Fingerspelling Dos and Don'ts

Common Fingerspelling mistakes and what to do to fix them.
[Video Description: a cover picture of 5 guys in the sketched drawing are standing, with a green text “5 guys ASL in front of drawing”.
A white text with a blue background appears, “Welcome to fingerspelling 101: The Do’s and Don’ts of Fingerspelling”.
A white text appears, “Fingerspelling mistake 1”.
Johnny (White male with short brown hair and beard with purple and blue shirt).
Johnny enters the screen and asks Mike (black shirt with white sketched drawing of 5 Guys ASL logo on shirt), “Hello! What’s your name?” Mike responds, “My name is M-I-K-E as he punches each letter. A white text above mike appears “The Puncher”.
Mike asks Johnny, “What’s your name?”. Johnny replies, “J-O-H-N-N-Y” as he bounces each letter. A white text above Johnny appears, “The Bouncer”.
Mike replies, “Nice to meet you!” And cranes his neck. Johnny says, “Nice to meet you too!” And cranes his neck.
A white text heading appears, “Fingerspelling mistake #2”.
Mike asks Johnny, “What do you like to do?” Johnny replies, “I like to D-A-N-C-E” as he turns his hands and looks at each letter. A white text above Johnny appears, “The Eye Transformer”.
Johnny asks mike, “What do you like to do?” Mike replies, “I like to do what? J-U-M-P-I-N-G as he finger spells each letter backward. A white text above mike appears “The Backwards Man”.
A white heading appears, “Fingerspelling Mistake #3”.
Mike tells Johnny, “H-A-P-P-Y” (With his left hand, then switches to his right hand) B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y!” A white text appears above Mike “The Two-Handed Speller”.
Johnny replies, “T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U” as he drifts each letter sideways until he actually leaves the screen. A white text above Johnny appears “The Drifter”.
Mike asks Johnny, “You like sports?” Johnny replies, “I like S-O-C-C-E-R” as he finger spells each letter facing the floor and Mike struggles to read. A white text above Johnny appears, “The Floor Talker”.
Johnny asks Mike, “You like sports?” Mike replies, “I like F-O-O-T-B-A-L-L” as he finger spells way above his head on his right and Johnny struggles to see.
A white text heading appears, “Fingerspelling Mistake #5”.
Mike asks Johnny, “Where you from?” Johnny replies, “I’m from O-R-E-M as he fingerspells with his hands at his face. A white text above Johnny appears, “The Face Blocker”. Johnny asks Mike, “Where are you from?”. Mike replies, “S-P-R-I-N-G-V-I-L-L-E!” But he finger spells so fast it is nearly incomprehensible. Johnny looks at mike with a confused look on his face and gives an awkward thumbs up.
A white heading text appears, “Now This is Fingerspelling Right!”
Ben Daniel appears on the screen. (He is wearing a black and blue plaid button-up shirt). He says, “Hello! My name is B-E-N D-A-N-I-E-L) he signs very clean and clear.
A white text heading appears, “Let’s look at that again.”
The video repeats as Ben Daniel appears on the screen. He says, “Hello! My name is B-E-N D-A-N-I-E-L) he signs very clean and clear. White texts appear stating, “Near face, no punching, letters in the right direction, no bounce”.
He continues, “I love B-A-S-E-B-A-L-L. White texts appear “Not mouthing each letter, not too fast, confident and practiced”.
Ben continues, “My favorite team is A-T-L-A-N-T-A B-R-A-V-E-S. White texts appear “Only one hand is used, the hand stays in one spot, doesn’t block his face.”
Video ends.

[@kathleen4563]

I’ve seen every example at silent dinners and other ASL functions as a deaf person. This video was spot on. Laughed so hard.

[@mordicai9867]

"The I'llgotoofastformyowngood" lmao

[@radfad25]

lol. I was a bouncer! My teacher made me hold my hand still. I still need to focus to make the bouncing stay away. lol

[@smellamyblake8352]

Ha, I used to be a two handed speller. I'm naturally ambidextrous so it makes since. Eventually I made up my mind and chose my right

[@victoriab.6698]

Rigjt now I do either one that the other person understands better because I'm like u

[@clairee4939]

We need to use both hands in BSL.

[@victoriab.6698]

@@clairee4939 well fingerspelling is just supposed to be ur normal hand that u do everything with but us ambidextrous ppl (both handed) we can do both hands but not supposed to

[@newsoul1]

"i go too fast for my own good" aka Sean Berdy lol

[@chinikarlugh]

I laughed at the guy who was bouncing his hands quite a lot. Totally relatable

[@MeritxellFarre]

I confess that I was the backwards lady for a while, and the sideways lady more often than not 🤣🤣Practicing in front of the mirror helped correct it.

