rvanallen2112 The more I'm learning about sign language, the more I notice people using it. There are many deaf/hard of hearing people around and it's amazing to be able to communicate what them and know their language.
I'm learning because once a customer came in and I could only help through pointing. I think sign language could be very beneficial to help make my customers experience better!
+Meredith ASL I recently started working as cashier and we get people that are hard hearing and I would really appreciate if u do one that can help me help the customers (:
It’s so rewarding reaching the point as a beginner learning ASL when you begin to pick up on other people’s signs and you think in your mind: “Wow. I understood that. I’m actually understanding this.” It makes all the hard work worth it 👍🏾
it's 12:16 am on a school night, and I'm completely bored out of my mind and decided "Hey I should learn sign language". I want to learn sign language, but I don't know anybody who's deaf. Hopefully it'll come in handy one day.
Well, if you're not going to sleep, at least learning ASL is productive!! :) It can definitely come in handy! You never know when you'll meet some Deaf individuals, and you can also teach your friends to sign!
Meredith ASL love your teaching. I have a friend who is def. he reads lips and talks to me. some times it's hard to understand him, so I thought I'd learn to sign. we talk about cars and motorcycles. do you have any thing on that category?
I'm hearing and I'm trying to learn but it is a bit of a challenge when I have no one to practice with and rely on youtube videos to teach an entire language.
I have been deaf for 10 years now. I am 60 years old. I started going to a asl class but I quit cuz I was the only deaf person in the class and the teacher would spend all her time teaching everybody that could hear. She would just give me papers to learn. To the hearing people in the class she would say a word and then show them the sign. What good is that to a deaf person. I like the way you teach so I’m going to watch your videos. Thanks for helping.
Thank YOU, Bruce! It's awful and inexcusable that an ASL class was inaccessible to you. :( I'm glad you're persisting in learning to sign, and hope you continue to find these videos useful. Let me know how else I can help support your studies!
I remember a friend and I were at a cafe when a customer who was deaf, began ordering his food. As he waited, I obtained the courage to walk over to him and begin a conversation. He was very happy; even complimented me on my limited signing lol. Wonderful experience.
Thanks for this tip because I am so terrified of just trying to sign it so quickly and having someone still not know my name. 8 letters is kind of a long name
I'm a teenager and I go to a psychiatric hospital on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I go on a bus, and I saw a elder couple and they both were deaf. They were talking and everyone was looking at them, nobody could understand anything apart from the driver, since they only pointed where they wanted to go on the map. I thought it would be a good idea to learn something, at least the basics! So next day I can at least greet them and ask them their names.
It went fine! I still remember the moment. They were so surprised, haha. I was able to introduce myself and greet them. They introduced themselves too.
Today is the first day that I'm YouTubing ASL and 3 hours in, this channel has the best videos. It's great that you repeat words and phrases and also turn to the side. Awesome. Subbed.
Hi China, thank you SO much for the kind feedback! I am thrilled that you find these videos helpful :) I'll be sure to keep up the repetitive teaching and side-views. Keep an eye out for more videos this winter, and let me know if there are any topics you think would be useful!
Hi Cila, TOUCH^HEART! I am thrilled that my little video was able to help your friend better communicate with you :) :) :) Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and let me know. Feel free to reach out anytime with suggestions for other videos I could make to continue helping new learners communicate with Deaf friends.
I've always thought ASL was a beautiful language, and so I learned it from watching tutorials and dramas w asl ;;. I did it both because it's fun, and because I might meet a deaf student in my school one day. Then I did.
I am 41 years old, and I've been hard of hearing for a long time, but it's getting worse. I was afraid to try to learn ASL in person, because I'm also clumsy and insecure. Your sweet smile made it a joy to watch this (and learn!!!). Thank you so much, Meredith!
Thank YOU, Herman, for watching, learning, and sharing this feedback! I'm so glad that you find these videos useful; I hope that they help you gain some confidence in your signing to perhaps sign up for an ASL class ! Best of luck, and keep at it!
@@ASLMeredith You did GREAT, awesome beginner class. I'm an Interpreter For The Deaf in Texas. We have a very large deaf community down here. Can I ask if you will be doing any class's on Facial expressions, body shifting, stance, placement and body language? I haven't seen any advanced courses and am considering making a few videos. Thank you for your response in advance.
@@debbieautry-skubik6594 Hi Debbie, thank you so much !! :D :D I don't have a video exclusively on Facial expression and other NMS, because I prefer to teach them in context. For example, in my video about ask yes or no questions, I explain the facial expression for asking a Y/N question. See that example here: czcams.com/video/Zo_ArJY502s/video.html In the course, it's the same - these concepts are included within context of topical learning.
At age of 62 I took 2 semesters of ASL at community college. Don't allow feelings of insecurity or clumsiness prevent you from learning. We all make mistakes. They were very fun classes. These videos are great, but you need real conversations. Pre-pandemic, there were public meetings at various venues (eg: mall food courts) where people, deaf & hearing, met to share, teach & learn ASL. I don't know if they've resumed, but they were great experiences.
That's a GREAT 2017 goal! And I'm glad you find this useful. Feel free to reach out anytime with questions or suggestions! Best of luck in your learnin journey.
I have been studying Brazilian Sign Language which is LIBRAS since 2019 and I’m sign language interpreter in my church since 2022. I’m also learning English since 2004, so now I decided to learn ASL as well. It’s amazing how we have different signs and similar signs too. I’m loving it ❤ And thanks for teaching us those signs
I’ve been slowly teaching my kids and I for a few years now. Mostly just baby signing. But now I have 1 deaf relative and one hard of hearing and I’ve been kicking it in gear ⚙️ trying to learn and teach as much as possible for full on conversations!! I love that you go slow, repeat a lot and use different angles! Very helpful! Thank you so much! 😘
My new baby cousin is deaf. Me and his sister, my cousin as well, started watching these videos. It has been 2 months of watching these videos and it has helped us a lot! We can now sign fluently to each other. Thank you so much!!!!😘
Hi,I'm new here. Short story: I started learning sign language and reading lips when I was 15 because my then only god child loss her hearing at about 2,so at 4 I was teaching her,her mom,and grandmother a little. They finally got her into the NY SCHOOL For The Deaf. The following year my school nurse found out something was wrong with my hearing. My mom took me to be tested once and never again,she had no time,plus I didn't live with any parents most of my life and she didn't pass it on to my guardians. Things kept happening that I guess I paid no attension to (tv too loudetc). Years after,and when I had children,my twins would get annoyed that I kept telling them to stop making calls,while they were answering the calls. People complained I was ignoring them,I was too loud on the phone,I talk too loud. The worse,I sang on a recording,now world famous choir,I read lips when I could,but I had to record every song and my sister helped me to get the words,no one knew,but a handful of people. Now most people know I'm clinically deaf and continually loosing more hearing,and have to keep getting enhanced hearing aids. The best things,my baby son attended ASL classes with me in college, and I'm now teaching all of my grandchildren ASL. My first grandchild know the most. My fiancé is learning and excited about it. I'm glad to subscribe,this is a reminder and I love the practice. My teacher was born deaf. I have my books and dvds,but this is the best ASL lesson I've found so far,to help for practice for when I start going to deaf events again. Thanks and God bless.
