{ "id": 416361, "title": "Pro-tips on fingerspelling #1: double letters", "url": "/competitions/asl-fingerspelling/discussion/416361", "author_name": "Thad Starner", "post_date": "2023-06-11T00:01:27.886000", "votes": 29, "comment_count": 4, "views": 0, "content": "

Fingerspelling is more than just letters, numbers, and symbols. Context matters.

\n

For example, when a word has double letters, there are multiple ways it might be signed.

\n

COFFEE

\n

Is particularly interesting. A signer might form the letters C-O-F and
\nthen slide their hand to the outside of the body while holding the F-hand
\nthen form the E and slide the hand yet more to outside the body while
\nholding the E hand.

\n

This behavior can be spotted pretty easily as signers are taught to try
\nto keep their hand in the same place while fingerspelling to improve
\nunderstandability. The sliding motion is unusual.

\n

An alternative to sliding double letters is to unflex the fingers and
\nreform the letter. Using COFFEE as the example again, the signer
\nwould form the F-hand (which looks like the common American gesture
\nfor OK) then open the circle made by the thumb and index finger and
\nreform it. The E would be made next, and the fingers would be unflexed
\nand then re-formed into the E hand again.

\n

A final method that signers sometimes do is bounce the letter to
\nindicate that it is a double letter.

\n

COFFEE again is an interesting case because signers may use one or
\nmore methods within the same word!

\n

Hope this information helps!

", "messages": [ { "id": 2295416, "postDate": "2023-06-11T00:01:27.887Z", "content": "

Fingerspelling is more than just letters, numbers, and symbols. Context matters.

\n

For example, when a word has double letters, there are multiple ways it might be signed.

\n

COFFEE

\n

Is particularly interesting. A signer might form the letters C-O-F and
\nthen slide their hand to the outside of the body while holding the F-hand
\nthen form the E and slide the hand yet more to outside the body while
\nholding the E hand.

\n

This behavior can be spotted pretty easily as signers are taught to try
\nto keep their hand in the same place while fingerspelling to improve
\nunderstandability. The sliding motion is unusual.

\n

An alternative to sliding double letters is to unflex the fingers and
\nreform the letter. Using COFFEE as the example again, the signer
\nwould form the F-hand (which looks like the common American gesture
\nfor OK) then open the circle made by the thumb and index finger and
\nreform it. The E would be made next, and the fingers would be unflexed
\nand then re-formed into the E hand again.

\n

A final method that signers sometimes do is bounce the letter to
\nindicate that it is a double letter.

\n

COFFEE again is an interesting case because signers may use one or
\nmore methods within the same word!

\n

Hope this information helps!

", "rawMarkdown": "Fingerspelling is more than just letters, numbers, and symbols. Context matters. \n \nFor example, when a word has double letters, there are multiple ways it might be signed. \n \nCOFFEE \n \nIs particularly interesting. A signer might form the letters C-O-F and \nthen slide their hand to the outside of the body while holding the F-hand \nthen form the E and slide the hand yet more to outside the body while \nholding the E hand. \n \nThis behavior can be spotted pretty easily as signers are taught to try \nto keep their hand in the same place while fingerspelling to improve \nunderstandability. The sliding motion is unusual. \n \nAn alternative to sliding double letters is to unflex the fingers and \nreform the letter. Using COFFEE as the example again, the signer \nwould form the F-hand (which looks like the common American gesture \nfor OK) then open the circle made by the thumb and index finger and \nreform it. The E would be made next, and the fingers would be unflexed \nand then re-formed into the E hand again. \n \nA final method that signers sometimes do is bounce the letter to \nindicate that it is a double letter. \n \nCOFFEE again is an interesting case because signers may use one or \nmore methods within the same word! \n\nHope this information helps!", "votes": 29 }, { "id": 2296682, "postDate": "2023-06-12T04:20:00.210Z", "content": "

Found an example video on youtube that shows a couple examples of the reforming (most of them) and the sliding (Jeff, cool, door, zoo). Check out pizza (the word sign is sometimes performed with just the double z), puzzle, and jazz which shows how double zz's can be formed.

\n

https://youtu.be/7WEJ1H-u058

", "rawMarkdown": "Found an example video on youtube that shows a couple examples of the reforming (most of them) and the sliding (Jeff, cool, door, zoo). Check out pizza (the word sign is sometimes performed with just the double z), puzzle, and jazz which shows how double zz's can be formed.\n\n[https://youtu.be/7WEJ1H-u058](https://youtu.be/7WEJ1H-u058)", "votes": 5 }, { "id": 2296839, "postDate": "2023-06-12T07:36:20.497Z", "content": "

Hi @thadstarner ,

\n

Thanks a lot for the explanations. They will definitely be helpful.

\n

I was wondering whether you would happen to know of resources/examples that show how the symbol-characters that occur in the dataset are executed in ASL, i.e.:

\n

' ' '!' '#' '$' '%' '&' \" ' \" '(' ')' '*' '+' ',' '-' '.' '/' ':' ';' '=' '?' '@' '[' '_' '~'

\n

While it is quite easy to find background info about the letters and numbers, I haven't found any documentation about these yet.