[@missbusiness11958]

Thx! This is helpful since I'm just starting asl!

[@windlillylawson3944]

Been looking for this video. It is hilarious

[@ADS_Fenix]

I’ve seen most of this same advice from plenty of other ASL resources, teachers, & interpreters online over the past couple of years, including the “drifter” one. I’ve never done it, and the fact that i’ve seen this advice given so much has burned into my brain even more than my already present instinct to keep the hand still while fingerspelling. Yet, i just had a lady claiming to be a deaf person who has taut college ASL classes for 20 years correct me on a video saying i should in fact be moving my hand for every letter. o.O -_^ I was thinking, huh, maybe it’s a regional thing, and she acted like the suggestion was ridiculous. So it’s confusing, but i’ve consistently seen this advice and also i know sliding as indicating a double letter specifically. So i don’t know why she was telling me i should always “drift”, but i guess for now i’ll stick with what has in my experience this far been the majority advice. But it was interesting that, if she’s telling the truth, a deaf ASL teacher said drifting’s mandatory. 🤷‍♂️

[@gerardinah]

As a deaf person. Drift is okay in a very very short way but not in a very long way. I do it both in the positions. Just depend on whatever you like to use in one or different formal/regular position.

[@ADS_Fenix]

@@gerardinah Thanks for the input. Any info i can find from native signers is valuable. It’s really hard to find and meet anyone even with an interest in ASL, much more difficult to find an expert or native signer, and especially deaf people!

[@DuarfS]

great commedic timing.

[@ASLTeachingResources]

Thanks for this video. Too cute as you remind students right way to FS.

[@JimmyHales]

Oh my goodness I'm totally a drifter. I'm sorry deaf people!!!!

[@katiewingfield2401]

Me too! I didn't even realize until watching this!

[@alexidavis4103]

when i was first learning ASL, i tended to bounce a lot and some of these other examples had me questioning! ?? what?? Lol, that's interesting to see! I do still tend to bounce a little, but i am working on keeping my hand still.

[@janettedorricott8049]

Can you make new video "Etiquette for Zoom Meeting" pretty please. If you have any questions, I can bring you some of my pet peeves. Contact me.

[@tonysyolie]

Haha! So dramatic but so funny

[@EmunahFL]

Drifter! 😂😂😂

[@ChrisGorges]

🤣🤣🤣

[@M_SC]

Soooo funny

[@phile5437]

The Puncher lol

[@Killerzgirl]

The guy looks like Thomas Rhett

[@lalacorn5138]

Wait are you not supposed to mouth or speak when you sign? (As a hearing person)

[@kathleen4563]

I think they mean not mouthing the letters when finger spelling. I’m deaf and I mouth a lot of my words when signing, but not the letters.

[@stclare58]

Lol!!

[@Mothy2003]

I really need to work on not mouthing each letter lol

[@rebekahquintana9216]

How do you keep eye contact with others, it's so hard for me?

[@mordicai9867]

Practice, using peripheral vision to read finger-spelling is tough for most, just keep practicing, and some may need more practice than others. (This is coming from a learner so I'm not the best source either lol)

[@kazumi3817]

Also just a learner, but my professor said that you kinda want to focus on the other person's chin area, that makes it easy to see both their face and their hand

[@peternalls9941]

Is there another copy of this great video? It appears all scrambled now. I love to use this to show my ASL students!

[@christe2284]

What a fudge this is IM DEAD 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@jurneew3811]

lmao yall funny

[@heatherbowman9450]

833 like💍💎👑💫 0:13

[@Xiroah]

i peed

[@KHobbies_cina]

Ive been spelling "I" with my thumb at the side instead of facing front, is that acceptable?

[@lalacorn5138]

Good question! I thought this was the correct way..someone answer please

[@cassidybishop7136]

You spell it facing front

[@or-ren]

The beard one..he's so cute...feel I wanna kiss him so badly😘😘😘

[@ralphu.7568]

Sorry but I couldn't even understand your name in slow motion.

[@alanolson6913]

As a hard of hearing 🧏 guy, I sometimes have well meaning individuals spell to me, and I know they’re trying to be helpful or kind, but please don’t bounce the hand or hold the hand too low. Kind of makes it difficult to understand you….and masks are bad enough!