Asking questions

1
Asking questions

• WH- questionsYes-No questions

2
ASL and Facial grammar

• In conversation, English speakers listen to the
  tone and rise and fall of your voice
  (intonation). These variations add meaning to
  the message.
• In ASL, these variations are shown by facial and
  body expression. The raised eyebrow, the tilted
  head, shape of the mouth, etc. shape the meaning
  of what the signer is saying.

3
Non-manual signals

• These variations in ASL are called
• a) non-manual signals or NMS
• b) Non manual grammatical signals or NMGS
  (another name).
• Mastery of ASL cannot occur without mastery of
  facial grammar!

4

• Non-manual signals (NMS) are essential when
  asking questions in ASL but not all questions are
  signed the same way!
• Two major question forms in ASL are
• WH QUESTIONS
• YES NO QUESTIONS

5
WH - QUESTIONS

• Who? How-many?
• What? How-much?
• When? What-time?
• Where? How-old?
• Why?
• How?
• Which?

6
WH - QUESTIONS

• Wh-questions in ASL MUST be accompanied by the
  following non-manual signals
• - Eyebrows lowered
• - Eyes narrowed
• - Head tilt
• Last sign in question is held, waiting for
  response.

7
WH- QUESTIONS

• In ASL, the WH-question is often located at the
  END of the sentence.
• YOUR ASL TEACHER WHO? (English Who is your ASL
  teacher?)
• SCHOOL YOU GO WHERE? (English Where do you go
  to school?)

8

• YOUR NAME WHAT? (English What is your name?)
• CLASS BEGIN WHAT-TIME? (English What time does
  the class begin?)
• BATHROOM WHERE?
• (English Wheres the bathroom?)

9
YES-NO QUESTIONS

• Yes-No questions in ASL are questions that when
  asked, are responded to by either a yes or a
  no answer.
• Examples
• Are you a student? Yes
• Do you have your paper? No
• Have you finished eating? Yes

10
Yes-No Questions in ASL require these non-manual
signals

• Eyebrows raised
• Head tilt
• Eye contact made with the person being asked the
  question
• The last sign in the question is held, waiting
  for a response.

11
Wh-Q and Yes-No Question dialogue

• Wh-Q Response
• YOUR NAME WHAT? MY NAME _______
• YES-NO Q
• STUDENT YOU? YES, ME STUDENT
• Wh-Q
• TEACHER WHERE? (point)
• YES-NO Q
• DEAF YOU? NO, ME HEARING