Adan R. Penilla II

Successfully communicating with others in American Sign Language (ASL) starts with learning to sign the manual alphabet, numbers 1 through 10, important expressions, and important one-word questions. And because good communication also involves manners, learning some basic do’s and don’ts of Deaf etiquette is also helpful.

American Sign Language (ASL), like any other language, allows you to communicate your feelings. You can sign about how that movie made you sad or how seeing your Deaf friend made you happy: Angry: Make the open-5 hand shape, palm toward your face, and pull your hand away from your face, scrunching up your fingers.

Enjoying the serene beauty of the night sky is one of nature's most wonderful pleasures. Only one thing is better — having your new Deaf friends along to take in the view. Because American Sign Language is a visual language and the night sky is a visual phenomenon, it's fitting to see how these two awesome pleasures come together.

What you know about rhetorical questions in English is not the same as rhetorical questions in American Sign Language (ASL). In English, a rhetorical question is a question that does not require an answer. In ASL, a rhetorical question is asked and the person who asks the question gives the answer as well. A rhetorical question is a way of making a point by providing the information for the very question you ask.

Going out with the gang is a good time for those who like the night life. Deaf people enjoy their social bonds and can paint the town red with the best of them. Often, people go as singles, and other times, it's couple's night out. The signs shown here will help you when you're planning that night out with your friends.

In American Sign Language (ASL), turning a verb into a person is called personification. You do it with two simple motions: Sign the verb and then glide the heels of your hands down the sides of your body with your fingers extended outward. The result of this is an agent. Look at this list.WRITE + AGENT = WRI

Remembering a few simple points can help you make American Sign Language (ASL) handshapes like a lifelong signer. Handshapes are hand formations that you use to sign each letter of the alphabet; this is also called the manual alphabet.Your manual dexterity is like a voice that has the ability to sing, and it requires practice.

Communicating a concept in Sign is often made clear by using body language. The meaning of I don't know comes through clearly when you raise your shoulders, tilt your head, and turn your palm up. Signing I'm sick is more easily understood when you accompany the sign with half-shut eyes, an open mouth, and a partially extended tongue.

Iconic or natural signs look like what they mean — the up and down motion of brushing your teeth that means toothbrush, for instance, or the right and left punches that mean boxing. Iconic signs always show action. Here are some examples:BoxingLooks like you’re “putting up your dukes.” Like the sign for boxing, many sports signs are iconic.