Articles & Books From American Sign Language

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-08-2022
Successfully communicating with others in American Sign Language (ASL) starts with learning to sign the manual alphabet, numbers 1 through 10, important expressions, and important one-word questions. And because good communication also involves manners, learning some basic do’s and don’ts of Deaf etiquette is also helpful.
Video / Updated 11-13-2019
Everybody eats, so being able to let people know in American Sign Language (ASL) that you're hungry and what you want to eat is very useful. This video shows a Sign language conversation about what to have for lunch.
Article / Updated 02-21-2017
American Sign Language (ASL), like any other language, allows you to communicate your feelings. You can sign about how that movie made you sad or how seeing your Deaf friend made you happy: Angry: Make the open-5 hand shape, palm toward your face, and pull your hand away from your face, scrunching up your fingers.
Article / Updated 02-08-2017
Raising a brood is quite a responsibility. Nothing is more impressive than teaching your children a second language like American Sign Language (ASL). You can use the signs shown here every day around the house. As you're hanging out with your Deaf chums, see which signs they use with their children and take note.
Article / Updated 02-08-2017
Remembering a few simple points can help you make American Sign Language (ASL) handshapes like a lifelong signer. Handshapes are hand formations that you use to sign each letter of the alphabet; this is also called the manual alphabet.Your manual dexterity is like a voice that has the ability to sing, and it requires practice.
Article / Updated 02-08-2017
The workaday world is full of tasks, from stocking shelves to attending meetings. The American Sign Language (ASL) signs shown here make work a little more fun; you can carry on a private conversation with another signer during a boring meeting. BUSINESS: CLOSED DOWN (as in computer screen): DISCUSS: MEETING/CONFERENCE: PROMOTION: TRADING (stocks): WORK: Put these work-related signs into action in the following sentences:English: Are you going to the conference?
Article / Updated 02-08-2017
Signing about where you're from is a great way to converse with a new friend in American Sign Language. Because it can lead to other topics of conversation, it's a common icebreaker and will help you practice your Sign vocabulary.You can practice your fingerspelling — you may not know the sign of a particular location, or it may not have a sign — and expand your geographical knowledge.
Step by Step / Updated 02-08-2017
Iconic or natural signs look like what they mean — the up and down motion of brushing your teeth that means toothbrush, for instance, or the right and left punches that mean boxing. Iconic signs always show action. Here are some examples:BoxingLooks like you’re “putting up your dukes.” Like the sign for boxing, many sports signs are iconic.
Article / Updated 02-08-2017
Making phone calls as a Deaf person is an interesting event. Some Deaf people use a videophone to see who they are conversing with while other Deaf people would rather talk to other people using a traditional telephone. The question is, how do Deaf people use a house phone/landline if they cannot hear? Deafness comes at different levels.
Article / Updated 02-08-2017
In the early 1800s, many Deaf schools were established throughout the United States that still exist to this day. It was during this time that manual communication was prospering.In 1880, a Conference for educators of the Deaf took place in Milan, Italy. This was a turning point for American Sign Language (ASL).