Talking With Your Hands, Listening With Your Eyes: A Complete Photographic Guide to American Sign Language [Paperback]

Gabriel Grayson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2003 | ISBN-10: 075700007X | ISBN-13: 978-0757000072 | Edition: 1

After English and Spanish, it is the third most common language in North America. Over 22 million people use it to communicate. It has its own beauty, its own unmistakable form, and its own inherent culture. It is American Sign Language (ASL), the language of the deaf.

Gabriel Grayson has put together a book that makes signing accessible, easy, and fun. Using almost 1,400 photographs, he has created a comprehensive primer to the techniques, words,

and phrases of signing. Each word or phrase is accompanied by a photo or series of photos that show hand and body motions and facial expressions. Along with the images are step-by-step instructions for forming the sign, as well as a helpful “Visualize” tip that connects the sign with its meaning for easier recall.

After examining the fascinating history and nature of both sign language and the deaf community, Talking With Your Hands explains signing basics, covering such topics as handshapes, fingerspelling, signing etiquette, and more. The remaining chapters provide over 1,700 words and phrases. Throughout the book, informative insets focus on fascinating aspects of deaf history, deaf culture, and significant deaf personalities.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Grayson, chair of the New School University's department of sign language, created this massive reference in the hopes of "making it easier to understand, duplicate and remember the vocabulary" of American Sign Language, which is used by an estimated 500,000 deaf people in the U.S. and Canada. Grayson can hear, but was born to parents who were both deaf, and his first means of trained communication was sign language. The book covers more than 900 signs that represent nearly 1,800 words and phrases, with signs grouped by topic, e.g., common and polite phrases; mealtime and food; school and education; careers, jobs and the workplace;and the body and health. One or more photos of professional signers demonstrating the sign formation accompany a discussion of each sign. Grayson provides instructions for each word, explaining the hand shape, the position in front of the body where the sign is made and the type of movement involved in expressing the word. Perhaps most useful is the "visualize" portion of each entry, which often explains the essence of the sign. For example, when signing the word "farmer," which involves moving one's hand across the chin and then down the chest, visualize yourself depicting "the bushy beard of a farmer." Although the photos are on the small side (about two inches square), Grayson's instructions are detailed and clearly written. Especially valuable are the educational sidebars on what it's like to live as a deaf person in the U.S., including a suggested reading list on the history of deaf culture, a discussion of how technology has created more career options for deaf people and a list of American films featuring deaf protagonists. Index.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-An outstanding, user-friendly resource for those interested in learning ASL. Signs are grouped into chapters based on their meanings. The meanings and synonyms are in large, blue print; descriptions of the hand shape, position, and movement are set in smaller, black type. One or two black-and-white, 2" x 2" photographs of the entire torso show the beginning and end of a sign; superimposed arrows indicate additional movement. These pictures are clear enough for new signers to follow. Additional photos at the bottom of the page show only hand shapes, making clear what might not be visible due to the angle of the primary illustrations. Signers shown represent diverse cultural backgrounds. The index enables readers to locate both the desired sign and its antonym. Throughout, boxed inserts present thorough, insightful articles on such subjects relating to deaf culture as medical conditions and assistive technology. This information alone makes the book a wonderful resource.
Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Square One Pub; 1 edition (February 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075700007X
• ISBN-13: 978-0757000072
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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