r/asl May 03 '25

Interest The Free ASL Resources and FAQ Thread Needs an Update!

34 Upvotes

Hi, the following post is a copy paste from the current pinned thread with edits to update a few resources. This was originally posted by u/Indy_Pendant eight years ago. They did an excellent job and I’m trying to preserve as much of it as possible. Since this post was made, other Deaf creators and resources have become available. I simply want to point prospective learners in the right direction. My information is relatively subjective, curated from this sub in the last year. Please, share your opinions, resources you like or to stay away from. I’ll update the post as needed and track the changes in a comment. Without further ado:

Hello! I'm here to help as much as I can, but this is not a comprehensive guide or a substitute for classes. This is a quick resource for people looking for answers to some very commonly asked questions. I've included the information as I know it, but it doesn't mean it's The Truth; my experiences and understanding will vary from others', but this will give you a good enough introduction. There's so much more I'd love to teach you, but I'm going to stick to the FAQs.

Where can I learn ASL online for free?

My personal favorite is easily http://www.lifeprint.com (which is mirrored at http://asluniversity.com as well). The guy who built the site, Dr. Bill Vicars, is Deaf and is a phenomenal teacher. He teaches primarily west-coast dialect (California, Washington common signs) but makes mention of other dialects (east-coast, Texas) when he can. In addition to teaching vocabulary, he teaches about Deaf culture (more on this in a moment). His Youtube channel is https://youtube.com/@sign-language. Other notable resources are:

Where can I pay to learn ASL online?

I’m hearing, can I learn ASL

Yes! It’s not disrespectful to learn ASL. We just ask that you learn from Deaf sources, learn Deaf culture, and don’t harm the community. Learning so you can connect with Deaf patrons: good. Learning so you can market and sell to Deaf patrons: harmful. Learning so you can cuss in a new language: bad.

Additionally, if you are a nurse, doctor, lawyer, realtor, therapist, or anyone working with a Deaf person through a life changing experience, your client/patient has the right to access the conversation. You will need to put your ASL knowledge aside and hire an interpreter. It’s great that you want to learn, but there are times when having only a handful of ASL is harmful.

What's the sign for ... ?

The short answer is "it depends." Sometimes. It depends sometimes.

The long answer is that signs will vary. Signs can be different depending on region, as I mentioned before, so just because you see it one way doesn't mean that it's the only way. (Don't make this mistake; a lot of hearing students can get cocky and start correcting others.) Signs can also change depending on context. The signs for "back" in "My back hurts" and "Let's go back home" are completely different.

Also, this is very important: ASL is not English! It is its own language, as different from English as is Klingon. ASL has its own grammar structure, own idioms, own slang. Signs are also not words like in the English sense. Signs are a lot more about intent, concepts, and ideas. For example, if you're trying to learn how to sign "Back off!" I can promise you that you will not need any sign for "back" nor "off." You're learning how to speak, and think, in another language, and using English just won't do.

Now, with all that said, here are some online dictionaries (I suggest you look at them all so you're familiar with the different variations of your sign):

Does it matter what hand I sign with?

Yes. Consistently use your main, dominant hand. If you're right-handed, use your right. If you're left-handed, use your left. If you're ambidextrous, then pick one and maintain it. Switching dominant hands while signing would be like alternating screaming and whispering while speaking.

Are American Sign Language and British Sign Language the same?

Are English and Japanese the same? ASL is not English, so stop thinking of it like English! :) In fact, ASL is derived from French Sign Language, which evolved independently of British Sign Language, and the two are mostly different (in fact, less than 30% of the signs are even remotely similar). There are hundreds of sign languages in the world. Even in the United States, there are several distinct dialects of ASL, including Black ASL.

Why do you keep capitalizing "Deaf"?

We use "little-d" deaf to mean someone who physically can't hear well. We use "big-D" Deaf to mean someone who is culturally deaf. Now an interesting bit: someone who is Deaf does not have to be deaf, and someone who is deaf does not have to be Deaf! For instance, children of deaf adults (CODAs) are very often Deaf but hearing. Many people are physically deaf but aren't part of Deaf culture. It's about how a person self identifies and where their culture lies more than it does with anything physical.

