question about signing...

[fefalandia]

do you always have to sign with your right hand??? because i'm a lefty and i sometimes automatically change hands...

 

[Bottesini]

No. Sign with your dominant hand. In your case the left.

 

[Anij]

As Bottesini said, you sign with your dominant hand (unless you WANT to use your non-dominant hand).

The thing that is most important is that you don't switch back and forth between your dominant and non-dominant (ie left & right) as this is hard to follow and just looks weird. The only exception to the "don't switch" rule is, of course, if you are holding something with your signing hand (baby, books, etc) or are handwriting something for instance and want to double check how to spell a word etc (so you'd finger spell with your non-dominant hand for that WHILE writing etc).

Hope that helps.

 

[fefalandia]

Thanks!!

 

[ladysolitary85]

do you always have to sign with your right hand??? because i'm a lefty and i sometimes automatically change hands...

I have the SAME problem, but yea people say its ok to sign with your dominate hand. Sometimes I feel that my abcs might look odd, but I try to do it anyways.

 

[Reba]

When I watch a lefty sign I have no problem understanding. Most of the time it's not even noticeable or remarkable. The only time it could be awkward is if the signer switches back and forth from left to right hands during the conversation. If you pick the left hand to use, stick with it.

The only exceptions for "switching" are if the normally dominant hand is in pain from overuse (happens to terps sometimes), or being used to hold something.

 

[Anij]

I have the SAME problem, but yea people say its ok to sign with your dominate hand. Sometimes I feel that my abcs might look odd, but I try to do it anyways.

I don't even notice a (unless I think about it) if someone is signing left or right. The letters look "fine" produced with either hand - so don't worry!

The only thing that is awkward, frustrating to watch is someone flipping back and forth between being a lefty signer and a righty signer.

Choose whatever hand feels more comfortable - and stick with it

 

[Juli-terp-to-be]

When I watch a lefty sign I have no problem understanding. Most of the time it's not even noticeable or remarkable. The only time it could be awkward is if the signer switches back and forth from left to right hands during the conversation. If you pick the left hand to use, stick with it.

The only exceptions for "switching" are if the normally dominant hand is in pain from overuse (happens to terps sometimes), or being used to hold something.

I always wondered if switching cause of pain/over use was ok. Now I feel better, I have early stage osteoarthritis & tendinitis.

 

[Anij]

I always wondered if switching cause of pain/over use was ok. Now I feel better, I have early stage osteoarthritis & tendinitis.

Yes - but by switch we mean every 15-30mins .. not every 1-5mins!
If you are going to switch hands make sure to do it at a logical "break".

For example:
if you and a friend are chatting and while you're signing something you think 'my hand is getting a bit sore, I should switch' - wait for a point where the other person is responding (and your not signing), and then when it's your turn to start signing again simply start with the other hand as dominant.

One big no-no is deciding that (for any reason) some signs you'll sign left-handed and others you'll sigh right-handed ... then while signing you flip back and forth between handedness as you use various signs.

Having a legitimate medical reason etc is one thing ... however switching back and forth "just because" (because you learned some signs left others right, because you're bored, because you "forgot", because, because etc) is NOT a legitimate reason to flip flop between handedness.

Also - if you ever plan on teaching, interpreting or using sign language in any sort of "professional" or daily setting (where it's part of your job/volunteer work etc) it's not going to be acceptable to sign sloppy (and flip flopping is sloppy) and may (likely will) lead to another applicant being chosen over yourself (especially in an educational or interpreting situation)

 

[Juli-terp-to-be]

Yes - but by switch we mean every 15-30mins .. not every 1-5mins!
If you are going to switch hands make sure to do it at a logical "break".

For example:
if you and a friend are chatting and while you're signing something you think 'my hand is getting a bit sore, I should switch' - wait for a point where the other person is responding (and your not signing), and then when it's your turn to start signing again simply start with the other hand as dominant.

One big no-no is deciding that (for any reason) some signs you'll sign left-handed and others you'll sigh right-handed ... then while signing you flip back and forth between handedness as you use various signs.

Having a legitimate medical reason etc is one thing ... however switching back and forth "just because" (because you learned some signs left others right, because you're bored, because you "forgot", because, because etc) is NOT a legitimate reason to flip flop between handedness.

