Learning American Sign Language: Beginning and Intermediate, Levels 1-2, 2nd Edition

You are now beginning to learn American Sign Language (ASL), the sign language used by Deaf people in the United States and parts of Canada. It’s essential to note that ASL differs from many other sign languages worldwide in structure and vocabulary. While learning ASL, you will also gain insights into the culture of Deaf people in the United States.

This book is structured to help you learn American Sign Language by presenting the vocabulary and sentences needed for common life situations. The grammar and vocabulary are tied together in meaningful communicative contexts. Notes discuss specific structures and rules that will help you master the language, along with cultural information for your interactions with Deaf ASL users.

Learning American Sign Language, Second Edition, is not intended to be self-instructional. No eBook can be truly self-instructional when learning a language that uses gesture and vision. However, the illustrations and exercises will aid you in recalling and practicing what your teacher presents in class or what you see on practice videos. This book serves as a valuable resource and reference for your ongoing study when a model of ASL is not available.

As with any language, the amount of exposure you have to its functional use will impact how quickly you master it. Realistically, American Sign Language cannot be learned in just a few weeks. The vocabulary and structures presented require two semesters or three quarters of study. Your fluency will depend on the number of class hours and the interaction you have with ASL users during your study.

The units in this book have a simple design. Each unit has a topic and is divided into subtopics. Each subtopic includes a short dialogue that presents structures and vocabulary within real communicative situations. Key structures are selected from these dialogues, illustrated, and discussed in short notes. Each unit concludes with exercises to practice these useful structures, along with a vocabulary list organized by category for effective study.

To use this book effectively, you should understand that English translations of ASL sentences and vocabulary are provided to help you grasp the ranges of meaning for signs. However, selecting precisely equivalent translations can be challenging, as changes in situational context may yield different translations. Your teacher will offer alternative translations that may also be suitable. Translations cannot follow a “one word for one sign” rule; sometimes, a single sign may require several English words for accurate translation, or vice versa.

Signs are illustrated and labeled with capitalized English words. For example, the sign for “tree” is labeled TREE. This labeling method is common because there is no widely accepted system for representing signs in print. However, many signs have multiple meanings or broader meanings than their one- or two-word labels. It’s important to be aware of the full range of meanings of a sign beyond its English label. In some cases, similar-looking signs may have different labels to avoid confusion.

Occasionally, a single sign may require a two- or three-word label, joined by hyphens, as in NOT-YET. These hyphenated words represent one sign. Hyphens also connect letters that represent fingerspelling used by ASL users. Fingerspelling is a system of hand configurations that represent letters of the alphabet to spell out names or words. For instance, J-O-H-N represents the fingerspelled letters of the name “John.” Other symbols are explained as they appear in the units, and your teacher will clarify their meanings. You will become familiar with them over time.

Inside the front and back covers, you will find the fingerspelling and numbers systems used in ASL. At the end of this eBook, a vocabulary index will help you locate illustrations of signs in the text. Additionally, English translations of the ASL dialogues are included at the book’s conclusion.

American Sign Language is a rich and complex language. Recently recognized as an official language and acknowledged by 48 states as a foreign language, ASL is increasingly being taught as an elective in high schools across the country.

Learning American Sign Language: Levels I & II – Beginning & Intermediate is designed to prepare teachers to interact successfully with ASL users. Lessons focus on language needed for common life situations, presented through dialogues, grammar, and vocabulary instruction. Cultural information about Deaf people in the United States is also included

Learners will discover that the eBook: