I’d like links to useful guides, online resources, books, etc.
Also I’d like to hear some people speaking from experience if possible. I’m going for public service and I know Chinese, am hoping to learn Spanish (I have a base, I took 3 years in highs school so I’m not worried), and would love to learn ASL. I have NO idea where to begin, however.
Thanks in advance.
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Immerse yourself in deaf culture, watch a lot of videos with sign language and study, memorize and practice!
If you need any items to help you learn, please see:
http://www.ncslearnalanguageresources.com
Good luck!
Nancala 🙂
I would suggest to take classes. A language can never be completely learned without formal training or growing up with it.
Honestly, the best way is to get deaf friends or get in a relationship with a deaf person.
Taking classes definitely helps, especially for grammar and correct sign production, but it is very very very hard to achieve any level of fluency only in class. You really have to search for deaf people, go to deaf events in your area (such as Deaf Professional Happy Hour if you’re over 21… google DPHH and you’ll find info about it.), and make friends. That’s the best way.
Where are you located? There are a few colleges that enroll lots of deaf people that might be good places to start… Gallaudet University in DC, Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY, and CSU- Northridge, in California. There are also lots of other colleges that have sign programs, but you will probably be surrounded by other hearing students at those schools.
But yes… definitely try to get involved in the deaf community. If you try and have the right attitude, then people are generally very accepting.