The Benefits of Learning American Sign Language

American Sign Language (ASL) is the 3rd most used language throughout the United States. Learning sign language can provide numerous benefits. Some of these benefits include being able to converse with a person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing. Have you ever meet a deaf person before? If not, the first time you do meet one, just imagine the expression on his or her face when you sign, “Hello”. Sign language can be learned for people who scuba dive. Having the ability to communicate underwater is priceless. Imagine you and your friend adventuring into a underwater cave. You spot something really cool. You get your friend’s attention, then with the use of sign language, you are able to covey this “important” message. I am not sure if you have ever tried writing a note underwater, but I can only imagine what the paper would do.

Not only is it cool to be able to converse underwater and converse with deaf people, but you can also make interpreting into a career. Being able to sign gives you an advantage that most people do not have. How many people really know how to sign? My guess is less than 1% of all people know sign language fluently. If you decide to make sign language interpreting a career for you, you would have to enroll in an Interpreter Training Program to help you achieve your goal. While you are deciding to make interpreting a career choice, you can begin learning sign language fluently online, or at a local college. There are several online programs that will give you an upper-hand while learning sign language. You want a program that will provide all of the essential ingredients of ASL. Some of these components include ASL grammar, facial expressions, fingerspelling, numbers, sentence structure, synonyms and linguistics.

Another benefit of learning American Sign Language is the ability to learn about another culture. In the United States alone, there are a plethora of cultures. Deaf culture is one which very few people are familiar with. Have you ever wondered how a deaf person answers the phone? How do deaf individuals know when there is a knock at the door? How do they wake up in the morning for work? Has it ever occurred to you how a deaf person communicates with those who are hearing? For the most part, learning another language also requires you to learn about the culture as well. Deaf culture has a rich heritage, and it reflects tremendous pride. Deaf people function the same way a hearing person would, except with some accommodations made for their inability to hear. Some of these accommodations might include a specialized door knocker, which triggers a flashing light that alerts the deaf person. The same concept might be used to warn of an incoming telephone call. How does a deaf individual “talk” on the phone if they can’t hear? Well, technology has provided some much needed accommodations that make the lives of deaf citizens much easier compared to what was available in years past. Before the advent of the TTY, deaf people had to drive to the pizzeria to place the food order, then return to the vehicle and wait until the pizza is ready, and then drive home. Thankfully, those inconveniences are a thing of the past.

Now, the newest technical device is a videophone, so even the TTY/TDD is being used less every day. With the use of a videophone, deaf individuals can place telephone calls to anyone by using this new technology. A deaf person merely has to call the relay center where a hearing person is visible to both parties via a television screen. Instead of typing like the TTY/TDD technology requires, the two will communicate only in sign language. The deaf person will provide the interpreter with a telephone number to call. The interpreter places the call to the hearing party. The conversation is then signed to the deaf individual. The interpreter simply signs over the TV screen to the deaf person, and speaks to the hearing person through a headset. Conversations between deaf and hearing are now being done this way all around the world.

Here, I have only listed a few reasons why learning sign language is important. In life, there are so many more reasons why learning this skill is so important; perhaps you have a deaf parent, child, or sibling. Maybe your co-worker is deaf, or perhaps you work at a job where you encounter many deaf customers. Regardless of why you are interested in sign language, there remains no doubt that you can benefit tremendously from knowing this rich and vast language.

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Learn Sign Language ? Common Signs for Greeting People

Sign Language for ‘Hello’

Imagine that you’ve met a friend at a social function and you want to greet him. You’d most likely want to say ‘hello’. So it would be good to learn the sign for the word ‘hello’.

To say ‘hello’ using sign language, first hold out your right palm if you’re right handed or your left palm if you’re left handed. Now bring your palm to your forehead as if you are saluting your friend. But don’t make the salute too rigid like someone in the army. Just be casual and bring your palm towards your forehead then move your palm outwards away from your forehead. Move it just a few inches away from your face and don’t bring your hand all the way down. This sign indicates that you have greeted your friend with a warm ‘hello’ which he can now respond to either by sign or by words.

Sign Language for ‘Welcome’

To make the sign for the word ‘welcome’ just touch your fingertips to your forehead. Make sure your palm faces towards you. Now bring your hand down and towards your chest. This means that you are welcoming the person towards you. This is a gesture to which people who know sign language respond to warmly. You can combine the signs for ‘hello’ and ‘welcome’ when you greet someone at the door of your home and invite them in.

