abyssalzoned

[abyssalzoned]

do you have any tips on learning ASL?

You need to find someone to practice with. you'll never be able to sign well if you don't practice having real conversations with real people.

Practice receptive skills, a lot of people learning ASL as a second language have awful receptive skills (particularly with fingerspelling) if you only have expressive skills you won't be able to communicate

Pay attention to the 5 parameters of ASL (hand shape, palm orientation, movement, location, non manual markers) when learning a new sign. if you explicitly look for these things then you're more likely to copy the sign correctly. messing up any of the parameters can completely change the meaning of the sign

Don't rely on fingerspelling English words that you don't know. try to find ways to phrase your sentence using the signs you know.

Never trust signs you see from hearing people to be accurate

Many ASL signs are iconic meaning they resemble their meaning in some way. Try to find the iconicity in the signs you use it will help you remember them

Focus on precision of signs not speed. Speed will come with time but accuracy is a must if you want to be understood

(Other people are welcome to add on)

[abyssalzoned]

i know hearing people on this website love to pass around those posts with links to free sign language lessons but you know you need to actually put effort into learning about Deaf culture, too, right?

[abyssalzoned]

Welcome!

This is my main blog, which I'm using as a combined study-/langblr and general thought dumping ground. My most passionate interests include marine science, wildlife biology, ichthyology, ornithology, ASL, and environmental issues.

I am a white transgender man living in the US, and I use he/him pronouns. I'm not a minor, though I don't feel comfortable sharing my actual age here. All of my original posts are tagged with "#your captain speaking". I try to tag any potentially triggering content, but alas I'm only human, so please let me know when I miss something.