What are /r/asl's favorite Products & Services?

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Yes, that is the correct one. However, you should be aware that in Hong Kong, a different sign language exists. Additionally, Tibetan Sign Language is completely different from Chinese Sign Language.

Buy the ASL Green Books, theres 2 chapters specific to the use of classifiers and locatives, unit 14 and 15. There is a wealth of knowledge on how to use classifiers, and which classifiers are appropriate.

https://www.amazon.com/American-Language-Green-Books-Student/dp/0930323874

YouTube. My baby has severe hearing loss. There is just so much on YouTube. ASL dictionary app is also pretty handy. I know you want a curriculum also, but just like any language you really just have to watch the conversation happen, and Tru to use it as much as possible.

Edit: link to the app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.softwarestudios.asldictionarysignlanguage

Terra Edwards did a PhD thesis on deaf-blind sign language in Seattle, where she argues that it's emerging as a language separate from ASL.

Awesome. I'm not good at ASL either, but I'm trying to learn it because I have speech issues. I know for me, when someone tries to communicate with me rather than at me, it makes my day (sometimes even my whole week!). Genuinely a priceless feeling.

Memrise has ASL courses; it's a DuoLingo type style, if that would help :)

Lou Fant's "The American Sign Language Phrase book" is great. It's chunked by topic and covers grammar/syntax as well. (bonus - it is cheaper than the other suggestions here)

Amazon Link here

For my struggles to remember some of the most common signs, my second-best method (after asking some directly) is a copy of this book.

https://www.amazon.com/1563684446-9781563684449-Handshape-Dictionary-Hardcover/dp/B07L4J4L8W/

Signs are sorted by:

• Handedness (one-handed and two-handed signs are in different sections)
• Handshape (with the shapes that aren't directly in the alphabet in their closest letter)
  • Signs that change their handshape come after those that don't, and then sorted by what the following shape(s) are made.
• Space / Contact point
  • Neutral space first, then contact point starting from the top of the head down to the waist.

Any other "alphabetization" systems in dictionaries or websites won't be the same, but the'll follow principals like this. In practice, once you've narrowed down 2 or 3 parameters for a sign there's a good chance you can just look through the whole list of all the signs that match that (usually).

If you're interested in a real deep dive into the linguistics of ASL, I can't think of anything better than the Green Books. It's ideal to have a decent amount of fluency at your back already as the text is very technical and not particularly appropriate for a beginner or a casual learner. But if you're really a linguistics nerd, it'll probably give you what you want.

I didn't click over to the full Wikibook article, but anything that tries to prescribe a singular structure for any language is going to be too reductive. Both examples are technically correct. Learners tend to get caught up in the idea that there's One True Way, but that's no more accurate for ASL than it is for English. I can construct my sentences all different sorts of ways and still have them be grammatically accurate.

You're absolutely right about your last point, though, and inflection is a huge feature of ASL. Adverbs are often rolled into the production of the verb itself, as well as non-manual markers. In the example sentence, you might exaggerate SIGN at a deliberate, steady pace to indicate you want someone to slow down. I wouldn't just say I entered the house quietly, I'd also hunch up my shoulders and hunker down.

"Sign ASL" (android) it is not an app you should try to learn solely from, but it is good to use like a dictionary. It gathers the videos for that word from various sources on the internet; this way you are able to see what might be regional or what isn't. It also explains the concept of the word use and not just the english literal translation.

it is always better to use multiple sources to increase accuracy

Edit: Sign ASL playstore link

Good luck in your plan!

May I shamelessly advertise Mimix3D (iOS/Android)?! It's a technology we came up with to translate text/speech to ASL using avatars.

You can use it to learn ASL Signs since it has a dictionary of over 8000 words.

Beware, however, from what I've learnt, it's (Pidgin SE-ASL Signs-), which means that the grammar is not exactly ASL if you type full sentences, but rather a grammar between Signed Exact English & ASL.

Maybe someone else here can confirm...

Anyway, what you can certainly use it for is to learn the signs themselves.

