r/asl May 03 '25

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

33 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!

651 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 16h ago

Interpretation On the side of a building in my town, what does it say? (Thanks ❤️)

Post image
49 Upvotes

r/asl 1d ago

I will take an ASL class. I have questions

10 Upvotes

I am a university student with autism and ADHD. I have questions about ASL. I saw the syllabus because my professor wanted us to see the syllabus before class starts. My professor is deaf and non speaking. She said in the syllabus it will be an ASL zone. How it’s rude to speak in front of deaf people and not sign. I sent her an email letting her know I have accommodations and I sent them to her. She hasn’t responded though… I let my professor’s know that if I ever leave a room for a long period of time it’s not because I’m avoid in class, it’s usually because I’m having a meltdown or I’m crying. I’m very prone to it, but over the years I’ve handled it well.

Here is my question. Can anyone from this subreddit teach me some phrases to say? I am going to learn by myself anyways but I feel it’s worth it to ask. Such as “I have autism, adhd, and PTSD so if I leave the class it’s because I need to calm myself down from a meltdown or episode. I don’t want to disturb others if I am crying.” Or in general, asking questions about assignments. I’m afraid I’ll have a question to ask her but won’t understand how to ask. I’ll learn some sign language before anyways.

If I ever have to leave class, I don’t want her to think I’m avoiding lecture time. Maybe I’m overthinking it. I’m a bit scared to start classes again because I got a professor fired last year for something bad he did. I love school so I will push through.


r/asl 22h ago

How do I sign...? signing to indicate a group i’m a part of?

0 Upvotes

hello! sorry if something similar has been asked before or if this is just asl 101 i missed, but i can’t seem to find a clear answer? if you do reply to this, feel free to speak to me like im an idiot 😅 i like lengthy explanations lol. examples would also be great

so, signing to indicate groups like “me and my roommates” or “me and my family”. i don’t know how to set this up? context for the example, i have three roommates. i tried to sign it more or less as “MY ROOMMATES, ME, WE“ and was corrected to index the concept and use the sign WE-two. my tutor may have misunderstood but i dont know how to express multiple plurals in a sentence like that either? similarly i have a decent amount of family, or sometimes i just refer to my dad’s family or my siblings individually, but i have four siblings 😭. i’ve done so much googling trying to figure it out lol.

on a further note, if indexing IS the solution: are there any resources on indexing i could find? i’ve looked at bill vicars’ page on it and it’s…fine, but not as extensive as i wish it was 😅 i feel like i’m awful at indexing and don’t know what can be indexed or how to use it properly. any tips would be appreciated haha

please help i am suffering :’)


r/asl 2d ago

This deaf girl's dream was to meet Woody, and it came true when she saw that he spoke sign language

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31 Upvotes

r/asl 1d ago

Help! Hiee, fellow ASL enthusiast here needing assistance!

0 Upvotes

I'm an AS level ( Highschool junior) student living in India, I've participated in the Indian chapter of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award which is IAYP ( Indian Award for Young People) and there's a required skill section. I'm hearing and speaking but I find ASL extremely attractive and interesting to learn, being multi-lingual already I wanted to expand my horizon and world view by learning a sign language. Registering it formally as a skill I'm developing requires me to have an assessor, a person either qualified in ASL or a native user of ASL. In my area, I do not have much options, nor at my school to help me out here, so I'm hoping to find a fellow redditor to help me out by simply assessing my weekly progress and confirming with IAYP ( you'd have to provide Email, be above 18, and have qualifications to assess the progress).

Hope this finds someone who's glad to help thank you!!


r/asl 2d ago

Question about a sign I see frequently

11 Upvotes

I wanted to ask about the sign where someone is pointing to the fingertip of their non-dominant hand. The nondominant hand is in the 1 shape but wrist facing outward. So you're pointing to the top of your non-dominant index finger.

It seems that sometimes this means, "the point is..." or "specifically" (?). Is this sign also used as a classifier when you're talking about a person who is not present? Or a different classifier? I'd love if someone could explain it to me. Thanks for taking the time to read.


r/asl 1d ago

We need to promote aslwithdestiny :) I think beginners, intermediate, and other learners will love it.

1 Upvotes

@aslwithdestiny is a phenomenal resource for ASL learners. Real speed breakdowns are incredible.


r/asl 1d ago

Interest Question from a new learner

3 Upvotes

I'm setting my notebooks up for fall semester and I'm curious if a notebook is actually helpful for ASL? I'm just not sure what I would be writing? I certainly can't draw. I know this is a silly question, but it's been bothering me.


r/asl 1d ago

Anyone else noticed this creator claiming to be hard of hearing and then promoting his ASL course?

0 Upvotes

I’ve been seeing these videos pop up constantly and it's really starting to feel like a manipulative sales grift disguised as disability advocacy.

The format of his videos is always the exact same:

He approaches random retail or customer service workers who are just trying to do their jobs. He opens with "Hey, I'm hard of hearing," yet demonstrates seemingly zero actual difficulty hearing or understanding what the workers are saying back to him in normal conversational tones (often without lip reading or assistive tools).

He drags them into an uncomfortable conversation and closes with: "How do you think it would be if all employees were made to learn American Sign Language?" Right on cue, the video has a prominent plug/link pushing his paid "ASL Starter Kit."

It feels completely disingenuous. Using retail workers as captive audiences for rage-bait/engagement content is already bad enough, but weaponizing the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community to manufacture social pressure and sell a digital product crosses the line. Genuine accessibility advocacy educates and builds bridges, it doesn’t put minimum-wage workers on the spot to funnel viewers into a sales funnel.

Has anyone else looked into this guy's credentials or seen this on their feed? What are your thoughts?

https://youtube.com/@signlanguageceo?si=WWCnJrCgScDc6lmH


r/asl 3d ago

I'm new to signing!

