Which one is which?

Sheryl976

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I have been "learning" to sign for many years. First, neighbors taught me signing exact English. I didn't even realize there were more than one type of signing. When I got older (and forgotten most of what I learned years before), I had a friend who was hearing impaired. She taught me some signing and called it ASL. Fast-forward again and I had a roommate who's sister was deaf. She taught me what SHE called ASL, but so many of the words were different than the ASL I had been taught. And some were the same as I had been taught originally, Exact English. Now, searching online, I look up songs that are signed in ASL. I have watched so many signing the same song, all claiming it's ASL, but they are different.

Can someone tell me if this is right? Are there several signs for the same ASL words? And if so, how can I possibly learn ALL of them?

Thank you in advance for your help!!!
 
Greetings from old analog, I'm no interpreter but I know a couple the more experienced often shares a better way to express a concept
 
I have been "learning" to sign for many years. First, neighbors taught me signing exact English. I didn't even realize there were more than one type of signing. When I got older (and forgotten most of what I learned years before), I had a friend who was hearing impaired. She taught me some signing and called it ASL. Fast-forward again and I had a roommate who's sister was deaf. She taught me what SHE called ASL, but so many of the words were different than the ASL I had been taught. And some were the same as I had been taught originally, Exact English. Now, searching online, I look up songs that are signed in ASL. I have watched so many signing the same song, all claiming it's ASL, but they are different.

Can someone tell me if this is right? Are there several signs for the same ASL words? And if so, how can I possibly learn ALL of them?

Thank you in advance for your help!!!

You're probably seeing different regional signs that are different to each state/city/region/country.

As well as generation signs for example an older person may sign the word deaf pointing ear and close while the new ones are pointing ear and moving it to the mouth.

Different signing styles - some sign really clear whlie other sign more mumbly.

Be careful of watching ASL songs on youtube they may be signed by hearing people who are learning ASL as well and may be not correct and probably sign closely to English. But still seeing any kind of signing still helps no matter what.

Probably best way to learn is to take a local ASL class like an community college class. The more exposure to sign language the better you'll pick up any kind of signs. And maybe if you're near deaf events like Deaf coffee that allows ASL signers to come to practice.

I hope this helps!! :D
Annie
 
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