01.04 There Is One in Every Family

A Family Affair · 30-point quiz · quiz worth 30 pts

The big idea Family vocabulary works together with sign location, shoulder shifting, indexing, description order, and facial grammar.
Course-derived diagrams for MOTHER, FATHER, and indexing

By the end you can

  • Distinguish family signs by handshape and face location.
  • Use shoulder shifting instead of signing English 'and.'
  • Use indexing and nonmanual markers to identify people and ask family questions.

Before the family quiz

Use this if the vocabulary and grammar are colliding.

Not sure about the basics underneath this lesson?

Family signs live on the face

Many masculine family signs happen above the cheek. Many feminine family signs happen at the chin or jawline. The location is part of the word.

Family signs live on the face (2)

MOTHER: 5 handshape at the chin. FATHER: 5 handshape at the forehead. PARENTS: move the 5 handshape from chin to forehead.

Family signs live on the face (3)

SISTER combines the feminine location at the chin with the related family sign. BROTHER starts in the masculine area at the forehead. Watch the actual course signers for MOTHER and FATHER, then copy the whole sign.

Source-faithful location reminder. Chin and forehead are not interchangeable.
Source-faithful location reminder. Chin and forehead are not interchangeable.
Likely on the quiz On a recognition question, check location before guessing from movement alone.

Show two ideas without AND

ASL does not sign the English word and in this lesson's family lists. Use a shoulder shift: place one item on one side, shift, then place the second item on the other side.

Show two ideas without AND (2)

Course gloss: ss-nd SISTER TWO ss-d BROTHER FOUR IX-I HAVE. The shift separates the two groups. Rewatch the course's shoulder-shifting demonstration before practicing.

Show two ideas without AND (3)

Keep numbers with the family member they count. Do not sign the English sentence word for word.

Give each person or group a clear place in signing space.
Give each person or group a clear place in signing space.
Likely on the quiz If the English sentence says 'sisters and brothers,' the ASL answer should show a shift, not an extra AND sign.

Index people and mark questions

Indexing uses pointing to make pronouns and people clear. If someone is absent, assign that person a space and keep pointing to the same space until the conversation changes. The course indexing video shows this with MOM on one side and SISTER on the other.

Index people and mark questions (2)

One finger points to one person. Two fingers can track two people. Add the most visually useful description first when the person is present.

Index people and mark questions (3)

Facial grammar matters. The course raises eyebrows for yes/no questions. For HOW-MANY or WHO, the eyebrows furrow on the WH part.

Index one person with one finger and keep the assigned space consistent.
Index one person with one finger and keep the assigned space consistent.
Likely on the quiz BROTHER+SISTER IX-you HAVE HOW-MANY: raised eyebrows on the family topic, furrowed eyebrows on HOW-MANY.
Not sure about this bit?

Practice the quiz moves

These questions use the exact grammar and vocabulary distinctions emphasized by the course.

Use the diagram as a cue, then perform the sign yourself.
Use the diagram as a cue, then perform the sign yourself.
1 / 5 0 correct

Final checklist

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