Let¡¦s start by learning signs that you will want to use when you meet a deaf person for the first time. You will say the same things to the deaf as you would to the hearing. You will start by saying, ¡§Hello.¡¨ Let me show you how to do that. I¡¦m using my right hand going forward. My thumb is closed in here. My fingertips are together. I go forward. If you are left-handed, you will use your left hand on the left side of your face. Again, my right hand is my action hand because I¡¦m right-handed. But, if you are left-handed, just do it opposite of how I¡¦m doing it. After you have said hello to someone, the next thing you usually say to them is, ¡§How are you?¡¨ Let me show you how to do that. What I have together are my fingertips. They¡¦re pointing down. Curve them towards your body and point out. Again, ¡§How are you?¡¨ I am not signing ¡§are,¡¨ I¡¦m just saying, ¡§How you,¡¨ which implies ¡§How are you?¡¨ You¡¦re pointing to that person. Make sure your fingertips are together, curved towards your body and point out. 

You may meet deaf people out in the mall for the first time and wonder if everyone you are meeting is deaf or if some of the people in the group are hearing. You will want to learn to sign, ¡§Are you deaf?¡¨ There are two ways to sign this. I¡¦ve seen deaf people use both ways. One way is by touching my right index finger to my ear, taking it down and closing it. My thumbs are tucked underneath. Ear closed. Some people sign index finger here to here. What that really represents is your ear and your mouth. The reason I¡¦m not touching my mouth, like most women, is that I don¡¦t want to mess up my lipstick! So, I do it like this. The one that I see most often used is this one. This of course again means ¡§deaf.¡¨ ¡§Are you deaf?¡¨ Someone in the group may be hearing and you want to know how to sign ¡§Are you hearing?¡¨ Let me show you that. My index finger in front of my mouth, going forward in a circular motion. So let me show you. ¡§Are you hearing?¡¨ 

The next thing you will want to do is introduce yourself and say, ¡§My name is¡K¡¨ and for me, it¡¦s ¡§Renee.¡¨ What you do is touch your chest right here, ¡§My.¡¨ Then you have your left fingers, the index and the middle extended out in front of your body, going in this direction, ¡§name.¡¨ Also, on my right hand, the exact same thing. My thumb has these fingers down. I¡¦m touching lightly. ¡§My name is¡K¡¨ This is the sign for ¡§is.¡¨ My thumb is curved over. My little finger up, ¡§is.¡¨ Then finger spell your name and you will learn the manual alphabet. Let me spell my name for you. R-E-N-E-E. The reason it is important for you to learn the manual alphabet is when you don¡¦t know a sign for a word, then you can spell the word and ask the deaf person for the sign. I would like to explain to you now how you get a sign name. I didn¡¦t realize that deaf people had special signs for their names. So when I became involved in the deaf culture, a deaf man gave me my name. It¡¦s an ¡§R.¡¨ This is the manual alphabet ¡§R,¡¨ and it¡¦s an ¡§R¡¨ here and here. I said, ¡§Why are you giving me that name?¡¨ He said, ¡§Because you smile all the time!¡¨ So when I¡¦m with a deaf person, I say, ¡§My name is¡K¡¨ and finger spell ¡§Renee.¡¨ Then I tell them, ¡§My sign name is¡K¡¨ and I¡¦ll show you how to do that. ¡§My sign,¡¨ and what we have here is index fingers pointing up, thumbs curved around, my right one coming towards me going out left. ¡§Sign name is Renee¡¨ and this is it. They know my name because I¡¦ve spelled it and then they know my sign name. When someone sees this and they¡¦re in another state from me or another city, that doesn¡¦t mean that means ¡§Renee¡¨ everywhere. It is just in your local area where people know you. They¡¦ll say, ¡§Oh, I know Renee!¡¨ and they will know this sign if you know these deaf people. Let¡¦s do that one more time. ¡§My sign,¡¨ and take that towards your body, ¡§name,¡¨ hitting lightly and touching these fingers and these fingers like this, ¡§Name is Renee.¡¨ Now you do not have to use the ¡§is¡¨ sign. But if you want to you can. That is optional. 

