ASL- We talk with our hands.

lostladyknight

lostladyknight

Pathologist
Anyone here speak sign language or trying to learn? I'm in the process of learning right now and I thought it would be good/useful to start a thread where we could discuss our experience with learning and speaking this language.

I'd like to go over and above what I'm learning in the classroom because I feel like I'm not learning it fast enough. Well, for my standards.

Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions of websites or books I could find that might help me out?


Also feel free to discuss silent events you've been to or situations where you've used your ASL skills in the real world.

:D

-LLK
 
My son is learning it in school. My mom found some websites that they are learning from. I will email her tomorrow and get them from her. I would love to learn it as well since he is.
 
I decided a long time ago that I want to be fluent in ASL and teach all of my children as well. I think it's only an asset and a great thing to know.

I'm going to an event tomorrow called a "Silent Dinner" where I'll be with the entire ASL community in my county. The deaf and hearing alike. I think it's going to be a great place to go and meet new people and to practice what little I've learned. But... I wish I knew more.

I think it's great your son is learning. Is he just learning as part of the school curriculum? He's lucky if he's learning in a public school system. (what grade is he in, I assume not college, but I don't honestly have a clue) The schools around here don't do any ASL classes until the university level. (not even community college) it's a shame.
 
He is actually 4 and is in a Montessori pre-school where they teach it to them 1 day a week. He also has a number of children's videos that do some sign language so he has been familair with it for a long time. We taught him a bit before he could speak...simple words like cracker or cookie just so he could communicate.
 
I learned ASL in college. The thing that helped me the most was to use it. One reason I took the class in the first place was so I could communicate with a friend of mine who is deaf. She really helped me to learn, by just signing with me.

A book I would recommend for you to read "Hand's Free" it is a book about teaching the deaf and the difference between "total Communication" and ASL, it introduced me to the term "bilingual, bicultural" If you want to learn more about ASL, I would recommend you read it. I did a research paper on teaching deaf children and my ASL instructor recommended that book to me.

One more thing that I have to say, not long after I stared learning ASL, I was on a greyhound bus and someone wanted to sit next to me, he asked by mouthing to me. I thought he was deaf so I signed to him "are you deaf?" You should have seen his eyes light up. It turns out he was in that city to look for a place to live, he had spent the last week trying to look at apartments and some of the managers would not even try to speak with him. He was using paper and what speech skills and lip reading he had but some people were really rude to him. We signed all the way to my stop. He said that it was so nice to have someone to sign with. I was so glad that I could be there to make that young man feel so much better after that hard week. I will always be thankful that I had the opportunity to learn ASL.

Also if you are a Christian; there is a mission organization called "Deaf Souls Now" that you might want to look up, I think they are all over the world.
 
I think it's fascinating and I often wished I could do it too. I sometimes find myself observing deaf people converse, because it's a great language. I do the same with people who speak Russian or other languages I don't understand but like the sound of. Human communication is a great concept with so many facets.

Back to ASL: I know literally a hand full of expressions that I picked up from TV but basically I'm clueless when it comes to this language. I'd really like to learn it though, but I'm afraid I'm lacking motivation and endurance, it's hard to learn a new language, especially one as different as sign, when you don't know a single person who understands it, too. I had the same problem learning Italian, I liked the language but it was too much effort so I gave up quickly. Might have been different if I had had an Italian friend to talk to every now and then... Or maybe I'm just generally too lazy for languages. :(
 
Thanks for the links, I looked at them briefly and find the pages really helpful and interesting. I might not learn ASL properly, but I'll definitely try to learn some words. :)
 
ASL is American sign language yes? I started learning British sign language at school and I'm still learning it now. I've used it quite often and people are always surpirsed that I do know some sign language. There are only 3 of us in a class but it's okay in that we get plenty of time to practice and stuff, but it's a shame that not more people do it.
 
I do speak some signs... But it's very very very rusty! The Dutch sign language is almost the same as ASL. Although I don't speak the Dutch Sign Language but Dutch with signs. So I don't know anything of the whole grammar. but I can slighty communicate to a deaf person.

I came to learn it when I got a friend whose lil' brother's deaf.
 
I speak very little as is. When I was very young I had a cousin that was deaf and I was kinda immersed in it when I was reallly small. But I kinda don't talk to my family, any of them, at all anymore and I've been away from it for the majority of my life. I forgot most of it. It's more like things just start coming back to me when I get taught something "new" I'll be like "ooh right I remember now." I've always wanted to learn it officially. I mean... it's pretty much like I don't know it at all at this point and I really do want to learn.
 
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