Please help, i dont understand classifiers.

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LearningASL51

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Hello,
I am currently taking ASl. Over our break, we have to sign a story using classifiers. I am doing Little red riding Hood. But i do not understand how to do it. I have read our packet on classifiers, but do not understand how i would use it in the story. If you can, maybe you can help me.

Thanks
 
Did your instructor show you classifiers and how to use them? Did your instructor demonstrate some examples of stories using classifiers? Do you have a tape or DVD with examples?

It's kind of hard to explain it all thru AD posts. If you have visuals to look at that would be so much better.
 
Ok I will give is my best shot.

Lets say you are explaining a path in the forest, and you want to tell someone to turn right at a tree for example. You would sign tree, and then CL:CC (meaning classifier, hand shape C, since there are two C's you would use both hands) and you would "show" the shape/size of the tree.

Does that make sense?? It is hard to explain
 
In order to be able to sign using classifiers, u have to think in pictures rather than in English sentences. Otherwise, it wont work. I am still not fully fluent in classifiers cuz I have a habit of thinking in English sometimes and it just messes it up.
 
Classifiers are cool. They represent things. For example to sign the boat docking on land and he got out and walked on, sign boat, twice then use left palm down use right hand shaped like the boat still and have come up on the left palm(which represents land).You just docked. Then use r hand bent V then stand up V then V climbs out of the boat becomes index finger upright walking away. Looks real when you do that it creates a movie. You see the concept of a boat docking and a man getting out and walking away its pictures not words. You can get really creative using classifiers.
 
I work as a tutor for ASL at a community college, and I can say that you are not alone in being confused with what classifiers are all about!

The greatest thing about classifiers, which robbielyn eloquentally said, is that you can be creative using classifiers! Most of the time there is no right or wrong rules about using classifiers, as long as it makes sense.

To start off the story for Riding Hood, one can set up two characters and use roleshifting. To the left, show the height, then hair length, texture, freckles?, and then the most important thing, describe the hood and how the girl is wearing it. Then to the right, you have the mother telling her to go to grandmother's house. Describe the basket that the mother put together, what food, etc... Then giving it to the girl and pointing to outside, and scolding to the girl, saying path dangerous, not walk off. Back to left, act as the girl is listening innocently. (This is only the first part. You can describe how the girl acts going thru wood, etc...)

Sometimes classifiers needs to include a lot of acting instead of words!

Hope I helped somewhat.
Good Luck!
 
I got in touch with my tutor and i am meeting him. Thanks everyone for your help. It did help! But your right, it is difficult to understand, but hopefully i will catch on.

Thanks again!
 
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