Sign languages are different because they are three-dimentional spatial languages. Far from being simply spoken languages put on the hands, they are real languages on their own. They are rich, dramatic, efficient and elaborate. Sign languages have components that no spoken languages have.
One of these components is directionality. To illustrate this, I’ll use the simple sign “give.” We’ll imagine you’re having a signed conversation with someone named George, who stands in front of you.
In American Sign Language, or ASL, the sign for “give” begins with hands upturned at mid-body level, fingertips closed as if holding a piece of paper. To make this sign, just move your hands forward as if you are giving someone the piece of paper. You can “give” more than a piece of paper this way; you can “give” a house, a germ, an elephant, a DVD of Star Trek, with this same sign.
To say “I give you,” make this sign beginning in front of your body, and extend the hands toward your friend George. This would tell George that you are giving something directly to him.
To ask George to give something to you, you would start the sign in front of him, and move the sign in toward your own body. See the difference between the two signs? “I give you” starts close to you and moves away. “You give me” starts away from you and moves inward.
Now, let’s make it interesting. Imagine that two more friends have joined in the conversation. We’ll call them Ginny and Pete. We’ll assume you are familiar with fingerspelling – but don’t worry if you’re not, this is just an illustration. First, you spell “Ginny” and point down and slightly to your left, between yourself and George. Now spell “Pete” and point down and slightly to your right.
While looking at George, make the “give” sign starting in front of you and moving to the left, to the spot where you placed Ginny. You have now told George that you gave Ginny something. To tell George that you gave Pete something, look at George and make the same sign, except move it toward your right side.
Now let’s tell George that you will give something to Ginny, and she will then give it to George. Do what you did before, but add a bit to it. While looking at George, “give” the item to Ginny. Pause, still keeping eye contact with George. Then continue the movement of your hands from Ginny’s spot, over to George.
What if Pete must get the item after George is done with it? Just add on again. Once you have had Ginny give the item to George, pause, then continue the movement over to Pete’s spot.
To make this even more pointed, add one more sign to the sequence. This sign is “finish.” This can be made with one or two hands. Start with the hands open, fingers separated, palms up, in front of you. Flick the hands downward once as if shaking off water. For this scenario, keep the “finish” sign near you while the “give” sign moves around the circle.
Now: “Give” your item to Ginny with one hand. Maintain eye contact with George. While holding the item in Ginny’s area, make the “finish” sign with the other hand. Now “give” the item to George, then sign “finish.” Move the item to Pete’s area. You have told George the sign equivalent of “I give the item to Ginny. When Ginny is finished with it, she gives it to you. When you’re done with it, you give it to Pete.”
You could even add on another set of “finish, give” if Pete has to give the item back to you when he’s done with it. Just sign “finish” and move the “give” sign from Pete’s area back to yourself.
There are two ways to show that you will give the same type of item to everyone at once. For the first kind, it is easier to use only one hand. Begin with the signing hand in front of your body. In one smooth, sweeping arc, “give” the item to Ginny, then George and then Pete.
A second way to show this idea uses both hands at the same time. With one hand, in a smooth arc “give” the item to George and then Pete. With the other hand, “give” the item slightly forward and then sweep it over to Ginny.
In ASL and in other sign languages, directionality quickly becomes intuitive. Once you understand the basics of this component, it’s easy to understand, imagine and create complex meanings.
Rosemary Kurtz, M.A. has been in the field of deafness for decades. She has normal hearing and taught her two normally-hearing teenagers to use sign language from their earliest days. Click here to see the finest sign-language learning materials on the market.