Sometimes interpreters get stuck in their nativesecond language. Nativesecond? (I just made that word up, definitely not a real word). Yes, stuck in English signing. It’s a hard habit to break! This workshop is 100% storytelling with gestures, sign space, roll shifting, eye-gaze, body engagement, etc. Upon entering the room, you’ll choose random playing cards. Each stack is unique. With your stack, you will see cards displaying people, places, things, events, and many more. You will be given time to work on your own to create an ASL story...WITHOUT fingerspelling or using words twice OH MY. Get your chance to tell a strong ASL story in front of your peers. We all have something to learn from you. This is a positive environment meant to lift each other up and learn from your specific skills. It’s the audience attendees that will benefit most.
Educational Objectives
Focusing on gestures and sign space, this will have a specific amount of people who can attend due to timing. Each attendee will draw random cards (based on a card game called Once Upon A time) and will have a stack including but not limited to person, place, thing, event, and location. They will each have time to create a strong gesture/ASL story with no fingerspelling or repetitive vocab words (for example... setting up an object in your sign space, then utilizing eye gaze or role shift to refer to that item, person, or place). Each attendee will present their story in front of the group. Then allow time for feedback, notes, etc. All of their “card” items will be written on a flipchart for easier following and post-story feedback reference.
The goal is to start breaking the English structure/fingerspelling habit. Not only will each person actively sign an ASL story, but it is also an opportunity for attendees to use their receptive skills and pick up new approaches from peers. This will be more of a positive critique environment rather than correcting errors.
