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This unique reference can help users locate a sign whose meaning they have forgotten, or help them find the meaning of a new sign they have just seen for the first time. It organizes more than 1,900 ASL signs by 40 basic handshapes and includes detailed descriptions on how to form these signs to represent the different English words that they might mean. Users can begin to track down a sign by determining whether it is formed with one hand or two. Further distinctions of handshape, palm orientation, location, movement, and nonmanual signals help them pinpoint their search while also refining their grasp of ASL syntax and grammar. A complete English word index provides the option of referring to an alphabetical listing of English terms to locate an equivalent sign or choice of signs.



This dictionary features: More than 1,900 sign illustrations, organized by handshape Complete index of English vocabulary for all signs An introduction to Deaf culture and ASL structure The American Sign Language Handshape Dictionary is a one-of-a-kind resource for learning ASL and enhancing communication skills in both ASL and English.

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Library Journal Review

This reference complements other American Sign Language (ASL) dictionaries by organizing signs by handshape rather than alphabetically by English word order. In so doing, it acts best as a recognition tool for the ASL learner, leading the user quickly to specific signs without having first to refer to an English-equivalent word. Multiple meanings of a single sign also allow deaf people to increase their English vocabulary. Like other ASL dictionaries, introductory material includes a brief synopsis of the history of sign language, the meaning and importance of the five parameters of a sign (handshape, orientation, location, movement, and nonmanual signals), grammatical rules, sign language variations (dialects), and finger-spelling principles. Tennant, a former mathematics instructor, and Gluszak Brown, a certified ASL interpreter, have provided a unique organization in their dictionary. But readers should note that a handshape is not a sign itself but rather a characteristic of a particular sign. Each individual sign presented in this dictionary is illustrated, paired with English-equivalent meaning(s), and described in terms of the five parameters, making it useful as a teaching reference as well as a recognition tool. A worthwhile complement to a public or academic library collection.‘Andy Wickens, Univ. of Washington, Seattle (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

The second edition of The American Sign Language Handshape Dictionary (1st, CH, Jan'99, 36-2474) is a handy reference. Since it is organized by the various shapes of the hand used to form signs rather than in alphabetical order, as conventional English dictionaries are, readers will find it easy to follow. Tennant and Brown (independent scholars) provide outstanding background information about the history of sign language, a pellucid description of the linguistic properties of signs, and information about sociolinguistic features (e.g., sign variation, change in signs). A total of 40 handshapes are presented with some 2,000 signs with English glosses. The graphics in the book are crisp. An accompanying DVD provides word lists with each sign demonstrated by models representing different ages and ethnicities. A useful word search feature and the 40 handshapes appear along the side of each page, allowing readers to scroll down. Full of information and somewhat busy, the individual DVD pages took this reader a few minutes to navigate. This dictionary will be useful for deaf schoolchildren who want to learn more about their first language, ASL; and for hearing and deaf adults learning ASL as a second language. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through graduate students, general readers, and professionals. J. F. Andrews Lamar University

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Richard Tennant is a former mathematics teacher who has studied American Sign Language extensively and resides in Acra, NY.



Marianne Gluszak Brown is an American Sign Language Teacher's Association (ASLTA) professionally certified interpreter and a child of deaf adults (Coda) who works in Palisades, NY.