Question

What are some tips to help hearing people express feelings appropriately in ASL?

a - Remember the voice has no role in a visual language.
b - Think of facial expressions as a way to finish your sentence.
c - Listen to the sounds Deaf make when they express emotions.
d - Think of how you express feelings when you speak and do the same.
A) and b
C) c and d
C) None of the above

Answer 1

Hearing people can express feelings appropriately in ASL by realizing that voice is irrelevant in this visual language, and by using facial expressions and body language as core components of conveying emotional content.

Step-by-step explanation:

To help hearing people express feelings appropriately in American Sign Language (ASL), it is important to:

• Understand that the voice plays no role in ASL, as it is a visual language.
• Use facial expressions to convey the emotional content of your message, since they act as a critical component of ASL grammar, much like intonation in spoken language.

Remembering that ASL has its own grammar and structure, we should think of facial expressions and body language as integral to finishing our sentences and expressing nuances that in spoken language might be conveyed by tone of voice. Just as in any form of communication, observing and replicating the ways in which emotions are expressed within the culture of the language is key. In the context of ASL, this means mastering a range of visual cues and being attuned to the subtleties of sign language.