Im a beginner at ASL and i and picking it up fast. I'm watching and seeing more and more youtube videos like your's so that i can become familiar with the langues. Its a beautiful langues with a lot of emotion. Thank you for contributing to the language!
My dad is deaf. He was shamed for it growing up and never wanted to learn ASL or anything. He’s healed a lot in the last few years and he started taking classes about a year ago. I’m starting now too so I’ll be able to sign with him. I love these videos and am signing up for the online course.
Thank you for sharing, Brittany. It's wonderful that he's embracing ASL after so long and that you'll be able to better communicate with him by learning yourself, too.
I had a deaf customer come in and I felt bad for not being able to communicate and make it a smoother experience for her, and so far I love how expressive the language is! I'm a hands on person so maybe that's a contributing factor. Your videos are very easy to understand, thanks for the work you do! Now hopefully I get to see her again and see if she signs
My daughter is 11, and has difficulty with talking and reading emotions. She's been given speech therapy several times, and diagnosed, chronologically, with ADHD, Selective Mutism, and apraxia. A deaf friend suggested that we learn sign language, since it uses different parts of the brain. It also is more physical and focused, and I think encourages interaction and concentration. Not a cure, but a nice supplement, and a great skill to have! We've just started, but these videos are very well done: engaging, explanatory, and signs are shown from the front and side view.
I've been watching a lot of ASL courses on CZcams and so far I've retained your videos the most. The repetition, the different angles, and the written dialog at the bottom have been great teaching tools. Thanks for putting these up, they're very helpful. =)
Hello! I am not deaf or hard of hearing but I am studying to be a teacher, and I find your videos quite useful!! I plan to take ASL classes in the future, but for now I am enjoying learning through your videos. I love that you put all these videos up so that we can all learn ASL. Thank you!!
Thanks for the kind feedback, Trish! I'm so glad that you find these videos useful as you study to become a teacher. Best of luck in your studies, and let me know if you ever have any questions.
Meredith, thanks for the videos! My family recently joined a church that has a large deaf ministry and we are just finishing free classes offered by the church to help us to communicate with the deaf. I plan on watching all your videos often so as to learn more sign language and hopefully some day feel confident enough to translate / sign as my Pastor preaches. Thanks again, Robert
I am a single mom. After getting my twins off to college, I am going back to college, at 52 :) I have about two years left, and I want to learn sign language. I found your channel today, and I am very excited!! Thank you!!
I work in a big hospital in the IT department during the night, and spend most of my time walking around the place. In many ocasiona I have had patients or visitors approach me in the hallways asking for help, and being fluent in english, Spanish, and Portuguese has been very handy. Learning ASL and sign will be a big plus. I happen to have two co workers who are deaf and are more than happy to help me practice. Thank you for helping me too
As i have fallen in love with a man who is deaf and mute I have to learn sign language. This video has been of exceptional help for me to learn and advance. I find this good in the way how it shows, both front and from the side. Keep up the good work
Your channel is so much easier than others I have been to. I’ve been trying to learn sign language over the past couple years because of customers in the retail industry and my future profession I want to give deaf patients a easier time. I think your channel will really help. Thank you so much!
Hi Kristen, thanks so much for the kind feedback! Appreciate you taking the time, and am glad you find these videos useful in communicating with your customers and future patients! If you like my style and want to keep learning, did you know I offer a free monthly email newsletter? If interested, you can learn more here: eepurl.com/cw3AAb
My kids and I are learning ASL and are in week 4. I happened across this video and all three of us enjoyed it and found it very easy to follow along. If anyone else reads this, simply letting the commercials run for 30 sec to a min help with the channels monetization. Every 30 seconds counts and can be a great help in keep channels like this alive. Sharing is another huge support for a channel.
I had a deaf associate come in for training and he needed 4 interpreters to translate 2 forms of sign language for a safety portion before learning his actual job. I was more than happy to help as I learned alot form him and the interpreters. The man in charge of the group told me that how I communicate with them considering I have no experience in ASL or any kind of sign impressed the whole group. After the 2-3 days he gave me his number and encouraged me to learn saying he thinks I can pick it up fast and he wants to stay in contact. And now I have some time so I found your video to get me started. Thank you so much for the introduction!!!
I am trying to get a head start on learning ASL. I love the language and plan to become an interpreter when I go to college after a little over a year. I love learning about Deaf culture and respect it so much. These videos are really helpful as I am struggling to find ways to teach myself the grammar. I know a whole lot of vocab but really struggle with the grammar and I don't have anyone to help me so thatnks so much!
Try looking online for Deaf events in your area. For example, in my area we have to events on at a coffee shop and one at the mall where deaf people meet up and socialize. They are typically very inviting to students and people who want to learn more about ASL, Deaf culture, etc. The best teachers of any language are native users in natural settings. It will help when you go to college and many interpreter programs require it anyway.
Me and my twin are on the spectrum and have sensory issues; sometimes we get overwhelmed and have a hard time talking. Deciding to learn sign language has been a total game changer. I am so grateful that people like you take the time to teach.
I'm learning asl cause my little boy has autism an he is 7 an mocks us more than talks I'm hoping this will help an plus I don't meet deaf people that often but would love to be able to conversate. And i honestly think instead of having just Spanish an French in school they should have asl just cause someone can not hear or talk does not mean they should be alienated for it I would have took that way before a language I'd never use
You have the best ASl channel... very clear and easy to understand. I like how you get straight to the point. I just recently found this channel a few days ago. Great Job and thanks for the signs.
+Eddie Medrano Hi Eddie--thank you so much for the kind words! I'm so glad that you're finding my channel useful; I do try to keep things simple and concise so students can find what they're looking for :) Best wishes for your continued ASL studies!
I'm HoH and didn't get to learn ASL until recently because I didn't know this section of the internet existed and only recently stopped letting my family tell me how I should be. I have two Deaf coworkers and, contrary to what my family said growing up, NOT knowing ASL feels like more of an inconvenience than learning it does. My family just wants everyone who doesn't hear well to get hearing aids, and I didn't want to bother because I don't see anything wrong with me. I'm just...me. Thank you for these videos! I love how you repeat them AND show different angles!
this video was so helpful. there are two hearing impaired kids in my class and i want to learn how to sign and talk with them without their translator. thank you so much
Hi Meredith, I'm a 14 year old girl who learned Arabic Sign Language out of curiosity and love for the language, now that i have deaf friends and CODA's i am starting to also learn A(merican)SL because I want to be able to communicate with more people from the deaf community, I've been searching for so long but I couldn't find a good video, this is my first one. thanks a lot because this helps me so much.
ASL is so beautiful!! I've always loved learning languages because I work in a hotel with lots of international travelers, and I can speak French and Chinese passably well now. As soon as I had my first deaf guests check in I badly wanted to give them the same kind of warm welcome. I learned a few basic signs like "welcome" so I could at least greet deaf guests and help them feel more comfortable. Recently I befriended someone with severe dysphagia who prefers to sign rather than speak when she's in pain, and she's been teaching me more signs. I'm going to learn as much as I can, and this video was really helpful! Thanks so much!
