Left-Handed ASL

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chuku222

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This is probably a lame question that's been answered before this post.
I am a hearing US Elementary School Teacher learning to sign...but I am left-handed.

Is left-handedness a problem in communication within the deaf community?
 
no. I sign left-handed too.

People write either right or left hand. Same thing.
 
I believe all deaf people are left/right handed sign except fingerspelling. I rely fingerspelling on my right hand, but if I hold a cup of coffee on my right hand, I fingerspell or sign on my left hand. Deaf people are mutant, and less chance to get hand arthritis. :lol:
 
;) Thanx authentic. You made me see that what I am asking is about fingerspelling.
So...does fingerspelling need to be on the right hand in order to be understood?
 
chuku222 said:
;) Thanx authentic. You made me see that what I am asking is about fingerspelling.
So...does fingerspelling need to be on the right hand in order to be understood?
Click to expand...
No. Just don't switch back and forth midstream.
 
chuku222 said:
;) Thanx authentic. You made me see that what I am asking is about fingerspelling.
So...does fingerspelling need to be on the right hand in order to be understood?
Click to expand...

In the class I took, they specifically asked who was right/left handed, and then pointed out that fingerspelling you do with your dominant hand, and for all signs you learn, you have one action/shape/movement for your dominant hand, and any interaction with the other hand is with your non-dominant hand.

So, the sign for "help" for you (a leftie) would be your left hand in a fist with the thumb up on the open palm of your right hand (plus movement, etc). For me (a righty), it's my right hand in a fist with the thumb up on the open palm of my left hand.

You generally can't tell much of a difference when other people are signing between left- and right-handedness, since you're looking at the whole shape/action/facial expressions/body language while they do it, rather than the exact positioning.
 
Glad I came across this post! I'm a leftie too, and trying to learn ASL. I've been naturally doing everything left-handed, and I wondered whether that'd be a problem. It's a relief to know that it's not!
 
Most of the time I don't even notice which signers are left handed. There is one left-handed signer that I didn't even realize was a southpaw until the person signed a paper one day. I was like, "Oh, you're left handed." :lol:
 
ok. That makes sense to me. I guess if you can sign with feeling, someone can read it.
I work with many dyslexic students. They reverse letters in reading and that seems to be a BIG deal in American education, i.e., make them see a "b" as a "d".
If you can see the whole word, the letters don't matter. Yes?

I am asking that as a hearing man so maybe there is a difference when it comes to reading if you are born deaf.
 
There are a few people in my deaf club who are dyslexic and when fingerspelling, they have no problem as long as they know the word.
 
I guess fingerspelling only matters if you can/have heard a sound language.
In France, Italy, or Mexico - ASL fingerspelling would mean nothing. Yes?
 
chuku222 said:
I guess fingerspelling only matters if you can/have heard a sound language.
In France, Italy, or Mexico - ASL fingerspelling would mean nothing. Yes?
Click to expand...

There are a lot of Deaf Mexicans use ASL. You can easily fingerspell spanish words. The only difference being there are two ways I know of to sign ñ and one to make the ü.

¿Puede hablar español?
 
puedo. entiendo, pero hablo menos. lol.
mi abuela fue de mexico.
the "n" "u" thing is also a problem with English readers
as are all vowels.
so...ASL fingerspelling is universal regardless of what hand?
and...are the vowels the same?

I can fingerspell from a page
but is it the same phonetically?
sorry this getting too complicated now. :)

I will use my left hand to spell.
 
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chuku222 said:
...so...ASL fingerspelling is universal regardless of what hand?
Click to expand...
ASL fingerspelling is universal only in those countries where ASL is the sign language used in that country. For example, ASL is not the sign language of Great Britain. They use BSL, and they use BSL fingerspelling, which is different from ASL.

Left or right hand doesn't matter for ASL fingerspelling.

and...are the vowels the same?
Click to expand...
The same as what?

I can fingerspell from a page but is it the same phonetically?
Click to expand...
What do you mean? Do you mean the way you produce the fingerspelled word as a unit?
 
Thanx again to all for posting.

Re: the vowel sounds
I was thinking in Spanish and English.
I would fingerspell something different if I think in sound.
BSL? Isn't that a separatist movement? ;)
 
chuku222 said:
Thanx again to all for posting.

Re: the vowel sounds
I was thinking in Spanish and English.
I would fingerspell something different if I think in sound.
BSL? Isn't that a separatist movement? ;)
Click to expand...

The sound doesn't matter. But you can't be understood if you fingerspell ASL letters in countries that don't use ASL.

And in Mexico LSM is the more prevalent sign language.
 
Bottesini said:
The sound doesn't matter. But you can't be understood if you fingerspell ASL letters in countries that don't use ASL.

And in Mexico LSM is the more prevalent sign language.
Click to expand...

Oh, correct. I did not mean to give the impression ASL was the signed language of choice in Mexico. But I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people who did understand it.
 
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