There are rules for both producing and receiving fingerspelling in sign language. The rules make fingerspelling easier to read and understand. Receptive rules include focusing on the shape of letters and words with your dominant hand rather than individual letters. Expressive rules involve mouthing the whole word below the chin with a relaxed arm without bouncing or horizontal movement. Understanding fingerspelling involves using context, configuration, and closure strategies.

1. Principles of Fingerspelling
Sign Language
Presentation by George Ndarimani
R212649G

2. • There are rules for fingerspelling.
• These rules are both expressive and receptive
• They make it more easy to produce signs that are
easy to read.

3. When do we fingerspell?
• People’s names
• Names of places
• Titles of People, Places or Things (books, movies, restaurants, stores)
• Brandsand Products
• When the sign for what we want to say is not known
• For emphasis

4. Receptive Rules
• Use your DOMINANT hand while fingerspelling.
• Focus on the shape of the letters being formed and the word that
it’s making.
• Try to not focus on the individual letters that you see.
• Focus on the signers face while still watching the signers hand

5. Expressive Rule
• Mouth the whole word NOT the individual letters
• Keep your hand just below your chin and over to your shoulder
• Keep your elbow down and close to your body, with your arm relaxed
• DO NOT BOUNCE YOUR HAND/LETTERS
• Do not move your hand horizontally
• Do not look at your hand while signing

6. Strategies to Understanding Fingerspelling, 3C’s
• The 3 C’s of fingerspelling are
• Context
• Configuration
• Closure

7. Context
• Use clues based on context such as categories
e.g. fruit, cars, colors
• This is done to narrow the word choice.

8. Configuration
• Look for the shape of the whole word rather than
concentrating on each letter.

9. Closure
• Use clues such as the configuration of the word and the context of
the conversation to help “piece” the word together.
• Catch whatever letters one sees, then use the above clues.
• Using closure allows you to “Fill in the gap,” so it is not necessary
to see every letter.
• This process also allows you to grasp the meaning, even when the
signal is not clear or inaccurate

10. The End