Principles of Correct Signing

NOT all Christians have had many years of secular education. Even the apostles Peter and John were described as “uneducated and ordinary.” (Acts 4:13) Nevertheless, it is important to avoid detracting from your presentation of Bible truth by poor sign production.

Elements of a Sign. Perhaps you have assembled a puzzle in the past. You know that all the pieces must fit together properly to create a complete picture. It is similar with signing. You must know the “pieces,” or parts, that make up a sign before you can articulate it clearly. There are five fundamental elements to each sign. Knowing these is the first step to producing them correctly and becoming a fluent signer.

Handshape. All signs are made up of handshapes. Handshapes may be alphabetical or numerical, or they may take other acceptable forms in your sign language. There are also constraints regarding how handshapes should make contact with the other hand or with other parts of the body. For example, consider the “F” shape in American Sign Language. The thumb and index finger can make contact with the other hand or with the body, but the other three fingers should never make contact. It is important to become familiar with the rules governing handshapes in your sign language, keeping in mind that they are not the same in every language.

Some signs require only one hand, such as the signs for “farm” and “pig.” Other signs require two hands. Some consist of matching handshapes, such as “proceed,” “with,” and “match.” Sometimes a sign is made up of two different handshapes with the dominant hand performing any movement involved in the sign, such as “soda,” “cup,” and “oppress.”

Palm Orientation. In every sign, the hands must be positioned a certain way. The palms may face your body or may be turned away. This is very important, since a wrong palm orientation could result in a distorted sign and convey the wrong meaning. For example, while the handshapes for the signs “name” and “train” are the same, the palm orientation is different.

Location. The place where you make a sign affects its meaning. The sign might be made on your chin, your forehead, your cheeks, or another place on your body. Signs can also be made in the space around you. For example, while the signs “dry” and “summer” have the same handshape and movement, one is signed on the chin and the other on the forehead. Location includes where a sign begins and where it ends. For example, the sign “man” starts at the forehead and ends at the chest.

Movement. Movement is of great importance and might even be called the engine of sign language. A sign is incomplete without its particular motion. Sign movement can be quick or drawn out. Some motions are grammatical in nature. For example, doubling the motion can distinguish a verb from a noun. Typically, the signs for “chair” and “airplane” are nouns when signed with a double motion but become verbs (“be seated” and “flying”) when signed with a single motion. Movement can inflect a sign and give additional information. For example, some motions provide details about timing, such as whether the signer is alluding to a rapid succession of events, a regular occurrence, an infrequent event, a single occasion, and so forth. Facial expressions add even more meaning. Thus, by careful attention to its movement, you may be able to explain a complex idea with a single sign, rather than signing an entire sentence.

Non-Manual Markers. These are visual markers which do not involve the use of the hands. Why are they important? A deaf person looks mostly at the face for information, which is why as much as 80 percent of signs are made on or near the face. Movement of the eyebrows, mouth, cheeks, head, shoulders, or nose can be used to create non-manual markers that convey additional information. These markers can add grammatical information to a sign. They can also add intensity by inflection. For example, the way the mouth is moved could show that something is either far away or nearby. Squinting the eyes can convey distance or time.

It is important to note that some facial expressions show emotions and feelings. These facial expressions are different from non-manual markers, which are grammatical or inflective.

In most sign languages, native signers tend to have slightly more proximal movements in their signing. For example, the sign “black” would be signed with most of the motion in the wrist, whereas a non-native signer might use more elbow movement. Other examples are signs such as “future” and “can.” However, in a more formal register, such as when giving a talk, even native signers might use more distal movements to project signs clearly.

Signing a word should never feel awkward or cause pain; if it does, you are likely erring in one or more of the above elements. This could be compared to trying to force the pieces of a puzzle to fit together. Instead, you should always be able to sign comfortably, with the “pieces” falling into place.

The following sections outline additional principles that are also very important to sign language.

Register. Signing may vary according to the situation. For example, the way someone signs in a casual conversation with friends would differ from the way he signs a talk at a congregation meeting. Such variations are known as register. Register may be formal or informal and may differ depending on whether a person is speaking to a single listener or to a large audience. However, regardless of the setting, signing should still be clear, accurate, and appropriate to the occasion. If the signing register typically used for an intimate setting was used during a talk given at a congregation meeting, it would be inappropriate and could make the audience uncomfortable. Appropriate conversational style is discussed in more detail in Study 28.

Role Shifts. The signer often shifts his body position to take on the role of a character and to convey information. His body may then return to a neutral position as he resumes the role of speaker or narrator. He can also use role shifts to show interaction or dialogue between multiple people at different points in time. This technique is often used in the Bible and in theocratic publications. The degree to which role shifts are used may vary according to setting and register. Role shifts in a formal setting, such as when giving a talk, may be more pronounced. The signer may move his shoulders and head distinctly so that the audience can readily recognize which character is speaking. In an informal setting, role shifts may be much more subtle.

Spelling. Spelling is an intrinsic part of most sign languages. However, the degree to which it is used varies from one country to another. If you live in a country where proper nouns or other words are sometimes spelled, the following information will be beneficial. Many deaf people, especially older ones, may spell words for reasons other than convenience or the lack of an existing sign. They do not do this as a way to test others but, rather, because they value written words. What can help you better understand spelled words? First, consider the context in which the word is used, and second, be aware that native signers do not typically spell out every letter. A native signer might clearly sign each letter in a frequently used or unique word the first time he signs it. An example of this might be when he first meets someone and spells his own name. However, in typical everyday spelling, native signers might spell some words in a way that emphasizes certain letters, creating a visual pattern. For example, when spelling the word “apple,” the hand is in a level position for “a,” drops for “pp,” raises for “l,” and resumes a level position for “e.” Spelling in this manner creates a clear visual flow that makes the word easily recognizable. Other words, however, might more commonly be spelled with the hand in a level position throughout. When a word is spelled to you, look at the entire word rather than each letter. If you do not recognize the pattern or do not understand the word, consider the context. In time, you will be able to recognize many spelled words as though they were single signs.

Ways to Improve. Some people may be unaware that they are signing incorrectly. If the midweek meeting overseer gives you counsel regarding aspects of your signing that need attention, appreciate his kindness. Once you know the problem, how can you make improvement?

First of all, when you have an assignment to sign from the Bible, take time to understand each sign. A sign-language dictionary might be helpful. But one of the best things to do is to ask native signers to explain unfamiliar signs to you. A sign may take on a slightly different appearance depending on the setting in which it is used. When you encounter an unfamiliar sign, practice signing it several times until you are sure that you can produce it accurately.

A second way that you can improve your signing is by signing to someone else—someone who signs clearly himself—and asking him to correct your mistakes.

A third way to improve is by carefully watching good speakers. If videos of the New World Translation or The Watchtower are available, make good use of these. As you watch, take note of words that are being signed differently from the way you would do it. Write these down, and practice them.

Established theocratic signs should be signed in the same way as they are in our publications. But keep in mind that other signs used in publications such as The Watchtower need to be understood by a vast audience, including viewers in other countries. So if some common words are signed differently in your area, feel free to use local signs. There is no need to be dogmatic about any specific sign. (1 Tim. 6:4) For example, the word “birthday” might be signed a certain way in our publications but is signed differently in your area. Use what is understood locally. Even our publications use different signs at different times to express the same idea.

By applying the above suggestions, your signing will be correct and appealing, and this will greatly enhance your presentation of Bible truth.