So... Elemental ASL Concepts. What's that all about? Well, let me introduce myself and see if I can explain. I am an American Sign Language interpreter who works in an educational setting. I have two years experience in college interpreting and going on my 13th year in elementary school interpreting. The best part of my job? Working with kids and seeing that light bulb moment in their eyes when they really get something. The hardest part of my job? Coming upon vocabulary and concepts that are difficult to interpret.
Now, you may ask, "Interpreting is interpreting. What's the big deal?" It's not really, but when you are working with young minds who may not have as much real world experience as we do, you want to be precise in what and how you interpret to them. Trying to explain to them how it was in our history, or how something scientific works, can be a challenge, especially when you find that there are not a whole lot of signs out there for these concepts. Science and Social Studies are probably the most challenging, since these are not topics of everyday conversation. When was the last time you talked about the Water Cycle or the Revolutionary War at the supper table? It just doesn't happen very often.
So, what am I trying to get at? Not only is it challenging for interpreters to accurately sign uncommon vocabulary and concepts, it is challenging for parents trying to do homework with their children if they don't know the signs or how it was relayed to the students at school. In a school where students may have several interpreters throughout the day, similar concepts may be signed in a variety of way, as there is more than one way to sign something.
That brings me to the purpose of this website. Requests have come in, from parents and interpreters alike, to have some kind of medium to access, as a resource, those signs and concepts that may be hard to find in traditional or online signing dictionaries or are nonexistent. In having such a medium, interpreters working in the same building can have consistency throughout the grades and parents can have quality homework discussions with their children.
This website will aspire to be that medium, a sign language dictionary of terms used in educational settings. The primary focus audience for this dictionary is parents and students for homework comprehension; however, it is also ideal for Deaf/Hard of Hearing teachers and interpreters to collaborate sign usage. Every effort will be made to research and include generally accepted signs. In some cases, signs may have been set up to be used in the classroom. These signs are suggestions and represent the closest approximation of the conceptually accurate sign. They are in no way meant to be finite signs, as there are many ways to sign many words and concepts. In all situations, however, it is highly recommended to fingerspell the word right before or just after a sign is shown, just to cut down on confusion.
Enough of the talk, let's walk the walk. This website is just in its beginning stages. It will continue to grow as more and more vocabulary is added. Check back frequently to discover the growing list of vocabulary words to chose from. I hope you will find this a helpful and informative resource.
Now, you may ask, "Interpreting is interpreting. What's the big deal?" It's not really, but when you are working with young minds who may not have as much real world experience as we do, you want to be precise in what and how you interpret to them. Trying to explain to them how it was in our history, or how something scientific works, can be a challenge, especially when you find that there are not a whole lot of signs out there for these concepts. Science and Social Studies are probably the most challenging, since these are not topics of everyday conversation. When was the last time you talked about the Water Cycle or the Revolutionary War at the supper table? It just doesn't happen very often.
So, what am I trying to get at? Not only is it challenging for interpreters to accurately sign uncommon vocabulary and concepts, it is challenging for parents trying to do homework with their children if they don't know the signs or how it was relayed to the students at school. In a school where students may have several interpreters throughout the day, similar concepts may be signed in a variety of way, as there is more than one way to sign something.
That brings me to the purpose of this website. Requests have come in, from parents and interpreters alike, to have some kind of medium to access, as a resource, those signs and concepts that may be hard to find in traditional or online signing dictionaries or are nonexistent. In having such a medium, interpreters working in the same building can have consistency throughout the grades and parents can have quality homework discussions with their children.
This website will aspire to be that medium, a sign language dictionary of terms used in educational settings. The primary focus audience for this dictionary is parents and students for homework comprehension; however, it is also ideal for Deaf/Hard of Hearing teachers and interpreters to collaborate sign usage. Every effort will be made to research and include generally accepted signs. In some cases, signs may have been set up to be used in the classroom. These signs are suggestions and represent the closest approximation of the conceptually accurate sign. They are in no way meant to be finite signs, as there are many ways to sign many words and concepts. In all situations, however, it is highly recommended to fingerspell the word right before or just after a sign is shown, just to cut down on confusion.
Enough of the talk, let's walk the walk. This website is just in its beginning stages. It will continue to grow as more and more vocabulary is added. Check back frequently to discover the growing list of vocabulary words to chose from. I hope you will find this a helpful and informative resource.