\n

(aside from the competition, I'm also asking out of personal interest, as an SLR researcher)

", "rawMarkdown": "Hi @thadstarner ,\n\nThanks a lot for the explanations. They will definitely be helpful.\n\nI was wondering whether you would happen to know of resources/examples that show how the symbol-characters that occur in the dataset are executed in ASL, i.e.:\n\n' ' '!' '#' '$' '%' '&' \" ' \" '(' ')' '*' '+' ',' '-' '.' '/' ':' ';' '=' '?' '@' '[' '_' '~' \n\nWhile it is quite easy to find background info about the letters and numbers, I haven't found any documentation about these yet.\n\n(aside from the competition, I'm also asking out of personal interest, as an SLR researcher) ", "votes": 2, "replies": [ { "id": 2304161, "postDate": "2023-06-15T18:16:40.213Z", "content": "

Thanks for the question. I've made it part of Pro-tip #4

", "rawMarkdown": "Thanks for the question. I've made it part of Pro-tip #4" } ] }, { "id": 2364743, "postDate": "2023-07-29T15:09:55.897Z", "content": "

Thanks for your explaination. Thank you for your contextual knowledge of sign language，which is In data analysis and visualization, non-industry personnel have no way to perceive…

", "rawMarkdown": "Thanks for your explaination. Thank you for your contextual knowledge of sign language，which is In data analysis and visualization, non-industry personnel have no way to perceive...", "isDeleted": true } ], "comments": [ { "id": 2296682, "author_name": "Thad Starner", "author_url": "", "post_date": "2023-06-12T04:20:00.210000", "content": "

Found an example video on youtube that shows a couple examples of the reforming (most of them) and the sliding (Jeff, cool, door, zoo). Check out pizza (the word sign is sometimes performed with just the double z), puzzle, and jazz which shows how double zz's can be formed.

\n

https://youtu.be/7WEJ1H-u058

", "votes": 5, "replies": [] }, { "id": 2296839, "author_name": "Wondering Alice", "author_url": "", "post_date": "2023-06-12T07:36:20.497000", "content": "

Hi @thadstarner ,

\n

Thanks a lot for the explanations. They will definitely be helpful.

\n

I was wondering whether you would happen to know of resources/examples that show how the symbol-characters that occur in the dataset are executed in ASL, i.e.:

\n

' ' '!' '#' '$' '%' '&' \" ' \" '(' ')' '*' '+' ',' '-' '.' '/' ':' ';' '=' '?' '@' '[' '_' '~'

\n

While it is quite easy to find background info about the letters and numbers, I haven't found any documentation about these yet.

\n

(aside from the competition, I'm also asking out of personal interest, as an SLR researcher)

", "votes": 2, "replies": [ { "id": 2304161, "author_name": "Thad Starner", "author_url": "", "post_date": "2023-06-15T18:16:40.213000", "content": "

Thanks for the question. I've made it part of Pro-tip #4

", "votes": 0, "replies": [] } ] }, { "id": 2364743, "author_name": "", "author_url": "", "post_date": "2023-07-29T15:09:55.897000", "content": "

Thanks for your explaination. Thank you for your contextual knowledge of sign language，which is In data analysis and visualization, non-industry personnel have no way to perceive…

", "votes": 0, "replies": [] } ], "raw_markdown_by_id": { "2295416": "Fingerspelling is more than just letters, numbers, and symbols. Context matters. \n \nFor example, when a word has double letters, there are multiple ways it might be signed. \n \nCOFFEE \n \nIs particularly interesting. A signer might form the letters C-O-F and \nthen slide their hand to the outside of the body while holding the F-hand \nthen form the E and slide the hand yet more to outside the body while \nholding the E hand. \n \nThis behavior can be spotted pretty easily as signers are taught to try \nto keep their hand in the same place while fingerspelling to improve \nunderstandability. The sliding motion is unusual. \n \nAn alternative to sliding double letters is to unflex the fingers and \nreform the letter. Using COFFEE as the example again, the signer \nwould form the F-hand (which looks like the common American gesture \nfor OK) then open the circle made by the thumb and index finger and \nreform it. The E would be made next, and the fingers would be unflexed \nand then re-formed into the E hand again. \n \nA final method that signers sometimes do is bounce the letter to \nindicate that it is a double letter. \n \nCOFFEE again is an interesting case because signers may use one or \nmore methods within the same word! \n\nHope this information helps!", "2296682": "Found an example video on youtube that shows a couple examples of the reforming (most of them) and the sliding (Jeff, cool, door, zoo). Check out pizza (the word sign is sometimes performed with just the double z), puzzle, and jazz which shows how double zz's can be formed.\n\n[https://youtu.be/7WEJ1H-u058](https://youtu.be/7WEJ1H-u058)", "2296839": "Hi @thadstarner ,\n\nThanks a lot for the explanations. They will definitely be helpful.\n\nI was wondering whether you would happen to know of resources/examples that show how the symbol-characters that occur in the dataset are executed in ASL, i.e.:\n\n' ' '!' '#' '$' '%' '&' \" ' \" '(' ')' '*' '+' ',' '-' '.' '/' ':' ';' '=' '?' '@' '[' '_' '~' \n\nWhile it is quite easy to find background info about the letters and numbers, I haven't found any documentation about these yet.\n\n(aside from the competition, I'm also asking out of personal interest, as an SLR researcher) ", "2364743": "Thanks for your explaination. Thank you for your contextual knowledge of sign language，which is In data analysis and visualization, non-industry personnel have no way to perceive..." } }