Thank you very much for your videos. I work in a bank and I was so proud of my self I was able to sing to one of my hard if hearing customer "I. want to learn sign language" she was so happy to see that. So thank you for that. Maybe you can make a video with basic sign at the bank. I'll appreciate it!
Hi Karen, thank you for sharing these kind words, and your story! I'm so glad that you're using what you're learning to communicate with customers. I'll take the bank-related sign suggestion under consideration! I'm always looking for fresh ideas, so thank you :)
My grandfather has been deaf since he was 8. I've always known finger spelling the alphabet, but not much beyond that. He's currently in the hospital, not sure what's next but it's downhill most likely. Right before he got sick this time, I started watching a few of your videos. Today, I signed a few new things around him. He made it a point to tell the interpreter when she came back in the room that my signing is getting better. took me 18 years but I finally decided to learn ASL, and I'm now considering majoring in ASL interpretation for college. thank you for making these videos! I felt so proud to be able to communicate better with him!
I'm not deaf and didn't knew anyone who is deaf, but after hearing sign language, I felt this strange feeling that I really wanted to learn and I found comfort with it, and I'm learning it not just for my information but if ever I found a friend who is deaf then I'll be able to communicate with him/her.
thank you so much!!! this covers EXACTLY what I'm looking for. I'm trying to teach myself ASL (with the help of some wonderful CZcamsrs and friends) and this video contains some of the exact phrases I was looking for!! (specifically, "sorry, I don't understand..."). thank you! your video was extremely helpful and well put together. :)
I am deployed and just wanted to learn something different. I can across your video almost a week ago and I’ve falling in love. I told so many ppl here to watch you. Now we’re learning sign language. Thank you for being so thorough with your lessons.
For all of the hearing people who have a desire to learn ASL "for no reason" (meaning you don't currently have any association with the Deaf Community, but just want to learn) I say: AWESOME! Keep it up!!! I fell into that same category and started with the manual alphabet in the 4th grade after doing a book report on Hellen Keller 41 yrs ago. Then when I was 13, I started learning vocabulary, and by the time I was 19, I was interpreting during worship services. I served as an interpreter in the church for many years (not certified, though). Then one day I helped a deaf lady in the library communicate with the librarian... long story short, her roommate has become one of my best friends, she moved in with my family for a time and she is closer to me than any of my siblings, or cousins, aunts or uncles or even my own parents. I also had the priviledge of interpreting a tense situation between a deaf family and a police officer during an incident went I stopped at a gas station a couple of years ago. I could see things were getting heated and offered to help. The situation was escalating to the point that the deaf man almost went to jail, but all ended peacefully. :) You never know what blessing you can give or receive by making ASL a part of your life... and I can't say enough good things about teaching Sign to your children from birth. I came down with laryngitis last month and couldn't talk for almost a week... but my communication with my family did not suffer, I just switched over to ASL and didn't miss a beat. I taught all 5 of my children to sign since infancy and it turned out my 5th child has Autism. I have NEVER been so glad or sure of myself that teaching babies to sign is one of the best things you can do for them! I think everyone can benefit from learning this rich, beautiful and expressive language. So I say again: it is AWESOME that you have this desire! Be encouraged and keep it up!! I'm just getting to know ASLMeredith, but when you're done learning the basics, a good resource to learn idioms, expressions, medical, religious, tricky words and more is ASLFLIX.com. Many blessings to you all!!
Hi Jewl, thank you SO much for sharing your story!!! You're absolutely right that you never know when you'll need it, who you'll meet, and how learning this language can change your life.
I suddenly became interested in sign language yesterday. I have a cousin who is training to become a nurse. She told me about how they are taught sign language. She then showed me how to say "what is your name?, I like you, thank you". Then I thought how interesting it would be if I could communicate with someone who is deaf (sorry to say). How happy I will be!
It's great that your cousin is learning ASL to communicate with patients, and that you're also interested!!! No need to be sorry - simply learn ASL and you never know when you'll need it! :)
How do you know when to put where, who, when.... at the beginning or end of a sentence? Also, what determines the order of words in sentences and is there more than one way to express the same sentence?
Hi Captain :) This is a question with answers that require full courses to teach :) ASL has its own grammar -- as I'm sure you've caught on -- so learning it takes time and it is more complex than I could possibly answer here in a single comment. That said, regarding questions--the question word -*-generally-*- goes last. Such as: YOU LIVE WHERE? There are exceptions to this, including common phrases that become like one sign (such as "HOW-YOU?" for 'how are you') and also sometimes the question word will be repeated -- once at the start of the sentence and once at the end. Other tips for grammar would be to practice TOPIC-COMMENT or Object-Subject-Verb word order, as a general rule/practice, keeping in mind that YES there is more than one way to express the same sentence. Just like in English, the same thought could be conveyed in a variety of words and word orders, the same is true of ASL. Hope that helps!
From what I've heard ASL typically buts the most important part first in a sentence. So when asking "what is your name?" You would say "Your name what?" That way the person reading your sign can already prepare an answer. Idk if that's entirely true but it makes the most sense.
Thank you so much for these videos. I've always been interested in learning ASL. Question: "Good" and "thank you" seem really similar. Are there any differences between them?
Hi Lisah, thanks for your comment and question! The signs GOOD and THANK-YOU can look similar. GOOD may be done 2-handed, with the dominant hand ending against the non-dominant. But when signed one-handed, GOOD can look a lot like THANK-YOU. Context will typically make the meaning clear.
Meredith ASL. Thank you for every Thing My name is Mohamed mustafa I am signal language from Egypt .Arabic ASL there is a same American ASL in some singe I love ASL very match I released that Deaf Persons in America have abeg Accessibility and there is an empowering in as society but not in Egypt . I try to help them
That's great! Thank you for sharing :) I'm glad you find these videos useful, and hope you can use sign language to communicate and include Deaf individuals as much as possible.
Agreed! It's so important for emergency and health professionals to be able to communicate! Best of luck in your studies :) let me know how I can help.
I have 2 deaf co-workers, one of them is very cute and about 3 months ago I found your channel, after much learning and practice I finally asked her out and she said yes! She's teaching me as well now she was born deaf and has a majority deaf family, thank you for your great content!
I'm sorry if this sounds like a silly question, please forgive me. I know that hearing and speaking are linked. How common is it for a person do be mute, but not def. Or the other way around?
Carina Garcia, It's far less common, and among mutes the majority are selectively mute, although some, like myself, are functionally (physically) mute. This can be from a number of causes.
thank you. I'm 8 months pregnant with my first baby, I knew a lil sign language prior but am correcting myself and learning more ASL so I can teach my daughter a second language. I find you and another woman I found on here very helpful! I don't know anybody who is deaf but when I finally do get the chance to use ASL and to teach it to my child it will be a blessing. so thank you. I will have you and God to thank!
I watch your channel every chance I get. My 9 year soon and I are learning together. It is such a beautiful and elegant language and we are bonding over it. The Uber driver that delivers at our office is the only deaf person I know, but we are still very into learning the language. Thank you for allowing us into your world and being our teacher. It's appreciated. I lost my sight in my right eye when I was 18 months old from a trauma and only have half my vision left in my other eye. Please know that I appreciate what the government calls your disability, but that I call your talented gift. You are doing something about it and teaching others acceptance and tolerance and even inclusiveness. Thank you! You are so beautiful and a wonderful educator. Never stop!
