Finishing our teaching of ASL in the previous class, in the later week we need to help our learners review what they had learned and do a small test to check if they do absorb the what we had taught them.
Review
First, we start from stating the main points of ASL, that is, facial expression, body movement, accuracy, and fluency. Facial expression and body movement are two basic points of sign language. They are quite important because there are no intonation in sign language. We need facial expression and body movement to avoid some misunderstanding in a conversation with sign language.
Next, we review the alphabets from A to Z for the students and teach them seven different short sentences for self introduction. We don’t give some long and complex sentences because we don’t want to give too much burden to the students. For instance, we have “I am happy” or “I love cookies and milk.” These sentences are all very comprehensible and close to daily life. We hope the learners can enjoy the learning process so that they are more likely to remember what they have learned.
And then we have a easy kahoot exam to help the learners review the key points. We use this method because it can not only add more fun and excitement to the teaching process but also make sure the learners can really absorb something in the game. Actually, the reaction of the learners during this game is quite good and satisfying to us. I also find that competition can really enhance the interest of the learners during class.
Test
After five minutes of self-practice, we start to conduct the test. To pass the test, the learners need to introduce themselves with ASL. The first sentence is “Hello/Hi, my name is ____.” In this sentence, they need to know how to sign their own English name with the alphabets. And “Nice to meet you” is the last sentence. As for the sentences in the middle, they need to sign two sentences about themselves. At first, we want them to choose two from the seven sentences which we have taught in the beginning. What amaze me is that some learners sign other sentences we had supplemented in the previous class. It shows that they do remember something and they can put what they learned into practice. I am quite happy with this phenomenon because it shows our teaching is successful!!
When we examine their sign, we focus on the four main points: facial expression, body movement, accuracy, and fluency. Surprisingly, most learners do an excellent job and show that their learning condition is very great. They do show the facial expression and body movement. As beginners, they really do very well. I am really amazed by their performance and also grateful for them. As a teacher, nothing is more satisfying than seeing the students can really learn from you. I truly want to thank them for giving me a good experience as a teacher.
Conclusion
Overall, I really appreciate that our classmates are very focused during our teaching. I also learn a lot in the process, including the teaching methods, the language, and the character as teacher. This class is quite meaningful to me.