assignment in sign language

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How To Sign Assignment in Sign Language

Who loves getting assignments? Not us! Alas, it’s part of the workplace and is so important to know in sign language, especially if you are managing someone who uses sign language.

Directions for Signing "Assignment" in Sign Language

• Hand position 1 : With your non-dominant hand, form a “1” handshape with your index finger raised
• Hand position 2: WIth you dominant hand, form a “2” handshape with your index and middle finger raised
• Placement : Place both hands in front of you. Make sure your non-dominant hand’s palm is facing outward and your non-dominant hand’s palm is facing down
• Movement : Keeping your non-dominant hand in place, move your dominant “2”-shaped hand towards the non-dominant “1”-shaped hand so that the “2” encapsulates the “1”

The word assignment is not the exact same as homework. For homework, you sign a combination of the signs "home" and "work" to make the compound word.

Learn other work-related signs:

Meeting | Video Call |  Work |  Assignment |  Office | Accommodations |  Zoom Meeting

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This is how you sign Assignment in American Sign Language.

Description.

To sign “Assignment” in American Sign Language in ASL, form fists with both hands, palms facing downward. Tap the back of your non-dominant hand's wrist with the wrist of your dominant hand a few times.

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A Beginner’s Guide to Learning American Sign Language

• March 11, 2024
• by Katelyn Cheng

It can be fun, but it can also be scary to learn a new language. You have always wanted to learn American Sign Language (ASL) but have always wondered how and where to get started. The article below will have tons of tips and tricks on what you need to know to get you started on your ASL learning journey. There are many great resources out there where you can learn ASL. One of the resources is StartASL.com . We offer two packages, a Silver and a Gold package. Both of these packages include

• Our  Advanced Online Classroom with Interactive Activities, Grading, and Progress Tracking
• Don’t Just “Sign”… Communicate! PDF Textbooks Included
• Certification of Completion  for each course level
• Our exclusive LIVE  Virtual Practice Events
• Exclusive Community Group Membership
• Start ASL  Instructor Support  With Curriculum and ASL questions
• Instructor  Written  Feedback  on your signing assignments

and the Gold package offers more features than what is listed above:

• Instructor  Video  Feedback on your signing assignments
• Virtual Office Hours with Instructor
• Priority Email Support
• Verified Completion Certificates and Grade Reports *
• Bonus   DJSC! A Student’s Guide to the Deaf Experience  and  DJSC! A Students Guide to Deaf Community Terminology  PDF E-books
• Bonus Vocabulary Study Sheets, Worksheets, and Sentence Practice Worksheets
• Bonus  Anki Digital Vocabulary Flashcards

Start ASL also offers offline course , teacher’s package , and homeschool package .

If you are hesitant to get started, do not worry. Check out the Top 10 & 25 Signs . Hopefully, this will boost your confidence and encourage to keep learning.

Here are tips when it comes to learning ASL.

• Similarly to any other languages, learning ASL takes time to learn. It may be easy for some people and more challenging for others. It is a matter of practicing and being brave to attend Deaf socials.
• Before you attend Deaf socials, be sure to read and familiarize yourself about the Deaf community and Deaf culture. This information is important because when you attend Deaf socials, there are things that you can and cannot do, so it would be good to know ahead of time. Of course, you will learn a lot more when you actually attend socials.
• Understand the cultural differences but also recognize the common body language and behavior. For instance, D/deaf people are very direct and expressive, so it can come off a bit awkward being around an expressive 18+ type of talk, but that is normal in the Deaf community.
• When you attend Deaf socials, even if you are a beginner and barely know signs, it is respectful to turn your voice off when possible.
• Attend Deaf socials, meet D/deaf friends, and hang out with them. That is the only way you will improve your signing.
• Also, having a D/deaf friend is beneficial because this will push you really use your signing and help you understand the life of a D/deaf person, the culture, and the community.
• Even if you do not know a lot, you create ASL cover videos. You can simply go on Youtube to learn someone signing to a song, and film yourself signing to the song or poem or joke or story. You will be surprise how far you have improved with your signing when you become fluent. This is also a fun way to utilize your signing and stay engaged with your learning process.
• Remember that facial expressions and body language are crucial.
• There are signs that have reasons behind them.
• It is okay to finger spell if you do not know the sign.
• Be mindful that there are multiple signs for a single word. So, if you learned the sign one way and someone else teaches you another sign for that same word, it could be based on where the person is from because there is such thing as regional signs.
• Learn to sign the phrase “How do I sign … ?”
• Learn the 5 parameters of a sign. Then you can use those parameters to write a definition for a sign to remember them. For example, HAPPY (write the parameters for this one).
•  Think of one sign that you use to help you with noun and verb movement. My one sign I use all the time is CHAIR and SIT. CHAIR has two movements, while SIT is the action to sit down. For me this helped to translate to other noun and verb signs.
• When you are learning signs, if there is an opposite, learn one version, then bring in the second sign to remember it. One example o-f this is mom and dad. Mom and female signs are near the chin, while dad and male assigned signs like brother start at the forehead.
• Fingerspelling is rough for non-native signers. Practice your fingerspelling clear and not always for speed.
• Practice signing into a mirror or camera. A camera is nice because you can watch it later to make sure the signs were executed correctly.
• D/deaf people are very animated and outgoing, so don’t be shy to join the conversation and converse with D/deaf people.
• It is okay to be nervous at first. D/deaf people are very friendly and patient.
• Be mindful that D/deaf people cannot hear, so do not try calling them. Do either go up to them, tap them on the shoulder, or find other appropriate ways to get their attention.
• Do not try to be a perfect signer. It you make a mistake, brush it off. D/deaf people are open to correcting you, so you know the correct sign for next time.
• Be open to corrections so you can become a better signer.
• When signing, relax.
• Be focused and maintain constant eye contact with the person you are talking to. It is considered rude to look at your phone, glance away, or walk away while the D/deaf person is talking to you. It shows that you are not paying attention or do not care about conversation or the person you are speaking with.
• Don’t worry about not understanding everything. You will pick up as you go. It takes time and patiences to absorb new signs especially if you are seeing the signs in real life conversations.
• It is okay to ask the person to slow down their signing or finger spelling if they are too fast.
• Don’t get discouraged if one day you are doing well but then the next day you are not doing so well. It takes time to learn a new language.
• Many D/deaf people will ask you why are you learning ASL, so think of a good answer that inspired you to learn ASL. It can just simply be that, “ASL is a beautiful language and you want to learn it.”
• Set goals for yourself and keep track of your progress. This will help you see how you are doing in your learning process.

Megan Clancy, Start ASL instructor, shares her tips and tricks for beginner ASL learners.

Beginner ASL students can certainly start with StartASL.com, then look up on Google.com for Deaf events that are in person or virtual to use ASL skills.  Language is best learned through interaction, not necessarily from a book.  StartASL.com offers Zoom events where students can practice ASL with one another.  There are also ASL tutors available through StartASL.com.  Also, if you are interested to become an ASL interpreter, you can look into interpreting programs such as at Gallaudet University in D.C. or at California State University Northridge in Northridge, CA or at the nearby Pierce College Interpreting program.  Additionally, if you are thinking about how to become a teacher of the Deaf who uses ASL, you can look into Gallaudet University or CSUN as well.  There are programs called Deaf Studies that many colleges and universities have as a major or minor.  You also should study how ASL is used in films/TV shows and on social media sites such as CODA, Eternals, and many others.  You can look into Deafwest.org to see how ASL is used as an art form.  There are many Facebook groups that post Deaf events that you can attend near you or virtually.

3 Responses

i hate it wate of timme

Thats rude. You shouldnt say that to people who took hours out of their lives and wrote this. If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

That’s right Nigger

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Search and compare thousands of words and phrases in American Sign Language (ASL). The largest collection online.

How to sign: any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted "he prepared for great undertakings";

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Similiar / Same: undertaking , project , labor

Categories: work

Within this category: adventure , assignment , baby , cinch , enterprise , labor of love , Manhattan Project , marathon , no-brainer , proposition , tall order , venture

How to sign: assign a task to "I tasked him with looking after the children";

Categories: assign , delegate , depute , designate

How to sign: a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty or for a specific fee "estimates of the city's loss on that job ranged as high as a million dollars"; "the job of repairing the engine took several hours"; "the endless task of classifying the sampl;

Similiar / Same: chore , job

Categories: duty

Within this category: ball-buster , disagreeable task , stint

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ASL Lessons | Bookstore | Library |  ASL University Main ►

