American Sign Language for the Deaf Lesson 5, “I can…”
By Elaine Ernst Schneider
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Sign | Description of Action |
| . | |
| can | Hold “a” hands in front of the chest area, thumbs pointing upward. Move both hands down firmly together, stopping at the waist. |
| cook | Place the palm side of the right hand in the upturned palm of the left hand. Then turn the right hand over, resting the back side of the right hand in the left palm. Note: the sign is to suggest turning food over in a frying pan, for example, flipping a pancake. |
| I (ASL) | Point to self, mid chest. |
| I (SE) | Touch the “i” hand to the center of the chest. |
| learn | Gently touch the fingers of the right “and” hand to the left upturned palm. Move the right hand to the forehead, as if transferring information from the hand to the brain. |
| read | Move a right “v” hand downward across a left open palm. |
| sign | Using “d” hands, rotate in a circular motion toward the body. Hands should not be parallel – keep one hand up when the other is down and vice versa. |
| sing | Wave right flat hand in the crook of the left arm. |
| study | With right open fingers pointing toward the open palm of the left hand (left palm facing right, fingers closed), wiggle fingers slightly. Note: Some signers also move the right hand back and forth a short distance from the left hand, to indicate pouring over the same material again and again. |
| teach | Hold closed hands, palms facing outward and fingers touching thumbs, in front of the body, leaving about six inches between hands. Open and close hands twice to indicate the imparting of information. |
| work | Tap the right “s” hand on the back of the left “s” hand. |
To review the differences between ASL and SE (Signed English) , click here.
Continue to Lesson 6 – “I will…” Click Here
More Articles by this author, Click Here
More Articles in this Subject, Click Here
