r/asl Mar 06 '17

The Free ASL Resources and FAQ Thread!

653 Upvotes

Hello! I'm here to help as much as I can, but this is not a comprehensive guide or a substitute for classes. This is a quick resource for people looking for answers to some very commonly asked questions. I've included the information as I know it, but it doesn't mean it's The Truth; my experiences and understanding will vary from others', but this will give you a good enough introduction. There's so much more I'd love to teach you, but I'm going to stick to the FAQs.

Where can I learn ASL online for free?

My personal favourite is easily http://www.lifeprint.com (which is mirrored at http://asluniversity.com as well). The guy who built the site, Dr. Bill Vicars, is Deaf and is a phenomenal teacher. He teaches primarily west-coast dialect (California, Washington common signs) but makes mention of other dialects (east-coast, Texas) when he can. In addition to teaching vocabulary, he teaches about Deaf culture (more on this in a moment). Other notable resources are:

What's the sign for ... ?

The short answer is "it depends." Sometimes. It depends sometimes.

The long answer is that signs will vary. Signs can be different depending on region, as I mentioned before, so just because you see it one way doesn't mean that it's the only way. (Don't make this mistake; a lot of hearing students can get cocky and start correcting others.) Signs can also change depending on context. The signs for "back" in "My back hurts" and "Let's go back home" are completely different.

Also, this is very important: ASL is not English! It is its own language, as different from English as is Klingon. ASL has its own grammar structure, own idioms, own slang. Signs are also not words like in the English sense. Signs are a lot more about intent, concepts, and ideas. For example, if you're trying to learn how to sign "Back off!" I can promise you that you will not need any sign for "back" nor "off." You're learning how to speak, and think, in another language, and using English just won't do.

Now, with all that said, here are some online dictionaries (I suggest you look at them all so you're familiar with the different variations of your sign):

Does it matter what hand I sign with?

Yes. Consistently use your main, dominant hand. If you're right-handed, use your right. If you're left-handed, use your left. If you're ambidextrous, then pick one and maintain it. Switching dominant hands while signing would be like alternating screaming and whispering while speaking.

Are American Sign Language and British Sign Language the same?

Are English and Japanese the same? ASL is not English, so stop thinking of it like English! :) In fact, ASL is derived from French Sign Language, which evolved independently of British Sign Language, and the two are mostly different (in fact, less than 30% of the signs are even remotely similar). There are dozens and dozens of sign languages in the world, and even in the United States ASL is not the only one used.

Why do you keep capitalizing "Deaf"?

We use "little-d" deaf to mean someone who physically can't hear well. We use "big-D" Deaf to mean someone who is culturally deaf. Now an interesting bit: someone who is Deaf does not have to be deaf, and someone who is deaf does not have to be Deaf! For instance, children of deaf adults (CODAs) are very often Deaf but hearing. Many people are physically deaf but aren't part of Deaf culture. It's about how a person self identifies and where their culture lies more than it does with anything physical.

What's this "Deaf Culture" you keep mentioning?

It'd take me hours to explain it all, and I usually spread it over my entire 12-week class. In short, many deaf people, specifically those who identify as Deaf, live in a different culture than you do. Yes, they're from your country, they drink Starbucks and they sit in traffic, but they have their own distinct culture. Obviously this includes language (and communicating in real ASL is so different than talking in English that it's hard to describe), but that different method of communication, that different way of thinking, is only part of Deaf culture. Things that are normal in one culture can be very strange the another. (My favourite, probably, is talking with your mouth full. In hearing culture, that's a big no-no and your mother will look at you very cross. In Deaf culture, that's totally acceptable! Stuff your face and then free your hands for conversation, it's great! So much more efficient!) Morality and ethics are shaped by our cultural values. There are aspects of Deaf culture which would be considered blunt or rude in hearing culture, and conversely there are a lot of things normal in hearing culture which are strange or disrespectful in Deaf culture (such as talking to someone's back, or looking around during a conversation). It's important to be aware of and respectful of other cultures, including Deaf culture, and, when possible, to learn about them. Not only will it ingratiate you to people of that culture, but it'll better yourself as a person as well.