Hope it helps :)

btw: we are still a humble startup, hopefully we'll continue to improve in the future! Wish us luck :D

ASL Fingerspelling app for iPhone

ASL Fingerspelling app for Android

Thanks for taking a look. One Saturday morning I saw a code example with the D3 javascript library. I took a few hours and put that example together. I also like the demo Matrix code rain with SignWriting.

Searching by sign language rather than English gloss was one of the major design principles of the character encoding for SignWriting.

With SignWriting, you can search the actual text, rather than having to add analysis or tags to the writing.

For a visual graph example of how signs written in SignWriting can interrelate and connect, I put together a codepen example. It shows a graph with the signs as the nodes and the links at the connections between the signs. It's randomly generated, so refreshing the page will load another graph.

It doesn’t move up and down. It’s a single, downward movement. Back in the day there was a metal office tool that people used to impale papers such as applications. Here’s what it looks like: Desk Paper Holder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FL9KNXK/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_AN4Y9MDNSS6N64ES08NC

There are similar signs that can mean appear (show up), tampon, or thong sandals.

May I suggest our avatar ASL dictionary app: Mimix3D (iOS, Android).

You can adjust the speed from the settings, and rotate the avatar a bit, and zoom in/out.

The dictionary is in the settings. Scrolling is a bit weird (you have to use 2 fingers to scroll XD)

Let me know if you try it out and what you think :)

Hope it helps.

Peace

edit: you can download the app and you'll have all the dictionary on your phone, no need to be online (except if you wanted to use (speech to Sign).

There is an Android app for receptive fingerspelling practice. Don't know if there is an iOS version or not.

ASL receptive fingerspell app

Is it phenomenal? No. It uses static images linked together to spell words. You miss some of the subtle nuances of actual hands spelling words fluidly.

Having said that, it is good for practice. You can vary the word length and speed of the signs.

For Android (and I think there is an iOS equivalent), this one has a "download all videos" feature for offline use:

ASL dictionary

"Signing Made Easy (A Complete Program for Learning Sign Language. Includes Sentence Drills and Exercises for Increased Comprehension and Signing Skill) " by Rod R. Butterworth and Mickey Flodin [This is just a link to the book on Amazon]

**Copied and Pasted response I gave to someone else for conversation's sake because I want to be educated :D ** vvv
I kind of thought it was off when I was seeing the signs for 'Is' and 'Are'. But I saw them doing the 'trace the question mark' thing and I was like...Nah there's specifically a sign for question/ask, right? And your facial expressions should indicate when you're asking, right?
Also, that's not the sign for "What".
The ones I was less sure about but felt were off, were the boy/girl signs having weird bouncy dribble-basket-ball motions in front of the stomach. And it -looks- like they have the girl sign mixed up with the home sign? But maybe I'm wrong about that one?
Later on, in that same sample, I knew I was seeing other blatantly incorrect signs. Like the sign for "was", instead of being like the before/past was some weird like bouncing 'w' sign?
It's weird.
Are misleading and poor educational sources like this a problem the community regularly faces?

Yeah, it's um, "Signing Made Easy (A Complete Program for Learning Sign Language. Includes Sentence Drills and Exercises for Increased Comprehension and Signing Skill) " by Rod R. Butterworth and Mickey Flodin ( I swear this is just a link to it on Amazon )

I kind of thought it was off when I was seeing the signs for 'Is' and 'Are'. But I saw them doing the 'trace the question mark' thing and I was like...nah there's specifically a sign for question/ask, right? And your facial expressions should indicate when you're asking, right?
Also, that's not the sign for "What".
The ones I was less sure about but felt were off, were the boy/girl signs having weird bouncy dribble-basket-ball motions in front of the stomach. And it -looks- like they have the girl sign mixed up with the home sign? But maybe I'm wrong about that one?
Later on in that same sample I knew I was seeing other blatantly incorrect signs. Like the sign for "was", instead of being like the before/past was some weird like bouncing 'w' sign?
It's weird.

Since you're writing a paper on it, are misleading and poor educational sources like this a problem the community regularly faces?