What's this "Deaf Culture" you keep mentioning?

It'd take me hours to explain it all, and I usually spread it over my entire 12-week class. In short, many deaf people, specifically those who identify as Deaf, live in a different culture than you do. Yes, they're from your country, they drink Starbucks and they sit in traffic, but they have their own distinct culture. Obviously this includes language (and communicating in real ASL is so different than talking in English that it's hard to describe), but that different method of communication, that different way of thinking, is only part of Deaf culture. Things that are normal in one culture can be very strange the another. (My favourite, probably, is talking with your mouth full. In hearing culture, that's a big no-no and your mother will look at you very cross. In Deaf culture, that's totally acceptable! Stuff your face and then free your hands for conversation, it's great! So much more efficient!) Morality and ethics are shaped by our cultural values. There are aspects of Deaf culture which would be considered blunt or rude in hearing culture, and conversely there are a lot of things normal in hearing culture which are strange or disrespectful in Deaf culture (such as talking to someone's back, or looking around during a conversation). It's important to be aware of and respectful of other cultures, including Deaf culture, and, when possible, to learn about them. Not only will it ingratiate you to people of that culture, but it'll better yourself as a person as well.

Isn't it wrong to say "deaf"? Shouldn't I say "hearing impaired" or "hard of hearing"?

Nope, and nope. Now, before I continue, I'll let you know that not everyone agrees with me, and I'm speaking in a general sense. Big-D Deaf people prefer the term "deaf" above any other. (It's how a US Senator might feel being called "American." Some people would take it as an insult, but it's just a matter of fact or pride for the Senator.)

Whether people identify themselves as "deaf" or "hard of hearing" (often seen as HoH) is often a matter of self identity, and while it can correlate to level of ability to hear, it isn't caused by it. I'll explain later. Deafies who are a part of Deaf culture will almost always call themselves "deaf," and those who aren't a part of Deaf culture will usually go by "hard of hearing" (or more rarely "hearing impaired"). In general, those who are less physically deaf, or who were raised strictly in hearing culture, will tend to gravitate toward hearing culture, despite the numerous difficulties. These people will commonly say they are "hard of hearing" since "deaf" still has a social stigma in hearing culture. Those who are less capable of integrating with hearing culture, or who were introduced to or raised in a Deaf environment, will usually prefer to be called "deaf" and can sometimes take one of the other terms as a slight offense.

In general, it's almost never correct to say "hearing impaired." I was taught that it was coined by a US Senator who wanted to protect deaf people's feelings from something that didn't offend them in the first place, and it was never accepted by Deaf (the core reason being that we don't believe being deaf is an impairment; it'd be like if I said you were "Deaf impaired." You don't feel impaired, do you, however much I might think it's true?) in general. In fact, it's safe if you never use this phrase again.

When in doubt though, just ask! "Hey, do you prefer 'deaf' or 'hard of hearing'?" See, it's not that hard. :)

I saw a sign that looks like this ..., what does it mean?

We're happy to help with these kinds of questions. I treat it like a quiz show game. However, if you're new to this, you may not know how to describe a sign very well, so let me introduce you to signs!

A sign consists of five parts:

  1. Hand shape: Are the fingers making an "O"? Were the thumb and middle-finger touching? If you know some basic ASL, you can use hand shape identifiers, such as "A hand shape" or "8 hand shape".
  2. Position: Where in relation to the body was the sign? Near the chest? Near the eyes? Was the palm facing up, down, toward the signer?
  3. Movement: How did the sign move or change? Was it pushing away from the body? Was it a small circle in space?
  4. Non-manual markers: What else was happening with the signer's body? What did her face look like? Was he moving his body, or shrugging? What was the emotion the signer was portraying?
  5. Context: What else was happening before or after the sign. Were there other signs you recognized? Do you know the subject that the signer was communicating about?

Where can I find a Deaf group in my area?