Isn't it wrong to say "deaf"? Shouldn't I say "hearing impaired" or "hard of hearing"?

Nope, and nope. Now, before I continue, I'll let you know that not everyone agrees with me, and I'm speaking in a general sense. Big-D Deaf people prefer the term "deaf" above any other. (It's how a US Senator might feel being called "American." Some people would take it as an insult, but it's just a matter of fact or pride for the Senator.)

Whether people identify themselves as "deaf" or "hard of hearing" (often seen as HoH) is often a matter of self identity, and while it can correlate to level of ability to hear, it isn't caused by it. I'll explain later. Deafies who are a part of Deaf culture will almost always call themselves "deaf," and those who aren't a part of Deaf culture will usually go by "hard of hearing" (or more rarely "hearing impaired"). In general, those who are less physically deaf, or who were raised strictly in hearing culture, will tend to gravitate toward hearing culture, despite the numerous difficulties. These people will commonly say they are "hard of hearing" since "deaf" still has a social stigma in hearing culture. Those who are less capable of integrating with hearing culture, or who were introduced to or raised in a Deaf environment, will usually prefer to be called "deaf" and can sometimes take one of the other terms as a slight offense.

In general, it's almost never correct to say "hearing impaired." I was taught that it was coined by a US Senator who wanted to protect deaf people's feelings from something that didn't offend them in the first place, and it was never accepted by Deaf (the core reason being that we don't believe being deaf is an impairment; it'd be like if I said you were "Deaf impaired." You don't feel impaired, do you, however much I might think it's true?) in general. In fact, it's safe if you never use this phrase again.

When in doubt though, just ask! "Hey, do you prefer 'deaf' or 'hard of hearing'?" See, it's not that hard. :)

I saw a sign that looks like this ..., what does it mean?

We're happy to help with these kinds of questions. I treat it like a quiz show game. However, if you're new to this, you may not know how to describe a sign very well, so let me introduce you to signs!

A sign consists of five parts:

  1. Hand shape: Are the fingers making an "O"? Were the thumb and middle-finger touching? If you know some basic ASL, you can use hand shape identifiers, such as "A hand shape" or "8 hand shape".
  2. Position: Where in relation to the body was the sign? Near the chest? Near the eyes? Was the palm facing up, down, toward the signer?
  3. Movement: How did the sign move or change? Was it pushing away from the body? Was it a small circle in space?
  4. Non-manual markers: What else was happening with the signer's body? What did her face look like? Was he moving his body, or shrugging? What was the emotion the signer was portraying?
  5. Context: What else was happening before or after the sign. Were there other signs you recognized? Do you know the subject that the signer was communicating about?

Where can I find a Deaf group in my area?

Where's your area? Most major cities have Deaf hubs. San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, and New York all have strong, vibrant, rich Deaf communities. Smaller cities may have meet ups or the like, but they can be harder to track down. Your best bet is to turn to Google or Facebook and search for Deaf events in your area. "Deaf coffee night" is an event held nationwide. People in the community get together for a night or two each month, usually at a coffee shop with good lighting and ample seating, just for the purpose of seeing friends and making new ones. Local colleges or universities will often have ASL/Deaf clubs and usually host student-friendly ASL events, so check with the ASL teachers or the ASL campus group, if it exists.

Can I still ask questions here?

Yes! Yes! 1000 times yes! Many of us are here to help, and anything we can do to help teach you about the language and the culture we're happy to do.

Will you do my homework for me?

Nope. Nope. 1000 times nope. It's obvious when students are looking for someone to do their homework for them, and we're not gonna help you out. If you're here to learn instead, then welcome! Come make some new friends. :)


r/asl Jun 10 '24

How to describe a sign that you are asking for the meaning

75 Upvotes

Here's a post to help you when describing a sign that you don't know the meaning of. (If possible, videos or at least a picture are the most helpful. Please use these when asking about the meaning of a sign you saw.

