Learn Sign Language Online

There are just over half a million deaf people in America, almost all of which speak ASL. There are a great number of friends and family of these people who also speak it and this language is fast becoming the third spoken language in the US. This language was developed by deaf people to make their lives easier and more normal.

ASL is a complicated, unique, versatile and very effective language to use. It combines French Signing and Native ASL to give it a unique twist on the normal signing people use. The French have their own sign language which has been passed down from generation to generation and is the oldest form there is.

How it arrived in the US is still unknown but many say it appeared in 1815 when a minister went to Europe to investigate sign language. Although he travelled to England they were unwilling to teach him their methods so he travelled on to Paris. Here they taught him everything they knew regarding their methods of sign language. He then returned to America and opened a school for deaf people to learn sign language, he taught them French sign language and they soon added their own signs as well.

ASL continues to grow and is used by many people; the language is ever changing to keep up with the world we live in. There are now sign’s for internet and blogging and the language needs to be kept fresh by adding new signs as they are needed. Just like any other language the way people use sign language can be totally different. The dialect and speed of the signing differs between cultures and regions, for example people from the south sign slower.

They most important factors of sign language are gestures and expressions, these are both used often. Gestures are the way a deaf person uses their hands to say a word, there are many words that are similar but using one hand rather than two will mean something different. Not all gestures have a word and not all words have a gesture. Pointing is used often and can mean several different things in ASL; you can learn this language in a short space of time which is why many people begin to learn it. The easiest way to learn sign language is to do a course, and interact with people who are using it.

Learning sign language even if you aren’t deaf can be a great help in today’s society, it will give you a better understanding of the deaf culture. As it is spoken so often these days any future employees may welcome someone who can communicate with all of the team. You will be able to speak not only with your voice but your hands as well, making you a very helpful person to have around. Whatever your reason for learning this new language it will be useful to have; it could open up a new career path or simply enable you to understand people around you.

American Sign Language is an increasingly popular language to learn, there are many reasons for this being the case so I thought I would explain the top reasons.

In the United States it is reported that nearly 10,000,000 people have hearing problems while approximately 1,000,000 are functionally deaf. This got me thinking about the way deaf people communicate effectively in everyday situations.

1. You may have a relative or friend who is functionally deaf; you obviously would like to be able to communicate effectively with them. Think about what it would show to your family member or friend if you tried to learn ASL. They in turn would be able to teach you as you go along and it would be a very rewarding experience.

2. If you work in or own a business it is highly probable that you will come into contact with a deaf person quite frequently. Just imagine the level of customer service that that person would receive if you could not understand sign language. While I am not suggesting you would need to know the language fluently, it may be a nice touch if you knew some basics.

3. It is increasingly more popular these days to teach your baby how to express himself even before he can speak. ASL is the 3rd most used language in the United States. Should your child continue to learn American Sign Language after his 3rd year, he will have learnt a 2nd language. It will make life a lot easier if you know what your child is crying for well before his speech has developed fully, this will result in a happier child and happier parents.

4. You may want to learn about the deaf culture it was only truly recognized about 40 years ago. You may want to learn about this so you can fully immerse yourself when learning ASL.

5. There are three different types of deafness all with different causes, learning American Sign Language would allow you to communicate effectively with deaf people so you can learn more about the various forms and understand more about them.

6. You may want to learn about various forms of sign language, ASL is not the universal form, similar to different languages throughout the world there are several forms of sign language for example the alphabet is signed with one hand in ASL while you use two hands for it using British sign language.

7. As stated above the number of deaf people in the states is increasing, some people study ASL in order to get a job as an interpreter. Or you may wish to translate in church or any group you may belong to.

8. You may be in the medical profession such as a doctor or audiologist you certainly would be able to put your patient at ease if you could sign.

9. Teaching may be your passion and ASL is becoming more popular so you may wish to study to a completely fluent level.

10. Finally it is a beautiful way to express yourself, and completely unique.

Whatever your reason for wanting to learn ASL keep practicing and perfecting your skill so you can achieve your goal.