Temporal Aspects I American Sign Language (ASL)

You may have heard it said before that sign language doesn’t use conjugation and that verbs are always in the present tense. Technically, this is true, but it does not mean that verbs never change or cannot be adapted to fit into the time or condition that they are being used in. Temporal aspect, or temporal inflection, is the modification of verb movement to reflect an aspect of time: duration, frequency, regularity, or continuity. This facet of a verb sign can be used to compress the signers message into fewer signs. For example, rather than sign, “ I wait long time”, you can sign “I wait” with an orbital movement and give the impression of a longer duration of time spent waiting. Temporal aspect can also clarify whether you are doing something in excessively (such as eating or exercising or watching TV) right now in this moment or over a longer period of time. Though it may only be a subtle difference in the way the verb is signed, the meaning can be largely different. For example: saying you just finished eating 10 pizzas vs you have eaten a total of ten pizzas this month. Of course, there is nothing wrong with using more signs just to be clear and Xpress, an idea. However, a skilled native speaker will quickly notice that a signer has a deeper understanding of the language when he condenses the message. Knowing how to modify a verb in this way, can also save a lot of time and energy – whether you are a professional interpreter or in a lengthy conversation. Not to mention, variety is the spice of life! So, let temporal aspect be the season on your signing!

Who this course is for:

• For the intermediate who want to expand visual concepts in ASL.