SIGN: The American Sign Language (ASL) sign for " sign / signing / sign language "  If you mean "sign" sign as in a "display" or a "road sign" see " SIGN-[square / display] There is more than one common sign for "SIGN" (as in "signing or sign language.") SIGN:  "a sign," "sign this," "signed," "signing," "sign language," "signs": This version of "sign" is done using a quick open and close movement.   SIGNING-[advanced-signing, ASL-type-signing, skilled signing]   Sentence: Who in your family signs? Gloss: YOUR FAMILY SIGN, WHO?   A common sign for "sign / signing / sign language" that has been around for a long is done using your index fingers. Form both hands into "1" hand shapes.  Then draw a couple of large circles in the air with the tip of each index finger.  You can either circle the hands backwards or forwards (but pick a direction and stick with it).  The hands both move at the same time but one hand is half a circle ahead of the other hand).  I personally tend to do the movement as if pedaling a (stationary) bicycle backwards.  Both hands move at the same time. When the right hand is up, the left hand is down.  When the right hand is forward, the left hand is back.  However some signers prefer to "pedal" using a forward rotation.  At the time of this writing, one version is not more right than the other (but some people will try to tell you their version is right). SIGN-[a sign, signing-(basic), sign language-(general)]   Click this link to see a "gif" animation of this sign: "Sign Language" (.gif file)   Remember, many people do the sign with a forward, down, back, up movement -- as if pedaling a bicycle forwards.)   Note: The sign for "sign" as in "a roadway sign" or a billboard is different from "sign" as in "American Sign Language." If you want to talk about a road sign, billboard, blackboard, or square, see: SQUARE   Optional Reading (Not required) Student : For "SIGN," should the fingers be moving in towards the body at the top of the circle, or at the bottom of the circle?   Dr. Bill : Would you believe "either?"  It is done both ways in the Deaf Community.  I do it with the fingers moving in toward the body at the top of the circle. But lots of people do it the other way too. Out of curiosity, I just looked in a couple of the ASL dictionaries I have sitting here on my shelf and sure enough one shows the fingers moving back, the other shows them moving forward.      In a message dated 10/25/2005 4:24:51 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, january_june@___com writes: I can't seem to have each hand circling in different directions. My question is, is this a common mistake? Also, does it mean something completely different? In other words, if I signed 'sign' with my fingers both making circles in the same direction, would I end up offending someone or telling them I'm pregnant? Clumsy mistakes are no fun :P -Brittany

Hi, Dr. Bill, I haven't asked you a question in a long time, but have one now...What is the difference (in usage) between the sign for sign: as in sign language - one is the index fingers going around each other - and the other is "s" hands throwing forward into relaxed "c" or "5" hands? Thanks, Bill, hope all is well with you! Linda Wilt Easton, Md

Notes:  Also see:  STUDENT  

Neologism: Advanced one-handed version of:

SIGN-[sign-something-in-fluent-ASL, do-a-sign, sign-language]

The one-handed "S-Claw-S" version of "SIGN" can be seen in conversations in which one of the signers chooses to sign one handed (for example -- due to holding a phone during a video call).  

Notes: Question : Samantha ██████ commented / asked: Ok, I'm sure you're sick of my name popping up, but you have been the best sounding board. I spoke with my friends translator today and she corrected my sign for "sign". I've been using the index finger in the "1" position vertically and circling in toward myself. She corrected me to use the index finger in the one position horizontally circling inward. Obviously, I'll use that instead, but is the vertical representation wrong or just lesser used? Response from Dr. Bill: Samantha, I'm totally okay with your questions.  You might want to consider applying to join the Lifeprint-ASLU Facebook group and asking your questions there first to see what sort of answers you get. See: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Lifeprint.ASLU/ Then after getting their feedback if you are unsatisfied, feel free to contact me directly. My email is listed partway down the page at: https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/contact.htm A bit of homework for you in regard to your experience of being corrected to do the sign for "sign" by doing it with the fingers horizontally and circling backward. I would like you to first consider my "caterpillar" model of ASL Curriculum Development: https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/teachingasl/teachingasl-bill.htm