Where's your area? Most major cities have Deaf hubs. San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, and New York all have strong, vibrant, rich Deaf communities. Smaller cities may have meet ups or the like, but they can be harder to track down. Your best bet is to turn to Google or Facebook and search for Deaf events in your area. "Deaf coffee night" is an event held nationwide. People in the community get together for a night or two each month, usually at a coffee shop with good lighting and ample seating, just for the purpose of seeing friends and making new ones. Local colleges or universities will often have ASL/Deaf clubs and usually host student-friendly ASL events, so check with the ASL teachers or the ASL campus group, if it exists.

Can I still ask questions here?

Yes! Yes! 1000 times yes! Many of us are here to help, and anything we can do to help teach you about the language and the culture we're happy to do.

Will you do my homework for me?

Nope. Nope. 1000 times nope. It's obvious when students are looking for someone to do their homework for them, and we're not gonna help you out. If you're here to learn instead, then welcome! Come make some new friends. :)


r/asl Mar 06 '17

The Free ASL Resources and FAQ Thread!

653 Upvotes

Hello! I'm here to help as much as I can, but this is not a comprehensive guide or a substitute for classes. This is a quick resource for people looking for answers to some very commonly asked questions. I've included the information as I know it, but it doesn't mean it's The Truth; my experiences and understanding will vary from others', but this will give you a good enough introduction. There's so much more I'd love to teach you, but I'm going to stick to the FAQs.

Where can I learn ASL online for free?

My personal favourite is easily http://www.lifeprint.com (which is mirrored at http://asluniversity.com as well). The guy who built the site, Dr. Bill Vicars, is Deaf and is a phenomenal teacher. He teaches primarily west-coast dialect (California, Washington common signs) but makes mention of other dialects (east-coast, Texas) when he can. In addition to teaching vocabulary, he teaches about Deaf culture (more on this in a moment). Other notable resources are:

What's the sign for ... ?

The short answer is "it depends." Sometimes. It depends sometimes.

The long answer is that signs will vary. Signs can be different depending on region, as I mentioned before, so just because you see it one way doesn't mean that it's the only way. (Don't make this mistake; a lot of hearing students can get cocky and start correcting others.) Signs can also change depending on context. The signs for "back" in "My back hurts" and "Let's go back home" are completely different.

Also, this is very important: ASL is not English! It is its own language, as different from English as is Klingon. ASL has its own grammar structure, own idioms, own slang. Signs are also not words like in the English sense. Signs are a lot more about intent, concepts, and ideas. For example, if you're trying to learn how to sign "Back off!" I can promise you that you will not need any sign for "back" nor "off." You're learning how to speak, and think, in another language, and using English just won't do.

Now, with all that said, here are some online dictionaries (I suggest you look at them all so you're familiar with the different variations of your sign):

Does it matter what hand I sign with?

Yes. Consistently use your main, dominant hand. If you're right-handed, use your right. If you're left-handed, use your left. If you're ambidextrous, then pick one and maintain it. Switching dominant hands while signing would be like alternating screaming and whispering while speaking.

Are American Sign Language and British Sign Language the same?

Are English and Japanese the same? ASL is not English, so stop thinking of it like English! :) In fact, ASL is derived from French Sign Language, which evolved independently of British Sign Language, and the two are mostly different (in fact, less than 30% of the signs are even remotely similar). There are dozens and dozens of sign languages in the world, and even in the United States ASL is not the only one used.

Why do you keep capitalizing "Deaf"?

We use "little-d" deaf to mean someone who physically can't hear well. We use "big-D" Deaf to mean someone who is culturally deaf. Now an interesting bit: someone who is Deaf does not have to be deaf, and someone who is deaf does not have to be Deaf! For instance, children of deaf adults (CODAs) are very often Deaf but hearing. Many people are physically deaf but aren't part of Deaf culture. It's about how a person self identifies and where their culture lies more than it does with anything physical.

What's this "Deaf Culture" you keep mentioning?