As mentioned, practice with whoever you can whenever you can.

As far as fingerspelling - there is an app (Google play store - not sure if available on iOS) that has fingerspelled words you have to guess. You can adjust word length and speed. It's good - not great, but it helps practice if you have nothing else. Unfortunately, it just spells words with a sequence of hands in ASL letters instead of flowing naturally, but again - it's a practice tool. The app is free with ads.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.asl_fingerspelling

<em>Talking Hands: What Sign Language Reveals About the Mind</em> is predominantly about Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language. It's not a reference book though, it's for a bit of a broader audience.

I can't recommend Anki enough. It allows almost every form of media and has so many option for studying. It also uses spaced repetition, so it shows you less of the words you consistently get correct and more of what you struggle with.

There is a chapter in a book called {Critical Creative Writing} published by Bloomsbury that is about asl, deaf, and hard of hearing writing. There are also some cool anthologies like {No Walls of Stone} https://www.amazon.com/No-Walls-Stone-Anthology-Literature/dp/156368019X

https://libgen.is/book/index.php?md5=C5BB774367049A8D626BC39A0228EDC1

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For the pdf of the book

They don't showcase them right away because there is no Memrise-made ASL course; they're all third parties.

That being said if you go to the "Courses" tab and search for "ASL" you'll see them all :)

https://www.memrise.com/courses/english-us/?q=asl

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You're welcome. Here's another one:

Valentine ASL Resources Training

Feb 1, 2020 10:30 AM Eastern Time

Description Need Sign Language Resources & Support?
YOU DON’T HAVE TIME to do the research yourself?
Join our Free Online Training

Join URL: https://zoom.us/j/768217944

If you are looking for people to keep you company and motivate u while studying, check this out : https://tinychat.com/room/gottastudy (password : getstudying)

It's an amazing community with people all over the world and from different fields (medical, bio, computer science, law ...) the users either share their desktop screen or put camera on to avoid slacking while study periods. and eventually they can chat and help each other during breaks :)

the sign for SUN, and WHAT has changed. More recently, FAMILY and CULTURE have also changed from the letters to a double handed flair->close movement similar to BEAUTIFUL in the same location

look for ASL dictionaries written before 1991. You can find pictures of the pages online.
this is the one that was given to me for Christmas when i was 7 and was what got me into ASL.

I’d highly recommend this book https://www.amazon.com/Gallaudet-Childrens-Dictionary-American-Language/dp/1563686317/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&amp;keywords=gallaudet+children%27s+dictionary+of+american+sign+language&amp;qid=1625702719&amp;sprefix=gallaudet&amp;sr=8-3

Learn American Sign Language book https://www.amazon.com/dp/1577151070/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabt1_7djUFb2JT135A

That book is the bestest ASL dictionary I’ve seen so far. Most updated and modern. Categorized various signs, very easy to follow. Plus have simplified ASL rules/grammar/classifiers/maybe mouth morphemes/etc.

Highly recommended!!

I did a quick search on Amazon & found these two resources. Good luck.

Hong Kong Sign Language

Chinese Sign Language

I think both of the above suggestions are great, a heartfelt card along with a framed photo of the two of you would be great. If you wanna go a little bigger, maybe put it together in a little basket like a going away care package. You can put her favorite snacks, coffee/tea she likes, maybe a novelty coffee mug.

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If you want something specifically related to ASL, I found a jumbo ASL thank you card on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Jumbo-Thank-You-Card-Envelope/dp/B073YRMLWX/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=asl+thank+you+card&amp;qid=1552281194&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-3

You can download the app here and checkout the source code at our GitHub page here.

Sign School is a great app. It's still being added to. It's got a dictionary, but you can also find signs by category (like food, colors, etc). It's a great starting point. You might also try to learn the alphabet. You can fingerspell words you don't know or someone's name with the alphabet.

