American Sign Language

[FNH]

I really want to learn ASL because encountering people who are deaf/mute it's very difficult to help them when they need something and unlike foreign languages they(the deaf) don't have an option. I'm wondering if anyone know of any computer program/video series that could help me learn ASL. I have a stack of just about every Rosetta Stone language CD and want to do ASL first. thanks.

[Azalee]

I don't know if any specific videos or anything, but if you go to any large bookstore it would have a language section. I learned it in High School over Spanish and it has been very useful. I can also say that it is very early to learn the basics, as long as you are up for repetition.

[Null]

Sure you can find pictures online. It is VERY easy to learn, I'm hearing impaired but only have very little hearing loss so I never use it. But I did learn as a child. This and braille are some of the easiest things to learn.

[Blarg]

those lazy bums should just learn english and quit blaming it on their problems

[Kiro]

That was retarded Blarg, but okay.

All I know in sign language are cuss words, w/e.

[Tyche]

It's really easy to learn. We taught our 2 year old to sign when she was like 6 months old. Nothing complicated, but she could tell us what she wanted and what not.

[Zansho]

those lazy bums should just learn english and quit blaming it on their problems

Another idiot with a lack of education rears his ugly face that also passes for his ass.

Don't pretend to be an expert on something you know NOTHING about. One common misconception about ASL is that everyone thinks it is based on the English language. It's not. It's actually derived from FRENCH. Yes. FRENCH.

And before you go "what the fuck do you know," I'm deaf. I'm fluent in ASL (my primary language) AND English. ASL, like any other language, it has its own syntax, sentence structure and grammar rules that are followed. I bet you anything that my English skills far surpass your own, and you're a member of the hearing community.

Now, to get you to understand why you perceive the deaf people as "lazy bums" you should really think about how people acquire language. English is a spoken language, is it not? Most deaf people have no ability to hear, therefore their ability to pick up on the subtle nuances of the English language is next to zip. There's only so much reading can do for you to help you learn English. Some deaf have some hearing ability, not much but enough to sort out the spoken intricacies of the English language. Additionally, English follows a SVO order (Subject > Verb > Object) while ASL follows SOV (Subject > Object > Verb) in their grammatical structure. This makes it a bit harder for a deaf person to pick up English readily.

As for the topic at hand, the best way to learn ASL is to be around deaf folks. Let go of the English structure and don't formulate your sentences based on English. ASL is a very conceptual language, very visual, so body language and facial expressions can lend more depth to your signs.

[FNH]

Blarg was trolling and letting spam topics and general intermingle.

[AkashiXI]

Blarg you are the most inconsiderate person ever. I hope you get deafed and then you'll understand how they feel like. Fuck your dad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYFoI...&annotation_id

[Ryko]

Another idiot with a lack of education rears his ugly face that also passes for his ass.

Don't pretend to be an expert on something you know NOTHING about. One common misconception about ASL is that everyone thinks it is based on the English language. It's not. It's actually derived from FRENCH. Yes. FRENCH.

And before you go "what the fuck do you know," I'm deaf. I'm fluent in ASL (my primary language) AND English. ASL, like any other language, it has its own syntax, sentence structure and grammar rules that are followed. I bet you anything that my English skills far surpass your own, and you're a member of the hearing community.

Now, to get you to understand why you perceive the deaf people as "lazy bums" you should really think about how people acquire language. English is a spoken language, is it not? Most deaf people have no ability to hear, therefore their ability to pick up on the subtle nuances of the English language is next to zip. There's only so much reading can do for you to help you learn English. Some deaf have some hearing ability, not much but enough to sort out the spoken intricacies of the English language. Additionally, English follows a SVO order (Subject > Verb > Object) while ASL follows SOV (Subject > Object > Verb) in their grammatical structure. This makes it a bit harder for a deaf person to pick up English readily.

As for the topic at hand, the best way to learn ASL is to be around deaf folks. Let go of the English structure and don't formulate your sentences based on English. ASL is a very conceptual language, very visual, so body language and facial expressions can lend more depth to your signs.

This entire post is priceless.

[Howard Roark]

Another idiot with a lack of education rears his ugly face that also passes for his ass.

Don't pretend to be an expert on something you know NOTHING about. One common misconception about ASL is that everyone thinks it is based on the English language. It's not. It's actually derived from FRENCH. Yes. FRENCH.

And before you go "what the fuck do you know," I'm deaf. I'm fluent in ASL (my primary language) AND English. ASL, like any other language, it has its own syntax, sentence structure and grammar rules that are followed. I bet you anything that my English skills far surpass your own, and you're a member of the hearing community.