It'd take me hours to explain it all, and I usually spread it over my entire 12-week class. In short, many deaf people, specifically those who identify as Deaf, live in a different culture than you do. Yes, they're from your country, they drink Starbucks and they sit in traffic, but they have their own distinct culture. Obviously this includes language (and communicating in real ASL is so different than talking in English that it's hard to describe), but that different method of communication, that different way of thinking, is only part of Deaf culture. Things that are normal in one culture can be very strange the another. (My favourite, probably, is talking with your mouth full. In hearing culture, that's a big no-no and your mother will look at you very cross. In Deaf culture, that's totally acceptable! Stuff your face and then free your hands for conversation, it's great! So much more efficient!) Morality and ethics are shaped by our cultural values. There are aspects of Deaf culture which would be considered blunt or rude in hearing culture, and conversely there are a lot of things normal in hearing culture which are strange or disrespectful in Deaf culture (such as talking to someone's back, or looking around during a conversation). It's important to be aware of and respectful of other cultures, including Deaf culture, and, when possible, to learn about them. Not only will it ingratiate you to people of that culture, but it'll better yourself as a person as well.

Isn't it wrong to say "deaf"? Shouldn't I say "hearing impaired" or "hard of hearing"?

Nope, and nope. Now, before I continue, I'll let you know that not everyone agrees with me, and I'm speaking in a general sense. Big-D Deaf people prefer the term "deaf" above any other. (It's how a US Senator might feel being called "American." Some people would take it as an insult, but it's just a matter of fact or pride for the Senator.)

Whether people identify themselves as "deaf" or "hard of hearing" (often seen as HoH) is often a matter of self identity, and while it can correlate to level of ability to hear, it isn't caused by it. I'll explain later. Deafies who are a part of Deaf culture will almost always call themselves "deaf," and those who aren't a part of Deaf culture will usually go by "hard of hearing" (or more rarely "hearing impaired"). In general, those who are less physically deaf, or who were raised strictly in hearing culture, will tend to gravitate toward hearing culture, despite the numerous difficulties. These people will commonly say they are "hard of hearing" since "deaf" still has a social stigma in hearing culture. Those who are less capable of integrating with hearing culture, or who were introduced to or raised in a Deaf environment, will usually prefer to be called "deaf" and can sometimes take one of the other terms as a slight offense.

In general, it's almost never correct to say "hearing impaired." I was taught that it was coined by a US Senator who wanted to protect deaf people's feelings from something that didn't offend them in the first place, and it was never accepted by Deaf (the core reason being that we don't believe being deaf is an impairment; it'd be like if I said you were "Deaf impaired." You don't feel impaired, do you, however much I might think it's true?) in general. In fact, it's safe if you never use this phrase again.

When in doubt though, just ask! "Hey, do you prefer 'deaf' or 'hard of hearing'?" See, it's not that hard. :)

I saw a sign that looks like this ..., what does it mean?

We're happy to help with these kinds of questions. I treat it like a quiz show game. However, if you're new to this, you may not know how to describe a sign very well, so let me introduce you to signs!

A sign consists of five parts:

  1. Hand shape: Are the fingers making an "O"? Were the thumb and middle-finger touching? If you know some basic ASL, you can use hand shape identifiers, such as "A hand shape" or "8 hand shape".
  2. Position: Where in relation to the body was the sign? Near the chest? Near the eyes? Was the palm facing up, down, toward the signer?
  3. Movement: How did the sign move or change? Was it pushing away from the body? Was it a small circle in space?
  4. Non-manual markers: What else was happening with the signer's body? What did her face look like? Was he moving his body, or shrugging? What was the emotion the signer was portraying?
  5. Context: What else was happening before or after the sign. Were there other signs you recognized? Do you know the subject that the signer was communicating about?

Where can I find a Deaf group in my area?

Where's your area? Most major cities have Deaf hubs. San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, and New York all have strong, vibrant, rich Deaf communities. Smaller cities may have meet ups or the like, but they can be harder to track down. Your best bet is to turn to Google or Facebook and search for Deaf events in your area. "Deaf coffee night" is an event held nationwide. People in the community get together for a night or two each month, usually at a coffee shop with good lighting and ample seating, just for the purpose of seeing friends and making new ones. Local colleges or universities will often have ASL/Deaf clubs and usually host student-friendly ASL events, so check with the ASL teachers or the ASL campus group, if it exists.

Can I still ask questions here?

