Copy
February 2013 Signing Savvy Newsletter
View this email in your browser
Signing Savvy: Your Sign Language Resource

February 2014

In this Issue:

  • All you need is love!
  • Derrick Coleman inspires many as first deaf NFL player to play in a Super Bowl
  • In the News
  • Sign Language Fact
  • Deaf Culture Tip

Fact:


From what country did ASL originate?

 

Answer: France


A tweet from our Twitter. For more fun facts, see our Twitter @signingsavvy

Tip:


Remember to talk to the hard of hearing or deaf individual that you are having a conversation with, not their interpreter.

 
When talking to a hard of hearing or deaf person using an interpreter, do not direct the conversation towards the interpreter and ask them to “tell” the person this or that… talk directly to the person and they will look between you and the interpreter as needed.
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Website

All you need is love!


Sing it or sign it, either way the Beatles knew what they were talking about there!

We thought it would be appropriate with Valentine’s Day this week to write a blog covering all the different ways to show LOVE... in sign language that is!

Tell Your Valentine I Love You in ASL
NOTE: You can also download this poster (PDF)
and print it.

Many people know and use the sign for I LOVE YOU. This sign is used universally throughout the country and the world. We see it all over television, at sporting events and during "shout outs" to our mothers. The sign is actually the combination of the fingerspelled letters IL and Y.

I + L + Y = I LOVE YOU sign

I have had people ask why the sign looks similar to the one that some people hold up at rock concerts, where the thumb is held down and the pointer finger and the little finger are held up. It is NOT the same. Remember, the thumb of the Y hand has to be present in order for you to be signing the I LOVE YOU sign.

Another sign that gets confused with the I LOVE YOU sign is the Hawaiian "shaka" sign meaning aloha, hang loose, or right on. Interestingly, this is also the ASL sign for YELLOW. Again, this is a different sign, as it leaves out the pointer finger. It is basically just shaking the Y hand.

Not I Love You

The actual sign for LOVE is both arms folded across the chest. That is to show love or have love for another person or animal, etc.

sign for LOVE

Another sign for LOVE that you will see on the site is the kissing of the back of the S hand, then pulling it away from the mouth. This is a sign that is generally used to show a passion for something, like a certain type of food or a type of music.

Sign for LOVE

Some people have asked why we don’t list the I LOVE YOU sign under the sign for LOVE on our site. It is because they are different signs and we don’t want new signers to confuse the single I LOVE YOU handshape with the general meanings and uses of the word LOVE. We don’t want you to confuse the signs and use the I LOVE YOU sign in a place where you really mean to just say LOVE.

An example of this would be this sentence: My mother loves to travel. You wouldn’t want to say: MOTHER + MINE + I LOVE YOU + TRAVEL (It just doesn’t make sense.) You need to use the sign LOVE there.

Another example sentence: I love to eat deep dish pizza! You wouldn’t want to say: PIZZA + THICK + I LOVE YOU + EAT. You need to use the kissing the back of the hand version of LOVE in this instance.

I hope that clears up some of your LOVE issues! Spread the LOVE and Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Signing Savvy!

Derrick Coleman inspires many as first deaf NFL player to play in a Super Bowl


Check out this Duracell commercial about deaf NFL player Derrick Coleman.  
 
NOTE: We by no means are promoting (or not promoting) the use of their batteries or hearing aids in general, just want to make sure that you did not miss this inspirational story.


Derrick Coleman is the first deaf NFL player to ever play in the Super Bowl.  Previously, there were two deaf defensive players in the NFL - Bonnie Sloan was the first deaf player to play in the NFL in 1973 for St. Louis and defensive player Kenny Walker joined Denver in 1991.
 
Coleman attended public school where he played sports.  Instead of giving up when other kids made fun of him and others told him he wouldn’t be able to do something, he turned his hearing aids off, and as he says in the Duracell commercial about himself, “I’ve been deaf since I was 3, so I didn’t listen.”
 
Coleman wears a skull cap under his helmet to secure water-resistant hearing aids during games and quarterback Russell Wilson takes his mouthpiece out during huddles so Coleman can read his lips.  Coleman repeats the play to his teammates or asks for clarification if needed, he’s not afraid to ask for help.
 
His success on the field has made him an inspiration to others, but his actions off the field, have made him a role model. He says that the reason he wanted to do the Duracell commercial was so he could share his story with kids in the hard of hearing and deaf community and to encourage them to fight for their dreams.
 
“Nobody is perfect. I wear a hearing aid, some people have glasses, some people have depression. Everybody has something. But as long as you don’t let that get in the way of what you want to do, you can do anything you want to do.”
 
References and More Information:

In the News

Local to World News on Sign Language and Deaf Culture


World News
General Interest Interpreter News
Deaf Stories
Super Bowl / Derrick Coleman
Share
Tweet
+1
Forward to Friend
About Signing Savvy:
Signing Savvy is the most comprehensive online sign language resource for educators, interpreters, students, or anyone interested in American Sign Language. Signing Savvy includes a sign language dictionary containing several thousand high resolution videos of American Sign Language (ASL) signs, fingerspelled words, and other common signs used within the United States and Canada. It includes the ability to view large sign videos, build your own word lists and share them with others, create virtual flash cards and quizzes, print signs, build sign phrases, and more.
Thank you for your support!
Thank you for being part of the Signing Savvy community of users. We hope that you find great value in the services that Signing Savvy provides. If you are not yet a full member, we encourage you to check out the full member features. In addition to accessing the full member features, membership also helps us continue to add more sign videos, content, and features to the site.  With the support of our members, we aim for Signing Savvy to be the best sign language learning resource.
Copyright © 2014 Signing Savvy, All rights reserved.   Website    |    Facebook    |    Twitter
unsubscribe from this newsletter    update subscription preferences