Sharing Interesting
Facts - Comparisons
Unit 19
ASL III
Sharing Interesting
Facts
People find themselves wanting to relay in
their daily conversations interesting or
amusing information they have heard about or
read. Interesting facts is the topic of this unit
because these facts can be surprising,
unbelievable, educational, and fun - the
makings of an interesting conversation.
Sharing Interesting
Facts
This unit is designed to help you develop good interpretations of
written information. Specific grammar structures are introduced
to help you organize the essential information to show the
relevance of the information presented. Because of the concise
nature of each fact, you need to learn how to analyze the fact to
understand what it means. When presenting the fact, you may
have to explain, rephrase, demonstrate, or draw conclusions to
convey the fact accurately. This lesson will help you be better able
to interpret written information into ASL without the
interpretation being unduly influenced by English structure. We
selected facts that fit into four categories: whole-part, listing,
comparisons, and illustrating a fact.
Translating Facts
The facts we will learn about are organized into four
categories:
● Whole-Part
● Listing
● Comparisons
● Illustrating a Fact
Each category has a particular grammatical structure. Later,
you will use these structures when preparing your own facts to
share.
Comparisons
▪ When the fact is about comparing two things (topics), use
contrastive structure.
▪ Contrastive structure requires that you establish one topic
in the space to your left and the other in the space to your
right.
▪ When signing information about the topic on the left, all
signed information about the topic must be signed in the
space to the left as well. The same is true about the topic
on the right - all information about that topic must be
signed in the space to the right.
Comparisons
To translate a fact that compares two things, you can:
▪ name the topics and then pose a rhetorical question
or
▪ pose a rhetorical question and then name the topics
Name Topics, Pose Question
Translation Guide
1. Name the topics being compared (use
contrastive structure).
2. Pose the question (use rhetorical question).
3. Supply the answer.
4. Give an interpretation.
Fact 6: Name Topics, Pose
Question
Video notes:
Stefanie begins by naming the two
topics “babies of deaf parents” (on
her right side) and “babies of
hearing parents” (on her left side),
then asks the rhetorical question
“which learns to speak first?” After
she gives the answer by pointing
to her right side, she repeats the
topic and contrasts it with the
other topic. She ends with an
interpretation.
Stefanie states that “Babies of deaf
parents learn to use sign language
about three months earlier than
babies of hearing parents learn to
speak.”
Pose Question, Name Topics
Translation Guide
1. Pose the question (use rhetorical question).
2. Name the topics being compared (use
contrastive structure).
3. Supply the answer.
4. Give an interpretation.
Fact 6: Pose Question, Name
Topics
Video notes:
When John begins with a
question followed by naming
the topics, he repeats the
rhetorical question before
supplying the answer and
ends with an interpretation.
Observe how John interprets the
same fact, that “Babies of deaf
parents learn to use sign language
about three months earlier than
babies of hearing parents learn to
speak,” this time beginning with a
rhetorical question.
Supply the Answer
In supplying the answer to facts in this
category, use a comparative phrase to
indicate how one is different from the
other.
The following examples are shown in the
video:
“more than…”
“less than.../fewer than…” (as if the scales
have been tipped)
“longer than…”
“one occurring before the other”
“two times as much as…” (You can
indicate “three-five times more than…”
by using the appropriate number with
the sign.)
“six times more than…” (For numbers 6
or higher, use this phrase.)
Give an Interpretation
Sometimes it helps to bring home the point of
the fact, by giving your own interpretation of
why the fact may be true or what the fact seems
to imply. Replay both versions of Fact 6 again
and see what interpretations Stefanie and John
give.
Fact 6: Give an
Interpretation
Video notes:
Stefanie concludes Fact 6 by
offering an explanation for why
babies of deaf parents are able to
communicate earlier. She suggests
that using the hands is easier than
using voice muscles at a very early
age. Stefanie uses the “WHY?” sign
to transition into giving her
interpretation. This sign is used
when the interpretation is an
attempt to give an explanation or
offer a reason for the fact.
Observe Stefanie’s interpretation at
the end, and rehearse this version.
Fact 6: Give an
Interpretation
Video notes:
John concludes Fact 6 by
commenting on the implications of
the fact by saying that we should
teach all babies Sign Language if we
want them to develop
communication earlier. John uses
the “MEANS” sign to transition into
his interpretation. This sign is used
when bringing out the significance
or the implication of a fact. The
interpretations are often posed as
suggestions and sometimes as
warnings.
Observe John’s interpretation at the
end, and rehearse this version.
Fact 7: Three Times More
Video notes:
Stefanie establishes the topics,
Burma on her left, Las Vegas on
her right, to compare/contrast
them. She asks a rhetorical
question and then gives the
answer by pointing to the space
representing the Las Vegas Hilton.
She then uses a comparative
phrase that further explains how
many more rooms the Hilton has
than the country of Burma.
Stefanie states “The Las Vegas Hilton
has three times as many hotel rooms
as the whole country of Burma.”
Review
Throughout this presentation, you have learned the following:
Translation Guide for Comparisons:
1a. Name the topics being compared (use contrastive structure).
2a. Pose a question (use rhetorical question).
or
1b. Pose a question (use rhetorical question).
2b. Name the topics being compared (use contrastive structure).
3. Supply an answer.
4. Give interpretation by addressing either
▪ why it is true
▪ what should be done.