I work at cinnabon in Minnesota! I was born in El salvador and my sister is deaf, I learn sigh language in El salvador but it's totally different and at cinnabon was hard for me to communicate with deaf, but now I'm feeling thankful because this videos that I watch in CZcams are helping me so much, now my ASL it's getting better and my friends they understand what I'm trying to said! They are suprice bacuse I speaks English Spanish Portuguese American sigh Language and Salvadoran sigh languages Thank you for keeping making this kind of videos it's really helpful.🤗🤗🤗
Thank you so much for sharing your story and for the kind feedback! Keep up the language learning -- sounds like you are great at communicating with a wide range of people!
Thank you Meredith for always teaching us. I have a 2 yr old grandson who is hearing but can't speak only some words....... He takes speech therapy and is learning sign language. I've been signing since 1989 but I am slow slow slow stii at understanding someone signs to me. I'm very happy I can begin to communicate with him and show him I am able to talk to him ... yesterday he came over with his daddy and we had a storm come through our city at that time and he was very scared because I was telling that storm not to bring any bad weather and I said it really harsh to the sky and he hears really well but it scared him so, cute because after it was over I was able to sign to him that I was sorry that I scared him by yelling at that storm and he came over and motioned to me to take my glasses off looked into my eyes and he forgave me because I was signing to him and helped him understand that I do care about his feelings. I have always been drawn to the sign language and when I'm in the stores shopping I run into people who work who are sign language deaf and mute its makes them smile when they see I can sign to them. 😊 I took m y classes at a tech school 2x an DC worked as a student assistant for 2 yrs and loved trying to assist students in class and even high school. The 3rd and 2nd graders were my favorite.
Thank you SO very much for indicating certain points in your video, marks in the video, where each term or subject or learning technique is. This helped me track down the word, "fine", during my coursework. Even the way other teachers relay the info is subpar compared to you!!! You've aided tremendously. The way you: - Go slow - Varying perspectives (side views) - Varying locations / methods /gestures, etc - The caption on screen - Repetition - You don't delay the lessons & get straight to the point & straightforwardness - Including facial expressions @ necessary points On & on & on BY FAR - your videos are the most helpful I've found! The (work)book I'm reading (despite being a Gallaudet taught teacher & author [w images & video links]), Bill Vicars & other tutorials don't even come close to your teaching skills. THANK YOU bunches!
Thank you for making a video that not only teaches signs, but also uses ASL throughout the video like in the intro and outro!! It's really helpful to see the signs used in context
My 8 yr old Great Grand Daughter has been deaf since birth. She & I communicate well enough so that we do understand each other but I so want to learn ASL so we can express our feelings better. She attends a school for the deaf; Alexander Graham Bell here in N E Ohio & she’s doing great. I’m so happy I found your channel, she’ll be so proud of her ~Nana❣️ I did find the app called Tiny Cards but it’s slow learning & it would take me forever to spell everything out letter by letter to her plus she’s so fast at it I’m not sure how well I’d do! I just can’t thank you enough, for you have given me a nice start on communicating with her. I’d love to be proficient as she enters her pre teen & teenage years. She’s the only deaf child in my family & I have “12” Great Grands. The others as they have gotten older seem to come to me for advice, just discussing everyday life and I want this experience with her as well. {{{HUGGZ}}} and keep up the great work you’re doing.
Thank you! This is the easiest one I have found. I learned basic sign long ago but had forgotten much. Your sign is what I am used to seeing and helped me recall much plus correct some errors I had learned very quickly.
I stumbled across this video and brought back great memories for when I first started learning ASL. I drifted away from my studies, life happened, and restarting all over . Very excited 😊
Thank you for these helpful videos Meredith. I am a nurse-aide and have had patients who are deaf. I want to learn so that future patients who are deaf can easily understood and not struggle to be heard or seen. So these videos are very helpful. In fact, I just started learning yesterday and can introduce myself and ask someone how they are, for their name and ask them if they want anything in asl. It’s very fun to learn and I can practice it even when I speak.
I'm just learning myself, but I think "Thank you" is just simply taking your right finger tips to your chin and extending to the person you're thanking. 'Good is the same but back handing you right hand into the palm of the left. Hope that made sense. Maybe Meredith can verify.
@@jogman262 Thank you is directional as in goes in direction to person being thanked. Good does not require you to strike you passive hand (right left depending on if you are right or left handed). Signing good by striking passive hand is called the "citation" form of the sign. It is more formal that way.
About a year in...self learning ASL...Meredith is hands down my top teacher...I now use apps she suggested on her website and just joined a meet up group to meet others learning or using ASL locally in two weeks... Now a woman has been coming to my food pantry at my church and I found out she is deaf and nobody could communicate with her but I feel I'm about there to start lol ...thanks for the videos and God bless
I’m Japanese!! I’m learning Japanese Sign Language. Now I begin learning ASL with watching this video or using application!! I hope I can help deaf people in Japan or English users.
I have recently started dating a wonderful young lady name Tina. She is deaf and I have been watching your videos and books to learn ASL. You have been a big help in me being apart of her world. Thanks
I am working at a Tourist place in Germany and a week ago a deaf person was there and I felt so bad that I can't speak ASL cause it surely would have made their day, and would have been so much quicker than writing it down, so I decided to learn ASL now so I can comunicate with deaf people in the future 🤗
Most ASL videos I viewed went way too fast. As I am a complete beginner, both repeating the sign as well as a second time from a different angle helped greatly. In addition, then combining signs for short sentences gave context & how to move smoothly thru them. Thank you for your efforts.
I have been looking for a CZcams channel to (re) learn. There are a ton of channels on here, but this one (so far) seems to be the best one for me because there’s no back ground distraction, there’s very clear voice over, her signing doesn’t go too fast, and she repeats each word/sentence, not only facing the camera, but she turns sideways. Signing was really easy to learn when I was a kid, but now re-learning as an adult who has been out for practice for MANY years, having a free online source is amazing. I plan to try to teach my daughters ASL as a second language. The only languages that seem to be available thru the public school system are Spanish and French. I figure since our kids aren’t going to be physically going back to school anytime soon, this is the perfect time for us as a family to learn. If anyone knows of any other resources, such as printable things I can use for practice, quizzes and tests, that would be awesome. Thanks!
Hi Mina Morgan, thanks for your comment! I'm so glad you're (re)learning ASL with your daughters, and am thrilled you find these video formats useful. If you're looking for more resources, I list several at aslmeredith.com/learn-from-home and aslmeredith.com/resources - hope those two pages help!
Iam trying to learn ASL by watching your videos please keep them coming iwas 17 years old when I learn ASL the first time now Iam 66 and trying to learn it all over again so thank you for your video it helping me to learn it all over again please keep your video coming God bless you and your family 🙏 karen may from Morgantown wva
I don't know anyone who is deaf or mute, but I was watching this show called "Switched at Birth" and one of the main characters if deaf, and that's when it hit me, if I ever met a deaf person, I would have no way of understanding them and that's kind of inspired me to try and learn ASL. Great video! It was super easy to follow along. :)
Thank you for posting this. My son will be 3 next month and i've been doing ASL and speech therapy with him to increase his dialogue. While he isn't deaf or hard of hearing, sign language has helped bridge the word i say with the sign that matches it and its WORKING! Thank you so much!
