Assam Higher Secondary Skill Subject Sign Language flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Deaf vs deaf

Capital-D Deaf refers to cultural and linguistic identity within the Deaf community; lowercase deaf refers only to audiological status. A person may be audiologically deaf without identifying as culturally Deaf.

Modality in sign language

Sign languages use the manual-visual channel: hands, face, and body in space. This is not pantomime, and it is not universal - each community develops its own signed language with its own grammar.

Four parameters of a sign

Handshape, location, movement, and palm orientation. Changing any one parameter can change meaning entirely, and non-manual features form an additional grammatical layer on top.

Degrees of hearing loss

Measured in decibels in the better ear: mild 26-40 dB, moderate 41-55 dB, moderately severe 56-70 dB, severe 71-90 dB, and profound at 91 dB or above.

Two-handed manual alphabet

In ISL and BSL, the non-dominant hand serves as a base or chart while the dominant hand points to or contacts positions on it. ASL instead uses a one-handed alphabet.

When to fingerspell

Use fingerspelling for proper nouns, brand and place names, acronyms, technical terms, and any concept lacking an established sign. Everyday vocabulary should use lexical signs instead.

Fingerspelling rhythm rule

Produce letters in a smooth flow with a slight pause at word boundaries. Avoid bouncing each letter separately, since this reduces legibility for the reader.

Lexicalised fingerspelling

A fingerspelled sequence that becomes a fixed sign with reduced, conventionalised movement. Name signs and borrowed words often originate this way in sign languages.

Minimal pairs in signs

Two signs that differ in exactly one parameter, such as handshape or location, but carry different meanings. They are the core test of production accuracy in vocabulary learning.

Name signs

Personal signs assigned by Deaf community members, not self-invented. They usually encode a characteristic or a written-name initial and function as part of a person's identity.

Attention-getting etiquette

Wave within the person's visual field, tap the shoulder, or flash lights. Do not shout, throw objects, or physically turn someone's head toward you.

Topicalisation

Moving the topic to the start of a signed sentence and marking it with raised eyebrows, a slight head tilt, or a pause before the comment follows.

Yes/no question markers

Raised eyebrows, widened eyes, and a forward head tilt held across the whole question. Omitting these markers makes a question look like a statement to a deaf reader.

Wh-question markers

Lowered eyebrows and a slight forward head position, with the wh-sign frequently placed at the end of the clause rather than the beginning.

Non-manual negation

A headshake, frown, or both, spread across the negated clause. It can accompany a manual NOT sign or carry negation alone in many sign languages.

Verb agreement in signing space

Indicating verbs move between the signer's body and a location established for a referent, so the movement path encodes who does what to whom.

Classifiers

Handshapes representing object categories - vehicles, people, flat or cylindrical objects - combined with movement and location to depict action and spatial relationships.

Referential space

Assigning a fixed location in signing space to each person or object, then pointing back to that location for pronouns and agreement throughout the discourse.

Where to look when receiving

Focus on the signer's face, not the hands. Eyebrows, mouth, and head movement carry grammatical meaning, while handshape and location are tracked in peripheral vision.

Turn-taking signals

Eye gaze, a raised hand, a touch on the shoulder, or holding the final sign. Breaking eye contact typically yields the floor to the other signer.

Repair strategies

Ask for a repeat, a slower production, or a fingerspelled version; then paraphrase back what you understood to confirm. Guessing from context alone causes persistent miscommunication.

Role shift

A storytelling device where the signer shifts head, shoulders, or gaze to portray a character, then returns to narrator position to mark the end of the quoted segment.

Constructed action

Portraying a character's actions and expressions from the inside rather than describing them from outside. It is central to fluent signed narrative and storytelling.

Narrative pacing

Varying signing speed, holding key signs, and using pauses with eyebrow raises to build and release tension. Isolated sign-by-sign production reads as flat and unclear.

Eyebrow grammar

Raised brows typically mark yes/no questions and topics; lowered brows typically mark wh-questions and negation. Learners who freeze the face lose these distinctions entirely.

Mouth morphemes

Meaningful mouth patterns that are part of a sign, not lipreading of spoken words. They can distinguish intensity, manner, or adverbial meaning across many different verbs.

Affective vs grammatical expression

Affective facial expression shows emotion; grammatical expression marks sentence type and negation. Both occur at once, and neither should be suppressed while signing.

Common non-manual errors

A frozen or neutral face while signing, nodding the head during a negative statement, and mouthing spoken words that contradict the sign's actual meaning.

Deaf culture defined

A linguistic minority culture built on shared sign language and experience, with deaf clubs, schools, associations, and sports events as its institutions.

Interpreter role boundaries

Interpreters convey meaning accurately and completely, maintain confidentiality and impartiality, and do not advise, edit, or advocate for either party in a conversation.

Deaf Gain perspective

A framing that treats deafness as a source of linguistic and cultural contribution rather than a deficit to be corrected or pitied.

Portfolio video evidence

Dated, labelled recordings in a stable format showing the full upper body and face, so handshape, non-manual features, and referential space are all assessable.