Eye contact

The9thPawn

The9thPawn

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I have a video that I've been watching (part of study materials for my ASL ultra-beginners class) and had this question.

When someone is signing to you, do you tend to stay locked onto their eyes and just see what they are saying on the side and comprehend?

For the first class, I've been locked onto the teachers hands (cause I am trying to see the hand shapes and movements obviously), but would the goal be to "pick up" on the words being signed while focused on the speakers eyes/expressions?
 
For me, because I am Deaf .... I tend to just look at the center where ASL is being used and go from there. I can see the person at the same time they are chatting in ASL ... Try looking at the center, to the sides to find a comfortable spot where you can understand ASL and carry on a conversation. In the beginning it will not be easy but once you get the hang of ASL ... it will click and become natural then you will see the whole person and not just the sign language like at first. Everybody has to start somewhere.

That is a good question to a good start with and :welcome: to AllDeaf and the Deaf community. Enjoy yourself !!! :) :thumb:
 
just look at the center where ASL is being used and go from there.
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Would be a good excuse to stare at womens chests without getting slapped again.... hmmm.
In the beginning it will not be easy but once you get the hang of ASL ... it will click and become natural then you will see the whole person and not just the sign language like at first. Everybody has to start somewhere.
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Thanks. The more practice I get, I'm sure it will become more natural (reading at least). Sometime in one of the next classes, the teacher is going to talk about ASL clubs, meet-ups, etc. Out of class practicing will be the best thing to speed up my learning I think.
 
Well it depends who I am looking at-- if I am looking at a Deaf person signing, I do look at the eyes... I don't exactly STARE but look at her and still catch all signs the Deaf person does. if I am looking at an interpreter at an academia, I look at the lips mostly. Many interpreters "mouth" out all English words so I just look so I can take notes precisely what the professor says. Otherwise, it is always the face. If I start to look at the hands, I just lose the track of waht they are saying.
 
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