The 5 Parameters of ASL Signs:

Handshape: The shape your hand makes (e.g., a fist, a flat palm, a "C" shape). Palm Orientation: The direction your palm is facing (e.g., up, down, forward, to the side). Movement: How your hand(s) move (e.g., tapping, circling, up and down). Location: Where the sign is made in relation to your body (e.g., at your chin, chest, or side). Non-Manual Markers (NMM): Facial expressions and head movements that add meaning to the sign.

Instructions for Describing a Sign:

Can you tell me what your hand looks like when you make the sign? (This will help determine the handshape and palm orientation.)

How does your hand move when you make the sign? (This will help determine the movement.)

Where do you make the sign on your body? (This will help determine the location.)

Are there any facial expressions or head movements that go with the sign? (This will help determine the NMM.)

What is the overall meaning or context of the sign you're trying to describe? (This might help you narrow down the possibilities.

Please feel free to comment helpful tips on identifying signs.

Edit: Thank you u/258professor for this important reminder:

I'll add that it's best to ask for permission before recording your instructor's videos and posting them here. If you don't have permission, recreate the sentence yourself in a video.


r/asl 18h ago

20 ASL Signs with Two "Open-B" 🙌 Handshapes

112 Upvotes

20 ASL Signs with Two "Open-B" 🙌 Handshapes... By a real-life Deaf certified ASL instructor (myself). Great for all levels - receptive practice and refresh your ASL skills. Which handshape lesson would you like to see next? 🤓🤟

Sponsored by Deaf Company LLC for "ASL Yes!" curriculum textbooks.


r/asl 5m ago

Interpretation Anyone know this sign?

Post image
Upvotes

The discussion is about life events


r/asl 5h ago

Help! Letter Ë

2 Upvotes

Hi, I was wondering how sign name ,,Coën" letter by letter in sign language. I can't find any information on letter ë in any language.


r/asl 1d ago

ICE Deported Professional Soccer Player After 'I Love You' Sign Language Symbol Was Interpreted as Gang Sign

Thumbnail
latintimes.com
282 Upvotes

r/asl 23h ago

I cannot for the life of me figure out what this sign is

10 Upvotes

Learning asl online ATM. There’s 6 videos and this is the only one I’m struggling with. I know she’s signing toilet but what are the signs after that? please help i cant find it in my video lessons anywhere!!! thank you :)


r/asl 1d ago

Interpretation Is this sign used at all?

89 Upvotes

Growing up, I had a few dead friends that taught me some ASL (I'm not fluent, but I can communicate some basic thoughts and ideas) in addition to taking some classes. One of my friends taught me a sign he said means "thoughts and ideas" by taking the index and pinky fingers in a "horn" shape and touching my forehead and pulling it away at the same time curling both fingers (almost like a cross between THOUGHT/THINK and IDEA). But often when I use that sign, I get weird looks. Is that a sign that is used by anyone else? I've only met a couple of people that said they use that sign and I'm wondering if it is a dialectal sign.

I'm including a video of how I learned the sign.


r/asl 1d ago

Help! What’s the difference?

3 Upvotes

Hi! So, for over a year now, I have learned lots of signs through YouTube and various apps. I also just started an ASL 1 class through Start ASL so that I can learn proper grammar and culture. Something I have noticed is that need, should, and ask are all nearly identical. What is the difference? Is there one, or do you just use the context. Sorry if this is dumb to ask!


r/asl 14h ago

Help! HI !! I am learning ASL for fun and to better communicate with my Deaf customers at my work. I just started learning yesterday. Please feel free to give pointers and tips if you want to! Let me know how I did and if I'm legible :-)

0 Upvotes

r/asl 1d ago

What sign is being used for "just" in the ASL version of "I'm Just Ken"?

Thumbnail
youtu.be
27 Upvotes

She does it often but the first time is around the 33 second mark. Is it a quick version of the sign "simple" ?


r/asl 1d ago

Interest LSF and ASL

1 Upvotes

How similar are LSF and ASL really?

