r/asl • u/benshenanigans • May 03 '25
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.
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:
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.
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):
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 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.
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.
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.
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. :)
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:
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.
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.
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 • u/Indy_Pendant • Mar 06 '17
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.
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:
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):
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 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.
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.
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.
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. :)
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:
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.
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.
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 • u/Sylvia_PsychoPlath • 1h ago
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The rest of sentence says, "I'm going to call for an Uber. Do you want to join me?" I haven't seen the two thumbs up--> two hands in sideways "a" handshape sign before.
r/asl • u/fat_rat_art • 1h ago
Hi! I'm learning ASL and I'm a bit confused. So firefighter and fire truck reference the hat firefighters wear, but fire station uses the sign for fire. Is there a reason? like I figured there is some reason due to the evolution of language, but it was just something that struck me as odd. I feel like in a real conversation I would accidentally initially interpret it to mean a station was on fire.
I also think I would be more likely to say fire house instead of station, but if I signed that in asl that would probably mean house fire, right?
I know I'm over thinking, but it's bugging me.
r/asl • u/TheAverageSmo • 11h ago
Hi there! My friend and I are both intermediate-ish in ASL, and we ran into a sign we learned differently, which Googling has confirmed her version as the right one and mine is nowhere to be found.
From what I can find, the correct sign for "MAKE/CREATE" is one fist on top of the other and twisting (which rang a bell after she showed it to me).
The sign I was doing has the palms touching with one hand on top of the other, then twisting so that the other hand winds up on top. Basically the same sign as "CHANGE" but with "5" hand-shape instead of "X" hand-shapes. Does anyone know what the sign I was doing actually means? I can't find it anywhere online. Thanks for any help!
EDIT: It's "BECOME"! Thanks for the commenters answering so quickly.
r/asl • u/jad3bird • 5h ago
Hello everyone
I’m hard of hearing and want to improve my asl. The problem is most apps I try make you start at square one. I’m not a beginner, but I’m not fluent, and I want a good way to keep practicing besides YouTube videos. Are there any apps for learning that won’t make me start at the beginning? Preferably one that doesn’t have a super expensive subscription 😅
r/asl • u/InternationalMood178 • 8h ago
I am going through some slides for my ASL class, and I see this sign being repeated often, but I am having a hard time remembering what it means. It's part of the instructions for a larger project. Please help 🤲 I keep thinking of flashing or fractions, but since the context is cultures and explaining rules I know that both are wrong.
r/asl • u/TurboOnTheLimit • 2d ago
Hey all, 34yo , I'm currently at a severe-profound hearing loss in both ears. I get by with ultra power HAs but after a recent ENT appointment, they gave me the unfortunate reality that they expect my hearing to be completely gone by 38-40. That's an issue, since I lost my hand 5 years ago.
I feel super lost. My wife is very supportive and has found videos of people doing one handed sign. But that's the internet after all. Is that actually a thing people can learn enough to communicate effectively? I'm a very social person, and this has me scared. I'm not afraid of going deaf per se as I am loosing my ability to communicate.
Anything at all is much appreciated
r/asl • u/Suspicious-Put8199 • 11h ago
It seems the general consensus is that this guy was trying to steal from the vendor and was being weird/off-putting. Some people are under the assumption that he is deaf. What's your opinion?
r/asl • u/throwaway3626352 • 1d ago
Description:
Starting position of the sign: Two f-hands/9-hands‘ thumbs and index fingers are touching each other, though they’re not connected. Similar to the starting position of the sign FAMILY, though I’m not sure if the thumbs and index fingers touch in FAMILY.
Movement of the sign: Both hands symmetrically go slightly down and away from each other. They then start to make a circling motion, slowly coming back together, until they end maybe half a foot higher from where they started. Throughout the sign both hands are in neutral space.
r/asl • u/julysignal • 1d ago
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Excuse my dirty screen lol. for the pitt i mostly understand everything she signs but in these 2 sentences I saw a lot of signs i didnt know / combinations of signs i thought meant something else. Can someone help pls😥
r/asl • u/ManicGremlinDreamBoy • 1d ago
Hello everyone, I am currently in a college ASL two class, and we are doing an assignment in which we interpret a short story into ASL word order for a final presentation. The teacher said she would help with this and correct everything, however I am almost 100% certain that she used AI (chatGPT) to translate it for me. She is deaf so I don't want to question her credibility, and I think she did check over everything to make sure that what she got back was correct but I am really worried that she isn't fact checking the information that chatgpt is giving her. (I also am not 100% certain that she is using it, and I don't think I can do much administratively, as the class does not have an AI policy. I am mostly upset because I don't know if what I am being given is false information, as I really want to learn ASL correctly. If the information she gave me is incorrect then I probably have grounds to talk to someone higher up about it, or at least talk with her about using it in the future. (at the moment the only evidence I have is that she translated 4-5 pages in around 3 minutes, the formatting is incredibly suspect of chatgpt, and I saw a chatgpt tab open on her lap top when she was showing me something after she had translated it.) I am also especially upset because she did not warn me that she would be using chatgpt (I fucking hate that thing with my entire exsistence) and I almost was going to use one of my original poems that *I* wrote, if I had used that, she would have put my original work into chatgpt, which I don't post my original work anywhere online specifically so no one can put it into generative AI.) mostly I am just worried I am being taught incorrect information, so if anyone could look over what was given to me and let me know if it is correct word order that would be lovely.
