Is There A Sign For Every English Word?

Every child questions his parents, “why is the sky blue?” and “where do babies come from?” It’s also natural for both child and parent learners of ASL to question their Sign Language teachers with “what’s the sign for ______?” Visually Speaking Instructors are almost always able to show you the appropriate sign. But sometimes, there is just NO equivalent ASL sign for the English word you are seeking.

So, what do you do if you and your child find a word that is not listed in your ASL dictionary, and your Sign Language teacher informs you there is no ASL-equivalent sign? Rule #1: Do NOT make up your own sign, but instead, follow a few suggestions:

“Just Fingerspell It”: For example, there may not be an official sign for popular TV shows such as Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. But you can fingerspell “Dora” + the sign for EXPLORE, fingerspell “Sesame” + the sign for STREET, and fingerspell “Rogers” + the sign for NEIGHBORHOOD.

“Just Describe It”: For example, there is no official sign for the popular children’s character Mickey Mouse, but you could sign the word BLACK + show two mouse ears on your head. This easily conveys the iconic Disney ears that everyone knows and loves.

While there may not be a sign for every English word, there are certainly ways to express everything in Sign Language. Teaching your child to combine both finger spelling and classifiers to convey an idea will benefit both their cognitive and finger spelling skills.