Teach Yourself American Sign Language - Basic Sign Language Studies Online
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Ranked #306 in How-To, #3,098 overall
Learn To Sign and Communicate Through ASL
What's Inside...
- Why I Began to Study Sign Language
- American Sign Language on Wikipedia
- Who Should Learn ASL?
- Sign Language Alphabet Chart
- Basic ASL: First 100 Signs
- Free ASL Videos: Color of Sign
- Free ASL Videos: Everyday ASL
- Free ASL Videos: Signing Time Kids
- Signing Time Kids on DVD - Vol. 1-5
- Signing Time Kids on DVD - Vol. 6-10
- American Sign Language Tutorials on DVD
- Advanced Beginner to Intermediate Learning Resource: ASL University
- Books For ASL Self-Study
- Search For More ASL Study Tools
- More Sign Language Lenses On Squidoo
- Get Inspired - Beautiful Stories, Songs, and More in ASL
- Sign Language News
- Speak Out: Your Thoughts On Learning Sign Language
- Other Lenses By I.C. Jackson You Might Enjoy
- Links to Live By
Reader Poll: Do You Agree That All Americans Should Learn Basic ASL?
Why I Began to Study Sign Language
I am still a beginner with ASL, but I have a real passion for learning American Sign Language for many reasons. Besides it's absolute beauty, it is widely spoken throughout the United States where I live. Since I have become a mother, I have learned a lot about using sign to communicate with babies and small children, and it did make communicating with my son, who was slow to speak in complete sentences, easier and more fun. However, these reasons do not fuel my passion for the language.As a minister, I see the need for more interpreters in churches. I speak French, and I remember how exciting and beautiful it was to be able to connect with a friend of mine from overseas between languages concerning the things of God. I see how sign language interpreters in churches are able to do that, and it absolutely makes my heart sing. To be able to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in sign is my heart's desire, and it is the driving force behind my self-study. When I get to a point where I need advanced study, I will begin taking courses; however, with so many resources available for home study in this day and age, it just makes more sense for me as a busy mother to do as much as I can when I can, on my own schedule.
I also seek to learn because I believe ASL should be taught in public schools for credit as a second language. It is the third most widely spoken language in the U.S., so there are lots of career opportunities available for hearing people who sign. Furthermore, it is just good to be as fluent as you can in as many languages as you can for the sake of world view if nothing else. It also makes you more helpful in an emergency situation if you can speak more than one language, including ASL.
American Sign Language on Wikipedia
American Sign Language (or ASL, Ameslan) is the dominant sign language of the Deaf community in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico. Although the United Kingdom and the United States share English as a spoken and written language, British Sign Language (BSL) is quite different from ASL, and the two sign languages are not mutually intelligible.
ASL is also used (sometimes alongside indigenous sign languages) in the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Chad, Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Mauritania, Kenya, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe. Like other sign languages, its grammar and syntax are distinct from any spoken language in its area of influence. While there has been no reliable survey of the number of people who use ASL as their primary language, estimates range from 500,000 to 2 million in the United States alone .
Who Should Learn ASL?
Who do you think should feel compelled to learn American Sign Language if they are able? Vote for those who need it the most so that the list reflects the order of importance that people believe in!
Sign Language Alphabet Chart
Basic ASL: First 100 Signs
According to ASL University, the first 100 ASL signs parents and children learn are:
* Family - mom-dad, boy-girl, marriage, brother-sister, grandpa-grandma, aunt-uncle, baby, single, divorced-separate
* Places - home, work, school, store, church, come-go, car/drive, in-out, with
* Time - day, night, week, month, year, will-(future), before-(in the past), today-(now), finish-("all done!")
* Temperature - hot, cold
* Food - pizza, milk, hamburger, hot dog, egg, apple, cheese, drink, spoon, fork, cup, cereal, water, candy, cookie, hungry
* Clothes - shirt, pants, socks, shoes, coat, underwear
* Health - wash, hurt, bathroom, brush teeth, sleep, nice/clean
* Feelings - happy, angry, sad, sorry, cry, like, good-bad, love
* Requests - please, excuse, thank you, help, who, what, when, where, why, how, stop
* Amounts - big, tall, full, more
* Colors - blue, green, yellow, red, brown, orange, gold & silver
* Money - dollars, cents, cost
* Animals - cat, dog, bird, horse, cow, sheep, pig, bug
Free ASL Videos: Color of Sign
Free ASL Videos: Everyday ASL
Free ASL Videos: Signing Time Kids
So, I highly recommend this series for children from 1 to 92. My son infuses his regular speech with sign, with his favorite sign being the one for "friend".