Then set a personal goal to observe how at least 20 different advanced signers do the sign for "sign" and note the handshapes, positions, orientations, movements, etc. Be aware that the sign for "SIGN" has actually evolved over the years. Many now do a loose "S>5>S" (or in other words start with fists, open them into loose five hands, and close them into fists again). I've even seen some people even do that version with just one hand (due to the influence of signing into video chat apps on phones). Changes in the speed, size, and intensity of the sign for "SIGN" can be used to indicate varying levels of fluency. So my response to you is that there is absolutely not just "one right way" to do the sign for "SIGN." In regard to the orientation or positioning of the "1" handshape version of the sign for "SIGN" -- my advice is that the orientation (as done by those who choose to do the 1-handshape version and for whom signing is their main method of daily face to face communication) is neither fully vertical nor horizontal but rather is at a comfortable angle influenced by the individual signer's joints, tendons, and muscles. The exact angle tends to vary depending on whatever is comfortable for each signer's own physical limbs but rather than vertical or horizontal the arms (and index fingers) tend to be at more of a 45 degree angle (in the 1-handshape version of the sign for SIGN). If someone around you decides to "correct" your signing, just smile, thank them for letting you know, and then try to remember to do the sign that way around that person but also to make an increased effort to see how the majority of native, adult, Deaf, socially-active, skilled signers do that sign in your area. This will necessitate going to local Deaf events and meetings. I encourage you to remove yourself from being at the mercy of or dependent on the opinions of individual "experts." You can empower yourself by increasing your exposure to a broad range of skilled signers. Do a Google search for, "Deaf events near me." Also search for any Deaf Centers and your state's association for the Deaf and start attending anything open to the public.

*  Want to help support ASL University?  It's easy :  DONATE   ( Thanks! ) *  Another way to help is to buy something from Dr. Bill's " Bookstore ."

*  Want even more ASL resources?  Visit the " ASL Training Center ! "  (Subscription Extension of ASLU)   *  Also check out Dr. Bill's channel: www.youtube.com/billvicars  

You can learn American Sign Language (ASL) online at American Sign Language University ™  ASL resources by Lifeprint.com  ©  Dr. William Vicars   

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Sign of the Day - BECAUSE

Living Loud: Marlee Matlin — Academy Award Winning Actress

By Marta Belsky Saturday, August 24, 2024

This article is by Marta Belsky. Marta is Deaf and a third generation ASL user. She has been teaching ASL for 30 years and enjoys sharing her native language with new users.

This article is part of our “Living Loud” series, which in addition to featuring well-known people who are deaf or hard of hearing, also highlights hearing individuals or unique developments that have positively impacted the world.

Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin is famous among both the Deaf and hearing communities worldwide. Her lifetime achievements are substantial. Matlin holds the record for being the youngest woman to ever receive an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her 1987 performance in the movie, Children of a Lesser God . She was also the only Deaf recipient of an Oscar in any category until March of 2022, when her fellow Deaf co-star in the movie CODA , Troy Kotsur, won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Matlin continues to appear in television and films, is an ambassador for the Deaf community, and a critically-acclaimed author. She is married to Kevin Grandalski and they have four children.

Early Years — Foundation and Gratitude

Marlee Beth Matlin was born on August 24, 1965. She was born hearing into a hearing family in Morton Grove, a suburb outside Chicago. At eighteen months, Marlee came down with roseola, a viral infection common in infants and toddlers, however it is not determined if the infection was the cause of her deafness. Later in her adult life, Marlee learned that she had a genetically malformed cochlear from the time of her birth, which meant that she could likely hear when she was born, but that her hearing would recede over the first couple years of her life. By the age of 18 months, Marlee had become deaf, possibly due to the malformed cochlear.

Marlee was raised Jewish and luckily her family lived near a temple started by deaf Jews, which incorporated both deaf and hearing culture. She explained, “I had the benefit of a rabbi who could sign… I learned how to speak Hebrew phonetically, and I signed and spoke.” She studied Torah for multiple years with her rabbi and then at her bat mitzvah she spoke the Hebrew sections and signed her d’var Torah. She described it as a pivotal event in her life that, “gave me the drive…the foundation to believe in myself, despite what other people say.”

Regarding her upbringing, Marlee said, "My parents’ decision to have me grow up at home, go to mainstream schools, live in and cope in a hearing world, was, without question, the most important of my life, and one that I will forever be grateful for. At the same time, they wanted to be sure I could navigate the Deaf world as well, so my earliest memories are of moving constantly between the two. Feet firmly planted in both."

Marlee attended mainstream schools, and at the age of three, she also began seeing a doctor who specialized in oralism. Her speech reading and oral skills would eventually allow her to have roles that required her to speak, as well as give her criticism from the Deaf community. "I think that’s why it was such a shock for me years later (past childhood) when the Deaf community lashed out when I used my voice to present an Oscar in 1988. I had spent a lifetime talking, it was almost as natural for me as signing."

Acting — Starting Young, Thinking Big

Marlee Matlin at the age of 8, as Dorothy from the The Wizard of Oz, put on by the International Center on Deafness and the Arts (ICODA). (Photo Credit: Family Photo; CBS News )

Matlin began performing at the International Center on Deafness and the Arts (ICODA) when she was seven years old. She played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz  and had the lead roles in Pinocchio , Peter Pan , and Mary Poppins .

