Post #6--Lesson 1--Lifeprint

For this week, I began with Lesson 1 on Lifeprint, which is a great website to help you begin learning sign language! It breaks the steps down and states the objectives that you are supposed to learn at the beginning of the lesson. It also has a video you watch to make sure you are learning everything that they are teaching you!

The objectives for this lesson are as follows:
Lesson Objectives:
___ I am able to define the term ASL___ I know  the common handshapes used in ASL.
___ I am able to fingerspell my name in ASL
___ I am able to count to five in ASL (numbers)
___ I am able to briefly describe the history of ASL
___ I am able to briefly state the gist of Deaf Culture___ I have a basic idea of the meaning of thedifference between ASL and Signed English___ I have a basic idea of the meaning of  Pidgin(contact signing)
___ I am able to recognize and sign the vocabulary for this lesson (see below)
___ I am able to recognize and sign the practicesentences for this lesson (see below)
___ I have done a practice quiz  
___ I have checked with my instructor regarding how and where to take any graded quizzes.

Bill really does a great job of breaking everything down the video. I learn one word and then we work on phrases for that word. He also really emphasizes facial expressions as well, which I think it great because that is really crucial for us to make sure they sign language speaker is understanding what point we have tried to get across. I have noticed that a lot in the sign language I have observed is how important facial expressions are. This lesson really focused on asking someone what their name was and fingerspelling that back to them. He will sign this to us without us knowing what he is saying and then we will have to sign back without seeing it on the screen. This is definitely an interesting experience that I normally have a look of "huh?" too! 

This lesson also focused a lot on question words so I know how to sign what, why, who, etc. This is a crucial part of learning because you most likely will have to ask questions a lot!!

We worked on short phrases and then the answers to those questions so that we could begin to communicate!

This was a great lesson! Feel free to see the video below of the lesson I completed!