The Keys to successful American Sign Language Usage

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The Keys to successful American Sign Language
Usage
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Classifiers

• Descriptive Classifiers (DCL)
• Semantic Classifiers (SCL)
• Locative Classifiers (LCL)
• Plural Classifiers (PCL)
• Instrument Classifiers (ICL)
• Body Classifiers/Mime (BCL)
• Bodypart Classifiers (BPCL)
• Element Classifier (ECL)

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Vital Signs (ASL Story)
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Classifier Notes

• Please take notes from this powerpoint
• When we are done you will put these in your
  notebook and practice them each type of classifier

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1. Descriptive Classifiers (DCL)
"short"

• They describe a person or object
• What is being described is italicized and in
  quotation marks
• DCLB (or bent B) "extremely tall" DCLB (or
  bent B) "short"DCL4 "long hair"DCL1 "bulletin
  board"DCL1 "black board"DCL4 (claw)
  freckles"DCL4 "striped"DCLG "thin"DCL4
  (claw) "curly hair"

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Semantic Classifiers (SCL)

• Represent categories of nouns.
• For example, people or vehicles.
• Handshape is given followed by information about
  specific movement italicized and in quotation
  marks
• SCL1 (person) "walking fast"SCL1 (person)
  "person walks to...____"SCL3 (car) "drives
  to____"SCLY (fat person) "waddling"SCLbent-V
  row of chairs

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Locative Classifiers (LCL)

• Representing an object in a specific place (and
  sometimes indicating movement)
• Handshape is given, followed by spatial or
  locative information italicized and quotation
  marks.
• Sometimes indicate movement
• LCLC/LCLB "place cup on napkin"LCL5 "leaf
  floating to the ground"LCL1 (sticks) "one
  here-one here"LCLB "shelf" (over to the
  right)LCL1 "goal-posts"(2h)LCLL "adjust a
  picture"

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Plural Classifier (PCL)
"

• Plural classifiers sign indicating either
  specific number or non-specific number
• PCL2 "two people walking"PCL4 "long line of
  people"PCL4 "people moving in line"PCL 5
  "hordes of _____." Often called "scads of."PCLV
  "people seated in a circle"

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Instrument Classifiers (ICL)

• Instrument classifiers sign in which part of the
  body (usually hands) manipulates an object
• ICL "driving"ICL "hammer in a nail"ICL "play
  checkers"ICL "play chess"ICL "light match"ICL
  (broom) ICL "sweep"ICL (water) ICL "pour in"ICL
  (garbage) ICL "dump out"ICL (wash-clothes) ICL
  "hang up"

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Body Classifiers/Mime (BCL)

• You use your body to "act out" or "role play."
• Sometimes this is like "mime." Other times you
  just show the action (or interaction) that is
  going on.
• Often this involves "role shifting.
• "yawn""acting tough""give hug to
  child""running hard/pumping arms""wave to
  crowd""listen for strange noise"

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Bodypart classifiers (BPCL)

• Body part classifier sign represent a specific
  part of your body is doing an action
• (2h)BPCLF "look at"BPCL1 "cross legs"BPCL
  tap foot"BPCL "use gesture looking up"BPCLL
  "red face" shyBPCLB "mouth frowning"

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Element Classifiers (ELC)

• Signs representing an element of the earth, such
  as rain, wind/smoke/gas, fire, and light.
• These are usually made with either the
  5-handshape or the 1-handshape
• ECL5 waterfall
• ECL1 lightning

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Vital Signs (Classifiers)