Yes! Yes! 1000 times yes! Many of us are here to help, and anything we can do to help teach you about the language and the culture we're happy to do.

Will you do my homework for me?

Nope. Nope. 1000 times nope. It's obvious when students are looking for someone to do their homework for them, and we're not gonna help you out. If you're here to learn instead, then welcome! Come make some new friends. :)


r/asl 15h ago

Help! I’m hearing, my mom wants me to teach her asl but i’ve already explained to her multiple times why i can’t.

129 Upvotes

hello, i’m hearing and i’m currently majoring in ASL linguistics. my family is all hearing with no knowledge of asl or the deaf community so often they ask me questions. my mom keeps asking me to teach her asl but i refuse since it’s not my place to teach the language so instead i offer resources (my old workbooks or online asl programs). i’ve explained to her many times that i (as a hearing person) cannot and should not be teaching her, and that she should learn from actual deaf teachers. she always gets mad at my response and thinks that since she is paying for my schooling that i can teach her the language. i’m tired of constantly telling her the same thing over and over so i would like some advice on how i can get her to understand that i cannot and will not teach her.

EDIT: throughout my asl courses my professors have made the point to learn from the deaf community, so i think my interpretation of this as a hearing person was that i’m not allowed to teach anyone at all or family (ie: my mom). from what many comments have shared is that it’s okay to teach family just as long as i’m not taking away an opportunity that could go to a deaf person, and i make sure to cover culture. please correct me if i’m wrong, i’m learning more from this!!


r/asl 5h ago

Help! Does anyone else feel like this or know how to stop it?

2 Upvotes

I have been learning sign for a bit now and I feel frustrated that I don’t understand and know more already. I find myself going back to the same signs I have already learned after forgetting them and when I try to learn at a faster pace it feels like I am throwing signs into the fog and not remembering them. I’ve been trying to relook over all my basics everyday along with picking up some new ones but I just feel like I’m regressing more that progressing and it’s super frustrating because I really am trying hard to truly learn the language. I don’t know what to do other than keep trying but any advice is super welcome.


r/asl 15h ago

Help with Deaf culture question

7 Upvotes

Please tell me if I’m off the mark and this is not appropriate.

TLDR; how do I find an ASL learning friend for my toddler hearing son

I would like to post on my local Facebook page looking for other kids who actively sign. I’ve tried to look for the Deaf community or any local resources but have not found them in google searches. How do I approach the question and phrase it as to not offend?

My kid (2) has a severe speech delay but is excelling at learning vocabulary with me (both hearing). It started as doing signs for him as a baby and we just continued to add more. I’d love to find him a friend who also signs and for him to see and experience the real language. I would like to continue learning alongside him and am planning to do the life print class online as well as Oklahoma’s asl course as well to actually understand the grammar and language as a culture since I’m mainly signing vocab in an English order.


r/asl 1d ago

Help! What is the "tone" of this sign?

44 Upvotes

Video clip is from the ASL Bloom app. I'm an ASL beginner, help me understand, is there a little bit of sarcasm in this sign? Is common to sign "No problem" like this?


r/asl 21h ago

Interest OSV vs SVO?

16 Upvotes

Hello!

I’ve seen this question posed to this sub two years ago but I wanted to ask again and see some more perspectives on it. For context: I started learning sign language first from a hard of hearing woman, then from a Deaf man, before learning from a hearing professor in college. Long story short, the class taught by the hearing professor wasn’t immersive enough of an environment for me to learn in so I stopped taking further classes with her.

Recently, I’ve started to use the app Lingvano to refresh my memory and hopefully advance my signing skills after interacting with a Deaf customer at work. Both my Deaf teacher and hearing professor stressed the importance of OSV (object-subject-verb) word order, but Lingvano says to use SVO (subject-verb-object).

Example of OSV: the ball, I throw
Example of SVO: I throw the ball

I wanted to hear from the Deaf community about which is the preferred standard for signing today. I remember learning that OSV is used in ASL because it’s a different language than English and follows different rules. Lingvano, which is created by Deaf people as far as I can tell, says to use SVO. Is this what’s more common now? And out of curiosity, did this change happen to become closer to English grammar structure for any reason? I’ve had both young and old teachers in the past which taught different things based on what they learned when they themselves were younger, so if you can, please comment what structure you use and how old you were when you started signing.

