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ASL vs English Grammar

Eleventh graders compare the grammar of ASL and English — two complete but very different languages. ASL uses space, face, and directional verbs; English uses word endings, “to be” verbs, and a fixed word order. Sorting the features shows how each works.

Grade 11ASL vs English55 minutes1 class periodACTFL / Visual LanguageExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Compare ASL & English.
  • ✓Know each’s features.
  • ✓Sort the grammar.
  • ✓Value both languages.
Essential Question

ASL and English are both full languages — but they work very differently. Which grammar features belong to each?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

ASL or English Feature?

Project this and sort each grammar feature into ASL or English.

🤟 Sort each — an ASL or an English feature?Try it
🤟 ASL
🔤 English
Tap a feature, then tap a box.
The Lesson · Visual-Language Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Sign · Reflect)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Two Different Languages

6 min

ASL and English are both full languages, but very different — which feature is which?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign a Topic-Comment sentence.
  • Ask how English differs.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — ASL vs English

13 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Present ASL features.
  • Present English features.
  • Note the contrasts.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Listen.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Sort Them

15 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to ASL or English Feature?
  • Sort each one.
  • Discuss.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Say.
  • Explain.
4

Sign — Sign

15 min

Students sign.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show an ASL feature.
  • Compare to English.
  • Sign to a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show it.
  • Compare.
  • Sign.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name an ASL feature.
  • Name an English feature.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Name one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Intermediate-High).

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare grammar systems.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.2

Compare languages.

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand grammar.

ACTFL
Cultures 2.1

Value ASL as a full language.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Feature cards.
  • Give clear examples.
  • Compare side by side.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with space vs word endings.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Use examples.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add more features.
  • Translate a sentence both ways.
  • Write a comparison.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🤟Feature cards
  • 💻ASL or English Feature?
  • 📚Grammar references
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

grammarthe rules of a languageASLa visual, spatial languageEnglisha spoken/written languagespaceASL uses space for grammarfacial expressioncarries ASL grammarword orderEnglish relies on itverb tenseEnglish uses “-ed” etc.contrasthow they differ
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Name one way ASL shows grammar that English does not.
ASL uses space, facial expression, or directional verbs.
QUESTION 2
Name one way English shows grammar that ASL does not.
English uses word endings (-ed, -s) or “to be” verbs.
QUESTION 3
Are ASL and English both full languages?
Yes — they are complete languages that work differently.

Reflect: ASL vs English.

Have students name one ASL grammar feature and one English grammar feature. A printable ASL-vs-English sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 ASL vs English GrammarFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 ASL vs English GrammarQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ ASL vs English GrammarPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: ASL, contrast, English, facial expression, grammar, space, verb tense, word order
  1. a spoken/written language
  2. a visual, spatial language
  3. ASL uses space for grammar
  4. how they differ
  5. English relies on it
  6. carries ASL grammar
  7. English uses “-ed” etc.
  8. the rules of a language

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name one way ASL shows grammar that English does not.
  2. Name one way English shows grammar that ASL does not.
  3. Are ASL and English both full languages?
Answer key — Part A: 1) English · 2) ASL · 3) space · 4) contrast · 5) word order · 6) facial expression · 7) verb tense · 8) grammar
Part B: 1) ASL uses space, facial expression, or directional verbs. 2) English uses word endings (-ed, -s) or “to be” verbs. 3) Yes — they are complete languages that work differently.