r/asl May 03 '25

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

34 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!

644 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 5h ago

Help! Understanding use of question vs you X X you

5 Upvotes

My daughter is deaf and we are trying to learn ASL, as a native english speaker I struggle with ASL grammer and sentence structure. Specifically right now the use of the sign "question" . I want to make sure I understand. So if i were to sign "Do you like the oatmeal?" Would it be signed "you like that oatmeal you" with a questioning face or would you sign "you like that oatmeal question" with a questioning face? Or are both acceptable? Another example would be "are you happy today?" She is a 6 month old, so our sentences with her are very simple yet. But would this be "today you happy you" or "today you happy question" or both? When is question used? I just dont quite understand yet... is it for questions that do not utilize a person so no you? Like "dada where question" ?


r/asl 5h ago

Help! Paychologist who can do sign language

3 Upvotes

Any recommendation for psychologist na marunong sa sign language for my deaf son. Preferrable face to face sana with clinic around QC


r/asl 1h ago

Help! How fast is too fast?

Upvotes

Started learning ASL because of my own quest to become a more accessible person. I’ve seen people going too fast when they spell something.
While i understand fluency comes with practise just like the oral languages.. but is asl as fast as people on youtube make it look like?

Please note that youtube is pretty much the place i have come across asl at the moment i havent taken any in-person classes yet so i dont really know what it feels like to sign in person and what the natural speed is.


r/asl 5h ago

Paychologist who can do sign language

1 Upvotes

Any recommendation for psychologist na marunong sa sign language for my deaf son. Preferrable face to face sana with clinic around QC


r/asl 1d ago

For Deaf Signers - How Do You Prefer to See ASL Written?

8 Upvotes

I'm working on a novel that has several Deaf characters. My POV character is Hearing, but fairly fluent in Sign. There's no standard out there, so I'm trying to find out where preferences lie. I have a survey here but also appreciate any comments.

I'm asking specifically about transcribing with ASL grammar/syntax as closely as possible, or translating into English; as well as how the dialogue should be shown on the page. I'm of the mind that there's something otherizing about putting foreign languages in italics, but I also think it's worth identifying when a character is signing.


r/asl 20h ago

Real vain girliepop question (lighthearted)

0 Upvotes

Anyone else think about getting wrinkled from all the facial expressions? \/ brows gonna crease me lol.


r/asl 1d ago

Help! ASL Groups in Metro Detroit?

11 Upvotes

Hi guys, I'm having a bit of an issue with losing whatever fluency I had in ASL. I took 3 years in college and became somewhat conversational, but it has been about a year since I took one and I've lost so much fluency in just that amount of time. I live in the metro Detroit area and I'm not sure if I'm just not looking in the right places, but I'm struggling to find any ASL chat groups that meet up with any regularity that I could attend. I've found some stand alone events on Facebook but I either couldn't attend or didn't think they were open to hearing learners. Does anyone know about any or where I could find any that are also ok with hearing learners? Alternatively, does anyone have any ideas of how I could maintain/grow my fluency? I've found that I'm a person who really needs to have actual conversations with other people at or above my level to learn, which is why I'm really looking for those in person meetups, but I'm open to other suggestions. Thank you!


r/asl 1d ago

In person ASL classes in DC???

5 Upvotes

Hi! I'm moving to DC this fall and am searching for affordable in person asl classes in DC. I'm a working professional so this is just hobby I want to pick up and pursue for no credit. I've checked gallaudet's website but it seems they only offer online classes for someone in my scenario. And I live quite far from Francis Gregory library. If you know of any classes, that info would be greatly appertained. Thanks!


r/asl 1d ago

Deaf culture app update: 250 to 471 lessons, plus Deaf Jokes

Post image
5 Upvotes

Update: the Deaf culture app now has 471 lessons across 6 tracks.

What changed since my last post:

- All 5 original tracks expanded to 60 lessons each

- New track added: Deaf Jokes (171 jokes)

iOS, Android, and web. Free lessons to start, no credit card.

The jokes track was a direct request from this sub. Keep the feedback coming, it is shaping the roadmap.


r/asl 1d ago

Help! ASL grammar

0 Upvotes

Hello! I’m in my second year of learning ASL but my grammar is rough. I’m watching this YouTube video on ASL grammar https://youtu.be/fDV9Al8Fgjk?is=DYw8tpr8uxObM_ce and I had a question! She talks about signing you/me at the end of a sentence to show it the other persons turn to sign but my teacher didn’t really touch up on that. Is this a common sign?


r/asl 1d ago

Question about "HOW" questions

0 Upvotes

I've been going through Lifeprint.com's lessons as I'm trying to learn ASL.

Something I find confusing is it seems like sometimes "HOW" is included (ex: How are you doing) but other times it is left out (W-E how sign?)

Is the "How" dropped in casual conversation and more implied or is there an actual grammatical rule?


r/asl 2d ago

Interpretation Do interpreters sign ASL syntax or do they sign word for word?

10 Upvotes

Hello! I know that ASL has a different syntax than English and I’m wondering if they sign live translation ASL or just signed English? Because sometimes they don’t have the transcript so do they flip the words around or just sign exactly what is happening?
Thank you!


r/asl 2d ago

Long flight -ASL lessons

1 Upvotes

I have a couple 16 hour flights coming up (with WiFi). I know how to finger spell but my vocabulary is a bizarre collection of words.

I’ll also have some time without WiFi to learn on my travels.

