Sign Production

There are several "rules" that signers must follow to produce accurate and comprehensible signs. This lesson will focus on how your signs should be produced.

Parameters

In American Sign Language (ASL), we use the 5 Parameters of ASL to describe how a sign behaves within the signer's space. The parameters are handshape, palm orientation, location, movement, and expression/non-manual signals. Watch this video to learn more about the 5 Parameters.

ASL Handshape Handout

Click here to download the ASL Handshape handout here.

Rules of Dominance and Symmetry

Dominant Hand

The dominant hand is the hand the signer feels most comfortable with, typically the hand one uses for writing. In ASL the signer uses the dominant hand to perform most of the movement. The non-dominant hand is often used as a place holder, to create lists, or as a foundation for the dominant hand to create movements or spacial relationships to create meaning. Whichever hand feels most comfortable should be used consistently. Over time the natural inclination for the appropriate use of dominant and non-dominant hands in signing will become easier to follow. Avoid switching the dominant hand.

There are some rules about what handshapes can be used when you are forming signs. Please watch this video to learn more about it.

Signer Space

The signer space is the area most people use for the comfortable production of signs where most of the signing occurs. This area is from just above the head, to slightly below the waist and from the right side of the body to the left with a comfortable reach. Most signs occur within this comfortable to maneuver space.

Signing Space. woman with oval around shoulders to stomach and an arrow indicating majority of the signs

When you are creating videos for this class, it is important that your entire signing space be visible in the frame of the video.

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