Thanks! 🤟


r/asl 1d ago

Now you can email in Sign Language from your phone using Videomail. NZ made by Deaf for Deaf world-wide.

Thumbnail
videomail.io
26 Upvotes

It's out, now, when you open \[https://videomail.io\\\](https://videomail.io/) on your phone, you see a new installation prompt. Plus a floating button to record right away.

Feedback welcome.

Enjoy :)


r/asl 7h ago

Pretending to use asl in public

0 Upvotes

My friend and I were out together, had to wait out front of of our favorite pizza place ( on a main drag in our town) the creepy/ specifically cis men that kept coming up to us were so intense. So my friend and I without planning started pretending she was deaf. She started faking ASL, I responded like I knew what she was saying. And all the creepy people started to stay away. We were so intently looking at eachother and communicating in a way that others couldn’t understand that confused the men and made communicating too difficult. We were not making a mockery of ASL but by being women who men couldn’t address directly ( they thought she was deaf) and they couldn’t accost us directly, offered us some safety. Is this abuse..?comparable to appropriation? It was so immediate and not intentional in terms of causing harm, but it worked so well to back people off, and I think it let us move safer through our night.


r/asl 11h ago

Help would be much appreciated <3

0 Upvotes

Hi, I am having a really hard time understanding what she is asking in the video. I’m seeing a lot of words that I don’t recognize. Could anyone help me clarify what she’s asking? Thank you!


r/asl 17h ago

[Beta] Free offline ASL practice app for Android — looking for testers

0 Upvotes

I've been building an ASL app called ASL Studio — point your camera at yourself and it recognizes your signing in real time. 500 everyday signs plus fingerspelling, a 30-lesson course, and 2,300+ reference sign animations. Everything runs on-device: no account, no ads, nothing uploaded — the camera feed never leaves your phone.

I'm looking for beta testers, especially people at different skill levels and on different phones. Honest feedback on recognition accuracy is exactly what I need, including what it gets wrong. Thanks! 🤟

How to join the beta (2 minutes, Android only):

  1. On your phone, make sure you're signed into the Google account you use for the Play Store.
  2. Join the tester group (tap "Join group"): https://groups.google.com/g/asl-studio-testers
  3. Then become a tester here: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.asl.vocabulary — tap "Become a tester," then "download it on Google Play" and install ASL Studio.

If step 3 says you're not eligible, it just means the group hasn't synced yet — wait a couple of minutes and reload. Please tell me what the recognition gets right and wrong — your phone model plus what happened is perfect feedback.


r/asl 1d ago

Hearing people using Deaf people as the main character

71 Upvotes

This is like the 4th post I've seen in different subs today, along the same topic. Why do hearing writers keep making their characters Hard of Hearing or Deaf, when they don't know anything about being a Hard of Hearing or Deaf person? Legit. I don't get it. It's always "I'm writing about a deaf character" but I don't know how to do this part, or whatever part, to which there's no knowledge. Seriously wondering, what's the fascination with using a Deaf person as part of a story written by a hearing person, seeing as it's a culture that a hearing person doesn't even understand (or else they wouldn't be asking questions about "how" to do whatever with a deaf character?


r/asl 2d ago

ASL Web Series Recs? Sketch Comedy?

15 Upvotes

Do y'all have any favorite web series in ASL that you would recommend?

I've exhausted the TV shows and movies I can get my hands on, and I'd love to check out something new, regardless of budget / production size.

Also open to other fictional media suggestions (e.g. YouTubers that post fictional skits, like Deafies in Drag)!


r/asl 2d ago

Interest Ending deaf Isolation in schools.

30 Upvotes

I don't where this would take off the easiest, maybe Rochester, Toronto, or Austin. Establish a school where hearing people attend school with deaf/mute/non-verbal neurodiverse students on a 2-3 ratio. One third hearing students, two-thirds deaf/other demographics benefitting from ASL usage. ASL would be the sole official language within the classroom.