Hi Jennifer, thank you so much for sharing this with me! I'm thrilled to learn that these videos help you learn ASL to effectively facilitate communication with your son. Let me know if you ever have any questions :)
I don't know anyone that is deaf. but I feel compelled to learn sign language and teach it to my daughter.
How's your progress?
rvanallen2112 The more I'm learning about sign language, the more I notice people using it. There are many deaf/hard of hearing people around and it's amazing to be able to communicate what them and know their language.
im deaf
Quinn Richards thanks
Quinn Richards
I'm learning because once a customer came in and I could only help through pointing. I think sign language could be very beneficial to help make my customers experience better!
+Keeping It Kevin That's wonderful! I'm glad to learn you are working to learn ASL to communicate with customers :) thank you for sharing!
+Keeping It Kevin That's wonderful! I'm glad to learn you are working to learn ASL to communicate with customers :) thank you for sharing!
+Meredith ASL I recently started working as cashier and we get people that are hard hearing and I would really appreciate if u do one that can help me help the customers (:
do i earn my name or is it given
Yeah same with me! I'd have loved to've been able to communicate with him better, I hope he'll come back so I can communicate better this time!
It’s so rewarding reaching the point as a beginner learning ASL when you begin to pick up on other people’s signs and you think in your mind: “Wow. I understood that. I’m actually understanding this.” It makes all the hard work worth it 👍🏾
YAYYY I'm so glad you're reaching that point and noticing your growth! Keep up the good work!
it's 12:16 am on a school night, and I'm completely bored out of my mind and decided "Hey I should learn sign language". I want to learn sign language, but I don't know anybody who's deaf. Hopefully it'll come in handy one day.
Well, if you're not going to sleep, at least learning ASL is productive!! :) It can definitely come in handy! You never know when you'll meet some Deaf individuals, and you can also teach your friends to sign!
Meredith ASL so true! I've committed myself to self teaching myself ASL since yesterday night actually. I enjoy it :)
Meredith ASL love your teaching. I have a friend who is def. he reads lips and talks to me. some times it's hard to understand him, so I thought I'd learn to sign. we talk about cars and motorcycles. do you have any thing on that category?
Carly Kennedy 12:46 for me lol I just learned the asl alphabet yesterday!
v pal u can come up to ur friends and start using sign language and they will not know what ur talkin about :)
I'm hard of hearing and the doctors say ill probably be deaf in the next few years, thank you for helping me learn how to sign :}
My pleasure! Stay in touch :)
Love your pfp pic! Stay strong. 🌟
HoshiHoe ~same
Same here I went deaf in 3rd grade
I'm hearing and I'm trying to learn but it is a bit of a challenge when I have no one to practice with and rely on youtube videos to teach an entire language.
I have been deaf for 10 years now. I am 60 years old. I started going to a asl class but I quit cuz I was the only deaf person in the class and the teacher would spend all her time teaching everybody that could hear. She would just give me papers to learn. To the hearing people in the class she would say a word and then show them the sign. What good is that to a deaf person. I like the way you teach so I’m going to watch your videos. Thanks for helping.
Thank YOU, Bruce! It's awful and inexcusable that an ASL class was inaccessible to you. :( I'm glad you're persisting in learning to sign, and hope you continue to find these videos useful. Let me know how else I can help support your studies!
Sorry you had that experience Bruce...that sucks!
I remember a friend and I were at a cafe when a customer who was deaf, began ordering his food. As he waited, I obtained the courage to walk over to him and begin a conversation. He was very happy; even complimented me on my limited signing lol. Wonderful experience.
WARNING:when you finger spell your name it is NOT a race!
Toby Cantrell But when Deaf people finger spell they finger spell pretty fast like how we hearing people sometimes talk fast
Thanks for this tip because I am so terrified of just trying to sign it so quickly and having someone still not know my name. 8 letters is kind of a long name
Good thing my name is only 3 letters lol
@@miaanaliese6504 What's your name?
mine is Phebe
@@katoashasmith7910 or you can use a nickname like ish, ash, kat, etc.
I'm a teenager and I go to a psychiatric hospital on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I go on a bus, and I saw a elder couple and they both were deaf. They were talking and everyone was looking at them, nobody could understand anything apart from the driver, since they only pointed where they wanted to go on the map. I thought it would be a good idea to learn something, at least the basics! So next day I can at least greet them and ask them their names.
How'd it go?
hi
hi
It went fine! I still remember the moment. They were so surprised, haha. I was able to introduce myself and greet them. They introduced themselves too.
Today is the first day that I'm YouTubing ASL and 3 hours in, this channel has the best videos.
It's great that you repeat words and phrases and also turn to the side.
Awesome.
Subbed.
Hi China, thank you SO much for the kind feedback! I am thrilled that you find these videos helpful :) I'll be sure to keep up the repetitive teaching and side-views. Keep an eye out for more videos this winter, and let me know if there are any topics you think would be useful!
i agree
Thank you so much, Alyson!
I agree completely!
I agree. Very good videos. The best I have found so far.
i'm deaf but my friend is hearing. me and her have trouble talking but this video helped her alot now o can talk to her thank you so much
Hi Cila, TOUCH^HEART! I am thrilled that my little video was able to help your friend better communicate with you :) :) :) Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and let me know. Feel free to reach out anytime with suggestions for other videos I could make to continue helping new learners communicate with Deaf friends.
I've always thought ASL was a beautiful language, and so I learned it from watching tutorials and dramas w asl ;;.
I did it both because it's fun, and because I might meet a deaf student in my school one day.
Then I did.
I am 41 years old, and I've been hard of hearing for a long time, but it's getting worse. I was afraid to try to learn ASL in person, because I'm also clumsy and insecure. Your sweet smile made it a joy to watch this (and learn!!!). Thank you so much, Meredith!
Thank YOU, Herman, for watching, learning, and sharing this feedback! I'm so glad that you find these videos useful; I hope that they help you gain some confidence in your signing to perhaps sign up for an ASL class ! Best of luck, and keep at it!
Same as me, Went hard of hearing at 23 and Now at 53 I need to learn before I go deaf Thank u for responding
@@ASLMeredith You did GREAT, awesome beginner class. I'm an Interpreter For The Deaf in Texas. We have a very large deaf community down here. Can I ask if you will be doing any class's on Facial expressions, body shifting, stance, placement and body language? I haven't seen any advanced courses and am considering making a few videos. Thank you for your response in advance.
@@debbieautry-skubik6594 Hi Debbie, thank you so much !! :D :D I don't have a video exclusively on Facial expression and other NMS, because I prefer to teach them in context. For example, in my video about ask yes or no questions, I explain the facial expression for asking a Y/N question. See that example here: czcams.com/video/Zo_ArJY502s/video.html In the course, it's the same - these concepts are included within context of topical learning.
At age of 62 I took 2 semesters of ASL at community college. Don't allow feelings of insecurity or clumsiness prevent you from learning. We all make mistakes.
