ASL three, because the three that I know is the Mexican three, which looks like the ASL nine! Different cultures use different fingers -- hearing French people use the single thumb for one, the thumb plus index for two!
So anyway, for the number three I always have to think through: and reject ASL nine, then ASL six, to settle on ASL three when signing. I have no trouble with the other numbers ;-)
Yes, I agree with you. That hearies really confuse with these sign numbers. I did that too! I went to Kentucky Fried Chicken to order the 3 legs, they putting two breasts into the box of chicken. I said No No. I said DAMN. I have to be careful with these sign number of anything or whatever i meet someone or people.
Not only it happens to deaf adults, it happens to koda children when they first start school, they may use the deaf handshape for three and the teacher would correct them and tell them the hearing handshape for three. It then becomes confusing for koda children. So deaf parents have to teach koda children to use deaf handshapes at home or deeaf world and then use the hearing handshape in hearing world. I use hearing handshape when I am out in the public as most people won't understand the deaf handshape for three.
Yeah, numbers can be confusing! I'm a hearing Swede who took a year of ASL in college some years ago, and am currently studying Swedish Sign Language.
My natural inclination would be to make the number 3 with the ASL handshape when speaking Swedish or English. Maybe it's because that's what Swedish hearing people do (I've never thought about it though, but I'll be on the look-out from now on!) or maybe I've picked it up more recently from ASL. I really don't know.
In Swedish SL, the ASL 3-handshape corresponds to number 8, whereas the number 3 is signed with the ASL W-handshape. I get them mixed up all the time! :)
ASL is a weird mixture of the European Continental counting system (following LSF), which starts with the Thumb and the Anglo system, which starts with the index finger.
BSL has a nice compromise. (And AUSLAN, NZSL) It's the Anglo system 1-5, then the THUMB = 6, THUMB + FOREFINGER = 7, ASL "3" = 8, all the fingers minus the pinkie = "9." Then wave the 5-hand like ASL waves the Thumb for 10.
LSF has to resort to a two-hand system, which Hearies use. It's Thumb, Index finger, Middle finger, everything but the Pinkie, 5-hand, then again with the non-dominant hand showing "5" and start all over again.
There's much confusion across Europe when Anglos try to indicate a number by hand. An index finger meaning "One" may be misinterpreted as "two"!
The important lesson here is NEVER LET YOUR COUNTING SYSTEM UP TO THE FRENCH!!! After all, these are the people who thought the best way to say 96 is literally, "four-twenties sixteen," and 98 should be "four-twenties ten-eight."
I am a retired sign language interpreter. But I ran into same problem several times. I played with women's hearing softball, and I had to really concentrate on the numbers handshapes because we depended on 3 strikes...2 balls...etc. I still to this day cannot sign 3 the way hearing people do...I am used to it meaning 6. Sigh......
8 comments:
This one is very funny for me. Different hearing cultures have different conventions! The one you describe is particular to hearing Americans (and probably also other english-speaking cultures).
I have a LOT of trouble with ASL three, because the three that I know is the Mexican three, which looks like the ASL nine! Different cultures use different fingers -- hearing French people use the single thumb for one, the thumb plus index for two!
So anyway, for the number three I always have to think through: and reject ASL nine, then ASL six, to settle on ASL three when signing. I have no trouble with the other numbers ;-)
Yes, I agree with you. That hearies really confuse with these sign numbers. I did that too! I went to Kentucky Fried Chicken to order the 3 legs, they putting two breasts into the box of chicken. I said No No. I said DAMN. I have to be careful with these sign number of anything or whatever i meet someone or people.
Not only it happens to deaf adults, it happens to koda children when they first start school, they may use the deaf handshape for three and the teacher would correct them and tell them the hearing handshape for three. It then becomes confusing for koda children. So deaf parents have to teach koda children to use deaf handshapes at home or deeaf world and then use the hearing handshape in hearing world. I use hearing handshape when I am out in the public as most people won't understand the deaf handshape for three.
Yes, I have to use the hearing 3 handshape when I talk to hearing people. I had to stop and think to myself 'use the hearing 3', not the ASL 3.
Yeah, numbers can be confusing! I'm a hearing Swede who took a year of ASL in college some years ago, and am currently studying Swedish Sign Language.
My natural inclination would be to make the number 3 with the ASL handshape when speaking Swedish or English. Maybe it's because that's what Swedish hearing people do (I've never thought about it though, but I'll be on the look-out from now on!) or maybe I've picked it up more recently from ASL. I really don't know.
In Swedish SL, the ASL 3-handshape corresponds to number 8, whereas the number 3 is signed with the ASL W-handshape. I get them mixed up all the time! :)
As a hearing person, I'm kind of embarassed.
Can't people count?
If you hold up three fingers, people should understand that you mean three. Geez.
ASL is a weird mixture of the European Continental counting system (following LSF), which starts with the Thumb and the Anglo system, which starts with the index finger.
BSL has a nice compromise. (And AUSLAN, NZSL) It's the Anglo system 1-5, then the THUMB = 6, THUMB + FOREFINGER = 7, ASL "3" = 8, all the fingers minus the pinkie = "9." Then wave the 5-hand like ASL waves the Thumb for 10.
LSF has to resort to a two-hand system, which Hearies use. It's Thumb, Index finger, Middle finger, everything but the Pinkie, 5-hand, then again with the non-dominant hand showing "5" and start all over again.
There's much confusion across Europe when Anglos try to indicate a number by hand. An index finger meaning "One" may be misinterpreted as "two"!
The important lesson here is NEVER LET YOUR COUNTING SYSTEM UP TO THE FRENCH!!! After all, these are the people who thought the best way to say 96 is literally, "four-twenties sixteen," and 98 should be "four-twenties ten-eight."
I am a retired sign language interpreter. But I ran into same problem several times. I played with women's hearing softball, and I had to really concentrate on the numbers handshapes because we depended on 3 strikes...2 balls...etc. I still to this day cannot sign 3 the way hearing people do...I am used to it meaning 6. Sigh......
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