Learn American Sign Language your way with a TakeLessons expert

Many people are surprised or even shocked to learn that American Sign Language is not universal. However, when you think about how many spoken languages there are across the globe, it makes sense that sign language would be the same. After all, American Sign language is its own language with its own grammar, idioms, and everything else needed to be a language completely separate from English. Different types of sign language are developed in different regions around the globe, just like spok

DeafBlindness  Tactile signing is one method of communication used by the DeafBlind community, who have a combination of both hearing and vision losses. Having a dual sensory loss impacts communication, socialization, mobility, and daily living. Statistics from 2008 indicate that approximately 50,000 or more people (including children and adults) living in the United States are DeafBlind.  Being categorized as DeafBlind refers to a wide array of people; the sensory loss varies from person

Throughout the years, there have been many Deaf people. You may know someone personally who is Deaf, maybe a family member, a friend, a classmate or a neighbor. It can also inspire your ASL learning to look back through history, and learn the stories of some well known and famous Deaf people who have made a difference in both the Deaf community and in the world. Here are some famous Deaf people throughout history:  Laurent Clerc - 1785-1869 One of the very first to be well kno

ASL grammar rules may seem intimidating at first, but once you understand the basics, you’ll be using sign language more fluidly in no time! First and foremost, a common misconception about ASL is that it is just a signed version of English, word-for-word. This leads to the flawed assumption that ASL and English share similar grammar rules. However, ASL is a visual language, independent of English, with its own grammar and syntax. If we examine English, we might notice that its structur

Most people living in the United States are likely familiar with American Sign Language (ASL); even if they don’t know any signs, they know it exists. Even less people realize that ASL is not universal, but unique to the US and parts of Canada. Therefore, it’s probable that very few people living in the US realize that ASL has variations. Just as with spoken languages, which have various dialects and accents, there are also variations within ASL, and age, race, location, socio-economic c

Are you interested in becoming an American Sign Language interpreter? Are you curious about what that type of work entails? Is it easy or hard? It’s important to note that an interpreter’s work can vary greatly, which does make this job intriguing. Here are some examples:  A Day Working at a College:  As an American Sign Language interpreter working in a college environment, your schedule varies per semester. For example, when I worked as an interpreter in a college, one semester I h

Is ASL used throughout the United States? Is it only spoken by those who are Deaf and hard of hearing? Believe it or not, ASL is widely used by several people in many areas throughout the U.S. There are approximately 500,000 deaf people in the U.S. Yet, these are not the only people who use American Sign Language. Besides the Deaf communities throughout, there are also hard of hearing individuals who are fluent in ASL. ASL Interpreters Another group of people that use ASL almost on a daily

There are various approaches to studying and memorizing information, from practice quizzes and note-taking to outlines or flashcards, and although flashcards may seem like a boring and repetitive way to study, they actually work. Flashcards engage active recall, metacognition (i.e., self-reflection), and spaced repetition. When used properly, flashcards are effective study materials. And making sign language flashcards can help speed your ASL learning. Using Physical Flashcards Properly us

Ever heard of Clayton Valli? Who is that? What did he do? Let’s take a look at the inspiring story of Clayton Valli. A Brief Look at Clayton Valli's Life Clayton was born on May 25th, 1951 in Massachusetts. He was a deaf man, who became a notable ASL poet and linguist. Valli had quite an impressive education. He first attended the Austine School for the Deaf in Vermont in 1971. Then he received an Associate of Applied Science in Photography from the National Technical Institute for the D

Fajrul Islam / Moment / Getty Images To effectively communicate with sign language, you need to know basic sign language words and phrases. Just like spoken languages, there are a variety of sign languages used around the world. American Sign Language (ASL) is used throughout North America, including the U.S. and English-speaking Canada. ASL is a complete language, which means that you can communicate just about anything through signing. Those who are deaf and hard of hearing, as well as peo