Sign Language American Sign Language 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'topicalization' in ASL grammar?
- Signing topics louder than other words
- Moving a noun phrase to the front of a sentence to establish a topic (Correct answer)
- Using spatial grammar to organize verbs
- A method of signing proper nouns
Correct answer: Moving a noun phrase to the front of a sentence to establish a topic
Topicalization places the topic at the start of the sentence, marked by raised eyebrows and a brief pause, before the comment follows.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of a 'directional verb' in ASL?
- THINK
- GIVE (Correct answer)
- SLEEP
- KNOW
Correct answer: GIVE
GIVE is a directional verb whose movement can be altered to indicate the subject (giver) and object (receiver) without separate pronouns.
Question 3: What does it mean when a signer 'holds' a sign in place longer than usual?
- It is a grammatical error
- It adds emphasis or stress to that sign (Correct answer)
- It signals that the signer forgot the next sign
- It indicates a question is being asked
Correct answer: It adds emphasis or stress to that sign
Holding a sign longer than normal is a non-manual marker that adds emphasis or stress, similar to vocal stress in spoken language.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of ASL spatial grammar?
- To replace all pronouns with fingerspelling
- To use physical space to represent people, objects, and their relationships (Correct answer)
- To ensure all signs are made at the same height
- To distinguish between formal and informal registers
Correct answer: To use physical space to represent people, objects, and their relationships
ASL spatial grammar uses the signing space to establish referents for people and objects and to show their relationships through verb directionality and pronoun pointing.
Question 5: Which famous 19th-century figure is credited with establishing the first permanent school for the deaf in America?
- Alexander Graham Bell
- Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (Correct answer)
- Laurent Clerc
- Edward Miner Gallaudet
Correct answer: Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet co-founded the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut in 1817, the first permanent school of its kind in the US.
Question 6: In ASL, 'palm orientation' refers to:
- Which hand is dominant
- The direction the palm faces during a sign (Correct answer)
- The speed of the hand movement
- The location of the sign on the body
Correct answer: The direction the palm faces during a sign
Palm orientation is one of the five parameters of ASL signs and describes the direction the palm faces (e.g., up, down, toward signer, away from signer).
Question 7: What is the concept of 'Deaf gain' as used in Deaf culture?
- Financial compensation for hearing loss in workplace accidents
- The idea that being Deaf brings unique cognitive and cultural strengths (Correct answer)
- The audiological measurement of residual hearing
- A tax benefit available to deaf individuals in the US
Correct answer: The idea that being Deaf brings unique cognitive and cultural strengths
'Deaf gain' is a cultural and academic concept that reframes deafness as a positive identity that contributes unique experiences, language, and perspectives to human diversity.
Sign Language American Sign Language 4
What is 'topicalization' in ASL grammar?