Developed by Shanna Grossinger

Time Required for Activity:  5 mins

Competencies Address: ASL Grammar, Use of Space, Depiction

Objective(s):

Learners will:

  • practice depiction in the re-telling of an English transcript
  • compare their own work with original ASL source

In this video, different individuals share perspectives of why they valued attending a deaf school. Each activity focuses on one person’s perspective.  

Step One: Generation

Translation by ASLized

Read the following English transcript of a segment of the video “Deaf Schools.”  Re-tell this information in ASL.  We recommend recording your work so you can compare it to the original video later in this process.

VANCE YOUNGS (ERNEST C. DRURY SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF):

I have vivid memories at my Deaf school. They had some kind of festival for the Deaf children or ASL Literature week. Students would get in the front of camera and sign stories. I always became excited whenever I signed in the camera. I received numerous awards which gave me the confidence to become a TV host today.  I thank my Deaf school dearly.

Step Two: View the Source

Now watch the original ASL text from which the English transcript was generated.  Watch the clip of Vance Youngs (0:00 – 0:21)  and compare how he shows the information.  You may choose to focus on different skills in your analysis including ASL grammar, use of space, or classifiers – as well as overall use of depiction.

You may also want to shadow the signer, copying what they do to focus on some of the skills you see in the text.

Be sure to turn off the CC and audio so you can focus on the ASL.

Note on the video: If you watch it more than once, the coding that plays just an excerpt will not work. You can either refresh the page, or manually start and stop the video.  This section is from 0:00 – 0:21.

Step Three: Re-Tell the Segment

Translation by ASLized

Now that you have seen the original source, re-tell this information in ASL.  We recommend recording your work so you can compare it to the original video later in this process.  Try to incorporate what you learned from watching the original video.

VANCE YOUNGS (ERNEST C. DRURY SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF):

I have vivid memories at my Deaf school. They had some kind of festival for the Deaf children or ASL Literature week. Students would get in the front of camera and sign stories. I always became excited whenever I signed in the camera. I received numerous awards which gave me the confidence to become a TV host today.  I thank my Deaf school dearly.