Sign Language American Sign Language 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'ASL gloss' refer to?
- A written description of the visual quality of an ASL sign
- A written representation of ASL using English words in capital letters (Correct answer)
- A summary translation of an ASL conversation into English
- The glossy appearance of signs in video recordings
Correct answer: A written representation of ASL using English words in capital letters
ASL gloss is a transcription system that represents ASL signs using capitalized English words to approximate their meaning and order.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the handshape for the ASL letter 'D'?
- All fingers curled, thumb out
- Index finger pointing up, other fingers curved to touch thumb forming a circle (Correct answer)
- Two fingers forming a V shape
- Thumb and pinky extended, other fingers curled
Correct answer: Index finger pointing up, other fingers curved to touch thumb forming a circle
The ASL letter 'D' is formed with the index finger pointing upward while the remaining fingers curve to meet the thumb, creating a circular shape.
Question 3: What is the purpose of 'role shift' in ASL storytelling?
- To change the dominant hand during a narrative
- To take on the body posture, facial expression, and perspective of a character being quoted (Correct answer)
- To shift the story from past to present tense
- To indicate a change of location in the narrative
Correct answer: To take on the body posture, facial expression, and perspective of a character being quoted
Role shift allows the signer to embody different characters by shifting body posture and eye gaze, functioning like direct quotation in spoken language.
Question 4: In ASL, what non-manual marker typically accompanies 'wh-' questions (who, what, where, when, why)?
- Raised eyebrows and forward head tilt
- Furrowed brows and slight head tilt or forward lean (Correct answer)
- Puffed cheeks
- Tongue clicking
Correct answer: Furrowed brows and slight head tilt or forward lean
Wh-questions in ASL are marked by furrowed (lowered) brows and often a slight forward lean or head tilt, contrasting with the raised brows of yes/no questions.
Question 5: Which of the following correctly describes a 'compound sign' in ASL?
- A sign borrowed directly from a foreign sign language
- Two separate signs combined to create a new meaning (Correct answer)
- A sign produced simultaneously with both hands in mirrored motion
- A sign that can only be understood in full sentences
Correct answer: Two separate signs combined to create a new meaning
A compound sign merges two independent signs into one unit with a new or extended meaning, such as MOTHER + FATHER combining into PARENTS.
Question 6: What is 'mouth morpheme' in ASL?
- Spelling an English word with the mouth and no handshape
- A mouth movement that carries grammatical meaning independent of lip-reading (Correct answer)
- The correct pronunciation of a signed word in English
- A sign produced entirely with the lips
Correct answer: A mouth movement that carries grammatical meaning independent of lip-reading
Mouth morphemes are specific mouth shapes or movements in ASL that carry their own grammatical or adverbial meaning, such as 'mm' for steady ongoing action.
Question 7: The sign language used by Martha's Vineyard residents in the 18th–19th centuries is significant because:
- It was the first sign language officially recognized by the US government
- It influenced the development of ASL through Laurent Clerc's school
- It was used by an entire community, both deaf and hearing, demonstrating natural sign language emergence (Correct answer)
- It was a purely gestural system with no grammar
Correct answer: It was used by an entire community, both deaf and hearing, demonstrating natural sign language emergence
Martha's Vineyard Sign Language was used community-wide by hearing and deaf residents alike, showing how sign languages emerge naturally when deaf individuals are integrated into a community.
Sign Language American Sign Language 5
What does 'ASL gloss' refer to?