I am on the same boat as you. I am struggling to learn ASL as well though I am deaf and do not live in the US. I also want to try to teach my hearing boyfriend ASL, but I realised it is slightly difficult to teach myself ASL same time I teach my boyfriend ASL. I assume those conflicting signs are technically correct as they must be regional signs. Somewhat, I am able to learn ASL slowly through the app called ”SignSchool” (Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.signschool.signschool&amp;hl=en_US or iOS: https://apps.apple.com/ie/app/signschool/id1145529881) but I am struggling to understand because some signs have multiple contexts or some words have numerous different signs which I am unsure of using the correct one. For now, I teach my hearing boyfriend local sign language for a while although he wants to learn ASL instead.

We certainly don't claim to be the best, but our app Hands On ASL just released this month! It offers 3D models to view each letter in the alphabet from all angles opposed to images or videos. We're hoping to add more, but this initial release just covers fingerspelling with supporting quizzes to help you master your reception!

Android / Google - Hands On ASL

iOS / Apple - Hands On ASL

I’m very curious about the sign on the cover of the book, looks like British sign language or something. link for those who want to take a look

https://www.amazon.com/Signing-Naturally-Student-Workbook-Units/dp/1581212100

Be wary of renting as it may not come with the DVDs. I made the mistake of renting one for maybe $30, ended up having to buy a new one, and then unable to return the rental for a refund ��.

That being said, although it’s on the pricier side, it’s been a great tool to learning ASL!

I'm a fan of the Barron's American Sign Language The Easy Way (link for current version). I have the 2007 edition, and really like how it is laid out, along with all of the cultural information.

Any opinions on the free courses at http://startASL.com? I've made it to ASL 1, Unit 5. Just wondering if LifePrint or SignSchool are better courses.

Any recommendations on a print ASL dictionary? Was thinking of picking up RH/Webster's Unabridged.

I am all for bilingualism. Absolutely. But recursive or dynamic forms of bilingualism (Garcia, 2009, chap 4) are inclusive to communication modes and forms--'L'anguages are important, but so are the communicative strategies that move in subtler ways. If students use PSE, Homesigns, SEE, who am I to tell them that they are wrong or not communicating effectively? "Rochester method" being bullshit? Yeah. PSE as a non-entity? No way. Communication is more important than Language. Any day of the week.

Garcia, O. (2009). Bilingualism in the 21st Century. Wiley-Blackwell

I enjoyed Hand Talk a lot. It's more about sociolinguistic history than about languages that are current and widely used.

i , too, was surprised to learn that ASL was not a signed version of english, but rather its own language all together. i bought this book from amazon and it's very good as a primer for explaining ASL: as its own language with its own grammar, idioms, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Just-Sign-Communicate-Mastering/dp/0984529446

I would suggest either Open Your Eyes or Deaf Gain.

Both of them are collections of scholarly writings from deaf studies. Variety of topics, so it's a good way to get an overview and an idea of what's going on in deaf studies.

Another poster already mentioned the current edition (5th) of the Linguistics if ASL book. That, by far, should be the #1 resource IMO. Second, this book. (I'm on mobile, so I apologize about the poor link).

http://www.amazon.com/Grammar-Gesture-Meaning-American-Language/dp/0521016509

This book is incredible and really made me love linguistics.

I took an ASL class at my college, we used this book: http://www.amazon.com/Signing-Naturally-Workbook-American-Functional/dp/1581211279/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1385780336&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=asl+workbook

Having two lovely Deaf professors and this book made learning a breeze :) I would suggest learning with a friend so you have someone to practice with, it really helps.

Don't know if you have access to this book, but The Book of Name Signs might be of use to you when determining a name sign for your character.

The sites I use regularly are ASLPro.com, Lifeprint.com, and SigningSavvy.com, though Signing Savvy will only let you look up 5 signs a day without a paid membership. The ASL dictionary I've had throughout my program is this (below) and it has been a great resource. Of course, a Deaf person will always be the best ASL dictionary. Good luck!

Sorry, the "link" feature here stopped working for me months ago, dunno why.

http://www.amazon.com/Websters-Compact-American-Language-Dictionary/dp/0375722777/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1356465966&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=sign+language+dictionary