ASL Glossing: Writing American Sign Language, Lecture notes of Sign Language

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ASL Glossing

American Sign Language I & 2

What is “glossing”?

• “Glossing” is a fancy word for written ASL.

• Of course, ASL does not really have a

written form - this is just a way to keep

note of how ASL is signed.

What is “glossing”?

• For example, in American Sign Language

(ASL) we have a NMS known as "PAH!"

Loosely translated, it means "At last!

Finally! Success! Ta da! Voilà! Presto! etc.)

This NMS requires a plosive sound to be

made as if saying "pah!" (Which makes

the gloss of PAH! a rather obvious

choice.) ASL also uses special signs

known as ASL classifiers that are

somewhat difficult to write in English.

Why is glossing important?

• Glossing allows students to make notes in

their own language regarding the second

language to help them learn it.

• Glossing allows us to include various

notations to account for the facial and

body grammar that go with the signs.

ME NAME fs-B-A-R-B-A-R-A

What does ASL glossing look like?

Shows that you are doing something with your eyebrows

poss eyebrows up

ME NAME fs-B-A-R-B-A-R-A

What does ASL glossing look like?

Shows that you are doing something with your eyebrows

Shows that something is fingerspelled

poss eyebrows up

ME NAME fs-B-A-R-B-A-R-A

What does ASL glossing look like?

Shows that you are doing something with your eyebrows

Shows that something is fingerspelled

ASL does not use “is” like English

ASL is glossed in all capital letters

poss eyebrows up

ME NAME fs-B-A-R-B-A-R-A

poss eyebrows up

What does ASL glossing look like?

Shows that you are doing something with your eyebrows

Shows that something is fingerspelled

ASL does not use “is” like English

ASL is glossed in all capital letters

There is no English punctuation

Common Glossing Symbols

• “++” = repeat the sign
• “+” = combine 2 signs to make

1 English word

• “!” = emphasize the sign or NMS
• “CL:__” = use of a classifier
• “fs” & “--”s = fingerspelled word (OR “-” = 2 words for 1 sign)
• “#” = fingerspelled loan sign
• “PRO-1” “PRO-2” = pronouns (he, she, etc.)
• “POSS” = possession (his, hers, mine) – write it above the pronoun
• “qm-wiggle” = sign the question mark wiggle
• “wh__” = use the NMS wh? Face (or whatever other NMS is written on

the above line)

• “(_____)” = sign instructions (usually paired with CLs, listing, and NMS)
• Listing = write “list” small before the list, then number (1, 2, 3, etc.)
• “+AM” = add the Agent Marker (ex: TEACH+AM)
• “IX” = deixis/pointing/indexing a certain person/object/location (this is

optional in this class)

• ALL CAPS (except for instructions)
• DOUBLE-SPACED
• WRITE ASL SIGNS, NOT ENGLISH
• T-T-C order, NOT English order
• DON’T FORGET YOUR NMS!

Your turn!

Write the following sentences on your paper in English

and then gloss them in ASL:

1. I live in San Bernadino.

2. Where do you live?

3. Are you attending CSUSM?

4. What is your name?

5. What is your favorite thing to do?

6. I finally found my keys!

Glossing Practice

• Write the following ASL Gloss into English:

• YEAR-PAST ME HOUSE ROOMS WHAT WHITE fsA-L-L
• NOW-YEAR COLOR MANY
• ME BED+ROOM WHAT BLUE
• ME SISTER BED+ROOM WHAT YELLOW
• ME MOM-DAD THEY BED+ROOM WHAT BROWN
• BATH+ROOM WHAT YELLOW
• fsA-L-L COLOR ME LOVE

poss

poss

poss

poss

eyebrows up

eyebrows up

eyebrows up!

wh _

wh _

wh _

wh _

wh _

poss

Answers:

• In English:

• Last year, the rooms in my house were white.
• This year, they are many colors.
• My bedroom is blue.
• My sister’s bedroom is yellow.
• My parents’ bedroom is brown.
• The bathroom is yellow.
• I love all of the colors!

TODAY MORNING SAME-OLD++ GLOSS ANSWER

ME WOKE-UP GET-DRESSED SCHOOL GO-TO

BUT HAPPEN SCHOOL ME ARRIVE NOTICE WHAT

PARKING-LOT EMPTY PEOPLE NONE

THINK-ABOUT-IT

TODAY TUESDAY WEEKEND NOT

ME ON-TIME EARLY NOT

(Ponder, look up) THINK-ABOUT-IT

HAPPEN++

THEN HAPPEN WHAT

TELEPHONE “BUZZ” (CL: 5 open/close like flashing light)

MESSAGE (CL: closed 5, Non-Dominant hand, act like looking at text on phone)

MESSAGE FROM FRIEND SAY WHAT

wh____

wh____

wh_______

eyebrows down

eyebrows up

eyebrows down

eyebrows down

eyebrows down

eyebrows up

eyebrows up

wh____

(role play) “PARADE TODAY COME YOU qm-wiggle” GLOSS ANSWER

PARADE

PARADE WHAT

MESSAGE BACK (mime texting back with both hands)

(role play – switch to other role)

“PARADE WHAT

SCHOOL YOU HERE NOT WHY”

RESPOND SHE POSTPONE (role play – waiting for response)

RESPOND PAH! HAPPEN WHAT

MESSAGE SAY QUOTE “V-E-T-E-R-A-N-S D-A-Y D-U-H”

(look annoyed) OF COURSE TODAY HOLIDAY

MEANS WHAT

SCHOOL NONE

D-U-H (or role play with eye-roll or sign DUMB ME / PEABRAIN ME etc.)

eyebrows down

wh___

wh__

wh___

wh___

eyebrows up

eyebrows up

wh___