Now, to get you to understand why you perceive the deaf people as "lazy bums" you should really think about how people acquire language. English is a spoken language, is it not? Most deaf people have no ability to hear, therefore their ability to pick up on the subtle nuances of the English language is next to zip. There's only so much reading can do for you to help you learn English. Some deaf have some hearing ability, not much but enough to sort out the spoken intricacies of the English language. Additionally, English follows a SVO order (Subject > Verb > Object) while ASL follows SOV (Subject > Object > Verb) in their grammatical structure. This makes it a bit harder for a deaf person to pick up English readily.

As for the topic at hand, the best way to learn ASL is to be around deaf folks. Let go of the English structure and don't formulate your sentences based on English. ASL is a very conceptual language, very visual, so body language and facial expressions can lend more depth to your signs.

hoh man this reminds me of the first (and 2nd last) time Churchill trolled me, some people purposely have less serious posts in topics about semi-serious issues

deal with it

humor is a great tool for coping with things we otherwise don't know how to handle

This entire post is priceless.

already taken care of

[Clavat]

I was thinking of trying to learn as well...it's a shame that rosetta stone doesn't make something like the other languages they offer.

[guartz]

That was retarded Blarg, but okay.

All I know in sign language are cuss words, w/e.

I think everyone in America knows at least one sign-language cuss word.

[pohibaba]

Honestly, I would suggest just enrolling in a couple of ASL courses at your local community college. Also, like all languages, you're never going to know how to really use it until you begin immersing yourself in the community and using it on a regular basis. Almost all decent sized townships will have a deaf community with events, conventions, meetings, etc. Learn the basics of the language and then go and try to talk to deaf people. From my experience they're a lot more receptive to people who are giving a serious attempt to learn to communicate with them than people of other language groups.

[Souj]

We taught our 2 year old to sign when she was like 6 months old.

just thought I'd quote this.

[Akucaen]

Don't pretend to be an expert on something you know NOTHING about. One common misconception about ASL is that everyone thinks it is based on the English language. It's not. It's actually derived from FRENCH. Yes. FRENCH.

Germanic. We borrow more than half our words from Latin and the derivatives though.

When's the last time you conjugated "to go" in English?

[Grenfang]

Germanic. We borrow more than half our words from Latin and the derivatives though.

When's the last time you conjugated "to go" in English?

I think it was the last time i differentiated between the phrases "I go" and "He goes"

[Telamond]

Like someone already posted, the best way to learn ASL (and any language) is to take some classes and try being around people that knows ASL.

Just know that sign language used is not always static, because as Zansho mentioned, sign language is very visual, one word can differ a lot depending on where you live. It's really a lot of fun as a hearing to see the visual differences between dialects and tone of speech.

[Cyn]

Aww damn, Zansho can't even hear Blarg laughing at him. ; ;

While learning sign language seems pretty cool, I have personally never experienced a problem communicating with deaf people due to the fact that pretty much all of them can read lips pretty well. Which must be nice in some ways, since you could "hear" someone in a loud ass nightclub. But you couldn't hear in the dark... though that would have some nice benefits too I guess.

[Ohaigaiz]

Another idiot with a lack of education rears his ugly face that also passes for his ass.

Don't pretend to be an expert on something you know NOTHING about. One common misconception about ASL is that everyone thinks it is based on the English language. It's not. It's actually derived from FRENCH. Yes. FRENCH.

And before you go "what the fuck do you know," I'm deaf. I'm fluent in ASL (my primary language) AND English. ASL, like any other language, it has its own syntax, sentence structure and grammar rules that are followed. I bet you anything that my English skills far surpass your own, and you're a member of the hearing community.

Now, to get you to understand why you perceive the deaf people as "lazy bums" you should really think about how people acquire language. English is a spoken language, is it not? Most deaf people have no ability to hear, therefore their ability to pick up on the subtle nuances of the English language is next to zip. There's only so much reading can do for you to help you learn English. Some deaf have some hearing ability, not much but enough to sort out the spoken intricacies of the English language. Additionally, English follows a SVO order (Subject > Verb > Object) while ASL follows SOV (Subject > Object > Verb) in their grammatical structure. This makes it a bit harder for a deaf person to pick up English readily.

As for the topic at hand, the best way to learn ASL is to be around deaf folks. Let go of the English structure and don't formulate your sentences based on English. ASL is a very conceptual language, very visual, so body language and facial expressions can lend more depth to your signs.

you should get a cochlear implant

Spoiler: show

http://i44.tinypic.com/14tbfjn.jpg