Most of the time after you have met someone, generally you say, ¡§I¡¦m happy to meet you!¡¨ Make sure when you are using sign language that you make this very expressive, not boring. Let me show you. I point to myself. ¡§I¡¦m happy.¡¨ There are two ways to sign happy. My palm hitting my chest or both of my palms and coming up. ¡§I¡¦m happy to meet.¡¨ The sign for ¡§meet¡¨ is your index finger extended upward. The same thing on the other hand. Bring it towards this or you can say, ¡§I¡¦m happy to meet you!¡¨ My thumb is curved around and my index finger is extended. Let me do it again. ¡§I¡¦m happy to meet you!¡¨ If you are truly happy to meet someone, then show that through your expression and your signs and your body language. Let me show you. ¡§I¡¦m happy to meet you!¡¨ If you were a boring person and you couldn¡¦t show any expression, then it would be ¡§I¡¦m happy to meet you.¡¨ Don¡¦t do that! Don¡¦t do that! You need to show expression with your sign language because sign language is your body, the expression on your face and your signs. 

Most of the time when someone meets you or you meet someone, you usually say ¡§thank you!¡¨ The sign for ¡§thank you¡¨ is your fingertips here. I¡¦m not touching my lips because of the lipstick. Fingertips here and extend it out. My thumb is out. ¡§Thank you!¡¨ Then they may want to say, ¡§You¡¦re welcome!¡¨ ¡§You¡¦re welcome¡¨ is done with the manual alphabet ¡§W.¡¨ This is the ¡§W¡¨ in the manual alphabet. You have your index finer, for me, to the right of my mouth and bring it forward. It¡¦s kind of like you¡¦re bending over but you don¡¦t have to do that. It¡¦s just ¡§you¡¦re welcome.¡¨ The next sign you will want to learn is ¡§please.¡¨ You may want to ask them a question. So let me show you how to sign ¡§please.¡¨ My palm is resting on my chest going in a circular motion. ¡§Please.¡¨ It¡¦s always nice to say the pleasantries. 

Okay, you¡¦ve met this deaf person. Now you¡¦d like to ask them more personal questions like ¡§Where do you live?¡¨ The sign for ¡§where¡¨ is the index finger extended up, thumb curved over, back and forth. For me, it¡¦s right to left. ¡§Where do you.¡¨ The sign for ¡§live.¡¨ This is the ¡§L¡¨ in the manual alphabet. Bring it down and take it up. ¡§Where do you live?¡¨ They may ask you, ¡§Where do you live?¡¨ So you¡¦re going to respond, ¡§I live in¡K¡¨ Now, this is the new sign ¡§in.¡¨ See, it¡¦s an ¡§O¡¨ right here. ¡§N¡¨ and then finger spell. This is the sign for finger spell what city you live in. So you will use the manual alphabet and you will finger spell. 

You may want to tell the deaf that you are learning sign language so that they do not think you are proficient in sign and can have an in-depth conversation in sign language. Let me show you how to do that. Point to yourself, ¡§I¡¦m learning.¡¨ Let¡¦s pretend that all of the knowledge is down here. For me, it would be my left palm. I get that knowledge and I bring it up to my brain. ¡§I¡¦m learning sign.¡¨ Remember, bring it towards your body with the index extended up. Now, the new word, ¡§language.¡¨ Bring the two L¡¦s together and shake them apart. Let me show you again. ¡§I¡¦m learning sign language.¡¨ You will want to tell the deaf person so that they do not start signing fast to you. So, you will want to say, ¡§Please sign slowly.¡¨ I showed you ¡§please.¡¨ ¡§Please sign¡K¡¨ the new word here, ¡§slowly.¡¨ I have my left arm extended. My fingers are apart. Take it up my left arm. Let me show you again. ¡§Please sign slowly.¡¨ The deaf people will sign slowly because they know you are nervous and not used to signing. They will want to do everything they can to help you. Every deaf person that I have ever met has always been willing to slow down and be patient with me. While I am learning new signs they have always helped me anytime I have forgotten a sign.