Learning American Sign Language

This book is similar to "A Basic Course in ASL," and some may find it hard to dicern between the two. However, this book has many more practice sentences and conversation. Many more opportunities to use your new-found skills. Many more illustrations. There is use of slang and idiomatic language that isn't found often in other resources.

You can purchase a videotape to accompany this book. If you are learning on your own, that really is a must-have. Otherwise, this book offers a full course in beginning your trip to understanding true American Sign Language (versus Signed English or Contact Sign). Highly recommended by this deafie! :v)


Lots of Vocab...too bad most of it is localized   January 7, 2003
 14 out of 18 found this review helpful

This was a text I used in Beginning ASL II. There is a supplemental video that goes along with the book as well.

While there is tons of vocabulary used in this text, most of it is used the the Pacific Northwest area. This is not a great book if you're taking classes in the midwest or even the south. I was really glad that I had a professor that could show me local signs in my State/City/neighborhood.

There is some examples of ASL grammar included, but nothing hard and fast. As I've learned, the grammar has been easier to pick up.

The video I mentioned is very helpful since most of the exercises revolve around certain scenes that are acted out. There are some werid camera angles during a few black and white "intermissions".


Good book.... Not recomended for self-study.   April 16, 2002
 3 out of 9 found this review helpful

Good textbook for an ASL course.
Written by experts teaching the ASL.


Teaching Textbook   July 12, 2000
 4 out of 11 found this review helpful

I have taught sign language courses for 10 years and find this book to be a good resource for beginners. However, in the midst of teaching this course, my "video" was lifted from my classroom. I would like to purchase the video without having to purchase the book again. Aaaah! What does one do?


Pros and Cons   July 23, 1999
 14 out of 14 found this review helpful

I used this text for my ASL 1 and ASL 2 courses in college, and I think this text was better organized compared to some other texts for learning sign. However, some of the pictures are a bit difficult to decifer and some of the signs are repeated throughout the text. I would like to see the video and the text as a package deal for fifty one dollars, perhaps that would be more worth one's money.