2d. Sharing Interesting Facts - Comparisons

  • 1.
    Sharing Interesting Facts -Comparisons Unit 19 ASL III
  • 2.
    Sharing Interesting Facts People findthemselves wanting to relay in their daily conversations interesting or amusing information they have heard about or read. Interesting facts is the topic of this unit because these facts can be surprising, unbelievable, educational, and fun - the makings of an interesting conversation.
  • 3.
    Sharing Interesting Facts This unitis designed to help you develop good interpretations of written information. Specific grammar structures are introduced to help you organize the essential information to show the relevance of the information presented. Because of the concise nature of each fact, you need to learn how to analyze the fact to understand what it means. When presenting the fact, you may have to explain, rephrase, demonstrate, or draw conclusions to convey the fact accurately. This lesson will help you be better able to interpret written information into ASL without the interpretation being unduly influenced by English structure. We selected facts that fit into four categories: whole-part, listing, comparisons, and illustrating a fact.
  • 4.
    Translating Facts The factswe will learn about are organized into four categories: ● Whole-Part ● Listing ● Comparisons ● Illustrating a Fact Each category has a particular grammatical structure. Later, you will use these structures when preparing your own facts to share.
  • 5.
    Comparisons ▪ When thefact is about comparing two things (topics), use contrastive structure. ▪ Contrastive structure requires that you establish one topic in the space to your left and the other in the space to your right. ▪ When signing information about the topic on the left, all signed information about the topic must be signed in the space to the left as well. The same is true about the topic on the right - all information about that topic must be signed in the space to the right.
  • 6.
    Comparisons To translate afact that compares two things, you can: ▪ name the topics and then pose a rhetorical question or ▪ pose a rhetorical question and then name the topics
  • 7.
    Name Topics, PoseQuestion Translation Guide 1. Name the topics being compared (use contrastive structure). 2. Pose the question (use rhetorical question). 3. Supply the answer. 4. Give an interpretation.
  • 8.
    Fact 6: NameTopics, Pose Question Video notes: Stefanie begins by naming the two topics “babies of deaf parents” (on her right side) and “babies of hearing parents” (on her left side), then asks the rhetorical question “which learns to speak first?” After she gives the answer by pointing to her right side, she repeats the topic and contrasts it with the other topic. She ends with an interpretation. Stefanie states that “Babies of deaf parents learn to use sign language about three months earlier than babies of hearing parents learn to speak.”
  • 9.
    Pose Question, NameTopics Translation Guide 1. Pose the question (use rhetorical question). 2. Name the topics being compared (use contrastive structure). 3. Supply the answer. 4. Give an interpretation.
  • 10.
    Fact 6: PoseQuestion, Name Topics Video notes: When John begins with a question followed by naming the topics, he repeats the rhetorical question before supplying the answer and ends with an interpretation. Observe how John interprets the same fact, that “Babies of deaf parents learn to use sign language about three months earlier than babies of hearing parents learn to speak,” this time beginning with a rhetorical question.
  • 11.
    Supply the Answer Insupplying the answer to facts in this category, use a comparative phrase to indicate how one is different from the other. The following examples are shown in the video: “more than…” “less than.../fewer than…” (as if the scales have been tipped) “longer than…” “one occurring before the other” “two times as much as…” (You can indicate “three-five times more than…” by using the appropriate number with the sign.) “six times more than…” (For numbers 6 or higher, use this phrase.)
  • 12.
    Give an Interpretation Sometimesit helps to bring home the point of the fact, by giving your own interpretation of why the fact may be true or what the fact seems to imply. Replay both versions of Fact 6 again and see what interpretations Stefanie and John give.
  • 13.
    Fact 6: Givean Interpretation Video notes: Stefanie concludes Fact 6 by offering an explanation for why babies of deaf parents are able to communicate earlier. She suggests that using the hands is easier than using voice muscles at a very early age. Stefanie uses the “WHY?” sign to transition into giving her interpretation. This sign is used when the interpretation is an attempt to give an explanation or offer a reason for the fact. Observe Stefanie’s interpretation at the end, and rehearse this version.
  • 14.
    Fact 6: Givean Interpretation Video notes: John concludes Fact 6 by commenting on the implications of the fact by saying that we should teach all babies Sign Language if we want them to develop communication earlier. John uses the “MEANS” sign to transition into his interpretation. This sign is used when bringing out the significance or the implication of a fact. The interpretations are often posed as suggestions and sometimes as warnings. Observe John’s interpretation at the end, and rehearse this version.
  • 15.
    Fact 7: ThreeTimes More Video notes: Stefanie establishes the topics, Burma on her left, Las Vegas on her right, to compare/contrast them. She asks a rhetorical question and then gives the answer by pointing to the space representing the Las Vegas Hilton. She then uses a comparative phrase that further explains how many more rooms the Hilton has than the country of Burma. Stefanie states “The Las Vegas Hilton has three times as many hotel rooms as the whole country of Burma.”
  • 16.
    Review Throughout this presentation,you have learned the following: Translation Guide for Comparisons: 1a. Name the topics being compared (use contrastive structure). 2a. Pose a question (use rhetorical question). or 1b. Pose a question (use rhetorical question). 2b. Name the topics being compared (use contrastive structure). 3. Supply an answer. 4. Give interpretation by addressing either ▪ why it is true ▪ what should be done.