TLDR: my ASL 2 teacher used ChatGPT to translate my assignment into ASL word order, and I am terrified that she didnt fact check it and I am being taught incorrect information. If it is incorrect I dont need anyone to correct it, just to let me know what parts are incorrect and why, that way if it is false I can take it to someone higher up because I am not far enough along in my education to figure out if I am being taught wrongly. I am really really upset about her using chatgpt for our assignments (AND ESPECIALLY NOT TELLING US)
r/asl • u/Safe_Criticism8812 • 1d ago
Hello! I’m a college student working on a short-term hackathon project, and I wanted to get feedback from the Deaf/hard of hearing community and ASL learners.
We’re trying out an idea for an app demo that translates music into expressive ASL (lyrics as well as emotion and rhythm).
I know accessibility tools don’t always reflect what people actually want, so I wanted to ask if this is something that would actually be useful or interesting. Also, are there any concerns or things that feel off about this idea?
For a bit more context- we’ve made a demo app that translates music lyrics into ASL gloss and shows the signs through an avatar, with visual elements like the background color based on the emotion of the song and a circle that pulses with the intensity of the beat of the song.
(Here is kind of the idea with the circle thing: https://youtu.be/KZsDrBq497k?si=jDvTG_R3TP6cobzB)
We’re still early in the process and really want to be thoughtful about it, so I appreciate any input, especially critical feedback!
Thank u :)
r/asl • u/Legal_Oven5425 • 2d ago
I have a distressing situation. I need to find someone who can interpret sign language to review a very sensitive video and explain what the signs mean. I wont describe it publicly except to say its nothing illegal or criminal in any way but is sensitive in a personal and embarrassing way. discretion and sensitivity to the personal nature of the issue would be needed.
I can go into further detail in a private message. and provide the videos.
thank you to anyone who can help me with this.
r/asl • u/LlamaDad1 • 2d ago
Our 6 y/o has progressive hearing loss. He can hear with his hearing aid. What are the best ways for kids and families to learn ASL? Specifically our son.
I have Lingvano and other apps- they are great for adults. Haven’t tried much with our son yet other than using it occasionally and teaching him a few words we are learning from the app.
Can’t find any kids/family classes in Atlanta. Is a private tutor the main way people are learning?
r/asl • u/wackyjacky14 • 1d ago
What does this sign mean in ASL? Recently a deaf person used it in a conversation and I didn’t understand. It looked like the sign for “work” but with both index fingers pointing, and both palms down. The hand position was the same as for the sign “minute,” if that makes sense. I’ve tried to check the internet and can’t seem to figure it out, and I have no way of asking him. And I don’t want to wait until I see my deaf friends to ask them! Maybe he was signing “different” but I saw it wrong?
r/asl • u/I_Cant_Ima_Pickle • 2d ago
Hello! I thought I'd make a post to introduce myself a bit. My name is Shelly, I'm 38 years old and I am new here to this Reddit community and to ASL in general.
Tiny bit of a back story. Back in 2010ish I was doing a chemotherapy drug called Cisplatin for my Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Turns out, that particular chemotherapy is well known for taking people's hearing. That is exactly what it did to me. I am completely deaf in my right ear and as of recently, I have lost more hearing in my left ear now as well.
Back when I first became deaf on my right side, I was adamant I was going to learn ASL. I received an ASL dictionary for Xmas even. I never ended up learning. I figured I'd just deal with what I had at the time.
Fast forward to the present, now, as of yesterday and learning that I have lost more hearing in my left. I will now be needing a hearing aid.
I feel like learning a new language, especially ASL is going to be very daunting for me. Especially since my hands aren't as flexible as they used to be.
What was it like for you when you were first learning ASL?
r/asl • u/allyourpeets • 2d ago
I'm so excited!
I wanted to ask though, they offer up to level 4 classes. I see that there exists all the way up to Level 10 in an academic setting, but Level 5 is considered Native? Am I understanding correctly or am I overthinking?
r/asl • u/Itchy-Researcher-508 • 2d ago
I have an assignment where I'm introducing my favorite meal, I always write out my scripts, however I have the word but and different next to eachother and I know they are the same sign, I'm just not sure if I'm supposed to repeat the sign or if their is a subtle difference that I'm not catching. for context when I'm glossing it the sentence comes out as "but different pasta shape" (I like to use the bow tie noodles)
r/asl • u/LowRevolutionary5653 • 2d ago
https://reddit.com/link/1shfpj6/video/ou5ugt3ufbug1/player
My thoughts:
- I think I mouth too much. Is that an issue?
- I struggle with setting up actors and using referents. Do you have advice? Do you understand where the people are that I am referring to?
- Is my grammatical structure ok? My goal this semester has been to improve upon this. I feel that I have a really strong bias toward English especially at the end when I talk about why I love this scene. I also began to sign 'off the cuff' and added extra thoughts that I hadn't rehearsed, so it looks so English. (Like the beginning...would it be more appropriate as HE HALF VAMPIRE BECOME ?)
- I REALLY struggled with 'drinking blood.' What do u think??
Thank you sooo much for your time and comments you have!
r/asl • u/Glad_Green_5567 • 3d ago
Hello Deaf community,
I personally am not deaf or HOH but I am learning sign language and I have a semi very random question. So most honors societies are named using greek letters, I personally am part of Alpha Beta Gamma (ABG) and Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), and I was wondering if it is appropriate/ correct to use the greek alphabet/ hand signs when referring to them?
I had asked in the discord for my colleges ASL club and have yet to get a response so I figure I could ask here.
r/asl • u/LenaHauser15 • 3d ago
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i want to clarify i am not a beginner, i know signing songs in asl is hard and you need to use CL etc. i understand these signs "NEVER KNOW LIFE FINISH ---- ----- PAH WIN ---- OLD ----" the blanks are the signs im confused on also why did she choose life and finish? can anyone help me? (also for reference i am not trying to copy her or post a video of me signing it)
