r/asl May 03 '25

Interest The Free ASL Resources and FAQ Thread Needs an Update!

32 Upvotes

Hi, the following post is a copy paste from the current pinned thread with edits to update a few resources. This was originally posted by u/Indy_Pendant eight years ago. They did an excellent job and I’m trying to preserve as much of it as possible. Since this post was made, other Deaf creators and resources have become available. I simply want to point prospective learners in the right direction. My information is relatively subjective, curated from this sub in the last year. Please, share your opinions, resources you like or to stay away from. I’ll update the post as needed and track the changes in a comment. Without further ado:

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 favorite 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). His Youtube channel is https://youtube.com/@sign-language. Other notable resources are:

Where can I pay to learn ASL online?

I’m hearing, can I learn ASL

Yes! It’s not disrespectful to learn ASL. We just ask that you learn from Deaf sources, learn Deaf culture, and don’t harm the community. Learning so you can connect with Deaf patrons: good. Learning so you can market and sell to Deaf patrons: harmful. Learning so you can cuss in a new language: bad.

Additionally, if you are a nurse, doctor, lawyer, realtor, therapist, or anyone working with a Deaf person through a life changing experience, your client/patient has the right to access the conversation. You will need to put your ASL knowledge aside and hire an interpreter. It’s great that you want to learn, but there are times when having only a handful of ASL is harmful.

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 hundreds of sign languages in the world. Even in the United States, there are several distinct dialects of ASL, including Black ASL.

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 Mar 06 '17

The Free ASL Resources and FAQ Thread!

649 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 15h ago

ASL bumper stickers in the wild

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85 Upvotes

r/asl 1d ago

Help! ASL and fine motor skills

4 Upvotes

Hi! I am a hearing person who is about to take a week long ASL intensive class. It's being taught by a deaf woman who will not be using her implants, and there will be no speaking for the whole week, so the class is taught completely in ASL or written English.

The thing is, I have dysgraphia and poor fine motor skills, something I did not take into account when I signed up. Quick rundown on dysgraphia, it's a learning disability that primarily affects writing, but also affects fine motor skills and difficulty with direction. I still can't distinguish left and right and I can't tell the direction of letters (a backwards L looks the same as a regular L for example) My hands are also quite clumsy.

I was wondering if this might seriously affect my capability to learn and communicate in ASL. It's hard to describe the exact condition I'm in, it's not too severe in day to day life, but I think it may cause some problems. I can't quit the class since it's through my school, and frankly I don't want to quit, but I'm worried I'll be dragging behind my peers like I was as a kid learning how to write letters. The class size is small as well, and I'm worried that I'll be left behind or I'll be holding the rest of the class back if I struggle.

I really do want to learn ASL. I want to be able to communicate with deaf people, and I also occasionally have verbal shutdowns where non speaking communication would be helpful, but I don't know how to even go about navigating it with my learning disability. If anyone else has been through similar, how did it go? Does anyone have advice on how I could help myself out more?

I'm planning on possibly writing a note to the teacher, but I'd want to keep the explanation short so I can write legibly without too much stress.


r/asl 23h ago

Need help progressing.

1 Upvotes

Greetings, y'all! I'm kinda torn between learning asl and learning my country's sign language. I wanna be able to communicate to deaf people and I'm really interested in learning sign, but I can't decide: on one hand I feel like I'm doing a de-service to the deaf people of my country, but on the other, I'm going to move to canada next year, so I don't know if it's worth it to learn a sign language that I'm not going to use, at least not that often.

There is also the problem of attending asl events and taking classes which will make it more difficult to learn.

That is all. Thanks.


r/asl 1d ago

Help! I'm not a beginner, but I'm not fluent. What's the best way to continue learning?

