Facial expression is something that is very important in American Sign Language. Without facial expression, it can be hard to determine the meaning of a word. For instance, “In American Sign Language, facial expressions are an important part of communication. The facial expressions you use while doing a sign will affect the meaning of that sign. For example, if you sign the word ‘quiet,’ and add an exaggerated or intense facial expression, you are telling your audience to be ‘very quiet.'” (“Children of Deaf Adults”) This is one of the many examples of the essential use of facial expression in American Sign Language.
American Sign Language uses something called non-manual markers. Non-manual markers are expressions to change the meaning of a word. Lifeprint.com describes it as, “This principle also works when making ‘interesting’ into ‘very interesting,’ or ‘funny’ into ‘very funny.’ Facial expressions are an example of a set of behaviors called ‘non-manual markers.’ Non-manual markers include facial expressions, head tilt, head nod, head shake, shoulder raising, mouth morphemes, and other non-signed signals that influence the meaning of your signs.” (lifeprint.com) Not only is this technique used in American Sign Language, but it is used by many in everyday life. Facial expressions can be an essential key in how the delivery of a sentence comes out. People who are not hearing impaired, use pitch and facial expressions to show how they are feeling, yet in American Sign Langauge, the facial expressions are the only form of exaggerated communication.
These are some of the importance of facial expressions. Just like in spoken English, we must use different factors to express what we mean. Just changing your tone can completely change the meaning of a word in spoken English, just like how American Sign language, yet they rely solely on facial expressions. When signing American Sign Language, you must remember to use facial expressions to convey your speech.
“Children of Deaf Adults” (CODA), http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/facialexpressions.htm.
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