Start with both hands in flat 'B' handshapes near the sides of your face, with your palms facing each other and fingers pointing up. Move both hands forward and slightly downward together. The motion resembles putting on blinders to block out distractions and look straight ahead.
Sign 'I', 'need', 'focus', 'my', 'homework'. When signing 'focus', direct the forward movement straight ahead, as if directing your attention to the imaginary homework on the desk in front of you.
Sign 'please', 'focus', 'teacher'. You can angle the forward movement of the sign 'focus' slightly toward the actual location where the teacher is standing to show where the attention should go.
Sign 'here', 'hard', 'focus'. Pair the sign for 'focus' with a slightly frustrated facial expression or a slight head shake to emphasize the difficulty of paying attention.
Sign 'I', 'need', 'focus', 'my', 'homework'. When signing 'focus', direct the forward movement straight ahead, as if directing your attention to the imaginary homework on the desk in front of you.
Sign 'please', 'focus', 'teacher'. You can angle the forward movement of the sign 'focus' slightly toward the actual location where the teacher is standing to show where the attention should go.
Sign 'here', 'hard', 'focus'. Pair the sign for 'focus' with a slightly frustrated facial expression or a slight head shake to emphasize the difficulty of paying attention.
Yes! The sign is directional. You usually move your hands straight forward to mean 'focus on this,' but you can angle the movement toward a specific person, object, or area in the room that requires attention.
They are very similar and often use the exact same handshapes and movement. 'Pay attention' is usually signed with these same flat hands moving forward from the sides of the face, making the two concepts visually interchangeable in many contexts.
No, you should look straight ahead or directly at the object you are focusing on. Your eye gaze is an important part of the sign, showing exactly where your mental attention is directed.
