When I first started trying to learn sign language, I browsed for many hours through a slew of "Teach Yourself to Sign" books. I learned that there are many books out there that would send you in the wrong direction (if you want to learn ASL, that is). Just for clarification, ASL stands for American Sign Language, and it is the sign language used in North America. There are many regional differences (American vs Canadian, as well as provincial), but ASL is the main language used by the deaf community.
There is another sign language used which is called SEE (Sign Exact English), and it is exactly as it suggests. There is a sign for every word, including "the", "it", and other words that ASL doesn't normally acknowledge, and the order in which they are used is the same in speech. For example, if you want to ask someone their name, in SEE you would say "What is your name", whereas in ASL you would say "you name what." And because the fact that you're asking a question is not completely clear just from the words, your facial expression is absolutely key.
An excellent reference for learning Canadian ASL is the Canadian Dictionary of ASL. This book is absolutely invaluable and acknowledges the regional differences.
PLEASE READ: About my Blog...
I am an ASL student at Algonquin College in Ottawa. The program uses the "Signing Naturally" textbooks, which are really quite difficult to follow. This is where my desire to create this blog came from. I wanted to create a resource that would act as a supplement to the textbook to fill in the blanks, and maybe just explain things in a different way to hopefully help my fellow students. I also wanted this to be helpful to people who want to learn ASL but who don't have the textbooks, so I have tried to re-explain key things from the text.
If you are a student, the posts have been labeled according to the level of ASL and the unit of the book. If you are not using the book but simply want to go through the posts in order, follow the labels entitled "Post".
I have found that there are many different signs that are used, and they vary from person to person, and from teacher to teacher. So I have included any differences I have learned, but this list is by no means comprehensive. I am sure I am not aware of all of the variations, so I have just posted what I know. Please do not use this site to override anything that you know. I am only just learning and am by no means a pro. That said, I am more than happy to hear any comments or suggestions, so please let me know if I have posted anything that is incorrect, or if you would like me to do something differently. This blog is intended to help you, so if there is a way it could be more helpful, I sincerely want to know!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
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