They were very fun classes. These videos are great, but you need real conversations.
Pre-pandemic, there were public meetings at various venues (eg: mall food courts) where people, deaf & hearing, met to share, teach & learn ASL. I don't know if they've resumed, but they were great experiences.
A 2017 goal is to learn ASL no particular reason. Just always had an interest in signing. Thank you for these videos, they're quite helpful.
That's a GREAT 2017 goal! And I'm glad you find this useful. Feel free to reach out anytime with questions or suggestions! Best of luck in your learnin journey.
It's been six months. How's it going? I'm in the same boat as you, but I'm starting today
TheDodge same
me too :)
hows it going?
I have been studying Brazilian Sign Language which is LIBRAS since 2019 and I’m sign language interpreter in my church since 2022. I’m also learning English since 2004, so now I decided to learn ASL as well. It’s amazing how we have different signs and similar signs too. I’m loving it ❤
And thanks for teaching us those signs
Thanks for sharing!
I am losing my voice and don't know if it will be permanent. You just made my day and gave me hope. Thank you.
I have a deaf kid in my class, and no one can talk to her so I'm hoping to at least be able to say sorry or excuse me when I bump into her
That's great! Very thoughtful of you to learn to communicate. Keep up the good work.
Meredith ASL thank you!
Rum Bunny why don't you talk to her? It would make her feel better to have a friend
How did it go?
I'm not deaf nor I know anyone who is, but when I do sign language I feel happy that I'm learning it so I'm doing this for fun!! Thank you!😁
I'm happy that you're learning ASL, too! You never know when you'll need it :)
I’ve been slowly teaching my kids and I for a few years now. Mostly just baby signing. But now I have 1 deaf relative and one hard of hearing and I’ve been kicking it in gear ⚙️ trying to learn and teach as much as possible for full on conversations!! I love that you go slow, repeat a lot and use different angles! Very helpful! Thank you so much! 😘
My new baby cousin is deaf. Me and his sister, my cousin as well, started watching these videos. It has been 2 months of watching these videos and it has helped us a lot! We can now sign fluently to each other. Thank you so much!!!!😘
Hi,I'm new here.
Short story: I started learning sign language and reading lips when I was 15 because my then only god child loss her hearing at about 2,so at 4 I was teaching her,her mom,and grandmother a little. They finally got her into the NY SCHOOL For The Deaf. The following year my school nurse found out something was wrong with my hearing. My mom took me to be tested once and never again,she had no time,plus I didn't live with any parents most of my life and she didn't pass it on to my guardians. Things kept happening that I guess I paid no attension to (tv too loudetc). Years after,and when I had children,my twins would get annoyed that I kept telling them to stop making calls,while they were answering the calls. People complained I was ignoring them,I was too loud on the phone,I talk too loud. The worse,I sang on a recording,now world famous choir,I read lips when I could,but I had to record every song and my sister helped me to get the words,no one knew,but a handful of people. Now most people know I'm clinically deaf and continually loosing more hearing,and have to keep getting enhanced hearing aids.
The best things,my baby son attended ASL classes with me in college, and I'm now teaching all of my grandchildren ASL. My first grandchild know the most. My fiancé is learning and excited about it. I'm glad to subscribe,this is a reminder and I love the practice. My teacher was born deaf. I have my books and dvds,but this is the best ASL lesson I've found so far,to help for practice for when I start going to deaf events again.
Thanks and God bless.
God bless
hi
DeLinda Williams your an amazing person and let no one tell you different you perfect just the way you are
DeLinda Williams - Wonderful story! I'm losing my hearing too and it gives me hope
Im a beginner at ASL and i and picking it up fast. I'm watching and seeing more and more youtube videos like your's so that i can become familiar with the langues. Its a beautiful langues with a lot of emotion. Thank you for contributing to the language!
My dad is deaf. He was shamed for it growing up and never wanted to learn ASL or anything. He’s healed a lot in the last few years and he started taking classes about a year ago. I’m starting now too so I’ll be able to sign with him. I love these videos and am signing up for the online course.
Thank you for sharing, Brittany. It's wonderful that he's embracing ASL after so long and that you'll be able to better communicate with him by learning yourself, too.
I was ashamed too, meeting with deaf community give me hope Learning asl soon, waiting for sch to resume
I had a deaf customer come in and I felt bad for not being able to communicate and make it a smoother experience for her, and so far I love how expressive the language is! I'm a hands on person so maybe that's a contributing factor. Your videos are very easy to understand, thanks for the work you do! Now hopefully I get to see her again and see if she signs
My daughter is 11, and has difficulty with talking and reading emotions. She's been given speech therapy several times, and diagnosed, chronologically, with ADHD, Selective Mutism, and apraxia. A deaf friend suggested that we learn sign language, since it uses different parts of the brain. It also is more physical and focused, and I think encourages interaction and concentration. Not a cure, but a nice supplement, and a great skill to have! We've just started, but these videos are very well done: engaging, explanatory, and signs are shown from the front and side view.
I've been watching a lot of ASL courses on CZcams and so far I've retained your videos the most. The repetition, the different angles, and the written dialog at the bottom have been great teaching tools. Thanks for putting these up, they're very helpful. =)
Completely agree! She's the clearest and most concise I've seen. So helpful, thank you!
Hello! I am not deaf or hard of hearing but I am studying to be a teacher, and I find your videos quite useful!! I plan to take ASL classes in the future, but for now I am enjoying learning through your videos. I love that you put all these videos up so that we can all learn ASL. Thank you!!
Thanks for the kind feedback, Trish! I'm so glad that you find these videos useful as you study to become a teacher. Best of luck in your studies, and let me know if you ever have any questions.
Meredith, thanks for the videos! My family recently joined a church that has a large deaf ministry and we are just finishing free classes offered by the church to help us to communicate with the deaf. I plan on watching all your videos often so as to learn more sign language and hopefully some day feel confident enough to translate / sign as my Pastor preaches.
Thanks again, Robert
I'm learning ASL because I want to be a teacher for the hearing impaired your videos are making my dreams come true every time i watch you.
I am a single mom. After getting my twins off to college, I am going back to college, at 52 :) I have about two years left, and I want to learn sign language. I found your channel today, and I am very excited!! Thank you!!
That's awesome! Thanks for sharing, I love that you're learning.
I work in a big hospital in the IT department during the night, and spend most of my time walking around the place. In many ocasiona I have had patients or visitors approach me in the hallways asking for help, and being fluent in english, Spanish, and Portuguese has been very handy. Learning ASL and sign will be a big plus. I happen to have two co workers who are deaf and are more than happy to help me practice. Thank you for helping me too
Thanks for sharing! I'm so glad you're learning ASL now too, and that you have colleagues to practice - and communicate! - with
As i have fallen in love with a man who is deaf and mute I have to learn sign language.
This video has been of exceptional help for me to learn and advance.
I find this good in the way how it shows, both front and from the side.
Keep up the good work
Meredith your video's help me more than others I've tried can you make more basic conversation thank you
Your channel is so much easier than others I have been to. I’ve been trying to learn sign language over the past couple years because of customers in the retail industry and my future profession I want to give deaf patients a easier time. I think your channel will really help. Thank you so much!