She would later meet Henry Winkler through ICODA, who would become her mentor to help her navigate the ups and downs of Hollywood. Winkler was a well-known actor, famous for his role as "The Fonz" in Happy Days . When Marlee’s mother asked Winkler to lower Marlee’s expectation of stardom, he replied, "You know, I can’t do that, because what I saw was so big that I can’t tell this human being not to do it."

Her first paid acting gig was in a stage production of Children of a Lesser God by the Immediate Theatre Co. in Rogers Park, Illinois, where she earned $300 a week by playing the secondary role of Lydia. While in this stage production, Matlin heard rumors that Paramount Pictures was working on making the stage production into a feature film and would be scouting for actors. A local talent agent sent tapes of the cast to the director, Randa Haines, where she spotted Matlin in the background. Haines requested another tape be made with Matlin performing the feature role, and afterwards invited her to read the lead part of Sarah with William Hurt.

Marlee Matlin in the movie Children of a Lesser God in 1986. (Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures)

She was ultimately cast for the part, earned $50,000 along with $800 a week for her time on set, and her fame took off. She fell in love with her Children of a Lesser God  co-star, with whom she would move in when the filming wrapped. While she was living with Hurt in New York City, she met Jack Jason, who would eventually become her personal interpreter. Marlee’s professional relationship with Jack has stood the test of time… they have worked together ever since! After a difficult time, including time in rehab to become sober and the end of her relationship with her  Children of a Lesser God  co-star, she moved in with her mentor Henry Winkler and his wife Stacey Weitzman. She said Henry was like a second dad to her since her father passed away and "they gave me a foundation to build my career on." Marlee and her husband were even married at the Winkler home.

Expectations to Congratulations

In 1987, Marlee Matlin won both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Sarah in Children of a Lesser God . Receiving the awards was an amazing accomplishment, especially considering they were awarded for her first-ever movie. Matlin was the first and only deaf person to win an Academy Award in any category for over 30 years! She remains the youngest woman to receive an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role at twenty-one years and 218 days old.

Marlee Matlin on her Oscar's Speech:

As per tradition, Matlin presented the nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 1988 Academy Awards, where she used her voice to read the list of names. This caused an uproar among the Deaf community, with the headline "Offensive? Deaf Actress’ Use of Speech Proves Divisive Among Peers"…in huge type stretched across the entire front page of the Silent News, the biggest newspaper for the Deaf community. Marlee’s response to these allegations was this statement, "I had never intended to be the most famous Deaf person in the world. If anything, I’d worked long and hard to make sure my deafness didn’t become a barrier to my dreams. I fought against anyone using my deafness to define me, to limit me. I was a lot more than Deaf."

Making Her Mark

Marlee Matlin continues to be an iconic figure for the Deaf community today. She interpreted the "Star Spangled Banner" in American Sign Language at two Super Bowls. She received an honorary degree from Gallaudet University and was appointed to the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees.

Marlee Matlin with Oscar the Grouch and Billy Joel on Sesame Street in 1988.

Growing up, she loved Billy Joel music, and she said she would drive her neighborhood friends crazy. "I would learn his lyrics and listen for the beat while I signed the words in time with the music."

As an adult, she made a guest appearance on Sesame Street with Billy Joel and then he invited her to perform in his music video, "We Didn't Start the Fire."

See the clip of Marlee Matlin on Sesame Street with Billy Joel:

She has appeared in both movies and television in the years since her days as Sarah in Children of a Lesser God . In addition to her Oscar, she has won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as being nominated for four Emmy Awards and a BAFTA Award. She was also honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009.

She has had roles in films such as Bridge to Silence , The Man in the Golden Mask , Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story , Whisper Sweet Nothings in My Ear , Hear No Evil , What the Bleep Do We Know!? and the Academy Award-Winning  CODA . Matlin played roles on television in shows such as Seinfeld , The West Wing , Law and Order: SVU , The L Word , Switched at Birth , The Practice , Glee , The Magicians , and Quantico . She has appeared as herself on shows like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition , Celebrity Apprentice , and Dancing With the Stars . She was the first deaf contestant on both Dancing with the Stars and also on  Celebrity Apprentice , where she was the first person to raise $1,000,000 in a single event on any television show and finished as the runner up.

Pregnant Marlee Matlin in an ad for Gap.

She is the mother to four children with husband Kevin Grandalski, a retired police officer from the Burbank Police Department. 

