The challenge for any language learner is how to move from beyond the dictionary to the wideness and variation of everyday use. This new, practical and comprehensive text features a colorful range of information and practice elements to stimulate conceptual vocabulary development and application. Joining Fingerspelling in American Sign Language and Numbering in American Sign Language, this third text in the Yellow Book series is perfect for use with beginning to intermediate American Sign Language students.

For use in instruction of sign language beyond basic course.

This reference complements other American Sign Language (ASL) dictionaries by organizing signs by handshape rather than alphabetically by English word order. In so doing, it acts best as a recognition tool for the ASL learner, leading the user quickly to specific signs without having first to refer to an English-equivalent word. Multiple meanings of a single sign also allow deaf people to increase their English vocabulary. Like other ASL dictionaries, introductory material includes a brief synopsis of the history of sign language, the meaning and importance of the five parameters of a sign (handshape, orientation, location, movement, and nonmanual signals), grammatical rules, sign language variations (dialects), and finger-spelling principles.

Provides illustrated instructions for thousands of vocabulary words in American Sign Language.

Organizes 1,600-plus ASL signs by 40 basic hand shapes rather than in alphabetical word order. This format allows users to search for a sign that they recognize but whose meaning they have forgotten or for the meaning of a new sign they have seen for the first time. The entries include descriptions of how to form each sign to represent the varying terms they might mean. Index of English glosses only. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR