Posted on 10/02/2026 12:02:15 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco
I play senior softball and an individual who played on one of the teams in our league has joined our every day pick-up ball group.
He is totally deaf but I believe he can read lips. It's hard for everyone to understand what he is communicating to us so he tries to make it simple and rudimentary.
So, I've decided to try to learn ASL in an attempt to be able to converse with him on a level he can understand.
I would appreciate any advice from anyone who has experience in ASL in dealing with anyone they know is deaf.
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Koko!
Sorry - I don’t.
Notepad and pencil?
In my experience hearing impaired people use ASL in combination with other means, like lip-reading and in many cases some residual hearing. Body and facial gestures are important too, and facial expression is often exaggerated to emphasize meaning.
Yes, you can teach yourself American Sign Language (ASL) using online courses, video dictionaries, and apps, though achieving total fluency requires interacting with fluent signers.
Best Tools for Self-Taught ASL
Structured Programs: Use comprehensive platforms like ASL Connect from Gallaudet University or ASL Bloom for interactive daily lessons.
Video Dictionaries: Look up specific words and phrases using SignASL.org or Lifeprint.
Focal Points: Master your dominant hand choice, facial expressions, and basic fingerspelling early on.
and
Good luck and hope you do well!
It would be a handy tool I’m anyone’s toolbox, for sure.
My niece studied it intensively after high school about 30 years ago, but never put it to use.
I should, but I don’t. Being 65% deaf is a mixed blessing/curse. It isn’t even a disability because it doesn’t get me a parking space at the door of the grocery store.
I do. Our son is deaf so we had to sink or swim. I will DM you with some resources and we can chat.
Tried signed English first. It follows the English grammar rules, but requires a lot of vocabulary. Finger spelling (the signed alphabet) comes in very handy.
ASL is an idiomatic language. For example, the extended thumb, first finger, and pinky represent a vehicle. If you show it taking off, it is an airplane. If you show it driving on a relatively flat road, it’s a car/truck. Being a hearing individual, you would have to develop the ability to think idiomatically, which is not an easy skill. Every interpreter student at my college confirmed this.
I went to Rochester Institute of Technology, which houses the National Technical Institute for the deaf. They, in one part, train sign language interpreters. I learned signed English and could communicate, but never quite caught the whole of ASL (or AMSLAM, as it was called then). I can still communicate with profoundly deaf people, with a lot of finger spelling.
Just my $.02.
YouTube is always a great source of language learning vids.
Here’s what AI has to say/offer ... Good luck! You’re a good egg, HT :-)
The most recommended and comprehensive free American Sign Language (ASL) learning resource on YouTube is the [Bill Vicars - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/billvicars) channel by Dr. Bill Vicars, which complements his curriculum at [ASL University](https://lifeprint.com). [1, 2, 3]
## Top YouTube Channels and Lessons for ASL
Most users on [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/asl/comments/isbyli/any_good_youtube_channels_for_asl_learners/) and [Quora](https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-great-YouTube-channels-for-learning-American-Sign-Language) agree that structured, instructor-led channels are best for real learning rather than short novelty clips. [3, 4]
* Bill Vicars (ASL University):
* Features a full college-level curriculum including playlists for ASL 1, ASL 2, and ASL 3.
* Uses an interactive, immersion-based teaching style that starts from absolute basics like [Lesson 01 (ASL)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaMjr4AfYA0).
* Learn How to Sign (Meredith):
* Great for structured beginner milestones and short phrases.
* Popular videos include [Your First 99 ASL Signs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9gCipM-wn0) and [ASL Basics | American Sign Language for Beginners](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FcwzMq4iWg) which break down handshapes, palm orientation, and basic grammar.
* Sign Language 101 (Rachel):
* Excellent for foundational grammar, vocabulary building, and learning proper facial expressions (non-manual signals).
Tips to Build Fluency Alone
Label your space: Put sticky notes with everyday words on household items and practice signing them when you see them.
Record yourself: Film yourself signing and watch the playback to check your handshapes and non-manual facial signals.
Engage with the community: Attend local deaf chat events, silent dinners, or online deaf-led groups to gain real conversational practice.
Sign Language for Beginners | An Essential Guide [12:38 long]
https://youtu.be/xAQ9Pegg0gc
25 ASL Signs You Need to Know | ASL Basics | American Sign Language for Beginners [6:33 long]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FcwzMq4iWg
Basics of ASL
• Visual expression: Meaning is made using hand shapes, palm orientations, movements, and non-manual signals like facial expressions and body language.
• Independent grammar: ASL has its own unique grammar rules and sentence structure, rather than just copying spoken English word-for-word.
• Not universal: Sign languages differ around the world; British Sign Language (BSL) and ASL are entirely different languages.
Essential First Signs
• Hello: Move your dominant hand outward from your forehead like a salute.
• Thank you: Move your flat dominant hand forward and down from your chin.
• Please: Rub your flat dominant hand in a circle on your chest.
• I / Me: Point your index finger directly at your own chest.
• Yes / No: Nod an ‘S’ handshape up and down for yes, or tap your index and middle fingers to your thumb for no
Watch this video to learn 25 essential signs for beginners:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FcwzMq4iWg [6:33 long - same as one above]
“I did learn the alphabet signs but not much beyond that. Still better than nothing!”
In high school, my friends and I taught ourselves the alphabet just for fun. We used to communicate in church in the choir loft.
I never was able to make the leap from the structured English language to the idiomatic AMSLAM. I am glad, for both your own and your son’s sake, that you could.
Have a great day, FRiend.
Yell at him to pay attention.
The world doesn’t revolve around him.
Mrs. Kit says something very similar from her High School. The girls learned sign alphabet and 'talked' to each other during tests. Hah. The teachers always said, "No talking during the test!" hahahaha
There is also several video courses on youtube to learn it. For example:
https://youtu.be/DaMjr4AfYA0
I started learning decades ago when a friend was getting a degree in ASL. I was fascinated.
Later I bought one of the “Sign Language for Dummies” books.
In recent years, I’ve found that online instructional videos are the best resource for learning. If you can’t go to a nearby deaf school.
Unfortunately, arthritis in my hands makes signing challenging. Not impossible. Just...challenging.
Sorry, I only know Italian sign language! However I am getting old and arthritis in my shoulders make it difficult to roll my R’s.
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