i want to actually learn ASL. from the basic. i want to be fluently at it. though i don’t know anybody that’s deaf, but i’m just really interested in ASL. should i learn it? if so, where to start? i want to learn online free or cheap cost. & guarantee result. PLEASE HELP!
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You should start by learning the alphabet, and you can find the ASL alphabet almost anywhere. Imagine learning another language without knowing the characters.
the american dictionary of sign language
comes with letters, numbers, simple words, and short sentences
I’m deaf and am fluent in ASL (as a second language). Here’s a great website to learn http://www.aslpro.com/
I recommend interacting with members of the deaf community as the best way to learn the fastest. There is this great website that shows all of the deaf socials that get together at the local Starbucks or coffeehouse all over the USA. http://www.deafchatcoffee.com You just click on the state you live in and find all of the locations they meet. They usually get together once or twice a month.
It’s a great way to make new friends and practice your signing skills. Deaf people are very social people, so it’s easy to make friends.
The best place to start is at your local college. I live in Cali and tution is only 20 per unit. If you wnat to be able to use ASL elsewhere this is the best way to go. You can become certified in ASL so you can translate. If you can take it from a Deaf instructor that is always the best. I have taken 4 years worth and I would not trade it for the world.
More than likely a school or a church near you may teach it call around. Find out if there is an interpreting agency near you. Or call a local college’s Services for Students with Disabilities and talk to one of their interpreters on local resources. But if you use a dictionary you will not become fluent b/c you will only know a couple words and not a true meaning of the sentence structure. You will also only get the hand movements for the words and for the facial part or what not. This is a language that you cannot just open a book and know you must work hard at it.