ASL StorytellingMartin High School

ASL Level III

World Cultures and StorytellingThe art of storytelling is an appealing way to

transmit information. Since the beginnings of cultural history, people have been passing on knowledge through the speaking/listening process of storytelling. Subject areas come to life when narrative is introduced. Language arts seems a likely home for the art of storytelling; however, storytelling techniques and process can support exploration in many other curriculum area.

Gossip = an example of modern storytelling

Storytelling in Deaf CultureAmerican Sign Language has a rich literacy tradition.

ASL is an unwritten language, so the art of storytelling is very much a part of Deaf culture. The storyteller and the story have an important role to play in the bonding of the Deaf-World and the transmission of its heritage and accumulated wisdom.

Humor plays a strong role in storytelling. The visual/manual modality of ASL creates special opportunities for humorists to play with the rules of grammar to entertain and enlighten us. Such humor also contains cultural messages and plays an important role in cementing the society.

ASL Story TellingStory Telling is very important in ASL

culture.Story telling is a form of literature in Deaf

culture. This is how information is communicated and passed down from generation to generation

Forms of ASL Story Telling MetaphorsSharing life experiencesPoetryABC StoriesHandshape StoriesNumber Stories

Important Features in ASL Storytelling Uses appropriately animated facial expressions Knows how to use ASL role playing methodsUses bodyshift and eyegaze to model the characters in

the story as they communicate with each otherHas a wide range of ASL vocabulary choices to

accurately represent the specific concept being conveyed

Uses classifiers liberallyIncorporates mime as appropriateTells culturally appropriate and representational stories

MetaphorsMetaphors are comparisons that show

how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in one important way. Metaphors are a way to describe something.

ASL Metaphor Example: Bird of a Different Feather

Life Experience•Stories in which personal experiences are told•Often humorous, or of an important occasion•Example:•http://oicmovies.com/video.php?vid=1012

ASL PoetryBased off of visual aspects instead of

verbal/auditory aspectsPleasing to the eye, not based off of sounds

In ASL Poetry, Poets Make Use of: Word signs that are expressed poetically using regular or modified

hand movements, palm orientations, and hand locations. Facial expressions that further add to the hand signs. Poetic expression through mouth and head movements. Rhymes or ideas through eye movements and eyebrow

movements. Expressing ideas through body movements. Different speeds in signing different lines of the poem. One line,

for example, may be signed fast and another slow. Yet another line may be signed in a jerky fashion to convey a particular meaning.

Subtle and strong pauses between signs to emphasize an idea. Regular poetic devises like rhyme, rhythm, line, meter, and

stanza. Features like classifiers, repitition, and assimilation. Figurative language like metaphor, personification, taking roles,

and symbols

ASL Poetry

ASL Poetry

ASL Poetry

ABC StoryA signed story that follows ABC orderEach sign that is used has a specific letter

handshape and is signed in ABC orderWhen signing an ABC Story, it is imperative

that you use role shifting and facial expressions. Most of the meaning of your story comes from body language

ABC Stories

HandShape StoriesAn ASL story that only uses one handshape

for all signs.Facial expressions, and role shifting is very

important!

Handshape Stories

Handshape Stories

Number StoriesStories that are made up of counting either

forwards or backwards.Example: 0-10, 15-0 ETCFacial expressions and role shifting very

important!

Number Stories