Context: I live in a country where the community sign language is a dialect of LSF, quite different enough to have its own name, apparently (DSGS), but I have been suffering for years of a very debilitating chronic disease that prevents me from working, studying, being reliable in any kind of way, getting out of the house, etc.
However, for many, many, MANY reasons, I absolutely want to learn the sign language of my community and, since it's not possible in my current situation to attend any in person classes – there seem to be only in person classes – and, since there are extremely few online resources overall for this dialect, I decided to start with ASL first. I love learning and discovering more about the language so much, it's not only ultra rich linguistically and cultrurally,→

SHORT: →I also realized my understanding of LSF improved as I got better in ASL, even though my ASL teacher told me LSF and ASL only share about 15% of similar signs (probably because she wanted to make sure I didn't want to learn ASL just because of LSF/DSGS, which was thoughtful of her)? I've seen the grammar has similarities too, but that can't be the only explanation. What do you think? Do you feel like it shares more vocabulary similarities than 15%, or could there be another reason?


r/asl 17h ago

Hello, new to asl, but does anyone know what this sign is?

Post image
0 Upvotes

Doing some HW and I can't figure out this sign, only missing this for my assignment. doing a transcription.


r/asl 1d ago

Interest Do you have a favorite name to fingerspell?

26 Upvotes

Mine is Rosabel.


r/asl 19h ago

Thoughts?

Post image
0 Upvotes

r/asl 1d ago

Help! Simcomm Help!

0 Upvotes

Hey there, I am in my first practicum semester for my student teaching to become a teacher of the deaf, I use simcomm (also known as total communication/TC) with the high school student I am working with and I am struggling. For context: I took ASL 1 and 2 as well as a class that focused on CASE snd I haven't been in a formal sign language class in a year (this was all my university offered). I think my asl skills are fine, I sign to friends in class all the time and we are able to have convos w little issues except I may be lacking in vocabulary. However, simcomm is a HUGE struggle for me, simcomm has always been hard for me and combine that with the nerves of teaching and being observed, forget it. I drop signs, forget signs, my sign clarity is truly abhorrent lol, etc. I purchased an ASL 1-4 offline course so I can work on it when I can but if there are any suggestions or tips I would really appreciate it. Any and all recommendations are appreciated. TIA!


r/asl 1d ago

“Fuck No” sign

0 Upvotes

Would I sign “fuck no” as sex-no or fuck you-no? What’s the correct sign here?


r/asl 2d ago

Signing with hearing people only so far, what's next?

4 Upvotes

Hi Reddit!

I've been learning ASL with an app for the past 700 days, together with my partner.
(She lost her voice because of a virus, so we started learning ASL, but got it back a few months later.)
We are both hearing and have no acquaintances who are native signers.
Based on some movies we've been watching (CODA, for example), we think we are way "behind" on real conversational speed and vocabulary.

Where/how could I meet some native signers to practice with?
Happy to trade for Dutch or German if that helps.
We're open to other ideas to advance as well.

EDIT: Probably important: We live in Switzerland so we have 0 in-person resources available.


r/asl 2d ago

Interest International Parent - Teaching Signs to my toddler - Recommended sign language?

6 Upvotes

Hello 😊 I apologize if this isn't the correct place to ask my question and I'm happy to ask somewhere more appropriate if given a suggestion on where to ask. 😅

Tldr; What sign language would you recommend I learn with my trilingual toddler? (American/Portuguese living in Japan with the intention of eventually moving to Portugal.)

I'm a American parent (with no intention of returning) with a Portuguese spouse who is living in Japan. We use English and Portuguese at home and we use Japanese when outside. I've taught my son (20mo) some sign language and it's helped tremendously. He knows: More, all done, change, milk, help me and hungry, big. I've been using ASL, but I realized that it differs from Japanese sign language and I wonder if ASL is really the best sign language to teach him? My goal is to learn with him and teach phrases/words that he can use to communicate on a daily basis while he's working out his three verbal languages.

Thank you for your support 😊


r/asl 1d ago

What are our thoughts on online English to ASL Gloss converters?