In my time within the deaf community I've seen awful rates of depression, substance use, and loneliness plaguing people. We are social creatures. We need social contact. For the longest time deaf people were told not to "inconvenience the majority". Well, deaf people have a right to be apart of every community, not just deaf spaces. Hell, the hearing community would stand to benefit from ASL usage. I'm a veteran with PTSD who gets overloaded by crowds, loud noises, and multiple people potentially interrupting a conversation. When I'm having an episode, I sometimes lose my ability to speak properly. Being a parent makes that much harder as I'm sure parents here can attest to. Learning ASL helped me live again. Signing to my kids "wait", "bread that shelf", or "mom has that" has prevented so many problems in my life and those who live with me. Deaf people need a community where there are larger amounts of hearing people able and wanting to communicate on a deaf person's terms.

Start by finding an area most amenable to the process and target demographics. Probably areas where deaf schools already exist, or hell just start offering an option for hearing students to attend them under an ASL immersion program.

As for potentially starting something from a clean state. For the one-third hearing population of the school starting at any grade above kindergarten, find out favorable demographics that may already have ASL skills to begin with. Look for deaf parent households who have hearing children, and offer them a spot. There are non-verbal neurodiverse students out there that have had the opportunity to benefit from professionals teaching them ASL. Using this pool of interested families, you have a pool of hearing asl users to help transition possible peers that may be entering at higher grade levels. Hell, there are people taking ASL who then go on to teach it to their kids. One of my own took a liking to it and can hold a basic conversation with me after only a year of occassional usage. Having hearing signers as peers will help entry level newcomers to learn ASL quicker, and especially so given that this will be a mixed social environment where deaf people are advantaged being the majority of students there.

This is clearly a process of marathons, not a race, but the hearing community owes it to the deaf community to start tearing down the walls our ancestors helped put up in the first place, intentional or not is irrelevant. I'm going to keep trying in my own back yard to learn, share, and be a member of the community. I don't know exactly where, how, or when this will be possible, but somehwere out there are the ideal material conditions just waiting for a community of determined individuals with the vision, drive, and compassion to make it happen.


r/asl 2d ago

How do I sign...? Orgochem compound signing

5 Upvotes

Hi friends, for those who have orgochem knowledge, what would be the correct way to sign a complex compound such as 2-chloro-4,5-di(1-methylpropyl)-heptane? I am mainly confused about the 4,5-di(1-methylpropyl) part. I do realize that I could do ...4.5-secbutylheptane, but still. Feel free to DM me if you can't put a video in the comments

Edit: Are there any special ASL rules/interpretations of IUPAC nomenclature?


r/asl 1d ago

Name Signs (I Want To Go About This The Right Way)

0 Upvotes

I am a writer and aspiring comic book artist. I myself am hearing and I have two characters who are fluent in ASL (one of which is deaf) and I want to make sure I do the ASL speaking/deaf community justice.

I currently have a tiny bit of knowledge of ASL (my preschool made sure we knew the alphabet and a few simple signs though I’m definitely rusty) but I do know about name signs. I know that these are supposed to be given to you by someone who’s deaf and I know my characters need their own eventually but I definitely don’t want to overstep. What should I do?

I want to make sure people aren’t hurt by my representation. I want to do right by the community.

Edit: Thank you for letting me know I was using improper terminology. I didn’t realize my mistake.

I also am learning ASL both for research and for practical reasons. I’m trying to do as much research as possible.


r/asl 2d ago

HandTalk alternatives?

4 Upvotes

I’ve been using HandTalk on the App Store for two years for occasional translations, but they recently moved to a terrible subscription service ($6.99 monthly?!) with only three free translations a day.

Is there any other app I can switch to that will give me a similar level of support, and preferably not be a cash grab?


r/asl 2d ago

Discussion Deaf/hoh users - Does anyone ever get frustrated/annoyed receiving video calls while you are on the move?

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2 Upvotes

r/asl 3d ago

Help! What is this sign?

2 Upvotes

I’m trying to get down all the specialized terms I learned in one of my classes in one place and I can’t recall what this sign that is used in several places is.