She has written three novels for young readers as well as her autobiography, "I’ll Scream Later," a New York Times Best Seller.

Matlin continues to make films and tour the country, promoting her books as well as raising awareness on Deaf culture.

See It Signed - Example Sentence

See this example sentence about Matlin:

ASL Gloss:  M-A-R-L-E-E M-A-T-L-I-N SHE FAMOUS DEAF ACTRESS. SHE WON BOTH A-C-A-D-E-M-Y A-W-A-R-D G-O-L-D-E-N G-L-O-B-E FOR HER ROLE MOVIE QUOTE CHILDREN O-F A L-E-S-S-E-R GOD.

English Example:  Marlee Matlin is a famous Deaf Actress. She won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for her role in the movie Children of a Lesser God.

Become a Member of Signing Savvy to see more example sentences signed , including example sentences related to Deaf Culture .

More on Marlee Matlin

Books by marlee matlin.

You can find these books on Amazon :

• I'll Scream Later (2009) by Marlee Matlin and Betsy Sharkey - Biography / Memoir
• Nobody's Perfect (2015) by Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney - Children's Nonfiction
• Leading Ladies (2007) by Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney - Children's Nonfiction
• Deaf Child Crossing (2004) by Marlee Matln - Children's Nonfiction

You can find these movies on Amazon Prime Video :

• Children of a Lesser God (1986)
• Bridge to Silence (1989)
• Hear No Evil (1993)
• In Her Defense (1999)
• Sweet Nothing In My Ear (2008)
• Askari (2001)
• Episode 2533. (n.d.). In Muppet Wiki.  https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Episode_2533
• Haines, R. (Director). (1986). Children of a Lesser God [Film]. Paramount Pictures.
• Marlee Matlin: About Marlee. (n.d.). MarleeMatlin.net. Retrieved January 20, 2022, from https://www.marleematlin.net/about/
• Marlee Matlin: Photo Gallery. (n.d.). MarleeMatlin.net. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.marleematlin.net/photos/
• Marlee Matlin: "Deaf Child Crossing" by Marlee Matlin. (n.d.). MarleeMatlin.net. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from  http://www.marleematlin.net/books/dcc/
• Marlee Matlin. (n.d.). In Muppet Wiki.  https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Marlee_Matlin
• Marlee Matlin. (2021, October 15). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marlee_Matlin&oldid=1049995810
• Marlee Matlin Biography. (Updated 2019, August 20). The Biography.com website. Retrieved April 22, 2022, from https://www.biography.com/actor/marlee-matlin
• Martin, M. (2010, August 11). Marlee Matlin: ‘Do What You Have to Do’. NPR.   https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129130484
• Moss, J. (Writer). (1989, January 18). Acting out nursery rhymes (Season 20, Episode 2533) [TV series episode]. In Sesame Street . Children’s Television Workshop.
• Oscars [Username]. (2022, March 27). Marlee Matlin | Behind the Oscars Speech [Video]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CABKP03Toic
• Pickette, S. (2022, June 8). Marlee Matlin. The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women . Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved November 11, 2022 from  https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/matlin-marlee
• Sesame Street [Username]. (2008, July 30). Sesame Street: Billy Joel And Marlee Matlin Sing Just The Way You Are  [Video]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHC3M7KL2ns
• Teel, M. L. (Writer), & Givnish, E. (Editor). (2021, August 15). "CODA" actress Marlee Matlin on making noise [TV series episode]. In Sunday Morning . CBS News.  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coda-actress-marlee-matlin-on-making-noise/
• Warner, K. (2021, August 4). The Sweet Story of How Marlee Matlin Lived with Henry Winkler After Getting Sober. People . Retrieved November 11, 2022 from  https://people.com/movies/the-sweet-story-of-how-marlee-matlin-lived-with-henry-winkler-after-getting-sober/
• Zaltzman, L. (2022, February 28). Jewish Mom Marlee Matlin Makes Deaf History Again . Kveller. Retrieved November 11, 2022 from  https://www.kveller.com/jewish-mom-marlee-matlin-makes-deaf-history-again/

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Video guidelines and tips for ASL students

These video guidelines and tips may be helpful for your ASL assignments. But, you should follow your ASL instructor's official video signing criteria or guidelines for your video-mediated assignments. Your instructor may have some different expectations.

A purpose of this post is more of an entertainment value. So, enjoy!

Handling a video camera

Use a tripod or a solid surface. Avoid handheld shaking. Such eyesore for a Deaf instructor's native eyes!