Hi Kristen, thanks so much for the kind feedback! Appreciate you taking the time, and am glad you find these videos useful in communicating with your customers and future patients! If you like my style and want to keep learning, did you know I offer a free monthly email newsletter? If interested, you can learn more here: eepurl.com/cw3AAb
My kids and I are learning ASL and are in week 4. I happened across this video and all three of us enjoyed it and found it very easy to follow along. If anyone else reads this, simply letting the commercials run for 30 sec to a min help with the channels monetization. Every 30 seconds counts and can be a great help in keep channels like this alive. Sharing is another huge support for a channel.
I had a deaf associate come in for training and he needed 4 interpreters to translate 2 forms of sign language for a safety portion before learning his actual job. I was more than happy to help as I learned alot form him and the interpreters. The man in charge of the group told me that how I communicate with them considering I have no experience in ASL or any kind of sign impressed the whole group. After the 2-3 days he gave me his number and encouraged me to learn saying he thinks I can pick it up fast and he wants to stay in contact. And now I have some time so I found your video to get me started. Thank you so much for the introduction!!!
How did it go? Did you get promoted?
I am trying to get a head start on learning ASL. I love the language and plan to become an interpreter when I go to college after a little over a year. I love learning about Deaf culture and respect it so much. These videos are really helpful as I am struggling to find ways to teach myself the grammar. I know a whole lot of vocab but really struggle with the grammar and I don't have anyone to help me so thatnks so much!
Try looking online for Deaf events in your area. For example, in my area we have to events on at a coffee shop and one at the mall where deaf people meet up and socialize. They are typically very inviting to students and people who want to learn more about ASL, Deaf culture, etc. The best teachers of any language are native users in natural settings. It will help when you go to college and many interpreter programs require it anyway.
I'm about to start an ASL course this week (very excited) and this video helped me get ahead for class! Thank you so much!
That's wonderful, Neha! I'm so glad you found this useful, and I wish you well in your ASL course!
Nice to meet you deaf yes sing
Me and my twin are on the spectrum and have sensory issues; sometimes we get overwhelmed and have a hard time talking. Deciding to learn sign language has been a total game changer. I am so grateful that people like you take the time to teach.
You are the first person to teach sign language while talking.
Thank you for that.
I'm so glad you enjoy the format with voiceover! Thanks for sharing.
I'm learning asl cause my little boy has autism an he is 7 an mocks us more than talks I'm hoping this will help an plus I don't meet deaf people that often but would love to be able to conversate. And i honestly think instead of having just Spanish an French in school they should have asl just cause someone can not hear or talk does not mean they should be alienated for it I would have took that way before a language I'd never use
Lydia Trahan agreed!
Quinn Richards thank you
I completely agree, i was thinking about talk to my school about doing a program for it, once i get better
Lydia Trahan you can always take ASL as a second language in school
Lydia Trahan that's why I'm learning to for my grandson
You have the best ASl channel... very clear and easy to understand. I like how you get straight to the point. I just recently found this channel a few days ago. Great Job and thanks for the signs.
+Eddie Medrano Hi Eddie--thank you so much for the kind words! I'm so glad that you're finding my channel useful; I do try to keep things simple and concise so students can find what they're looking for :) Best wishes for your continued ASL studies!
Thank Meredith much appreciated! (:
I'm HoH and didn't get to learn ASL until recently because I didn't know this section of the internet existed and only recently stopped letting my family tell me how I should be. I have two Deaf coworkers and, contrary to what my family said growing up, NOT knowing ASL feels like more of an inconvenience than learning it does. My family just wants everyone who doesn't hear well to get hearing aids, and I didn't want to bother because I don't see anything wrong with me. I'm just...me. Thank you for these videos! I love how you repeat them AND show different angles!
Ugh yes that experience is unfortunately all too common. Glad you're learning ASL now !
I absolutely love learning ASL and about deaf culture. It’s a unique language and involves so much expression, very fun!
Glad you're enjoying the learning process!
this is so helpful I am learning slowly but it's coming along
Ikr same
Breeanna Cooper me to and this is my first day
this video was so helpful. there are two hearing impaired kids in my class and i want to learn how to sign and talk with them without their translator. thank you so much
Hi Meredith, I'm a 14 year old girl who learned Arabic Sign Language out of curiosity and love for the language, now that i have deaf friends and CODA's i am starting to also learn A(merican)SL because I want to be able to communicate with more people from the deaf community, I've been searching for so long but I couldn't find a good video, this is my first one. thanks a lot because this helps me so much.
Hi, that's great that you're signing with your friends, and also learning ASL! Way to go - great ambition for someone so young. Keep up the good work!
ASL is so beautiful!! I've always loved learning languages because I work in a hotel with lots of international travelers, and I can speak French and Chinese passably well now. As soon as I had my first deaf guests check in I badly wanted to give them the same kind of warm welcome. I learned a few basic signs like "welcome" so I could at least greet deaf guests and help them feel more comfortable. Recently I befriended someone with severe dysphagia who prefers to sign rather than speak when she's in pain, and she's been teaching me more signs. I'm going to learn as much as I can, and this video was really helpful! Thanks so much!
Thank you very much for your videos. I work in a bank and I was so proud of my self I was able to sing to one of my hard if hearing customer "I. want to learn sign language" she was so happy to see that. So thank you for that. Maybe you can make a video with basic sign at the bank. I'll appreciate it!
Hi Karen, thank you for sharing these kind words, and your story! I'm so glad that you're using what you're learning to communicate with customers. I'll take the bank-related sign suggestion under consideration! I'm always looking for fresh ideas, so thank you :)
Omg thank you a new kid at my school is mute and I really want to be friends with him.
Ok, so you commented this 2 years before May 2019. I was wondering if you made friends or still are friends with the mute person.
Chelsea A. Vandenberg you do know mute people exist right
@@bluebean8543 mute or deaf? there is a difference
@@melanieszelong4664 I hope I don't come off as rude, but amara w clearly states in the comment that the person is mute.
amara w Is it selective mutism? If that is the case, he probably doesn't know sign language, but you can try talking to him.
My grandfather has been deaf since he was 8. I've always known finger spelling the alphabet, but not much beyond that. He's currently in the hospital, not sure what's next but it's downhill most likely. Right before he got sick this time, I started watching a few of your videos. Today, I signed a few new things around him. He made it a point to tell the interpreter when she came back in the room that my signing is getting better. took me 18 years but I finally decided to learn ASL, and I'm now considering majoring in ASL interpretation for college. thank you for making these videos! I felt so proud to be able to communicate better with him!
I'm not deaf and didn't knew anyone who is deaf, but after hearing sign language, I felt this strange feeling that I really wanted to learn and I found comfort with it, and I'm learning it not just for my information but if ever I found a friend who is deaf then I'll be able to communicate with him/her.
thank you so much!!! this covers EXACTLY what I'm looking for. I'm trying to teach myself ASL (with the help of some wonderful CZcamsrs and friends) and this video contains some of the exact phrases I was looking for!! (specifically, "sorry, I don't understand..."). thank you! your video was extremely helpful and well put together. :)
+Kryssy Featherstone Thank you for the kid words, Kryssy! I'm so glad that you found this video useful!
my friend she deaf well not completly but she sign and I want to impress her by signing to her so thank yoy for this video
Meredith, you're a saint for spreading the skill.
