Signing Naturally 1011 Jun 2026
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You'll be expanding your lexicon with many new descriptors, including signs for qualities like "organized," "responsible," "friendly," "quiet," "egotistical," and "nosy". Understanding is also a major part of this unit, expressed through signs like NONE, NOT, NOT WANT, and NOT ALLOW / FORBID to state what someone isn't like.
As students progress through the acclaimed Signing Naturally curriculum, Units 10 and 11 mark a pivotal shift from foundational vocabulary to more sophisticated, nuanced, and culturally authentic American Sign Language (ASL) usage. These units focus on moving beyond "signing English on your hands" and into the realm of true conversational fluency, emphasizing storytelling, characterization, and the integration of non-manual signals (NMS).
Your signs must match the actual layout of the room you are describing. If a door is on the right, you must sign "door" on your right side. This is called spatial agreement. Unit 11: Making Conversational Requests signing naturally 1011
Expressing love, interest, or lack of interest in a topic or person. Key Grammar and Techniques for Units 10-11 To succeed in these units, it is essential to focus on:
You will master ranking and sequencing. For example, you learn to use your non-dominant hand to list siblings in chronological order from oldest to youngest. This unit also highlights how gender distinction works in ASL (signs made near the forehead are masculine, while signs near the jawline are feminine). Advanced Foundations: Units 7–12
Beginners often stare hyper-focused at a person's fingers. ASL happens on the entire upper body. Pay close attention to facial expressions (Non-Manual Markers) and mouth movements, as they change the literal meaning of a sign. Whether you want help with or receptive comprehension tips
You learn signs through real-world scenarios, such as introducing yourself, giving directions, or sharing life events.
Signs for "I prefer," "I enjoy," "I dislike," and "I agree/disagree".
is not just a homework assignment; it is a rite of passage. It marks the moment you stop translating English words into signs and start thinking in ASL space. As students progress through the acclaimed Signing Naturally
This shift was disorienting at first. I realized how much I depended on "thinking in English" and translating word-for-word. The curriculum’s focus on identifying people and objects, and giving commands, highlighted the efficiency of ASL grammar. I learned that in ASL, the object is often established first, followed by the action—a syntactic structure that mirrors the visual reality of seeing an object before understanding what is happening to it. This reordering of thought processes has been the most challenging yet rewarding aspect of the course.
Discussing professions, workplace dynamics, educational systems, and broader social issues.