American Sign Language (ASL) and Signed English (SE) Series 3 Lesson 11:
Professions: A Question and Answer Lesson
By Elaine Ernst Schneider
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| Signs | Description of Sign Action |
| artist | 1) art – Use a right “i” hand to imitate drawing in the left upturned palm. 2) person – End with the universal sign for “individual” or “person who.” It is made by moving open hands, palms turned in toward the body, down the sides of the body, chest to hip. |
| auto repairman | 1) car – “c” hand hovers over left fist, then moves up imaginary steering column of car. 2) fix – Touch index fingers and thumbs of both hands, holding hands close together at that point. Then move hands alternately forward and back. 3) person – End with the universal sign for “individual” or “person who.” It is made by moving open hands, palms turned in toward the body, down the sides of the body, chest to hip. |
| banker | 1) bank – Make a left “c” hand. Then gently push the right open hand (palm down, fingers closed) through the space created by the “c” as if depositing money in a bank vault. 2) person – End with the universal sign for “individual” or “person who.” It is made by moving open hands, palms turned in toward the body, down the sides of the body, chest to hip. |
| doctor | Touch a right “d” hand to the upward-turned wrist of the left hand. |
| firefighter | Touch the back of a right “B” hand to the forehead to symbolize a firefighter’s helmet |
| housewife | 1) house – Hold open hands (fingers together) in front of body with palms facing. Touch the fingertips to create a rooftop. Note: Some signers continue the image by moving the hands downward to trace the walls. 2) married – Clasp hands to indicate a union or marriage. |
| I, I am | Point to self, mid-chest. |
| insurance agent | 1) insurance – Move a right “i” hand left to right. 2) person – End with the universal sign for “individual” or “person who.” It is made by moving open hands, palms turned in toward the body, down the sides of the body, chest to hip. |
| lawyer | 1) law – Hold the left hand out in front of the chest, palm facing forward. Use a right “l” hand to touch the left hand first at the fingers and then at the base of the palm, 2) person – End with the universal sign for “individual” or “person who.” It is made by moving open hands, palms turned in toward the body, down the sides of the body, chest to hip. |
| musician | 1) song – Wave the right “b” hand from left to right in the crook of the slightly bent left arm. 2) person – End with the universal sign for “individual” or “person who.” It is made by moving open hands, palms turned in toward the body, down the sides of the body, chest to hip. |
| nurse | Pantomine taking your own pulse using index (second) and third finger of right hand to feel the inside of your left wrist. |
| pastor | 1) preach, testify – Move the right “f” hand forward twice, rotating from the wrist in a gentle motion as if dotting an imaginary “i” with the closed thumb and forefinger. 2) person – End with the universal sign for “individual” or “person who.” It is made by moving open hands, palms turned in toward the body, down the sides of the body, chest to hip. |
| police | Touch a right “C” hand to the left shoulder where the policeman’s badge is often worn. |
| salesperson, store clerk | 1) sell – Move to “and” hands forward twice, as if moving sales merchandise from the counter and to the customer. 2) person – End with the universal sign for “individual” or “person who.” It is made by moving open hands, palms turned in toward the body, down the sides of the body, chest to hip. |
| secretary | Touch the fingertips of a right “and” hand to the forehead as if collecting information. Then move the fingertips across the open palm of the left hand (fingers together) to show that you are putting the information on paper. |
| specialty | Move the pinky-finger side of a right “B” hand across the left open palm (fingers together and turned upward) from the wrist and across the fingers. |
| teacher | 1) teach – Hold closed hands, palms facing outward and fingers touching thumbs, in front of the body, leaving about six inches between hands. Open and close hands twice to indicate the imparting of imformation. 2) person – End with the universal sign for “individual” or “person who.” It is made by moving open hands, palms turned in toward the body, down the sides of the body, chest to hip. |
| what | Slightly raise both palms up hands at your sides with a shrug of the shoulders. |
| where | Wave your upward pointing index finger left and right as if panning the space before you. |
| work | Tap the right “s” hand on the back of the left “s” hand. |
| you | Point in the direction of where someone is located. If no one is there, point to an “imaginary” person. |
Continue to Lesson 12 – Travel Terms click here.
Series 3 of our ASL lessons is available in a single, print-friendly file in our Shop@LT.
Submitted by: Elaine Ernst Schneider entered the classroom as a special education teacher in the 1970’s. Since then, she has taught mainstream English Grammar, Literature, music K-12, deaf education, psychology, Algebra, creative writing, social studies, law, and science in both public and private schools. Presently, Elaine is a curriculum author for multiple educational publishers and is the managing editor of Lesson Tutor, a lesson plan website found at https://www.lessontutor.com. Her most recent books, 52 Children’s Moments (Synergy Publications) and Taking Hearing Impairment to School (JayJo Books and the Guidance Channel) can be found at Amazon.com. She is currently working on a project with Pearson Prentice Hall as an author of an on-line teacher’s professional development course for the Council for Exceptional Children.
