Your beginning ASL experiences

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MikePDX

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I only had two ASL classes but I'm completely drawn into ASL. I work long hours but I try to practice at my desk whenever I get a chance. Since I don't know anyone with ASL fluency other than my teacher, I have a mirror next to my computer at home so I can see how I sign while I try to learn new signs from • ASL • American Sign Language.

Last night, I even signed in my dream. At one point in time, I was fluent in two languages and had conversation skills in two other. But I had dreams in those languages several years after I acquired the knowledge.

I'm curious on other people's experience when they first started to learn ASL. Would you share some?
 
MikePDX said:
I only had two ASL classes but I'm completely drawn into ASL. I work long hours but I try to practice at my desk whenever I get a chance. Since I don't know anyone with ASL fluency other than my teacher, I have a mirror next to my computer at home so I can see how I sign while I try to learn new signs from • ASL • American Sign Language.

Last night, I even signed in my dream. At one point in time, I was fluent in two languages and had conversation skills in two other. But I had dreams in those languages several years after I acquired the knowledge.

I'm curious on other people's experience when they first started to learn ASL. Would you share some?
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I can remember being really small and being taught "I want coffee" by my Dad to amuse my grandmother when we visited.

Unfortunately, she was kind of humorless.
 
My first experience with ASL was the manual alphabet from a book about Helen Keller that I read when I was a little girl. I loved the book and loved learning the alphabet! Years later (we'll not go into how many.. Ha!) I've now wanted to go much further. So about a year ago, I started teaching myself ASL thru LifePrint.com (which has improved quite a bit in that year I must say). I went through the first 45 lessons, and just kept reviewing over and over. I've watched many, many videos on YouTube and referenced ASLpro.com & SigningSavvy.com when I needed to find a particular word. Then I ventured into signing songs and putting them on YouTube. Now, I know there has been somewhat of a debate on whether those just learning ASL should do this, and whether they should list it as ASL or not... But, doing so helped me learn and I was able to learn from others as they helped me with my translations and such. And I listed them as ASL for search purposes, but also included PSE in the title because I didn't know true ASL yet. But I am learning! :)

Now, however, I'm taking the next step and going to college for my Associates degree in Interpreting! I start this month and I'm so excited! I've been trying to get involved in different Deaf social events and such, but distance is an issue with me since my hubby is disabled. But he's so very supportive of what I want to do and encourages me to go. I've just got to make more time to practice with others, whether via webcam or in person...

Anyway, I'm lovin' it!! It's totally fascinating to me and I love the language!
 
I have been reading and learning from numerous books as well as lifeprint.com, aslpro.com, signingsavy.com and a few other. I have taken to recording myself with the webcam and Windows movie maker with practice sentences and conversations to get used to ASL. (yes, I am doing in proper ASL grammar and not PSE or SEE). It is slow going, but I find that when I watch some youtube videos now, I can understand more and more.

My daughter tells me that I sign in my sleep. She said I have stopped talking in my sleep and am now signing and she is picking up from my signing in sleep.

(We have unusual sleeping arrangements due to having to move in with MIL. Daughter is on floor in same room with hubby and I. We have the bed.)
 
MikePDX said:
Last night, I even signed in my dream. At one point in time, I was fluent in two languages and had conversation skills in two other. But I had dreams in those languages several years after I acquired the knowledge.
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The strangest dream I had was one where I was signing and my Deaf friends were talking in perfectly clear English. It was very bizarre.
 
I grew up with both ASL and English. I was a naive kid. I didn't give much thought to them being different. I guess I just thought that everyone could voice and everyone could sign. I do remember thinking that grown-ups had a mysterious grown-up talk language that I wasn't supposed to know. (You know how adults normally rush kids out of the room to talk about important things? I think that's why I thought there was a mysterious grown-up language.)

I used to have dreams in Sign. I regret not having ASL grammar as a child. Now my vocabulary is still child-level. I used to have dreams in Sign. Now I only dream in English. My mom has the habit of talking to me slowly, as if I had never been fluent in Sign. I am relearning Sign now.
 
My very first ASL instructor was totally inept. Since we were students, we didn't know it. He did emphasize the use of ASL instead of SEE - which is something positive I got out of his class. As we got into the class, we (students) realized he was making up his own signs as the class went. We realized this was going on when one week he would teach a sign and the next week he told us he had never seen the sign before.

Fortunately, I met a Deaf woman who then told me that her Deaf church was offering a "real" ASL class (and it was free!!). When to the class and learned the correct signs and was fully immersed into Deaf culture and ASL grammar. After 8-weeks of the class, I was fluent enough to be able to hold conversations. But I'm still learning new signs. :lol:
 
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