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Sign Language:
Finger Spelling

• Sign Language Introduction
• Historical background
• The structure of the Sign
• Facial Expression
• Finger Spelling
• Some basic facts about sign language
• What sign language is not
• Who should learn sign language?

1. Finger Spelling in Sign Language is the way in which the 26 letters of the alphabet are made on the hands, e.g. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z.

2. Finger Spelling is used to spell names of people (especially in introductions), names of places and concepts and/or words that one may not have signs for or one has forgotten.

3. Finger Spelling is not Sign Language in itself. It is a technique used to code switch, that is when you finger spell a concept in English, you represent the written English word in space at that moment.

4. Finger Spelling is limited to people (deaf or hearing) that have been exposed to written English or any other spoken language.

5. On the other hand Sign Language, as the language of Deaf people, can be used to communicate with any Deaf person provided that such a person interacts with and is a member of a Deaf community.

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