Avoid a mirror effect in your camera. The direction or room description may end up the opposite from the actual scene.

Don't use effects. No editing at all -- no cuts, no speed change, etc. I can tell whenever my ASL 101 student edits his/her video with a speed. This would affect their mark in fluency.

Setting up a video frame

Stay within the signing frame from the top of your head to your waist.

Scenario: You cut off your hands or even arms.

Avoid a close-up that might cut off your signing frame.

Scenario: You set up your phone in a vertical orientation.

Use a horizontal frame. A vertical frame with black sides is not acceptable. It's a pet peeve.

Scenario: You set distance shot a long distance in hope that your instructor misses your mispronunciation in ASL and save a few points.

Sorry, this mission fails. You cannot fool a Deaf eye but time is inconvenient for the instructor as marking videos is time-consuming. To save your marks, show your signing clearly and visibly.

Use a straight angle, not high nor low.

Use sufficient lighting to see your signing clear. Avoid lighting in the background (e.g. window) that makes you look like a shadow.

Wear a solid color that contrasts your skin color. No hat or hair in your face. No chewing.

Scenario: You dress up for your video assignment.

It's unnecessary, really. It doesn't affect your mark. But, don't be scruffy, neither.

Or, sometimes it's too much. Whether wearing make-up or not doesn't make a difference for your mark.

But, a long bright red (or cyan blue) fingernail painting ritual prior to video recording is really unnecessary. It can be eyesore. Imagine a long painted fingernail swooping near an eyeball. Shivering?

Checklist your video

Check your video before uploading it to eclass. Make sure that none of these happens to you.

Scenario: Your video submission can occasionally turn out like this -- upside down or sideway.

The instructor may watch your video on her/his laptop as a desktop, not a tablet. It could be a hassle to turn the laptop upside down. And worse, to pause the video, one would have to manipulate a mouse in the opposite direction. For this all, maybe deduct a couple of points on your mark.

Or, your video may cut off in the middle of your work.

Well, it did happen occasionally (ok, rarely). One out of 75 students in one semester hits this jackpot. Not just check your video but watch it from the beginning to the end before submitting it.

Good luck. Too many rules, I know. But, use your general common (not always common) sense to make your video a good quality that is pleased to eye.

Time again and again

You feel anxious when your instructor is picking out a student to do a signing task...

.. and you feel envious of a class peer who is adept in conversing beyond his basic signing skill...

Related posts

Also see signing tips for video assignments and presentations.

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Did you know that you can just open the web app/site directly from your phone or desktop. See the instructions for adding Handspeak to home screen or installing it on a computer.

Search a topic in the filter/browse box or pick a tab for other categories of topics -- Beginners, Boosters, Literary Arts, Kid Signing.

New to sign language? "Where do I start?" or "How do I start learning sign language?" This ASL Rookie guide lists some selected links to the tutorials for ASL beginners to get started and keep rolling. It may be a useful review for intermediate-level learners and ASL students as well.

Some tutorial pages are a mix of free and premium versions. Access to premium content and links below are available in the PatronPlus subscription. More links/posts will be added from time to time.

Jump-starting

• How to fingerspell ABCs
• What is and what is not sign language?

Getting started

• Benefits of learning sign language
• Awareness quiz and Reflections
• Basic transcription symbols (glosses)
• Benefits of bilingualism and bimodalism?
• Is sign language universal?

Language/Culture Fundamentals

• What is American Sign Language?
• Understanding variations
• Introducing audism
• Cultural appropriation

Learning first words

• Expressing greetings
• Introducing oneself and others
• Fingerspelling exercise
• Expressing goodbyes
• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns
• WH-questions
• Yes/no questions
• SVO sentence structure
• Numbers 1-10+
• Basic time: future, present, past

ASL Basics II

• Asking what the sign is for a word
• Spatial referencing
• Verb inflections
• Contrastive structure
• Listing and Ranking
• OSV sentence structure
• Classifier basics

Describing shapes

• Describing shapes + perspective
• Describing shapes + locations
• Describing shapes + sizes

Identifying a person

• Basic vocabulary: people
• Vocabulary: Colors

Expressing needs and wants

• Basic food and drinks
• Making commands or requests

Talking about family

• Talking about family and pet
• Telling age
• Telling date
• Vocabulary: relationships
• Vocabulary: pets

Making basic plans

• Review basic tenses
• Calendar: DAYS
• Calendar: MONTHS
• Transportation: basics
• Telling prices in dollars and cents
• Making an order

Talking about activities

• Frequency of time: how often?

