Learn Sign Language On Line

A sign language is a language for the deaf which uses visually transmitted sign patterns mainly from the hand, arm and finger movement to convey meaning and expression instead of acoustic sounds. There many different sign languages used around the world, some have some form of legal recognition while others do not.

People often believe that a sign language used in a particular country is derived from the spoken language, however this is not the case since. The UK, The United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all share the same same spoken language, however the origins of the sign language used the each country is different.

Since sign language is visual, rather than liner like oral languages. More than one expression can be conveyed at one time. E.g. Orally you could say you arrived by car, but you would need to describe how the journey was, after that sentence. However with sign language you could explain that you came by car and explain the journey details at the same time visually.

ASL or American Sign Language is the main type of sign language used in the states and in some other countries around the world. A good way to start is to memorize the one word questions, see below for some diagrams for simple questions which are very easy to remember. It is a good way to start small talk and gather information. It is a good idea to also look inquisitive while asking these question using sign language.

The below are used to greet people, join in on conversations, be polite and courteous.

This is essential to begin communicating. If you don't know the sign for a word, you can easily refer to the manual alphabet to manually spell out the word. Can be a life saver in many situations.

Knowing how to sign the cardinal numbers is essential for everyday situations. Pay attention to the way the palm is facing. From number 1 through 5 the palm should be facing inwards (towards the signer). Numbers 6 through 10, the palm should be facing outwards (towards the reader).