Signing And Gesturing In TPRS

To view this content, you must be a member of Ben's Patreon at $10 or more
Already a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

6 thoughts on “Signing And Gesturing In TPRS”

  1. Byron Despres-Berry

    And which of the kids’ gestures do we pick? I decided one day to put a crown on one of my girls, set her on a throne on a table, and make her the queen of gestures.

    We had three target structures that needed gesturing: anybody who wanted their gesture picked had to curry favor with the queen. When she saw one she liked, for whatever reason, she pointed and said “Du da, das ist wunderbar.”

    Did I get this idea from “TPRS in nearly a Year” [somebody else’s sic]? I think I did, I think I did.

  2. On the topic of ASL, since I speak ASL I find that I really struggle with using gestures other than ASL in my classes. I also find that when I get really going and in the flow, so to speak, that I am actually signing and speaking quite a bit – just ask my fellow attendees at Fluency Fast!

    The thumb or hand over the shoulder is actually the past tense marker for ASL. It’s great. ASL is a three dimensional language. Present tense takes place right in the signer’s “space”. Past tense is behind the person, and future tense is in front of the person. How far behind or in front of the signer something occurs shows how far in the distance or future we are speaking about. Now, it is very awkward to sign behind your body, so you sign and then throw what you just said behind you. 🙂

    ASL has many signs that use two hands, but none of them *require* two hands. Just sign with your dominant hand as if you were using both hands and you are good to go. That’s how people with hot cups of coffee, babies, or heavy bags of groceries still communicate. It’s also how I can ask my (speaking) friend for directions while I am driving!

  3. Bernie Schlafke

    I used to gesture everything, but have found quick translation checks to be far more accurate and time consuming. I remember one student telling me that my absolutely “clear” gesture for “ist gegangen” (two walking fingers followed by pointing backward over my shoulder) meant “jumped backward” instead of “went.” THAT’s what sold me on the efficiency of quick translation to check comprehension. I find that the less time spent on guessing means more time spent on meaningful CI.

  4. Byron Despres-Berry

    I only use signs in conjunction with establishing meaning in English and checking for comprehension in English. I’m convinced signs/gestures help build the association, even if they aren’t clear on their own

  5. About signing the past tense: I read an article about a tribe that actually “sees” the past in front of the speaker! By far, most people consider the past to be behind them, but these people (I think they live in the Amazonas), when they sign while talking, have a sign forward that indicates the past. I find it highly interesting to think about what this must mean for their perception of life and the world.

  6. In my own experience as a TPRS German student, I saw a lot of value in asking students what sign they have. Our teacher started out with providing all the signs, then had a “back-up” sign that she’d provide but then she asked us if we had a better one. Eventually (past the first year) she just asked us from the beginning what the sign/gesture should be. Not only was it a great way to let students contribute, but the process of figuring it out as a class was also beneficial.

    Also, in Chinese, “back-day” means the day after tomorrow (future) and “forward-day” means the day before yesterday (past). My teacher in college, who was Chinese, said this made perfect sense to her. She said something like, “We can clearly see everything in front of us, and everything in the past, but the future (behind us) is what’s unknown.”

Leave a Comment

  • Search

Get The Latest Updates

Subscribe to Our Mailing List

No spam, notifications only about new products, updates.

Related Posts

The Problem with CI

To view this content, you must be a member of Ben’s Patreon at $10 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to

CI and the Research (cont.)

To view this content, you must be a member of Ben’s Patreon at $10 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to

Research Question

To view this content, you must be a member of Ben’s Patreon at $10 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to

We Have the Research

To view this content, you must be a member of Ben’s Patreon at $10 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to

$10

~PER MONTH

Subscribe to be a patron and get additional posts by Ben, along with live-streams, and monthly patron meetings!

Also each month, you will get a special coupon code to save 20% on any product once a month.

  • 20% coupon to anything in the store once a month
  • Access to monthly meetings with Ben
  • Access to exclusive Patreon posts by Ben
  • Access to livestreams by Ben