Lesson Tutor: ASL Everyday Phrases

American Sign Language (ASL) and Signed English (SE)
Series 3 Lesson 8 Everyday Phrases
By Elaine Ernst Schneider

Wave your upward pointing index finger left and right as if panning the space before you.
Place both hands in L shapes on front hips. Then move hands simultaneously up the body's torso, stopping at the upper chest level.
Point in the direction of where someone is located. If no one is there, point to an imaginary person.
Where
live
you

Where do you live?

picture to show how to sign ' phone'
picture to show how to sign ' number'
Use the index finger of the right hand to pass over the palm of the left open hand (fingers tightly close) from the base of the index finger to the base of the little finger.
Phone
number
what

What is your phone number?

have
T T Y
have

Do you have TTY?
Note: TTY (Text Telephone Relay) is a relay system which enables hearing impaired persons to make phone calls. The deaf person types a message which a hearing person (relay operator) hears and then relays/speaks to a person on the other end.

 

Point to self.
Bring both hands together as a hands, touching palms at the end of the motion.
Me
with

May I go with you?

Make a single downward motion with the right h hand to sit on the left hand's h. Both hands should have palms down.
Use right hand, flat, fingers together. Rub in a circular motion mid-chest.
 Sit 
please

Be seated, please.

Signs Description of Sign Action
have Place fingertips of both hands, palms bent back toward wrists, on the chest to indicate possession.
live Place both hands in “L” shapes on front hips. Then move hands simultaneously up the body’s torso, stopping at the upper chest level.
me Point to self, mid-chest.
number Touch fingertips of two “O” hands and move them forward and backward in opposition on to the other.
phone Hold a “y” hand to the side of the head, much as you would a telephone receiver.
please Use right hand, flat, fingers together. Rub in a circular motion mid-chest.
sit Using “h” hands, “sit” the right “h” hand on the top of the left “h” hand, palms facing downward.
TTY Fingerspell these initials
what Use the index finger of the right hand to pass over the palm of the left open hand (fingers tightly close) from the base of the index finger to the base of the little finger.
where Wave your upward pointing index finger left and right as if panning the space before you.
with Bring both hands together as “a” hands, touching palms at the end of the motion.
you Point in the direction of where someone is located. If no one is there, point to an “imaginary” person.

Continue to Lesson 9: Past Tense

Submitted by:  Elaine Ernst Schneider entered the classroom as a special education teacher in the 1970’s. Since then, she has taught mainstream English Grammar, Literature, music K-12, deaf education, psychology, Algebra, creative writing, social studies, law, and science in both public and private schools. Presently, Elaine is a curriculum author for multiple educational publishers and is the managing editor of Lesson Tutor, a lesson plan website found at https://www.lessontutor.com. Her most recent books, 52 Children’s Moments (Synergy Publications) and Taking Hearing Impairment to School (JayJo Books and the Guidance Channel) can be found at Amazon.com. She is currently working on a project with Pearson Prentice Hall as an author of an on-line teacher’s professional development course for the Council for Exceptional Children.
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