世界各国已创制了不同的手势语，欧美人的手势语特别丰富，运用既广泛又频繁。如有美国手势语、英国手势语、丹麦手势语和法国手势语等。这些手势语都有自己的语法系统，是真正的语言，而不是单纯地“拼出”当地所说的语言。现从斯特恩伯格博士（ Martin L. A. Sternberg)编著的 AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE CONCISE DICTIONARY 中选出手语字母以及一些语汇（分类排列）以飨读者。这些语汇是英美旅游者，尤其是美国旅游者所常用的，我们的导游翻译也知之不少。然而， 如何对这些语汇的含义用原文（若译成中文，会失去一些原汁原味）作出到位的解释，这些语汇的具体手势又如何，我们必须以图文并茂的形式给出。在国内这样来阐述涉外旅游的跨文化交际的也许很少，但愿能做砖引玉，进一步提高我们非语言交际的意识和能力，丰富我们的表达手段，增强我们的语言表现力。俗话说:“熟能生巧。”从业人员可以在整个服务过程中有意识地使用这些手势语，并主动向欧美旅游者请教，或在影视作品或跟外国人交往中留意相关的语汇，以便做到准确识别，运用起来恰到好处。
1. 手语字母表(American manual alphabet)
 

2.行
自行车 BICYCLE (The motion of the feet on the pedals.) Both hands, in the “S” position, rotate alternately before the chest.

 
3. 汽车 AUTOMOBILE / CAR (The steering wheel.) The hands grasp an imaginary steering wheel and manipulate it.
 

4. 火车 TRAIN (Running along the tracks. ) The “V” hands are held palms down. The right “V，，moves back and forth over the left “V.，’

5. 飞机 PLANE (The wings of the airplane.) The “Y” hand, palm down and drawn up near the shoulder, moves forward, up and away from the body. Either hand may be used.

 
6. 吃 EAT (The natural sign. ) The closed right hand goes through the natural motion of placing food in the mouth. This movement is repeated.
 
 
7. 购
购物 SHOP / SHOPPING (Paying out money) The right hand，palm up and all fingertips touching the thumb, is placed in the upturned left hand. From this position it moves forward and off the left hand a number of times. The right fingers usually remain against the thumb, but they may be opened very slightly each time the right hand down moves forward.

 
8.住
床（可暗示饭店---笔者注）BED (A sleeping place with four legs. ) The head is tilted to one side, with the cheek resting in the palm, to represent the head on a pillow. Both index fingers, pointing down, move straight down a short distance, in unison (the two front legs of the bed)，and then are bronght up slightly, and moves down again a bit closer to the body (the rear leg).

 
9. 游
旅行 / 旅游 TRAVEL (Moving around from place to place.) The downturned curved “V” fingers of the right hand described a series of small counterclockwise circles is as they move in random fashion from right to left.

10.娱
表演 / 演出 ACT (PERFORM，PERFORMANCE，PLAY， SHOW) (Motion or movement, modified by the letter “A” for “act. ”）Both“A" hands, palms out, are held at shoulder height and rotate alternately toward the head.

11.其他
表示歉意 APOLOGIZE (The heart is circled，to indicate feeling, modified by the letter “S” for SORRY. ) The right“S” hand, palm facing the body，is rotated several times over the area of the heart.