Everything You Need To Learn American Sign Language (ASL)
American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete, complex language that employs signs made by moving the hands combined with facial expressions and postures of the body. It is the primary language of many North Americans who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
There are approximately 500,000 native ASL users in the United States and Canada. ASL is also used as a second language in countries such as Ghana and Nigeria.
The good news is, if you’re interested in learning the language, you’ll find plenty of online resources and products available. We’ve put together a small list of those we think are among the best.
ASL Language Learning Books
Believe it or not, it’s not only possible to learn ASL through books, but highly effective. A good ASL course/study book will teach you important, everyday signs, along with ASL grammar, and sentence structure. Some will also provide links to accompanying video, so you get a better idea of how to sign.
A concise ASL dictionary will also come in extremely handy. You need a good, well-illustrated reference book that makes it easy for you to quickly look up signs as and when you need them.
ASL Children’s Books
American Sign Language children’s books are mostly focused on teaching young children the most important signs, showing them how to ask for things in the language. ASL kids’ books aren’t just great for children, but for beginners of all ages.
ASL Apps
One of the best ways to learn ASL on the go is with an ASL app. For example, an ASL dictionary app will come packed with thousands of video signs, which you can access with a couple of clicks.
ASL Dictionary HD American Sign Language - App
ASL Digital Courses
If reading books isn’t your thing, maybe an ASL digital course is. These usually come in the form of ASL video courses, which you can access online, on your laptop or even mobile device. You’ll find that many of these ASL courses are interactive, allowing you to build up the signs you learn into complete sentences.
Udemy’s American Sign Language course is comprehensive and suitable for absolute beginners. It’s packed with a whopping 49 hours of video lessons, and won’t break the bank. Plus, you can access the course on any smart device, and you get lifetime access to it and all future updates.
ASL UDEMY COURSES
ASL Products
You can give your studies a boost by using certain products designed to reinforce learning. For example, American Sign Language flash cards give you the opportunity to learn useful, everyday signs in a fun, memorable way.
ASL posters with some of the most important signs are great for displaying around the house or in school classrooms.
