The Good and Bad
Now let's look at how you can use sign language to describe your emotions and feelings. As you begin to learn the following signs, it is important to add appropriate facial expressions. When a feeling or emotion is strong, whether it is positive or negative, your facial expression needs to support this information.
HAPP Y: Place both “flat” hands on your chest and pat with an upward movement several times and smile. Now, add a big or little smile depending on your degree of happiness. This sign, without a smile, makes you a monotone signer.
SAD, DEPRESSED: Drop “open five” hands down from your face. In order to have a good facial impact, you need to form the sign while dropping the head and looking sad with sincerity. If you are “depressed,” drop the “open five” hands down, with middle finger extended toward your body, from shoulder to waist.
CRAZY: Circle the “claw” hand sev-veral times at the side of your head. Both hands may be used for this sign to demonstrate intensity. One of the facial expressions that can be used is to somewhat stick your tongue out of the corner of your mouth. Variation: To sign “crazy,” or “mad about,” circle the index finger several times at the temple. Both index fingers may be used for this natural gestural version. The degree of intensity depends on facial expression, such as rolling your eyes around.
ANGRY, GROUCHY: Snap the “claw” hand tersely in front of your face. To demonstrate the degree of angry or grouchy scrunch up your face appropriately. Variation: To sign “grouchy,” “irritable,” or “annoyed” move your “claw” hand back and forth in front of your face. Add the appropriate degree of intensity on your face. To accomplish this, you can raise an eyebrow, if you have long hair, flip your hair back, or make a big sigh.
PROUD: Draw the “A” hand straight up your chest. Add the appropriate body language: straight back, head up, chin out.
LONELY: Draw the index finger of the “one” hand down your chin. Add the appropriate facial expression by looking downward with a slightly sad face.
SMILE: Use both index fingers of the “one” hands and draw a smile up and away from your mouth. Flash a big smile while forming this sign! Variation: To demonstrate a large smile draw both “B” hands up and away from the mouth, imitating a “smiley face.”
TIRED: To sign “tired,” drop “bent” hands slightly at center of your chest and lean forward with a look of droopy eyes.
FUNNY: To sign “funny,” brush the index and middle fingers off the side of your nose. This sign needs a little smile to be believable.
