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So, you want to learn
American Sign Language
a.k.a. (ASL). OK then you need to keep an open mind, get a mirror, and
have FUN. You may ask, "
How long will it take?
"
Most importantly, you must realize ASL IS NOT
broken English; they are two different languages.
ASL is a visual/gestural language, so it will
not look like written English. For example:
As
we go along you will notice there are some
signs that can be expressed using a variety
of English words and there are many English
words that can be expressed using a variety
of signs for example variations of the word
"run": running water;
running a race; running for office; runny nose;
run in your hose. All of the examples would
be signed differently in order to convey the
correct concept. Also, there is no distinction
between upper case and lower case letters.
ASL
is a conceptual language, therefore, not every
English word will have an exact correlating
sign. For example the sentence "I am going
to the store" contains six words, but
in ASL you only use two or three signs combined
with the proper facial expression.
Now
that we have discussed a couple of very important
aspects of American Sign Language let us go
ahead and begin with the basics.
When you begin to practice spelling the alphabet
using your fingers, known as "Fingerspelling",
you may need to use a mirror. The reasoning???
If you fingerspell while looking at the palm
of your hand it will be indicating that you
are talking to yourself. (Don't worry we all
do it.) When you fingerspell a word the palm
of your hand needs to be facing away from your
body, hence spelling to the person in front
of you. Fingerspelling for some people can
be difficult, so just be patient and continue
practicing and you will be fine. Remember,
start out slow and with time your speed will
increase. Don't feel like you need to fingerspell
quickly to look cool. Clarity is better than
speed.
Let's
move on to some of the most important features
of ASL:
Facial Expressions and Body Language.
These
two components make up almost 80% of true ASL,
thus making them essential for clear communication.
A few examples may help to clarify this concept.
If you were to sign "Good morning, I'm
happy to see you today." but you aren't
smiling then you would actually be conveying
the opposite meaning and the person may think
you are not telling the truth. Another example
could be, "I AM FURIOUS!" yet you
are smiling could convey that you are playing
or joking.
You
have now been introduced to ASL, so lets go
ahead and begin practicing. Click on the link
below and it will take you to a place of signs
and Fingerspelling.
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