The Signing Area

Most signs are made within an imaginary rectangle in front of the body. This area extends from shoulder to shoulder and from the tip of the head to the waist, with the majority of signing being formed near the head, face and neck. Many two-handed signs are done in the chest area.

Right or Left Hand?

The signs in this book were drawn for right-handed people. If you are left-handed, don't worry; just use your left hand and reverse the sign. If you use both hands equally well, use the hand that is more comfortable for you.

Initialized Signs

As you begin to learn signing, you will notice that many signs are "initialized". What does this mean? The term refers to a sign formed with the fingerspelled hand shape of the first letter of the English word.

More than One (Plurals)

In signing, plural forms for words are normally not needed. The context in which a word is used will indicate whether it is singular or plural. Plurals can be signed in a few ways when they are necessary. One way is to add a sign for a number or quantity after the sign: the sign for rabbit followed by the sign for "many", for example, would mean "many rabbits".

Questions

A quizzical or questioning look and body language will help get it across that you are asking a question. Holding the last sign of a sentence a little longer helps too. You may add the question mark at the beginning or end of a question if you like.

Past, Present & Future

Indicating past, present and future with signs may be easier if you think of your body as representing present time. Signs for present time, such as "today" and "now", are made in front of the body. Signs dealing with the future, such as "tomorrow" and "later", are made with a forward movement from the body. Signs about the past, such as "yesterday" and "recently", are done with a backward movement.

Getting Someone's Attention

Starting a conversation with a deaf person is different from starting a conversation with a hearing person. In spoken language, you can begin a conversation with someone who is not looking at you. In sign language you must get the person's visual attention. You can do this by tapping the person on the shoulder or touching the person's arm.

The Manual Alphabet

One of the first things you will want to learn is the Irish manual alphabet. Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a hand shape. With the alphabet you can spell out words whose sign you don't know or words that have no formal signs - for example, names of people and places, and technical terms.

Fingerspelling

Fingerspelling is used to spell out words one letter at a time with the manual alphabet. When fingerspelling, hold your hand in a comfortable position at your side, slightly above should level, palm facing out. Be careful not to block your mouth from view. Combine letters smoothly and clearly to form words. Say the word as you begin to spell it, but not individual letters. Pause for just a moment after the last letter in each word. Try not to make jerky or bouncing movements with your hand. It is okay to move your hand a little to the right as you fingerspell (although it is not necessary); then bring it back to where you started. Begin to fingerspell by practicing two- and three-letter words; then move on to larger words. Try to develop a rhythm as you fingerspell, and don't worry about speed. It will come with practice.

If a word has double letters (for instance, Keep), open the hand slightly between the signs for those letters. When the hand is already open (as for C and L), move the hand to the right with a small bounce for the second open letter.

When someone is fingerspelling to you, try to read the words in syllables, not the individual letters. It is helpful to have a friend to practice with, but when you don't, why not try fingerspelling in front of a mirror.