A friendly guide to American Sign Language
Learn to sign, see the conversation
ASL is a full language with its own grammar, humour and history. This guide covers the first steps, fingerspelling and the Deaf culture that gives the language its life.
Three things to know before your first sign
- 1
It is its own language
ASL is not English spelled out on the hands. It has its own word order, grammar and idioms, and it is the main language of many Deaf people in the United States and much of Canada.
- 2
Your face is grammar
Raised eyebrows can turn a statement into a yes-or-no question. Facial expression and head movement carry meaning, not just feeling.
- 3
Deaf people lead the way
The best teachers, stories and practice partners come from the Deaf community. Learning ASL means learning with that community, not just about it.
How a sign is built
Five parts of every sign
Linguists describe signs by a handful of parameters. Change just one, and you can change the word. Watching for all five is the quickest way to sharpen your eyes.
- Handshapethe shape the hand makes
- Locationwhere the sign happens
- Movementhow the hand travels
- Palm orientationwhich way the palm faces
- Non-manual markersface, eyes, mouth and head
A gentle learning path
From first signs to real conversations
- First week
Alphabet and your name
Learn the manual alphabet, fingerspell your name slowly and clearly, and pick up greetings like hello, thank you and nice to meet you.
- First month
Everyday words
Family, food, days, numbers and feelings. Practise in short daily sessions rather than long weekly ones.
- Around three months
Short conversations
Ask and answer simple questions, use your face for grammar and get comfortable asking someone to sign again more slowly.
- Ongoing
Time with the community
Join Deaf-led classes, events and meetups. Watching fluent signers is where your understanding really grows.
Etiquette check
What would you do?
Tap a card to see a respectful answer.
Wave within their line of sight, or ask someone nearer to tap them lightly on the shoulder. In some rooms, a quick flick of the lights is the custom.
Look at and speak to the Deaf person, not the interpreter. Say “How was your trip?”, not “Ask her how her trip was.”
Ask them to repeat or to sign more slowly. Nodding along when you have not understood causes far more confusion than asking.
Wait. Name signs are traditionally given by Deaf community members who know you. Until then, fingerspell your name.
Just walk through briskly. Stopping or ducking draws more attention than simply passing.
Many people use capital-D Deaf for the cultural community and lowercase deaf for hearing status. “Hearing impaired” is widely disliked. When in doubt, follow the person's own words.
Signing at home
Learning together as a family
Many hearing families start learning ASL when a child is deaf or hard of hearing, and others simply want a second language at home. Little and often works best: a few signs at breakfast, a story in the evening, and patience with each other's mistakes.
- Make eye contact before you start signing
- Sit where faces are well lit
- Look for Deaf mentors and family programmes
- Celebrate trying, not perfection
A language with deep American roots
1817The American School for the Deaf opens in Hartford, Connecticut. French Deaf teacher Laurent Clerc brings French Sign Language, which mixes with signing already used in American communities.
1960sResearch by William Stokoe and colleagues at Gallaudet helps show that ASL is a complete language with its own structure.
TodayASL is taught in schools and colleges across the country, and it keeps changing, with regional signs and varieties such as Black ASL.
Every hello is a start
Begin with the alphabet, keep your eyes on faces and find people to sign with. The rest comes one conversation at a time.
Begin with the basics