Salutations! confused on proper asl form

Lisa Sims

Lisa Sims

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Hello,
I am learning ASL. My instructor posted a video that showed her signing a greeting and an introduction. I understand the individual signs but I am a bit confused. The signs where as follows. . . "hello, name, what" then she finger spelled her name. Would it not be the signs for "hello, my name" then finger spelling your own name? Also, I had been told (not by my professor) that with sign, the words are in slightly different order as opposed to when they are written. Would it be comparable to the way master Yoda speaks?
I am taking an online course and while I have a professor who oversees the class, I will be assigned a mentor in a week to video chat with. I've gotten a head start on the assignments because I would like to be able to utilize them during the allotted time with whoever my mentor may be. It is strictly sign and so I am practicing sign for slower, again, I understand. If anyone reads this and has some insight they'd like to share, I would greatly appreciate it.
 
ASL grammar is not the same as English grammar. While yes, your professor signed it in a way that is probably unnecessarily complicated. She is demonstrating something that you will learn later in your ASL classes. ASL doesn't use the word "because," instead it is replaced with rhetorical questions. So your professor signed a rhetorical question "My name is what?", then she answered her rhetorical question. ASL follows a Time/Topic/Comment structure of sentence formation. And it doesn't use English Subject Verb Object order. That order can be played with to create different passive or assertive tones. So instead of saying "I am going to the store today," ASL might sign TODAY STORE GO.
 
I might derail this thread, but I don't get why everyone is so hyped up on ASL. ASL is a tough cookie to master. SEE and PSE are so much easier. And ASL users normally understand SEE/PSE. So, why start with the toughest possible sign language? Curious.
 
Probably because if one wants to learn a new language, ASL is a language whereas PSE and SEE are not.

ASL isn't so hard if one quits fighting the differences from English and just accept them. It's the same as any new language. Don't try to make every other language into English and the learning will go much easier.
 
IDK who said PSE and SEE isn't a language. Its a sign language. Who gonna argue that? ASL is tough as the dickens. I been deaf and learning sign since 6yrs old. I'm now 56. ASL is not my forte. I'm dumb as a box of rocks with ASL. But, SEE and PSE? Piece of cake.
 
I do think its odd that everyone wants to learn the hardest sign language possible 1st., ASL instead of the easier PSE, SEE. What am I missing? Sorry, Lisa Sims, sorry I'm hijacking your thread. Apologies.
 
Cappy said:
I do think its odd that everyone wants to learn the hardest sign language possible 1st., ASL instead of the easier PSE, SEE. What am I missing? Sorry, Lisa Sims, sorry I'm hijacking your thread. Apologies.
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If you're really sorry, start a new thread and exit this one.
 
Lysander, I do not know what PSE or SEE is. I chose ASL because I needed an "art" class and didn't think that as a future nurse I would utilize an actual art class. ASL seems like a practical use of my time and as a future nurse, it doesn't hurt to be able to communicate in another language. Better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it.
Cappy, I understand your question and no harm, no foul. I just wanted to ask people who might know what the proper way of constructing a sentence in sign.
 
Reba said:
Linguists say ASL fits the criteria of languages. PSE and SEE are signing systems.
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Who cares what linguists say? Sounds like fake news to me. :) I for one, and a large percentage of my friends perfer SEE/PSE.
 
sorry, the first portion of above comment was directed to cappy. Lysander, thank you. That clears up a lot for me. So it is not necessarily important to utilize to what sign for an introduction.
 
Cappy said:
IDK who said PSE and SEE isn't a language.
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PSE and SEE (and other manually coded signing systems) are not a languages because they dependent upon another language for their existence. They rely on English and follow English rules for grammar.

ASL is a language because it exists independent of any other language. It has its own grammar and evolves on it own.

Why learn ASL first? It is much easier to learn how to use ASL the right way first than to break the habits of learning Signed English first. When I teach ASL classes, those with no previous signing experience adapt to ASL grammar quicker than those that have been using Signed English for a long time.
 
Oh... and @lisa ... Welcome :wave:

Sorry got side tracked by the PSE/SEE ASL conversation that I forgot to say Hi.
 
Lisa Sims said:
. . . Also, I had been told (not by my professor) that with sign, the words are in slightly different order as opposed to when they are written. Would it be comparable to the way master Yoda speaks?
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Signs are in a different order than English words but it's not comparable to Yoda-speak. Words of many languages are in different orders from each other. Grammar and syntax are things you have to learn when using a different language. It's not unique to ASL.
 
Reba said:
Signs are in a different order than English words but it's not comparable to Yoda-speak. Words of many languages are in different orders from each other. Grammar and syntax are things you have to learn when using a different language. It's not unique to ASL.
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Thank you for clarifying Reba. I appreciate it.
 
zephren said:
Why learn ASL first? It is much easier to learn how to use ASL the right way first than to break the habits of learning Signed English first.
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I don't get it. Why break the signed English? Why sign gibberish? When one can sign clear English? @Reba ASL is yoda speak.
 
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