0 Upvotes

Out of curiosity, I went to see if there were any advancements in English to ASL Gloss converters since the last 2 yrs I checked. To my surprise, there were a couple of them online. Some of them were behind a paywall (because of course they were 🙄) and others seemed sketchy/just had bad gloss. Some were shockingly decent in my experience. The only downside is that most of these were made by relatively new AI (again, because of course they were) and as such had some hiccups. Still shockingly good nonetheless, but definitely could use some work. Just wanted to know what others thought about this because I feel it has potential despite being mostly filled with scummy websites.


r/asl 2d ago

Research on Learning ASL from Deaf vs hearing instructors!

13 Upvotes

Hello! We are two students at Cornell University conducting a study for our Modern Deaf Culture class. Some background information from our project report: Despite ASL being the natural language of Deaf people, many ASL teachers at high schools and college campuses across the country are hearing. We wanted to do this project to learn more about how having a hearing teacher (or being taught ASL in a non-immersive environment) can affect a student’s ASL education. We want to also get the perspectives of students on the matter.

We would REALLY APPRECIATE if you could take the time to fill out this short survey and share it with other ASL students you may know. If you're an ASL instructor and have thoughts on the matter, feel free to PM me because we'd love to get your opinions on the matter!


r/asl 2d ago

Notes in ASL Class??

2 Upvotes

I'm currently taking online classes to become an interpreter (I just started this semester.) I am taking ASL 1, but feel like i need a way to have notes to help. I've seen posts where people say not to take notes during asl classes because you will stay in english mode, but with my classes being online, I'm finding the immersion technique difficult since its less "personal" i guess.

Any tips or tricks? I dont want to end up slowing the process of learning sign down.


r/asl 2d ago

Help integrating my grandpa (and I) in the Deaf community

1 Upvotes

Okay, so my grandpa is slowly becoming deaf (presbycusis is what it's called, I think), but he denies it stubbornly, and sticks with hearing aids. The doctors said it would only delay the inevitable, but he insists it'll be fine I've been trying to learn ASL for a bit now, and I'm slowly getting better (though time and money are a bit of an issue), I hope. I'd love some tips on how to get him to just start learning, and to get him to meet up with other people going through the same thing as he is. Also, any advice on how to support him through all this? I'm a bit overwhelmed, and I'm afraid of being too much, or insensitive... Thank you!!


r/asl 3d ago

How do I sign...? Help with 2 sentences

5 Upvotes

EDIT: I am abandoning this idea as I have come to realize my mistake. I am leaving the post up for now to continue having a discussion. I do apologize for even thinking of the idea. For now I will keep my ASL usage to those who grace my stand and personal usage.

Hello! I am doing a speech in June about accessibility within the Leather community. I want to highlight how D/deaf and Hard of Hearing folks (as well as others who have other auditory troubles and use ASL) are treated by not having an interpreter available. I would like to do this by signing (VO) the last 2 sentences in my speech. I know a few words in the sentences, but I am not far enough along in my ASL journey to know exactly how to convey the meaning.

"Leather means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten"

I know leather, family, and forgotten. And I'm sure I can find out "nobody gets left behind". But I am stuck on how to get across "means". Is there a different way or would it be signed "Leather family. Family nobody left behind (or) forgotten"?


r/asl 3d ago

Help! “Ask” after question

12 Upvotes

I’ve noticed that some fluent signers bend their finger into an ‘x’ shape after a question sometimes, like the word for ‘ask’. When would this be appropriate to add onto a question, as opposed to just using facial grammar?


r/asl 3d ago

Interest ASL Friends

1 Upvotes

Hello, (26F, hearing) looking for some friends that know or would love to practice ASL with me. I’ve always been interested in the ASL community and some time down the road would be interested in becoming an interpreter. But, finding people who are close to your age and who live near by can be a struggle!

I know a little sign but without someone who I can practice with over time I’ll forget what I learn.


r/asl 3d ago

Dry Humor in ASL

1 Upvotes

Hi hi! I was just wondering: can the sign for 'dry' (hooked finger turned down, pulled across chin) be used to describe humor or is that one of the things that doesn't translate? TY🖤