Talking about studies

• Majors or areas of studies
• Vocabulary (e.g. TEACHER, COLLEGE, etc.)

Talking about work

Talking about home.

• Vocabulary: types of home

Talking about hobbies and interests

Are you able to carry everyday conversations in ASL? Are you a student in the intermediate levels and beyond, who wishes to boost up your signing skills? You've come to the selected tutorial series.

Language and communication

• Negotiating meanings

Sentence types

• Review sentence OSV structure: the triangle
• Rhetorical sentence
• Conditional sentence

Non-manual signals

• Mouth morphemes: distances
• Mouth morphemes: sizes
• Review time basics
• Temporal aspects: frequency and duration
• Review numbers 1-100
• Learn numbers 100-1000+
• Practice numbers 100-1000+
• Numbers mi/billion
• Phone numbers
• Classifiers

Classifier classes

• Review an introduction
• Classifier handshapes
• Identify different classes
• Semantic classifiers
• Descriptive classifiers
• Body classifier
• Body Part classifier
• Instrumental classifier
• Locative classifier
• Elemental classifier
• Describing objects
• Describing tables
• Describing lamps
• Describing a room
• How to make a BLT sandwich

Stories, poems, performance arts, etc. in sign language.

The ASL Originals

The originals by Jolanta Lapiak in order from the

• The Star Arrow: a poem
• The Deer and the Leaf
• Moon in my Bedroom
• Deaf or Dead: a true story
• The Tooth Tale
• Synchronicity: a true story
• Bear and Two Travelers, The
• Lion and the Mouse, The
• Rabbit and the Turtle, The
• Wind and the Sun, The
• Raven and the Swan, The
• Rooster and the Fox, The
• Old Lion and the Fox, The
• Cock and the Diamond, The
• Crow and the Pitcher, The
• Fox and the Grapes, The
• Peacock and the Crane, The
• The Cracked Pot
• Deer and His Reflection, The
• Farmer and his Sons, The
• Frog and Boiled Water, The
• Goat and the Bridge, The

Poem Translations

• Blending with the Window
• Blossoms and Children
• Eternity into an Hour
• People as Monkeys
• Snow (Mary Mapes Dodge)
• Annabel Lee
• The Eclipse
• Time and Again
• Spring Dawn
• The Little Match Girl
• Birds on the Telephone Lines
• The Hitchhiker
• The King Kong and the Lady
• Zap stories
• More is Not Enough
• Overflowing Cup
• The Sound of Silence
• Moving Mind
• The Moon Cannot be Stolen

Performance and video arts

• Solipsistic Solitude (Knowing Fish)
• Deconstruct W.O.R.D.
• Speak in ASL: a candid video
• Barbwire and Bloodstain of Word
• Crack the Audism
• De-hearingization
• Gallaudet Bison
• Liberated from Signoclasm
• Unleashed from Phonocentrism

Techniques and Devices

• Literary devices and elements
• Number story
• Rhyme and rhythm
• Alliteration poetics
• Cinematic devices: an introduction
• Cinematic vocabulary
• Blink: a grammatical feature

This documentation project follows a child's language acquisition, literacy development, and phonological acquisition in sign language, specifically ASL as a first language (L1), from newborn to age five in a natural native-ASL environment and visual culture.

Language development

• Language acquisition in signing
• Language acquisition milestones
• Phonological acquisition
• Language development: Age 1 to 1.5
• Language development: Age 1.5 to 2
• Baby sign language: myths debunked

Baby Signing

• Eye contact with baby from birth
• Cooing in sign language
• Eye tracking and gazing
• Eye-hand coordination
• Gestural pointing and communicative gesture
• Marginal babbling
• Babbling in sign language
• Gesturel pointing for words
• Understanding words
• Baby's first words
• Expressing manners and appreciation
• Literacy: peekaboo
• Literacy: nursery rhymes
• Identity and sense of self
• Parentese or motherese

Toddler Signing

• One-word stage
• Recognizing and naming ABCs
• Recognizing and naming colors
• Two-word stage
• Pronouns and reversal errors
• Prepositions
• Indicating verbs
• Expressing concepts of time
• Phonological acquisition: a case study

Preschooler and Kinder

• Conditional statements
• Conjunctions
• Other pronouns
• Literacy: writing

From baby to preschooler

• Proximalization
• Fingerspelling development
• Fingerspelling with a CAN attitude
• Sense of humor