This unit discusses making requests in American Sign Language (ASL). It provides vocabulary for spatial verbs, plain verbs, numbers, and money. It presents examples of making requests by giving a reason and asking for an object. Students practice signing requests that involve specific locations or spatial relationships from the signer's perspective. The unit also covers giving commands using inflected verbs and signing short narratives using role shifting. Overall, the unit aims to teach students how to make requests, give reasons, respond to requests, and offer assistance in ASL.

1. Unit 9: Making
Requests
Gallaudet University
ASL Program
Signing Naturally Level 1
Rev.: 3/2010

2. Vocabulary

3. Vocabulary

4. Vocabulary

5. Signer’s Perspective

10. Spatial Verbs

11. Plain Verbs

12. Spatial Verbs

13. Spatial Verbs

14. Spatial Verbs

15. Spatial Verbs

16. Spatial Verbs

17. Spatial Verbs

18. Spatial Verbs

19. Giving
Locations
To practice signing specific locative or spatial
relationships from the signer’s perspective

20. Making Requests
• A: give reason, request that B get an object
from the kitchen
• B: agree, ask where
• A: identify location, tell where object is in
relation to that location
• B: (mark corresponding location in your
picture)

21. Activity: Making Requests

22. Activity
“My Shoes, Where?”

23. “My Shoes,
Where?”
To practice signing specific locative or spatial
relationships from the signer’s perspective

24. Numbers
Activity
Numbers 51 – 75
One dollar and less

25. ¢/$ #

26. Money Numbers

27. How Much?
+

28. How Much?
+

29. How Much?
+

30. How Much?
+ +

31. How Much?
+ +
+

32. Inflecting Verbs
To practice give commands using inflecting verbs

34. Inflected Verbs
Micaela se ve a sí mism

35. Narrative
Practice
Sign short narratives, using inflecting verbs and role
shifting

36. Give Reasons, Make Requests
• Signer A: Give reason/
complaint, make request
• Signer B: respond, perform
request

37. Student’s Workbook
•Give and Take
Who? How much?
Student Workbook p. 109

38. Give Reasons, Make Requests
Polite request (formal)
•Strangers
•Elderly people
•Bosses
Familiar request
•co-workers
Commands (informal)
•Intimate friends
•children

39. Give Reasons, Make Requests

40. Making Requests

41. Making Requests

42. “Patient wants
What?”

44. “Patient Wants What?”
• Signer A: give reason/complaint,
make request
• Signer B: Acknowledge or ask for clarification
(perform request) (which, what, where)
• Signer A: repeat request (specify)
• Signer B: acknowledge

47. Problems and Requests

48. Problems and Requests

49. Problems and Requests

50. Making suggestion

51. Negative

52. “Please FOR+ME”

55. Line Up
To review vocabulary, encourage spontaneous
communication and practice conversation
management strategies

56. Fingerspelling
Same/Different and Months

57. Offering Assistance
• Signer A: complain
• Signer B: offer assistance
• Signer A: respond
(accept/decline)

58. What’s Out
There?
To integrate appropriate facial expressions and body
classifiers in simple role shifting.

59. To practice using descriptive and locative
classifiers, correct spatialization and eye gaze.
Also to practice using confirming and clarifying
Picture It strategies.
conversation

60. $ # & Inflected Verbs
= GIVE-TO,
= TAKE-FROM
Margarita Delia Abe
Abe Margarita Delia
Delia Abe Margarita

61. FINISH
Learning American Sign Language
By Tom Humphries &
Carol Padden, 1992
pp. 102 – 103 and p. 185

67. Checking If Done
Signer A: check if B already did
something
Signer B: respond that you
haven’t yet
Signer A: offer assistance
Signer B: respond

68. Works Cited:
Smith, C., Lentz, E., and Mikos, K. (1988).
Signing naturally: Teacher’s curriculum guide
level 1 and classroom language videotape.
CA: DawnSignPress