Signing Naturally 9.5 Jun 2026

Try to visualize a real person while signing. The more specific your mental image, the more accurate your DCLs will be.

When comparing two people or discussing different traits, students use shoulder shifting. This "contrastive structure" helps keep the information organized in the signing space. 3. Non-Manual Markers (NMMs) signing naturally 9.5

Unit 9.5 builds on conversational fluency by teaching how to politely offer suggestions, accept or decline them, and negotiate plans—without relying on English word order or direct translations. Students learn to use non-manual markers (NMMs), specific verb phrases, and classifiers to propose activities and respond appropriately. Try to visualize a real person while signing

The main goal of this section is to learn how to describe where an object is within a room (e.g., "The stapler is on the desk to your right") so that another person can find it. Students learn to use non-manual markers (NMMs), specific

In Deaf culture, these descriptions are considered neutral and functional. Because ASL is a visual language, being vague is often more confusing than being direct. Unit 9.5 teaches students to use these descriptors as objective facts rather than insults. Tips for Mastering Unit 9.5

Watch your NMMs. Are you conveying "short" or "tall" with your face as well as your hands?

A common hurdle for students in Unit 9.5 is the "directness" of ASL. In English-speaking hearing culture, pointing out someone's weight, nose shape, or skin color can sometimes feel rude or taboo.