American Sign Language

Classifiers

Purpose of classifiers

Replaces a nounClarifies a messageMore efficient

Classifiers

show movement, location, and appearance

show where and how something moves

Show what it looks likewhere it is located

What do classifiers represent?

Whole entitySurfaceInstrumental Depth/widthExtentPerimeter shapeOn-surface

Use Classifiers to Describe the House

House Activity

Find a partner. The person with the closest birthday (you need to

ask and decide in ASL) will turn around and face the back of the room.

The other person will face the front of the room. I will put a picture up of a house and the person

facing forward will describe it. The person facing away from the board will draw

it. You have 10 minutes per round.

House Activity

House Activity

Letter Handshapes

A- vase, can, bottle, statue, placement of items on a table

B/4- time marker, 4 people together, walls, floors, shelves, flat objects

Handshape Classifiers

C- cup, trash can, building, large pipe, shape of something

F- coins, buttons, eyes moving back and forth, pearl necklace, shape of cigar

G- eyebrows, mouth, mustache, collar, bird beak

Handshape Classifiers

ILY- bird, airplane flyingL- show shape of objects-

picture frame, clocks, lakes, or size

O- pipes, handlebars, hose

S- show a head- nodding, peaking through a door, animal stretching/turning head

U- people sitting or standing, thin objects- tongue, diving board, tie

Number handshapes

1- person, time marker2- two people3- vehicle, animal4- 4 people, hair style,

whiskers5- 5 people walking, leaves

falling, hair style

3 kinds of Classifiers

Stative- does not move/stationary

Process- movesContact- touches

Stative

Car parkedTime markerVase Person standing

Process

Car movingAnimal runningPerson walkingEyes moving

Contact

Vase on tableCar parkedCoins on a table

Which Handshapes are allowed for Classifers?

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V

W X Y Z

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Comic Strip

Teacher demonstrateDivide into two groups

Tell comic strip using classifiers

Comic Strip Homework

Bring a comic strip to class

Tuesday 9-27-05Using classifiers tell comic strip story