Greetings new signers! Whether you plan on becoming an interpreter or are taking ASL because you think it’s cool, I want to help you with some of the trickier aspects of the language.
So I present: Tips from the Terp.
I’ve been a Sign Language interpreter for 13 years, and every time I meet new students of ASL they seem to have the same questions, so I thought I’d try to answer some of these based on my own experience and with input from the Deaf Community and other interpreters.
With that in mind, here is my inaugural post:
If the thought of fingerspelling makes you cringe and reading fingerspelling makes you break into a cold sweat–
Fear not! I have some tips that may help you learn how to become better at fingerspelling and reading fingerspelling.
Reading Fingerspelling:
One of the most important things to remember about fingerspelling is that you should be reading it just like you do words on a page. When we read, we see each word as a whole unit rather than individual letters. But it never fails that when I meet a new sign language student, they almost always try to read the individual letters when I fingerspell to them. It’s important to start training your brain early to see the shape and movement of an entire fingerspelled word rather than each individual letter.
One way to do this is to silently sound out the word as it is spelled to you. Instead of thinking C A T, think CAT, just like you would if you saw the word on a page.
Don’t panic if you miss a letter! Looking at the whole word will help you to still recognize the word if you take a moment; whereas if you’re saying individual letters, you’re likely to forget what the beginning of the word was by the time they reach the end.
Context is also important. Stop and think if the word you thought you saw fits the context. You can always ask the person to repeat the fingerspelling if you still can’t figure it out.
One other thing: don’t stare at the person’s hand. You want to be looking at their face (because they may be giving you hints by facial expression or mouthing), plus it’s just polite. Experienced signers know to fingerspell in a comfortable position that still allows you to see their hand while you look at their face.
Producing Fingerspelling:
My best advice for fingerspelling is almost the same as for reading fingerspelling. Don’t say the individual letters as you produce them, say the word that you’re spelling. When I introduce myself to you, I will never spell and say R O S E; I’ll spell it and say ‘Rose.’ It takes practice. You might be saying the word very slowly, but if you practice regularly, your speed will improve.
One of my favorite ways to practice is fingerspelling restaurant and street names as I drive or when I’m a passenger. License plates are also good for practice because they have unusual combinations of letters and numbers. I’ll even stop and spell interesting words I come across when I’m reading.
The only way to improve your speed and fluency is to practice regularly and don’t be afraid of it! Fingerspelling is fun!
I hope you find these tips helpful. Look for more in the future. Feel free to ask questions or make suggestions! If I don’t know an answer, I will do my best to find one.
See the video for an example of spelling a word while saying each letter, and then the same word with saying the word. It’s a silly example of a really long word, but it illustrates the point that it’s actually easier to say the word rather than the letters as you spell. I also misspelled in one spot on the first attempt. (Bonus points if you’re the first to post what the word is, spelled correctly!)
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