You can become quite proficient when you begin to learn sign language by focusing on common greetings. These help you to warm up to people and start longer conversations using signs.

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Sign Language Lessons: Common Phrases : How to Sign Feelings in Sign Language


Learn how to sign anger, mad, quiet, cry, and bad with American Sign Language (ASL) tips in this free online sign language video tutorial clip. Expert: Melissa Schenk Bio: Melissa Schenk te enseñará cómo presupuestar tus gastos en compras de regalos para los días de fiesta. Filmmaker: Melissa Schenk.

Learning Sign Language The Easy Way

There are simply not many things that are as fulfilling as being able to talk with someone who can not hear. Are you interested in learning as well? It is something to see several people signing back and forth. How would you like to be that someone who can do this? The things you can do with this skill are amazing.

There are many ways you can learn this wonderful skill. You have the option of learning with flash cards, websites, books, or practicing with someone who can already sign. I started out by searching for some free online resouces. If you Google it, you will find a bunch of sites promising you will learn immediately. This will cost you some a pretty penny. Unfortunately, I spent many days without discovering anything that helped.

Next, I purchased several books. Sadly, that did not teach me what I wanted. After several weeks of periodically trying different things, I finally discovered videos were the only way. The next challenge was finding the right video system. It did not take too long. The best video training system for me was Rocket Sign Language.

For me, learning sign language with the video system was surprisingly easy. I have a extremely busy schedule, so I planned to learn three or four signs every week. I wanted to master a few signs and then move on to the next. I was lucky because I had a couple who could not hear. So after I learned my three signs for the week, I would practice with my new friends. I am sure they enjoyed it as much as I did.

There are definitely other video systems that work. I can not evaluate other methods, since I only tried the Rocket program. However, this particular video series makes learning fun. Not only can you see the sign being demonstrated, but you can watch it again and again. Repeating the procedure is often the best way to learn something new.

You can pick the signs you want to learn. They also have some really fun games you can have some fun with. When you need some extra help, you can sign up for your own virtual teacher. This option is available at any time you need it.

You can learn more about the Rocket Sign Language program at Learn Sign Language Free. The program does cost a little, but has a money back guarantee. Therefore, you can have the peace of mind if you are not satisfied. As far as I know, I do not know anyonewho has ever requested a refund. If you really are wanting to learn to sign, then you have to give this program a try. You will be happy you did.

I am an online stock trader, a youth basketball coach, a business owner, and a freelance writer. Therefore, among other topics, I enjoy writing about business , investing, and sports.

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An Introduction and History of American Sign Language (ASL)

People who are profoundly deaf can communicate by talking with their hands. You only need your eyesight to know what is being “said”.  American Sign Language (ASL) is the language of the Deaf in America.  Just like in the spoken word, different countries and regions of the world has a different sign language.

American Sign Language (ASL) is a language that utilizes the hands to make signs that result in a language all it’s own.  It is a way of communicating that people with severe hearing loss use to interact with others.  It the fourth most used language in the US.

How American Sign Language got started is not known, but what we do know is that it was brought to America by a French man named Laurent Clerc who set up the first school for the Deaf here in the US.  Clerc taught French Sign Language (FSL) to Americans, and as a result, ASL and FSL are similar, but knowing one does not mean you can understand the other.

Sign language is based on sight.  A person who is deaf uses the most important tool he has to communicate, which is his sight.  Through sight, the deaf person can receive information and connect with others by use of the hands, Using hand shapes and other visual cues, such as facial expression and body movements to communicate. To be fluent in sign language takes quite a bit of time and study.

American Sign Language is a language that is different from English. It has grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure, as well as how it is used in a particular region as well as common colloquialisms.  Each language of sign uses different expressions. In speech, different sounds of tone are used to get a message across. In sign language, body language and facial expressions are used instead of the tones used in speech.

Why does American Sign Language become a first language for many deaf people?

Parents or caretakers are always a child’s first introduction to language.  A deaf child who born to parents who are deaf use sign language early because that is the language spoken in the home, but language is learned differently by the deaf child whose parents are not hearing impaired. Hearing parents who learn sign language often learn it along with their child who is deaf.

