Expanding the Balloon ASL Expansion Techniques

Brenda Aron

Seattle Central Community College Adapted from “Expansion &

Compression Techniques”

by Lynn Finton and Richard Smith

NTID/RIT

Workshop Protocols

If you have a question, please save it for the

Question board, use a post-it note given,

write your question and tack it up on the

freestanding easel.

We will answer your questions after the

lecture.

Expansion in ASL Expansion or contextualizing in ASL refers to the

amount of detail or information conveyed to: Clarify a topic,

Expand an idea, or

Provide illustration of a point

The discourse style of ASL uses frequent expansion, and

It’s this process, which makes ASL visually dynamic and interesting.

ASL users typically share common experience and world view, the level of detail is often what makes a story, discussion, or lecture different or unique.

Expansion Strategies

The following are seven (7) strategies that have been identified as part of the expansion process:

1. Contrasting

2. Faceting

3. Reiteration

4. Utilizing 3D Space

5. Explaining by Example

6. Couching or Scaffolding

7. Describe then Do

1. Contrasting

Highlights one idea by juxtaposing two opposite

ideas in order to emphasize the one.

This is usually by stating the positive, then the

negative or the reverse occurs.

Sometimes it is sandwiched in between.

Contrasts are often marked with a negative form:

“NOT”, “NO”, “CAN’T”, “NONE”

– Example A: “(It’s) HOT, NOT WARM, HOT!”

– Example B: “DESERT DRY, MOISTURE NONE, DRY!”

“BALLOONS FEW, NO, MANY BALLOONS!”

“GLACIER WATER, COLD, WARM NO,

VERY-COLD, BRRR!”

Contrast the following:

1. I could barely stay awake during the

teacher’s lecture.

2. Mary is so humble.

3. The mansion is huge.

2. Faceting

Describes a feature where several different signs

are signed sequentially to express one idea more

clearly. Although several signs are used, this

feature actually narrows a concept to a more exact

or specific image.

Usually used with adjectives or adverbs.

This guides the viewer in a particular direction:

EX: “burned out= “FED-UP // WORN-OUT // GIVE-

UP”

“HOT AIR BALLOON, MANY

COLORS// BRIGHT

// COLORFUL , WOW!”

“COLORFUL”

UNIQUE/ UNUSUAL

“CHIHULY GLASS, ODD//

DIFFERENT

// OUT-THERE// SPECIAL”

Facet the following:

1. My son is so mule-headed.

2. The presenter is so animated.

3. The public bathroom was refreshingly

clean.

4. The sea was brilliantly blue.

3. Reiteration

Refers to signs that are repeated in a text exactly the same way as they were initially stated. A sign or signs are used again, reiterated, within a passage.

This implies emphasis: that something is important to the storyline, has cultural significance, or has high emotional impact to the signer.

Ex A: “It was my job”= MY DUTY, NOT WIFE. MY DUTY, RESPONSIBILITY.”

Ex B: “I waited in a long line forever.” “LONG-LINE, WAIT+++ LONG-LINE”

“GROUP EFFORT”

‘GROUP TRY WORK, BRAINSTORM-

IDEAS, UNITED, WORK-HARD GROUP

TRY”

Reiterate the following:

1. My snowmobile experience is

unforgettable.

2. The hotel is swanky.

3. Lee is a complainer.

4. The restaurant has extremely excellent

food.

4. Utilizing 3D Space

Space is utilized in setting up nouns,

pronouns-referential space, proximal

relationships- topographical space.

Classifiers are one way this information is

conveyed.

Space can be referential, topographical, by

using spatial mapping and/or classifiers.

Utilizing 3D Space

Example: “Across the arid grasslands, as far

as the eye can see, hugging the shadows of

the few trees, lay a pride of lions in various

stages of sleep and rest.”

Picturesque

“Full of waving hands”

Utilize the following in 3D:

1. A bird sitting on a tree grooming itself when alerted by sound immediately taking flight.

2. A 6th floor apartment dweller accidentally dropped a flowerpot on the pavement and it shattered into pieces, the flowers lay drooping.

3. The beginning skier was waving his ski poles wildly as he careened down the slope, his eyes wide and mouth open as if trying to scream in the cold air.

4. Plagiarism is flagrant at colleges with lenient professors.

5. Explaining by Examples

It is often for nouns and superordinates

which are a category of words that group

concrete objects together

Examples:

– Furniture: chair, table, sofa, lamp etc.

– Baby clothes: diapers, onesies, bib etc.

Tools

Vehicles

Weapons

Explain by Examples the Following:

The continents

Food groups

Fruits

Vaccination for childhood illnesses

Etc.

6. Couching or Scaffolding

A series of signs are grouped together to form a concept. This adds background or contextual information to a concept to make it clear.

“Defining an object or phenomenon by description, analogy, or function instead of “by label” (Smith 1996)

It may include 3D space, explaining by example, contrasting or by simply explaining the concept.

An introductory “set-up” is needed to ensure the listener has a shared schema or frame to understand the upcoming discourse.

Couching/Scaffolding Example

EX: Sewer pipes: “KNOW TOILET FLUSH

ECL: water-drain-through pipe CC big sewer

pipe ECL: sewage flows.”

Endangered Species

Couch or Scaffold the following:

1. Primitive cultures

2. Hydroponics

3. Gold Rush

4. Technological

Advances

7. Describe Then Do

When the signer shifts from a narrative style

of discourse to direct style of discourse or

from narrator to character.

Example-English: “I called a friend.”

ASL: ‘ME T0-CALL FRIEND ICL: “pick-up-

phone-put-on-TTY.”

Soccer Game

Describe then Do the Following:

1. I placed my call with VRS.

2. He showed up after I left.

3. We biked from opposite ends and had a

hand slap when we passed each other.

4. The car swerved and slammed at the light

pole, it fell on a fire hydrant. Water started

spurting everywhere while the electric

wires crackled.

The Lecture Part is Over

BREAK

During the break you will be shown pictures, please preview pictures and think how to apply all 7 expansion strategies to the pictures.

Feel free to discuss with your friends, colleagues, or your group the different strategies you can apply to each picture.

After the break, we will have a fun activity to apply those concepts.

A Fun Activity

There will be seven groups lined up and each

person assigned a number.

A picture will be shown overhead, the first person

in the line from each group will have opportunity to

look at the picture then select one expansion

strategy and sign it to apply to the picture.

However, the next person to sign will need to

choose another strategy if that strategy is already

taken and so on for the person in the next group.

“Mass of Office Workers”

Beach Volleyball

Fantasy

The African Sahara

Skateboarder

Animation/

Ribbon Dancer

The Great Wall of China

“It’s a Dog’s Life!”

Landlocked Lake

Party goers on

New Year’s Eve

Prayer

Fini

Contact Information:

Brenda Aron: Baron@sccd.ctc.edu