Also - if you ever plan on teaching, interpreting or using sign language in any sort of "professional" or daily setting (where it's part of your job/volunteer work etc) it's not going to be acceptable to sign sloppy (and flip flopping is sloppy) and may (likely will) lead to another applicant being chosen over yourself (especially in an educational or interpreting situation)

The "cause I want to" excuse is anything but. I have never switched dominance in the middle of signing. Nor do I ever plan too, unless necessary.
IMO doing so without warning is a form of rudeness. Actually I think I am going to have a hard time remembering to keep to the 'new' dominate hand since I have always used my right hand. I am just glad that I can switch dominance, with permission, when I need to.

 

[green427]

Anyone here remember the original EMT teacher at NTID named Dominic Fantauzzo?

He always fingerspelled with BOTH his hands at the same time. Threw some of us off guard.

 

[Reba]

yes - but by switch we mean every 15-30mins .. Not every 1-5mins!
If you are going to switch hands make sure to do it at a logical "break".

For example:
If you and a friend are chatting and while you're signing something you think 'my hand is getting a bit sore, i should switch' - wait for a point where the other person is responding (and your not signing), and then when it's your turn to start signing again simply start with the other hand as dominant.

One big no-no is deciding that (for any reason) some signs you'll sign left-handed and others you'll sigh right-handed ... Then while signing you flip back and forth between handedness as you use various signs.

Having a legitimate medical reason etc is one thing ... However switching back and forth "just because" (because you learned some signs left others right, because you're bored, because you "forgot", because, because etc) is not a legitimate reason to flip flop between handedness.

Also - if you ever plan on teaching, interpreting or using sign language in any sort of "professional" or daily setting (where it's part of your job/volunteer work etc) it's not going to be acceptable to sign sloppy (and flip flopping is sloppy) and may (likely will) lead to another applicant being chosen over yourself (especially in an educational or interpreting situation)

+1

 

[Anij]

The "cause I want to" excuse is anything but.

I'm glad that in your situation it's not ... it is however (unfortunately) the attitude that some ASL students/people learning ASL have - and is not only difficult to follow, it's rude as it comes across as "I'm doing it my way, I don't care if Hoh/Deaf ASLers say it's not correct, sloppy, hard to follow etc - I want to do it this way - so there!"

switching hands arbitrarily is a bit like someone who is writing a letter by hand ... and randomly decides not only to form some random letters backwards (mirrored) but also "flip" (mirror) entire words or phrases ...


One thing for those learning ASL - it IS very useful to learn and practices fingerspelling with both hands as there are many cases which you will need to be able to fingerspell accurately with both hands.
One way to do this when PRACTISING fingerspelling (ie not during a conversation,!) fingerspelling all your practice words with both hands simultaneously. Then once you've gone through a word list, start at the top again and spell all the even numbered words with your right hand and odd numbered words with your left hand. This will help build dexterity in both hands The sooner that one starts practising fingerspelling with both hands the better as it will feel more "natural" sooner than if you wait until you've been fingerspelling for months or years and then decide "oh , I should learn how to fingerspell with my other hand too"

Hope that makes sense

 

[Juli-terp-to-be]

I'm glad that in your situation it's not ... it is however (unfortunately) the attitude that some ASL students/people learning ASL have - and is not only difficult to follow, it's rude as it comes across as "I'm doing it my way, I don't care if Hoh/Deaf ASLers say it's not correct, sloppy, hard to follow etc - I want to do it this way - so there!"

switching hands arbitrarily is a bit like someone who is writing a letter by hand ... and randomly decides not only to form some random letters backwards (mirrored) but also "flip" (mirror) entire words or phrases ...


One thing for those learning ASL - it IS very useful to learn and practices fingerspelling with both hands as there are many cases which you will need to be able to fingerspell accurately with both hands.
One way to do this when PRACTISING fingerspelling (ie not during a conversation,!) fingerspelling all your practice words with both hands simultaneously. Then once you've gone through a word list, start at the top again and spell all the even numbered words with your right hand and odd numbered words with your left hand. This will help build dexterity in both hands The sooner that one starts practising fingerspelling with both hands the better as it will feel more "natural" sooner than if you wait until you've been fingerspelling for months or years and then decide "oh , I should learn how to fingerspell with my other hand too"

Hope that makes sense

Personally it always felt more comfortable to use the hand I write with as my dominate signing hand. I am an ok off-hand signer. But now I know that I could use my off-hand if the dominate hand is tired, I will work on getting more proficient using my off-hand as well.