Stuck home due to COVID-19? Have some surprise extra time on your hands? Or has your local ASL class been canceled, and you wish you could continue learning? Don't want to lose the progress you've made so far?
Here are some tips and resources to help you begin or continue your study of American Sign Language:
Here are some tips and resources to help you begin or continue your study of American Sign Language:
Tips for Home Study
- Schedule: Schedule time in your day to learn or practice ASL. Literally put it on your calendar. Make an appointment with yourself and stick to it!
- Practice: If you know anyone else who is learning ASL (or can reach out to other people in your canceled class!), I suggest you arrange several Skype / Facetime / Hangouts time with them to practice communicating only using ASL, classifiers, fingerspelling, and gestures -- whatever works. Keep it up!
- Teach: If you're the only person in your household who has been learning ASL, try teaching your relatives or roommates what you know so far, and then practice together.
- Grow: Take this time to try recording video of yourself signing a story, an introduction, a sentence, and then watch it back to see how you think you can do better. Continue critiquing your own signing and then re-record and see how you improve!
Online lessons
ASLMeredith's Beginner Foundations Course is a self-paced online program to get you from zero to conversational in a matter of weeks. Contact me if you have any questions :)
Signed with Heart's Fingerspelling 101 Course is self-paced and will help you improve both your fingerspelling and fingerspelling receptivity skills.
Sign Language Center is based in NYC and - due to COVID-19 - is now offering their fantastic instruction LIVE over Zoom! All classes on line run 2 hours, once a week for 6 weeks.
ASLNYC also offers live 1:1 lessons and tutoring over Skype in addition to their local NYC classes.
Free Hearts Signing has a few course options to choose from. Use code ASLMeredith for a discount.
Signed with Heart's Fingerspelling 101 Course is self-paced and will help you improve both your fingerspelling and fingerspelling receptivity skills.
Sign Language Center is based in NYC and - due to COVID-19 - is now offering their fantastic instruction LIVE over Zoom! All classes on line run 2 hours, once a week for 6 weeks.
ASLNYC also offers live 1:1 lessons and tutoring over Skype in addition to their local NYC classes.
Free Hearts Signing has a few course options to choose from. Use code ASLMeredith for a discount.
Useful sites for practice
I'm a big fan of the following resources!
Video Lessons - excellent for beginners, and family-friendly! News and more (in ASL) - great for practicing receptive skills and seeing ASL in action.
Video Lessons - excellent for beginners, and family-friendly! News and more (in ASL) - great for practicing receptive skills and seeing ASL in action.
- DTV News
- The Daily Moth
- Tru Biz Entertainment
- spreadthesign.com
- lifeprint.com - also has lessons
- The ASL App is a useful mobile learning tool
For more resources online or books to buy, check out my recommended resources page.
Consider using this time to contribute to a Deaf-run nonprofit or business.
Consider using this time to contribute to a Deaf-run nonprofit or business.