Hey Signers! Are you
just starting your ASL learning journey and having no idea where to begin?
Then this video is for you.
I'm giving you ten points for sign language beginners
to get you on the right track of learning American Sign Language.
You're going to learn what ASL is, which hand to use.
How to distinguish differences between signs.
How to obtain fluency in the language.
And so much more.
Now let's learn how to sign ASL.
Number one.
What is a ASL?
ASL? American Sign Language is a visual language
primarily used by Deaf and hard of hearing in North America.
Yes, ASL is a language complete with its own grammar and syntax.
ASL is not the signed version of English.
ASL also is not universal and just like any other language,
it has its own origins.
It originated in the early 19th century at the American School for the Deaf
in Hartford, Connecticut, when an educator named Thomas Gallaudet
and a Deaf Frenchman named Laurent Claire worked together to begin
and form what we now know to be ASL.
Trust me, there's a lot more to that story.
But that's for another day.
Number two, it's not all about the hands.
So yeah, it's mostly about the hands.
But there is more to ASL and its signs than just the hands.
Things like facial expression and sign intensity
can change the meaning of a sign and the climate of a conversation.
So here are some examples.
So I have the sign rain.
But if it's pouring rain
versus flurry
blizzard,
Scared.
Frightened.
Isn't that crazy?
You can even carry emotions like sadness,
excitement, anger through an entire conversation
This way too. Take the sentence,
It's time to clean your room.
You can sign it two different ways.
One calmly or one with anger.
NOW YOUR ROOM CLEAN
See, it's not all about the hands.
So if things like facial expression can change the meaning of a sign,
what else makes up a sign?
Well, that brings me to number three.
Number three, the parameters of sign.
You can really break down any sign into these five parts hand shape,
palm orientation, location, movement, and non manual signals.
It can also be called non manual markers.
It's so important to understand these parameters because the difference
in just one of these parameters can completely change the meaning.
Let's look at these pronouns.
So me
index me or I,
but I do a flat hand and it makes it my
you, yours,
you all
yours.
All these signs are very similar, but the hand shape, palm orientation,
location and movement of these signs absolutely changes the meaning.
You're going to notice a lot of signs that are very similar.
So make sure you pay attention to all of these parameters.
A bit of encouragement.
The more you see and interact with signs, the more you're going to notice
these nuances.
It will get easier.
I promise.
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Number four. Which hand do I use?
Yes. When signing ASL, you
have a dominant and a non-dominant hand that is used to make up signs.
Let's take the sign Learn.
So my right hand, my dominant hand is the main part.
But the non-dominant, my left hand is the supportive part.
Now, if you're ambidextrous, pick a dominant hand and stick with it.
It's important to stay consistent when you're producing signs
to not confuse the recipient.
Keep this in mind when you're learning and practicing as it's very possible
your instructor has a different dominant hand than yours.
Number five, the alphabet and fingerspelling.
The alphabet is so important in ASL
you'll use it in the form of fingerspelling in every conversation.
Many words, especially those with five letters or less,
might not have a sign at all because it's just faster to fingerspell it.
Fingerspelling is also used for people's names,
proper nouns and profession specific jargon.
Just to name a few.
So how do you fingerspell?
Well, step one, learn the alphabet.
Take the time to be familiar with the alphabet first,
then start putting it together to spell out words.
Make sure you're clear with the letters.
And with time and practice, you will get faster.
Practice reading it as well.
Receptive fingerspelling at full speed
is one of the toughest parts of ASL to grasp.
We have done several fingerspelling exercises and quizzes
right here on YouTube so you can both practice and test your skills.
Number six numbers.
It probably wasn't
long after you learned ABC that you learned 123. Numbers, maybe used
less than the alphabet in ASL, but it's still an essential skill to have.
There are rules associated with these numbers.
Here's one. When you do one, two, three,
four and five by itself,
the hand is facing in. one, two,
three, four and five.
But when it's incorporated in a sign one,
two, three, four, five years old, it's facing out.
We have a great video on getting started with numbers
and even a full numbers course within our accelerated program.
Number seven sign variations.
Just like how spoken languages have dialects.
ASL experiences, regional variations, evolving
signs over time, and unique personal and regional signing styles.
For example, the sign for birthday can differ across the United States.
Just like we have varying terms for a soft drink like soda
pop or coke, the regional differences are not just about geography.
They embody the diverse culture of the deaf community.
Additionally, ASL signs evolve
alongside technological and cultural changes,
much like how the sign for phone has transformed
mimicking old receivers to resembling new modern ones.
Understanding these variations is key to appreciating ASL depth and fluidity,
reminding us that there isn't always a singular correct way to sign,
but rather a spectrum of expressions
influenced by context, culture and time.
Number eight How do I become fluent?
Well, let me start by telling you how I became fluent.
A lot of learning, a lot of practicing and a lot of immersion.
I have been around the deaf community since I was 12 years old
and studied ASL and interpreting in college.
It was probably about
my third semester of college before I started to dream in ASL.
All of that to say it's
going to take a lot of hard work and time, but you can do it.
We have a lot of students in our Accelerated program
that have been working with us for a couple of years now
and they are very conversational in ASL
and some are quickly approaching fluency that can be you.
Number nine learning signs.
Okay, let's learn some signs.
Hello.
My or me
name and then fingerspelling
your name
Meredith then.
Nice to meet you.
There you go.
Your first signs. So now what?
What's the best way to learn new signs?
Well, the shameless plug answer is with us.
We have hundreds of ASL videos on our YouTube channel and cover
well over a thousand signs in our vocabulary videos,
which are all very topical and have convenient chapter markers
to jump to a specific sign.
If I had to tell you where to start, I would say check out our 99 Signs playlist.
It's made up of three teaching videos and three check your understanding videos.
So what if you're looking for a specific word?
Well, this is where a signing dictionary comes in handy.
See what I did there?
I actually encourage you to cross reference your sources
because of sign variation.
And frankly, some bad information on the internet.
It's always a good idea to see a sign reproduced the same way
by multiple signers before taking it as accurate or widely accepted.
I highly recommend Bill Vickers lifeprint.com
signasl and handspeak.
These are highly respected sources in the ASL community.
Number ten Practice and Immersion.
So you've learned so many new signs and ASL grammar.
Now what? practice
Practice. Practice.
I know it sounds boring and blatantly obvious, but it's so important.
You can't retain a language without putting it to practice.
So how do you practice?
Well, here are some ideas.
Do online exercises and quizzes.
Sign in front of a mirror or record yourself and watch it back.
Teach signs to your friends and family
and most importantly, go out and use it.
I can't emphasize this enough.
You have to use it. When I was in college,
I had the opportunity to do several full immersion programs.
These helped so much, but what also helped was going to silent
dinners, Deaf chats, and attending my local Deaf church.
I've made so many friends and learned so much from signing in the Deaf community.
That was a lot. But congratulations.
You're done.
You've mastered ASL.
I mean, just kidding.
There's still so much to learn.
And we've got you covered.
So where do you go from here?
Well, of course, subscribe here.
But you can also sign up for a free ten day ASL jumpstart.
You'll receive a daily email of practical advice to guide your ASL journey.
Also, thank you to Aura for sponsoring this video.
Don't forget to click the link in the description to check out Aura today.
Until next time, keep learning how to sign.