The first six months of life are the most important to a child’s development of language skills. All newborns should be screened for hearing loss before they go home.  Early diagnosis of hearing loss gives parents a chance  to research communication options. Parents are able to start the language development process during this time.

Age is an important issue in learning ASL.  The earlier sign language is taught, particularly before starting school, the better the outcome for communicating competently with others.

A licensed registered nurse and reputable writer, Barb Hicks loves to share her knowledge with others. You can find her articles about Causes of Hearing Loss and What is Hearing Impairment on Clivir.com.

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Sycamore sign language students present variety show

Sycamore sign language students present variety show
Sycamore High School’s American Sign Language students will present their fifth annual variety show, “Sycamore Signs,” at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 10, in the high school’s Little Theatre, 7400 Cornell Road.

Read more on Community Press & Recorder

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Learn Sign Language ? How To Learn It the Right Way

Who, Why, Where, When, What

You should begin learning sign language by concentrating on ‘who, why, where, when and what’. These are known as the 5 W’s. No conversation of any kind can take place without these five key information. So learn these signs first.

To learn the sign for ‘who’, just touch your chin with the thumb of your right hand and your index finger pointing out towards the other person. Now move your hand forward two times so that your index finger comes towards you. That’s the sign for the word ‘who’

For the sign indicating ‘why’ all you have to do is touch your forehead with the fingers of your right hand. You then lower your hand down from your face and away from your head. As you do so, curl the fingers of your right hand to make the sign ‘Y’.

The sign for ‘where’ simply requires you to raise your left hand with your index finger pointed upwards. Now wave your index finger left to right as if you’re pointing to places along the street.

To learn sign language effectively, you need to know the sign for ‘when’. For this, you need to raise the index finger of your left hand up and then draw a circle round the finger with your right index finger. This motion signifies time.

And finally, the sign for ‘what’ can be made by raising both your palms upwards while shrugging your shoulders. It’s a universal sign that’s used even by people who are not deaf to convey the message that they don’t understand something.

You should learn the signs for the 5 W’s if you want to learn sign language the right way. They will help you understand any conversation by signing quickly and easily.

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A Look at the Positive Aspects of the American Sign Language

American sign language is the language of the deaf community in America and English speaking countries around North America. This language involves the use of body language like hands and the reading of impressions on lips. Body and facial expressions constitute this kind of special communication. The birth of this kind of language was due to necessity. Many American families with deaf children had to employ teachers to instruct their children but, with growing need, the language is being taught in secondary and post secondary level. Family members and friends have been known to learn this kind of language to help deaf people.

American sign language was influenced so much by the sprouting of the European sign languages in the 17th century. A that time, Italy and France had developed their own sign languages. The language has evolved over the years and is fitted with its own vocabulary and grammar. It has contributed to other sign languages of the world. The language is very popular and and in fact, it is the third most used language in the U.S. It has contributed to integration and reduced barriers that might have otherwise been very large. Also, by having a need to communicate with animals, humans continue to device forms of communication; This has been inspired largely by sign language.

American sign language has also encouraged the communication with infants because, before children can speak, they speak. Not in a way that we can always understand but, by signs and body language. Encouraging a child to use this language can enhance their intellect and prepare them gradually for speech. Children who learn to express themselves this way are at an advantage compared to their counterparts who will be much slower. Sign language has further inspired contemporary art characterized with body movement that can entertain people. The thoughtful and deep moves manages to impress and provoke the emotions of the audience making the experience a wholesome one.

Such a simple thing like finger counting may not seem like a sign language but, is a less complex sign language. Even with normal speech and brain function, people found it necessary for this aid. This goes to show that we cannot live independent of sign language. Apart from creating a voice for the deaf, it has done so much and the least people can do is to recognize it. Many have been on the forefront to support its development and by it growing to such tremendous heights, shows that there has been goodwill.

Some organizations ask for donations for sign language development and one must make sure that they are legitimate. Also by floating so much information in the websites, people have become empowered and this has been a positive aspect. It is through working together that sign language will be spread to parts of the world where the need is so great. Many parents and their children have noted amazing results and written back to to thank visual language providers. It is very inexpensive to empower yourself with the tools. The language can be learned online making it very much in reach of the common man.

Muna Wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Sign Language for Years. For More Information on American Sign Language, Visit His Site at AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I Will Also Highly Appreciate Your Views On American Sign Language At My Blog here American Sign Language

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