The Referents I American Sign Language (ASL)
this course on sign language referents. Learn how to effectively use referents to avoid repetition and enhance communication in sign language conversations. Perfect for intermediate learners looking to enhance their visual concepts in ASL. Join the lesson and see how it’s done!
What you’ll learn
- Think visually.
- Use surroundings to speak creatively.
- Be confident to express concepts accurately.
- Stimulate interest.
- Build relationships with Deaf individuals.
The easiest way to describe the function of this part of speech in sign language is to compare it to pronouns in English. It would seem a bit odd, and perhaps redundant if we often referred to proper nouns repeatedly throughout a conversation. While signing, it also seems awkward to repeat the sign for a noun that was already stated earlier on in the conversation. This is where referents come into play. Simply put, a referent is a way to refer back to a person, place or thing that you have already mentioned. One thing that makes this part of speech different than pronouns is that pronouns often specify what type of noun is being referred to. For example: I like purple. It is my favorite color. Here, the pronoun is singular and gender neutral to match the noun it refers to. When signing, all referents are neutral even if the noun they refer to has a gender. Referents are also limited to fewer handshapes. However, referents can be easily adapted to fit not only the noun they refer to but also the position or location of the noun. Perhaps the best way to understand this concept is to practice. Why not join the lesson and see how it’s done!
Who this course is for:
- For the intermediate who want to expand visual concepts in ASL.