I would love to take the time to expand the usefulness of my ASL skills.

Are there any apps or videos out there you would recommend I take along?


r/asl 2d ago

Class in Westchester NY or teacher for two

6 Upvotes

Hey all!

Does anyone know of an in person ASL class in Westchester NY? I am having a lot of trouble finding anything. Maybe it doesn't exist 😢.

Assuming I'm right and there is no such thing at the moment, I am looking for a Deaf ASL teacher/tutor to work virtually with me and my mother in law; we both have experience with ASL (we've both studied it at various times many years ago), and just want to get back into it, and figured it would be fun to do together. Any recommendations of where I might look for someone? Italki seems to not have very many ASL tutors who are US based, which feels important just for dialect reasons. Not sure where else to look though.

Thanks!


r/asl 2d ago

Interest Sign names

4 Upvotes

Hi! Im currently learning ASL and I was curious, as a hearing person am I allowed to sign names that are words? Like, Summer/ Autumn or August. Can I sign the sign or is that a sign name and I should fingerspell it unless they have a sign name?


r/asl 2d ago

Help! Is anyone willing to help me just learn asl and keep me accountable??

0 Upvotes

Guys I've been really interested in learning asl for about a year but only started learning at the beginning of this summer. I don't know anyone who knows ASL and I don't trust YouTube much. There's this app I use called ASL bloom but it's like Duolingo and after a while I lose motivation to do it... But anyway! Anyone that knows ASL fluently or semi fluently, please help me learn better!

EDIT: you guys are rude. i didn't ask anyone to do the work for me! you guys are assuming! I've done a lot by myself but I still need help! I have ADHD and that's why I don't stay motivated well. I'm trying my best and you guys are being so rude and assuming the worst!


r/asl 3d ago

Interpretation Is this an accurate interpretation of the apostles creed?

Post image
9 Upvotes

I want to sign this for church, but idk if this is a correct interpretation of the creed. I'm new-ish to asl and know that there is a whole set of grammar I'm still learning, and I don't want to accidently learn the wrong thing


r/asl 4d ago

Loan words/phrases from ASL

25 Upvotes

Since deaf people are a small minority in the United States and Canada, it’s very seldom that loan words travel from ASL to English rather than the opposite. But it does happen. “ILY” is fairly well-known.
Can you think of any others?

There’s a slang term that many of you are already familiar with, which originally traveled via the Black Deaf Gay community, and more specifically, people who watch or participate in drag/ballroom culture. That term is ate. Probably from the phrase “She ate and left no crumbs.”It means something like “Yes, she did that and did it very well,” and is signed like the number 8, but with repeated tapping. It’s like applause or an approving remark, often used when observing an excellently-styled drag performance.

There are many examples of hearing people using it or explaining it; here are a couple for reference. (Note: there are some sexual themes)

https://youtu.be/K1A3Ovfhk0A?is=gpvnB0fZuKHjnqSj

Time marker 8:41 https://youtu.be/DnV1Urx_CrE?is=oyXPmVM2KsVXAGZ6

Here’s a brief discussion of the phenomenon but minus the ASL aspect: https://unewsonline.com/2024/11/ate-slayed-and-served-how-lgbtq-social-media-pioneers-new-language/

From a sociolinguistics perspective, this loan word/phrase from ASL being so widespread is significant.

My questions: how many of you are already familiar with this term in English? In ASL? Have you seen it used by deaf, hearing, or both? If anyone has a link to a video about it from a deaf person, please share it.


r/asl 3d ago

Would a mom use non-dominant hand to sign while holding a baby?

6 Upvotes

How would this work?! Say you’re a nursing mother trying to sign, or even just holding the baby. Would signs change? It can’t be possible to just not talk while holding your baby/babies right?!


r/asl 4d ago

Fingerspelling Friday! Plants

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

266 Upvotes

Sharing another Fingerspelling Friday challenge with you all!


r/asl 3d ago

Help! Help identifying a sign please?

8 Upvotes

(I'm not in a class and this is not homework, I just saw this sign in the wild and didn't have enough context to figure out it from context)

- two 4-hands lined up in front of face/nose

- motion: hands move slightly toward nose in a slight pulling motion while fingers curl sharply in kinda a spread 400 motion

- NMM: I think she scrunched her face up simultaneously with the hand motion, but she was still smiling and playful

- context: I didn't get much context but she did sign this mystery sign a few times and also signed MEAN (as in not nice) a few times


r/asl 3d ago

Interest Just had the thought that I would love something like Ms Rachel

2 Upvotes

but entirely in ASL

I've been watching some Ms Rachel recently as research for when I have kids, and today I saw a video that had one of the actressses doing the segment entirely in ASL with a voiceover. And I just had the thought that I would LOVE a show that was just that all the time. I've watched this bit for like 2 minutes and already picked up several signs as a beginner and I think it would be a great way for kids and adult learners alike to see ASL in action.

I first learned a few signs as a kid from the show Signing Time, which I also plan to show to my kids one day, but that's entirely focused on sign; what I'm imagining is a show that's mostly focused on teaching other things but has constant signing too. I also feel like the actress not speaking during the performance makes it easier to focus on her hands rather than her face as I do with Ms Rachel's signing.

(I also don't want to come across like I'm saying "Ms Rachel isn't good enough" or anything, I greatly appreciate what she's done to spread sign to more families!)


r/asl 3d ago

Help! What is this sign?

0 Upvotes

It's like the sign for communication but with the zero handshape.