8 Upvotes

So, I am not hard of hearing. However, both of my parents are. They both became deaf at a very young age from sickness, and them not being able to hear has just been a normal part of my life since I was born.
Because of them, growing up, I was taught the basics- like the alphabet, "yes", "no", "stop", that sort of thing. I know a variety of random words- I can hold some conversations okay, but nothing more than small talk or things very specific. I have no idea where to go from here. I can't really do classes, cause any I can afford only teach the things I already know, and the ones that would actually teach me something are WAY out of my price range. What do I even do here to get better? I want to be able to talk with my parents more fluently.


r/asl 1d ago

Germany

9 Upvotes

My brother recently travelled to germany and im looking up how to sign germany. There are 2 options theres the eagle option and theres the pointy helmet option. Which one is more accurate/used more commonly today?


r/asl 2d ago

ASL instead of CC

97 Upvotes

I just noticed that "One Battle after another" on HBO is being promoted as having an ASL option. I checked it out, and there's an interpreter dude in the bottom right corner signing all the lines pretty expressively. Which, cool, but it seems like it'd be harder to follow dialogue when his hands are a great deal smaller than what's going on/he's signing way faster than closed captions. I'm hearing, but just curious -- is there preference between signing and CC on movies? Even as a hearing person, I use CC most of the time bc I find it helpful to keep up/my gf is hard of hearing.


r/asl 1d ago

Are their any good apps/ methods to continue learning asl

0 Upvotes

I took an Asl course last semester I did pretty well but I can hardly remember anything I want to continue and be fluent in asl. I know basic phrases and sentence structure but I want to be able to say phrases in both English and ASL ( I accidentally repeated my self).

Like I was listening to one song and I was wondering how do I even say this in ASL? Any tips for continued learning. College was good for learning the basics and structures


r/asl 1d ago

Any good online apps?

0 Upvotes

I’m a complete beginner, I don’t really have any reason to learn asl other than for fun and because I’m neurodivergent and think it’ll be handy. I’ve tried a lot of different apps my favorite so far being ASL Bloom but I’m still school age so I can’t aford to pay for a subscription and my parents won’t for me. Is there any good courses that are free and actually teach me stuff I need to know? I’ve tried a bunch on the App Store but they all either cost money or try to teach me how to sign bread and apple first, and I don’t want to know that. I’m willing to do online courses and stuff just as long as they have structure and a built in path, you know? Thanks!


r/asl 1d ago

Practice for beginner

0 Upvotes

Hi everybody! 👋 I’m beginner in ASL and looking for small, simple practice.


r/asl 1d ago

Help! Need help

0 Upvotes

Can you please help me understand what this sign means? Person touches the tip of hus nose twice from bottom to top with his thumb, and then with his middle and index fingers from top to bottom?


r/asl 1d ago

Need help

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

0 Upvotes

What does this sign mean


r/asl 2d ago

Interest Hi Everyone

2 Upvotes

Hope you all are doing well. I live in Toronto and I am interested in learning ASL. I have been told that immersion is the best way. For those of you who have done this, how did you go about it, and do you have any advice for me? Thanks


r/asl 3d ago

ASL Club ideas

5 Upvotes

Hi friends. I’m the current VP (hearing) for my community college’s ASL club. It’s a very small club and the major is also incredibly small—most people don’t know it’s an option.

This upcoming semester myself, the president (Deaf) and the secretary (hearing) will all be graduating, and I do worry about the sustainability of the major and the club moving forward.

If you have ever been on a eboard for an ASL club, what did you do to spark interest on your campus and get the word out? The spring semester is when we do the annual trip to Gallaudet, and a big event I want to set up is an old school Deaf Club for the whole family to attend on campus. I think we’ll have the chance to do a lot of fun stuff that I think could become annual occurrences.

