A PC laptop sits on a white counter next to an iPad with headphones plugged into a phone

Practice your fingerspelled word recognition with this text comparing Macs and PCs for your computing needs.

This activity is designed in 3 parts.

Part 1:

Steps 1-2: 15 minutes

Part 2:

Steps 3-5: 30 minutes

Part 3:

Steps 6-7: 25 minutes

Working on the parts at separate times allows for spacing out the learning that creates a desirable difficulty as described in the book Make It Stick.  

Key Skills

These are some of the key skills from Taylor (2002, 2017) that you can choose to focus on in this activity.

  • Major Feature | Comprehension: ASL Discourse (Taylor, 2002)
    • 1:  Fingerspelling is interpreted accurately (p.33)
  • Major Feature | Fingerspelling (Taylor, 2017)
    • 1.3: Use acronyms and abbreviations accurately (p. 36)
    • 1.5: Articulate individual letters clearly (p. 46)
    • 1.6: Pause correctly within and between fingerspelled words (p. 48)
    • 1.7: Fingerspell words at understandable pace (p. 49)
    • 1.8: Accompany fingerspelling with appropriate mouthing (p. 50)

Time Required for Activity: Part 1 – 15 mins; Part 2 – 30 mins; Part 3 – 25 mins

Objective(s):

You will:

  1. Identify fingerspelled words in an ASL explanatory text
  2. Shadow native signer’s use of fingerspelling

References

Taylor, M. (2017). Interpretation Skills:  English to American Sign Language.   Edmonton:  Interpreting Consolidated.

Taylor, M. (2002). Interpretation Skills:  American Sign Language to English.   Edmonton:  Interpreting Consolidated.

Step One: Prediction

Estimated time: 2 minutes

In this activity, you will be be identifying the fingerspelled items signed by Samond in his explanation comparing Macs and PCs. Before you begin, take a look at this image and try to predict what things might be fingerspelled when discussing computers.

Write down your predictions on a piece of paper so that you can compare your thoughts here with what you identify later in the process.

A PC laptop sits on a white counter next to an iPad with headphones plugged into a phone

Step Two: Watch the Complete Video

Estimated time: 10 minutes

Click below to watch Samond Bishara explain the parts of a bicycle without pausing.  The entire video is 4:20 in length.  After you are done with watching the video, write down all of the fingerspelled words you remember.  (Note: on this first pass, please do not pause the video. The goal is for you to see the fingerspelled items in context and challenge you to use you retrieval skills to remember what fingerspelled words you saw.)

View ASL video “Mac or PC?”

Step 3: Focusing in on Fingerspelling

Estimated Time:  15 minutes

Now watch the video again and use the provided worksheet to write down the fingerspelled items at each time code.  This time, pause the video and rewind the video if needed. (You can also click the gear setting on the YouTube video and adjust speed.)

Table with headings of Time & Fingerspelled words. Time columns have time codes from video. Fingerspelled words columns are blank.

Download PDF of worksheet to print | Create Copy of Google Doc of Worksheet

View the video again.

Step Four: Check Your Work

Estimated Time:  5 minutes

Check your work against this answer sheet which identifies all of the fingerspelled items.

View the answers for the worksheet. (Opens in a new window)

Step Five: Watch the Complete Video and Shadow Fingerspelling

Estimated time: 10 minutes

Click below to watch the video again.  This time shadow all of the fingerspelled items.  Don’t worry about shadowing the other parts of the video.  Your focus here is on the fingerspelling.  (Note: you may want to click on the gear icon on the YouTube video and play it in slow speed and build up to full speed.)

Shadow ASL video “Mac or PC?”

Step Six: Interpret the Text

Estimated Time: 10 minutes

After your practice with the fingerspelled items, now put all the parts together.  Create and record an interpretation of the text into spoken English.   (Note: you may want to click on the gear icon on the YouTube video and play it in slow speed and build up to full speed.)

Interpret “Mac vs. PC”

Step Seven: Check Your Interpretation & Reflection

Estimated Time:  15 minutes

Listen to your interpretation and use this answer sheet which identifies all of the fingerspelled items.  Check to see how many of the fingerspelled items you included in your work.

View the answers for the worksheet. (Opens in a new window)

Reflection Questions

  • What percentage of the fingerspelled items did you include in your interpretation?
  • Did you notice any patterns with what you included or didn’t include in the interpretation?
  • If you didn’t include a word that was fingerspelled, what was the reason for the omission?  (Note that some omissions may be strategic and conscious on the part of an interpreter – so it is not necessarily an error.

If you are working with a colleague, share your reflections with this person.  If you are working alone, you may want to record your reflections an interpreting journal or create an ongoing document for your reflections.