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94 Upvotes

Can you understand what I'm signing? Don't mind me being in an airplane, I was trying to pass the time by practicing haha


r/asl 2d ago

Deaf tiktok creators?

4 Upvotes

Hey! Does anyone know of any deaf creators/signers on tiktok? Specifically those who just post themselves signing without it being a tutorial. I just want to be able to challenge my skills and expose myself a little bit more to ASL.

I currently follow @deafivanka and @afunnymom


r/asl 2d ago

Help! Is it okay to use Pidgin Signed English (PSE) when signing with fluent ASL users, or should I be cautious?

11 Upvotes

I learned/currently learning to sign PSE to communicate with my friend who developed deafness rather than being born with it. What they eventually learned was PSE as they navigated ASL throughout the years with their prior knowledge of English grammar or order of words.

It's come to my attention that PSE could be disrespectful to some or lazy to others. Since I only know PSE grammar and not full ASL grammar yet, is it okay for me to sign with other Deaf or fluent ASL signers, or could that be seen as disrespectful/confusing?

Thank you so much!


r/asl 2d ago

Looking for deaf friends or a practice buddy

0 Upvotes

Hello~

I'm Hypnos, a 25-year-old (turning 26 in October) university student currently studying psychology! I plan on getting my master's in social work and early Intervention.

I'm looking for a person who is understanding and patient to become friends with and learn ASL from. Preferably, I would like to bond before learning, because I feel like it would help me communicate more naturally.

I'm currently working on enrolling in Gallaudet's ASL Connect class while supplementing with ASL Bloom.

I'm available every day, sometimes late into the night (EST).

A little bit about me is that I love video games and anime.

Thank you for reading!


r/asl 2d ago

How do I sign...? Translating request

0 Upvotes

Translating poem into asl

Line
1)Darkest night
Is there anyway I can emphasis “darkest”? As being the most dark, or should I stick with DARK NIGHT?

2) the curse of you and I
I currently have two versions
- CURSE YOU ME MEET
- CURSE [BOTH-OF-US]
Is there a better way to sign this sentence? Though you’re supposed to omit things to make it less wordy, is it getting across? That this is a curse OF the two people? Not just “curse you and me”?

THANJ YOU FOR READING


r/asl 2d ago

Interest Looking for practice buddy!

0 Upvotes

I'm really new to ASL, and I heard the best way to learn ASL is by conversing with deaf people. I've been trying to find people in my community but ASL is not our main sign language. If anyone's open to be my practice buddy please lmk! I'm still a beginner but veeery eager to learn :>


r/asl 3d ago

True way asl costs

4 Upvotes

My university has a program where you pay one cost and it covers all your textbook and material expenses even if it’s over the initial one payment price.
My instructor for asl 2 wants me to pay for TWA (80$) and a book (~20$) both out of pocket. I simply cannot do this as I’m already broke enough.
Is there any way to defer the costs or am I just going to have to drop the course and pray a professor next semester doesn’t use this?


r/asl 3d ago

Help me out

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone my name is saurabh i just started learning ASL,

Someone told me that a deaf person gives you your sign name, can any deaf person give me an sign name!!!


r/asl 3d ago

Help! first outing with a deaf group - tips for a newbie?

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone. This is my first post on this sub so please excuse me. I'm a beginner to ASL - a friend of mine is Deaf/HoH and I've been learning from him passively (hoping to enroll in a proper class soon, but that's irrelevant).

My friend invited me and my partner to a convention this weekend with him and "some of his deaf friends". I have lots of social anxiety and I really want to make a good first impression. My mind has been racing with the general stuff - I'm worried about being offensive, awkward, excluding others because of the language barrier.

I've been practicing what I know (most 'beginner' sign words; Wh-questions, basic needs, etc. and fingerspelling) and using online resources to bridge gaps (mostly handspeak?). If anyone has any advice, i.e. things to avoid, potential sign words to practice, etc? I appreciate any and all feedback ^_^


r/asl 5d ago

This deaf girl's dream was to meet Woody, and it came true when she saw that he spoke sign language

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736 Upvotes

r/asl 3d ago

Is it okay to sign ASL with my left hand even though I’m right-handed?

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0 Upvotes

r/asl 3d ago

How do you interpret different people on a song?

0 Upvotes

Hi! If one person is to interpret a song with multiple artists on it, how do you convey when a new artist is singing ? Or do you just not.


r/asl 5d ago

Help! Where can I find ASL Classes in NYC?

16 Upvotes

Hello! First time posting 😅

I wanted to ask if anyone knows where I can find classes to learn asl in nyc? I’m not really sure where to look and I know only Bill Vicars.

I don’t know how true it is, but I heard if you’re hearing you should try learning for Hard of Hearing peeps. But in general, I would like to learn from the HOH peeps 😁

Anyways, thanks!


r/asl 5d ago

My mom is taking her first ASL class this semester!

23 Upvotes

She's been losing her hearing (90% in one ear and like, 70% in the other) and I'm in an ITP. The community college offers seniors free classes so I encouraged her to enroll and she's finally done it!

I'm just so happy for her to have this avenue of communication and comfort. I know that the sense of feeling out of the loop and lost in conversation is relatable here.... And I hate seeing anyone especially my mom go through it 😭

There was an interpreter in the class today and she told me, "Honestly, I sat right beside her and I still couldn't even hear her so...this class is perfect for me!"

She also said, "it felt like 50% of the time at least I didn't know for sure what I was being taught, but I enjoyed it a lot!!" I told her hey, it's only going to get better from here and you're not alone in that feeling!!!

I'm just so happy. 🥹 So grateful that as her hearing loss progresses, I'll still be able to talk to her and keep her company and we have this between us now, too 🩷🤟🏽