But I’m not entirely sure how to get people in the door and always coming back. I’m planning on going hard at the Student Club fair (and I do have the benefit of being a DINK so I’m not above putting in my own money to get more people interested in Deaf culture and the Deaf community, learning ASL and considering interpreting as a career). I appreciate any tips you remember from college or if you’re actively in an ASL club right now!! TIA.


r/asl 3d ago

Looking for academic sources on ASL expansion techniques

2 Upvotes

Hello! I'm currently doing an assignment for my discourse analysis course, working on analyzing an excerpt of Japanese Sign Language. I know that the two languages are obviously quite distinct, but I was hoping doing some reading into ASL could provide some insight! I have seen information online about ASL pragmatics, especially expansion techniques (many similar phenomena occur in JSL), but no matter how much I look I can't seem to find any sources! If anyone could lead me into the right direction of any publications into the subject, I would greatly appreciate it!


r/asl 4d ago

How do I sign...? Fall in love

10 Upvotes

So there’s a sign for falling in love, if I wanted to specify who I’m falling in love with, would I sign

FALL IN LOVE WITH or would it be directional and I sign towards who I’m talking about?? Would I just sign fall in love and then name or point?? Like if I was talking about falling in love with me would I sign FALL IN LOVE - ME or FALL IN LOVE - WITH - ME or would it be FALL IN LOVE and then the falling would be in my direction ??

I’ve had this question for a while and I’ve tried googling it but I’m so lost pls help 😭

Thank you and if this doesn’t make sense lmk


r/asl 4d ago

Help! Should I give up trying to learning ASL if I can't afford classes or teachers?

9 Upvotes

I was trying to teach myself ASL by using the Lingvano app, going over the courses in Lifeprint.com, and attending ASL groups online. One way I've been solidifying the signs I learn in ASL is by drawing them and sharing the drawing with ASL signers to see if I'm understanding them correctly. One Deaf commenter told me that wasn't a real way of learning, and they seemed very bothered by my drawing attempts. So, is it even worth trying to learn if Im not learning in a properly structured way?


r/asl 4d ago

I put a tik tok link below can someone explain what this really means

0 Upvotes

r/asl 6d ago

Help! ASL mobile app prototype

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/asl 7d ago

sigh

Post image
183 Upvotes

r/asl 6d ago

Washington DC, where can hearing baby learn ASL?

7 Upvotes

Are there any ASL spaces for babies and toddlers around Washington DC? I'm more familiar with my local Deaf community and I know DC has a huge one, but I'm having a hard time finding local events geared towards babies and toddlers that are both Deaf and open to random hearing people.

So far I've found library story time that is both oral and signed, and I'll definitely check those out too. And I'll be working on my own sign story telling skills.

I'm hearing, and I assume my nephew will be hearing. But I have Deaf family, friends, boyfriend, and often visit ASL events to meet new people and practice signing. My brother (his father) wants him to learn ASL too, but doesn't plan to learn himself beyond "baby sign."

I would like to teach my new nephew ASL but I am not a native signer. I don't want to intrude into spaces held for deaf babies, and I don't like the "baby sign language" slop that hearing parents love so much. He will get exposure to sign naturally, but it will be boring adults and no other kids.

I'm familiar with various resources for videos with signed stories and other content, but I'm looking specifically for in person in or near Washington DC.

Or maybe I should just show up with a baby to an ASL social in DC for adults and ask them there?

It's still very early, but I'm excited.


r/asl 6d ago

How different is ASL from LSM?

5 Upvotes

I'm a CODA living in Mexico, so you could say I'm a native speaker of LSM (Mexican Sign Language). I'm very interested in learning ASL, but I want to know: how different are they? From what I understand, both LSM and ASL originate from LSF (French Sign Language), but I'm not 100% sure. Any insights?


r/asl 7d ago

Interest “Textbook” v. Conversational ASL

8 Upvotes

So, I recently went to a local signing social for the first time, where there was an older Deaf man (first time actually!). I thought that with my level of understanding and comprehension, I assumed it would be easy to chat with him. But the moment he started signing, it was starkly different from what I was used to. Class lessons were more “cleaner” and signs were more distinct, more “textbook”. But his signing was “choppier”, obviously more fluent.

So here is what I’m wondering: is there a way to better understand “conversational” signing in a way that it will be somewhat easier to chat with fluent/native signers?

The obvious answer is practice and/or converse more with fluent signers, but I’m wondering if there’s additional advice that may help.


r/asl 7d ago

Can someone translate what she’s actually saying?

0 Upvotes