Deaf Ninja Sequel: Deaf Ninja vs. Transformers

For any of you who have watched Austin Andrews do his brief story on Youtube of the Deaf ninja fighting a gang of thugs with his martial arts skills and old-style hearing aid whip action, you must find time in your busy schedules to watch the sequel: Deaf Ninja vs. Transformers! He is an amazing storyteller, setting scene and surroundings subtly and poetically. His use of classifiers is beyond skilled with an awe-inspiring facility of changing viewpoints frequently amidst all the action. The size and shape classifiers that he uses are incredibly detailed and creative, speeding by so quickly that although it would be almost impossible to transcribe, the image he creates appears instantly in the movie screen of your mind. If you have ever wondered how you could show the transformation of a Transformer, this is the video to watch.

I was particularly interested in the way he used his point of reference hand as a means of showing speed and movement as things sped through the air (ex: a jet plane careening down as the backdrop blurs by). I recommend not only that everyone watch this 4-minute video, but also that you pay attention to specific grammatical elements that he’s using, such as: the movement of the point of reference hand, the size and shape classifiers (SASS), the pronominal classifiers (note how he modifies the ILY handshape of the plane to one that shows the shape of a jet plane), the quick characterization amidst all the classifier action, the non-manual grammar (especially on his face) and the slowing down of sign articulation to replicate slow motion drama. I considered suggesting that we all practice shadowing the video, except that I honestly think it would be impossible for someone who is not a native signer to shadow this guy’s work; he is a Master! Enjoy and prepare to be amazed.

To find this video, go to www.youtube.com and search for ‘Deaf Ninja: DN vs. TF’.
Or, copy and paste the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6GmJ3ZvjQE

ASL Resources Online

I have compiled a list of websites containing ASL vocabulary in various formats (lexicons, dictionaries, full ASL videos). I'm assuming most interpreters know of at least a few of these… but if there is even one resource here that is beneficial to you, then this list is worth it! I have arranged them in order my most to least favourites (although they are all very good!).

ASLPro: http://www.aslpro.com/

This is a great website containing a full dictionary of English words/phrases translated into signs/phrases, it also has a religious signs dictionary, a dictionary of English conversational phrases translated into ASL and a list of ASL idioms (listed within the Conversational Phrases). This is my favourite website to refer people to when you get the "Oh, I've always wanted to learn sign language!" (along with the referral to the local Deaf and hard of hearing agency ASL courses of course).

ASL Library: http://www.needsoutreach.org/Pages/sl.html

If you haven't found this website yet, you're in for a treat :p This is geared towards people working in educational settings, so the signs are categorized by subject (i.e. Biology, Government, Auto Mechanics, Math - Elementary).

RIT Math/Science Lexicon: http://www.rit.edu/ntid/msse/pages/lexicon

Another great website for educational interpreters which focuses on Science and Math vocabulary. Every sign is signed twice and there is a rating system below the sign for feedback from ASL users.

DeafMD: http://www.deafmd.org/

This is an amazing website created for the Deaf community but of course will be a great resource for interpreters as well. This is not in a lexicon form, instead you can search for diseases and illnesses in alphabetical order, then you get the option of watching a brief video explaining what the ailment is in ASL and you can pick from a side menu for more information on symptoms, diagnosis, care & prevention, to name a few. An added bonus: there is an English translation below each video.

Deaf Missions: http://www.deafmissions.com/ (click on Tools & Resources)

This website is great for religious work as it contains not only a dictionary of religious signs (using animated illustrations) but also videos of Deaf preachers signing an ASL Sermon series, daily devotions in ASL and the New Testament in ASL (searchable by verse)!

ASL Dictionary (Lifeprint): http://www.lifeprint.com/

This dictionary shows signs using photos in sequence. The nice thing about it is that the signs are typed in an ASL format (full caps for English glossed words, # for fingerspelled signs) and there is a brief description of the sign usage and any additional information to clarify the articulation of the sign.

By Bonita Squires