Facial expressions are to deaf individuals what tone in conversation is to hearing people. Without facial expressions the "listener" would have no idea if the "speaker" was trying to be serious, sarcastic or telling a joke. Thus, mastering facial expressions is key in communicating with the deaf individuals.
Two of the most common facial expressions deal with asking questions. Depending on whether you are asking a yes/no question or a question that requires a longer response, you put your eyebrows in different positions.
In this picture, my eyebrows are down. This lets the "listener" know that I am asking a long response question. Without this facial expression, the "listener" might not know they are supposed to give an elaborate answer.
In this picture my eyebrows are up. It is called a WHQ facial expression because it requires questions that involve words such as Who, What, When, Where and How. This lets the reader know that I am asking a yes/no question. In some situations, if my eyebrows were not raised, it would give the "listener" the impression that I was simply making a comment.
Facial expressions are also used for individual signs. The way your mouth, eyebrows or other parts of the face are positioned can be the difference between two signs.
The below picture means "try" in sign language. This sign uses a facial expression known as "tight lip". It is mainly used for signs that deal with conquering a task, overcoming a fear or working hard.
The next sign means "soft". The facial expression is often called "O Mouth". This expression is used when dealing with signs that mean light in weight or describing something that is soft in texture.
The next sign means "not yet". The facial expression is sometimes called the "hanging tongue" and it used to emphasize laziness.
Another facial expression that is often used is "puffed lips," which is depicted here in the sign "nothing". It is a facial expression that is used to say that everything is okay or relaxing.
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In this picture, my eyebrows are down. This lets the "listener" know that I am asking a long response question. Without this facial expression, the "listener" might not know they are supposed to give an elaborate answer.
In this picture my eyebrows are up. It is called a WHQ facial expression because it requires questions that involve words such as Who, What, When, Where and How. This lets the reader know that I am asking a yes/no question. In some situations, if my eyebrows were not raised, it would give the "listener" the impression that I was simply making a comment.
The below picture means "try" in sign language. This sign uses a facial expression known as "tight lip". It is mainly used for signs that deal with conquering a task, overcoming a fear or working hard.
The next sign means "soft". The facial expression is often called "O Mouth". This expression is used when dealing with signs that mean light in weight or describing something that is soft in texture.
The next sign means "not yet". The facial expression is sometimes called the "hanging tongue" and it used to emphasize laziness.
Another facial expression that is often used is "puffed lips," which is depicted here in the sign "nothing". It is a facial expression that is used to say that everything is okay or relaxing.
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