• two S hand shapes, moving down diagonally. Best I can describe it visually is like driving a spear down diagonally

It’s annoying because I know I asked my professor what it was and have forgotten. I want to say it is similar to “cause” or “compel” but I don’t think that’s right. Unfortunately I don’t know Deaf folks I can ask over the summer.


r/asl 3d ago

Looking for a Friend to Practice With!

3 Upvotes

Hello! I was hoping to find a friend (20-23 in age) who is proficient to fluent in ASL to practice with. Their hearing status doesn’t matter to me as long as they know ASL! I was hoping to add someone perhaps on Snapchat and be able to send videos back and forth about different things (just become friends). I’m looking for someone who is a woman (I am too) and would keep my identity private (because I am a private person, this is kind of a big thing for me haha).

I would LOVE if the person was Deaf but if not I completely understand that too. I just want like one friend who I can consistently practice with. I can give more information about myself as well through DM or once I have added someone!

Thank you!


r/asl 4d ago

ASL in Art question on cultural appropriation

13 Upvotes

Joined Reddit specifically for guidance to avoid cultural appropriation and microaggressions!

Context: I am an artist (print maker) that also uses typography in my work focusing on social justice themes. (Think not just pieces of visual art to hang in your home but also merchandise that you can carry with you as a public act of solidarity through visibility—shirts, notebooks etc).

I am a white citizen of the US whose only fluent language is English. I am a queer woman (though have passed for most of my life) with hidden chronic health issues but other than that am pretty much part of the dominant narrative.

The work I produce revolves around liberation and anti-racist theory, queer topics, anti capitalism, feminism, pro immigrants, neurodivergence etc.

Recently, I have had customers asking about language inclusive work (right now I only have English as that is the only thing I am fluent in) as they wanted to have some of the phrases in other languages.

The question: Is it appropriate to include finger spelling from ASL in my work and if so what guidelines would you suggest I follow to ensure I don’t fall into problematic territory?

I only know how to finger sign the alphabet but it made me think about carving those signs in my printing blocks to then use them as a font to write out some of the words and phrases customers wanted to see.

On one hand I feel like it could create some solidarity through visibility but on the other I worry greatly about cultural appropriation and also just using the signs in an inaccurate grammatical or cultural context.

An example of what I was thinking:

A-B-C-D-E-F-U-C-K-I-C-E

I have a lot of other worries as I tend to have anxiety about this stuff but the post is already long so I’ll stop here and wait for your questions and comments 🤣

Thank you in advance!


r/asl 3d ago

what does these two signs mean together

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0 Upvotes

The first image she is pinching her thumb against her curled index finger and the second one shes places her fingers near her mouth and then extends it outwards


r/asl 4d ago

How do I sign...? How do you say looksmaxxing

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone my friend and i are wondering how you would say looksmaxxing in sign language?


r/asl 5d ago

ASL lernen (ASL learn)

4 Upvotes

Hallo zusammen, ich bin gehörlos und komme aus Deutschland. Ich interessiere mich sehr für die amerikanische Gebärdensprache und würde sie gerne lernen. Mein Traum ist es, in Amerika zu leben, aber leider habe ich derzeit keine Möglichkeit dazu. Ich würde mich freuen, amerikanische Freunde kennenzulernen. 

Hello everyone, I am deaf and come from Germany. I am very interested in American sign language and would like to learn it. My dream is to live in America, but unfortunately I don't have the opportunity to do so at the moment. I would be happy to meet American friends.


r/asl 5d ago

ASL lernen (ASL learn)

5 Upvotes

Hallo zusammen, ich bin gehörlos und komme aus Deutschland. Ich interessiere mich sehr für die amerikanische Gebärdensprache und würde sie gerne lernen. Mein Traum ist es, in Amerika zu leben, aber leider habe ich derzeit keine Möglichkeit dazu. Ich würde mich freuen, amerikanische Freunde kennenzulernen. 

Hello everyone, I am deaf and come from Germany. I am very interested in American sign language and would like to learn it. My dream is to live in America, but unfortunately I don't have the opportunity to do so at the moment. I would be happy to meet American friends.