Hello! It has been a while since my last blog, but life has been pretty busy over the last couple of months. I am excited to pick up again with this blog, which will focus on American Sign Language!
Over the last few weeks I have had a surge of curiosity and questions regarding my experience with ASL (so far). For those who don't know, I began teaching myself ASL in August 2015 after I was placed beside a deaf man at work. Since then, I have had incredible opportunities within the deaf community, and I have met some amazing people.
Most of the questions I have been asked relate to learning ASL, so I made a short list of the things I did to teach myself. Mind you, I still have SO much to learn and am definitely not a teacher, but I hope this list will help anyone who has an interest in learning:
- Head over to Chapters/Indigo and check out their "Languages" section. I quickly realized that I learned best with graphics, so I looked for books that had a lot of photos or included video tutorials.
- My first book was American Sign Language by Catherine Nichols. It included a DVD and flash cards that taught the basics. Again, the visuals were very helpful.
- While I was learning the above book, I started watching youtube videos. You will find countless videos, but the channel I found most helpful was Dr. Bill Vicar's. I will attach the link to this channel, as well as a great "100 Basic Signs" video.
- As I learned more vocabulary, I began watching more of Dr. Bill Vicar's videos in which he engaged in easy conversation with a student. This allowed me to learn how to identify signs quicker, and how to form sentences.
- For Christmas I was given my second book, the American Sign Language Dictionary by Martin L.A. Sternberg, and it has been an absolute lifesaver. It has graphics for every term, and includes almost every word I could ever need. After receiving this dictionary two years ago, I haven't had to look for any other book.
- If I don't feel like reviewing my dictionary, I will watch the TV show Switched at Birth. Half of the cast are deaf, and sign language is a huge aspect of the show. It includes subtitles which makes it easier, and is a fun way to review and learn some new signs. It's also on Netflix, so easy to access ;)
- Even though the above resources have taught me so much, the best practice I got was from communicating with my deaf friends at work every day. I would encourage someone who is learning to step out of your comfort zone and immerse yourself within the deaf community - they are the best teachers.
Here are the two books mentioned:
This is amazing!!! Yes, all Bill Vicars videos with printed worksheets and detailed grammar explanations can be found on his website at lifeprint.com. I also recommend the YouTube channel ASL Nook for extra cuteness factor and 'signs for humanity's as well as AI media on Facebook. Also you can look up Dan's website to get a tonne of TV channels and even music videos in ASL. And also DWOF on Facebook. This is so timely and important because our deaf communities are actually becoming more marginalized in Canada with the closure of many schools for the deaf and many audiologists discouraging parents from using ASL. Please keep learning and encouraging others because if everyone could speak ASL, there would be no more barriers for deaf people!
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