Signing Time Kids on DVD - Vol. 1-5
Signing Time Kids on DVD - Vol. 6-10
American Sign Language Tutorials on DVD
American Sign Language: Learning System 2 DVD Set
Amazon Price: $26.99 (as of 11/10/2009) 
American Sign Language for Kids and Adults, Volume 1: Everyday Lessons
Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 11/10/2009)
Idioms & Phrases in American Sign Language, Vol. 1-5 - Complete Set - 5 DVDs
Amazon Price: $62.99 (as of 11/10/2009)
Advanced Beginner to Intermediate Learning Resource: ASL University
ASL University is probably the hands-down best free online resource for learning ASL. They have detailed lesson plans, an American Sign Language Dictionary, and more. However, in my personal experience, I found this site to be more useful for someone who has a conceptual grasp of ASL, has learned some very basic signs (numbers, letters, some basic vocabulary), and is serious about learning the language. I truly believe that a student who uses visual learning aids like DVDs in conjunction with this site could learn to speak American Sign Language at an intermediate level totally through self-study.
Books For ASL Self-Study
Learning American Sign Language: Levels I & II--Beginning & Intermediate (2nd Edition)
Amazon Price: $40.39 (as of 11/10/2009)
American Sign Language The Easy Way
Amazon Price: $11.55 (as of 11/10/2009)
Signing Illustrated (Revised Edition): The Complete Learning Guide
Amazon Price: $11.02 (as of 11/10/2009)
Barron's Dictionary of American Sign Language
Amazon Price: $21.89 (as of 11/10/2009)
What's Your Sign for Pizza?: An Introduction to Variation in American Sign Language
Amazon Price: $49.95 (as of 11/10/2009)
Search For More ASL Study Tools
More Sign Language Lenses On Squidoo
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ASL For Everyone
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I have been interested in sign language my whole life. I am far from fluent in American Sign Language (ASL), but I have always known the basics. When I was pregnant with my daughter I looked at research discussing the benefit of teaching sign languag...
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Christian Sign Language
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"Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD." Psalm 134:2 We are sisters who have taken sign language classes and learned on our own from many of the resources sold below. We are excited about what we have to share with you. We have enj...
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Using Sign Language with Your Baby
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I used sign language with my son when he was a baby and it was great. It made my life and his so much less stressful knowing what he wanted. He picked up the basic signs quickly and began using them immediately. Once he began verbal language the sig...
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Sing and Sign
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Here you can get American sign language videos, CDs, flashcards, books and other resources. You'll find links to other websites to help you..."Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD." Psalm 134:2
Get Inspired - Beautiful Stories, Songs, and More in ASL
Christmas Carols in ASL - American Sign Language Songs - ASL Music Video
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Sign Language News
- Media dis&dat: Utah needs more ASL interpreters for video relay ...
- "It's changed our lives," said MJ Bienvenu, an expert on American Sign Language (ASL) and a professor at Gallaudet University. With the video technology firmly in place around the country, now it's time to "improve the quality of sign ...
- ASL and the Importance of Having a Strong First Language Base
- ASL and English are languages that have a good bit of differences between them. ASL sign language is a visual language, expressed through signs, gestures, and expressions. It does have written forms, as in SignWriting and Stokoe ...
- American Sign Language Club Asks Department to 'Talk to the Hand ...
- Dutton said his motive to start the club revolved around his desire to share his passion and knowledge of American Sign Language, or ASL. The club provides tutorials at every meeting, allowing students to either learn ASL for the first ...
- R.I.P. Dorthy - Page 2 - Myopenforum
- To begin with, the claim that the Non Human Primates(NHP's) had learned "American Sign Language"(ASL), stems from a lack of understanding about ASL. Most hearing people have had little contact with ASL and tend to assume that "sign ...
Speak Out: Your Thoughts On Learning Sign Language
What Are You Passionate About? What Are You an Expert On?
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ChineseKitesforKids wrote...
Terrific lens! I am going to lensroll this to my Sign Language Series Lenses:
1. Sign Language Alphabet
2. Sign Language Colors
3. Sign Language Songs
4. Sign Language Numbers 1-10
5. Sign Language Family Signs
6. Sign Language Food Related Words
7. Sign Language Animal Signs
8. Teaching Sign Language in Daycare Schools
Posted October 09, 2009
Trice wrote
American Sign Language came straight from God to show us that there are so many ways to communicate. My father is fluent and I plan to be. Do you know any good classes in Greenville, Sc or a way I can look up good classes
Posted October 07, 2009
Mia wrote
I am a certified teacher who has chosen to teach ASL in my community. This site has become a great resource for me in my small town. ASL is so beautiful, I want to teach it to everyone who desires to learn! Thank you!
Posted May 09, 2009
Christy Edwards wrote
I love your lens! I have loved sign language since I was four and am learning more and more each day! I hope to one day be an interpreter. I have taught my kids and they love it. Keep up the good work! You should take a look at my Baby Sign Language lens! ;o)
Have a fantastic day!
Posted March 05, 2009
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