You’re too kind!
I am deployed and just wanted to learn something different. I can across your video almost a week ago and I’ve falling in love. I told so many ppl here to watch you. Now we’re learning sign language. Thank you for being so thorough with your lessons.
All I can say is ..W O W ! .
I learn a lot. I am sure Ill see this video more than ones..
thank you so much
Thank YOU for stopping by!
are you deaf i asked
are you deaf i really want to know
no I am not, I am just learning ASL
For all of the hearing people who have a desire to learn ASL "for no reason" (meaning you don't currently have any association with the Deaf Community, but just want to learn) I say: AWESOME! Keep it up!!! I fell into that same category and started with the manual alphabet in the 4th grade after doing a book report on Hellen Keller 41 yrs ago. Then when I was 13, I started learning vocabulary, and by the time I was 19, I was interpreting during worship services. I served as an interpreter in the church for many years (not certified, though). Then one day I helped a deaf lady in the library communicate with the librarian... long story short, her roommate has become one of my best friends, she moved in with my family for a time and she is closer to me than any of my siblings, or cousins, aunts or uncles or even my own parents. I also had the priviledge of interpreting a tense situation between a deaf family and a police officer during an incident went I stopped at a gas station a couple of years ago. I could see things were getting heated and offered to help. The situation was escalating to the point that the deaf man almost went to jail, but all ended peacefully. :)
You never know what blessing you can give or receive by making ASL a part of your life... and I can't say enough good things about teaching Sign to your children from birth. I came down with laryngitis last month and couldn't talk for almost a week... but my communication with my family did not suffer, I just switched over to ASL and didn't miss a beat. I taught all 5 of my children to sign since infancy and it turned out my 5th child has Autism. I have NEVER been so glad or sure of myself that teaching babies to sign is one of the best things you can do for them! I think everyone can benefit from learning this rich, beautiful and expressive language.
So I say again: it is AWESOME that you have this desire! Be encouraged and keep it up!! I'm just getting to know ASLMeredith, but when you're done learning the basics, a good resource to learn idioms, expressions, medical, religious, tricky words and more is ASLFLIX.com. Many blessings to you all!!
Hi Jewl, thank you SO much for sharing your story!!! You're absolutely right that you never know when you'll need it, who you'll meet, and how learning this language can change your life.
I suddenly became interested in sign language yesterday. I have a cousin who is training to become a nurse. She told me about how they are taught sign language. She then showed me how to say "what is your name?, I like you, thank you". Then I thought how interesting it would be if I could communicate with someone who is deaf (sorry to say). How happy I will be!
It's great that your cousin is learning ASL to communicate with patients, and that you're also interested!!! No need to be sorry - simply learn ASL and you never know when you'll need it! :)
How do you know when to put where, who, when.... at the beginning or end of a sentence?
Also, what determines the order of words in sentences and is there more than one way to express the same sentence?
Hi Captain :) This is a question with answers that require full courses to teach :) ASL has its own grammar -- as I'm sure you've caught on -- so learning it takes time and it is more complex than I could possibly answer here in a single comment.
That said, regarding questions--the question word -*-generally-*- goes last. Such as: YOU LIVE WHERE? There are exceptions to this, including common phrases that become like one sign (such as "HOW-YOU?" for 'how are you') and also sometimes the question word will be repeated -- once at the start of the sentence and once at the end.
Other tips for grammar would be to practice TOPIC-COMMENT or Object-Subject-Verb word order, as a general rule/practice, keeping in mind that YES there is more than one way to express the same sentence. Just like in English, the same thought could be conveyed in a variety of words and word orders, the same is true of ASL.
Hope that helps!
Meredith ASL Thanks! I'll try practicing that more often.
Meredith ASL can you please do a video on onomonpia word in ASL also please give me a shout out in ASL
From what I've heard ASL typically buts the most important part first in a sentence. So when asking "what is your name?" You would say "Your name what?" That way the person reading your sign can already prepare an answer. Idk if that's entirely true but it makes the most sense.
Thank you so much for these videos. I've always been interested in learning ASL. Question: "Good" and "thank you" seem really similar. Are there any differences between them?
Hi Lisah, thanks for your comment and question! The signs GOOD and THANK-YOU can look similar. GOOD may be done 2-handed, with the dominant hand ending against the non-dominant. But when signed one-handed, GOOD can look a lot like THANK-YOU. Context will typically make the meaning clear.
Im learning so I can speak to my deaf co worker. So grateful for this channel !
Hi Wendy, so great that you're learning ASL to communicate with your colleague!
@@ASLMeredith thank you! You have been very helpful 🙂
Hi, I'm deaf and I just want to thank everyone in the comments who are trying their best to learn ASL!!
Meredith ASL. Thank you for every Thing
My name is Mohamed mustafa I am signal language from Egypt .Arabic ASL there is
a same American ASL in some singe I love ASL very match I released that Deaf Persons in America have abeg Accessibility and there is an empowering in as society but not in Egypt . I try to help them
That's great! Thank you for sharing :) I'm glad you find these videos useful, and hope you can use sign language to communicate and include Deaf individuals as much as possible.
I always wanted to learn ASL. Iam a Certified Nursing Asst it would come in handy at the hospital.
Agreed! It's so important for emergency and health professionals to be able to communicate! Best of luck in your studies :) let me know how I can help.
Meredith ASL
I love your videos. It makes learning ASL easier to learn. I have been looking for learning videos.
ASL should be taught in all schools! I want to learn so I can speak to the deaf customers at my job
Agree - it's useful for all to learn! So great that you're learning to better communicate with your customers :)
I have 2 deaf co-workers, one of them is very cute and about 3 months ago I found your channel, after much learning and practice I finally asked her out and she said yes! She's teaching me as well now she was born deaf and has a majority deaf family, thank you for your great content!
Woooo! Congratulations! Good job learning ASL enough to communicate -- keep up the good work!
why do they never say mute! I'm mute and just watching this for fun but, they usually just say like deaf or blind ... mute people exist!
I'm sorry if this sounds like a silly question, please forgive me.
I know that hearing and speaking are linked. How common is it for a person do be mute, but not def. Or the other way around?
Carina Garcia, It's far less common, and among mutes the majority are selectively mute, although some, like myself, are functionally (physically) mute. This can be from a number of causes.
Of course they do, no one said anything about it really..
Deaf children might have a harder time learning speach since they cannot not hear it and imitate.
I don't think anyone who's blind uses sign language...
I love your expression. helped me so much. :)
thank you. I'm 8 months pregnant with my first baby, I knew a lil sign language prior but am correcting myself and learning more ASL so I can teach my daughter a second language. I find you and another woman I found on here very helpful! I don't know anybody who is deaf but when I finally do get the chance to use ASL and to teach it to my child it will be a blessing. so thank you. I will have you and God to thank!
also you are a beautiful woman!
I watch your channel every chance I get. My 9 year soon and I are learning together. It is such a beautiful and elegant language and we are bonding over it. The Uber driver that delivers at our office is the only deaf person I know, but we are still very into learning the language. Thank you for allowing us into your world and being our teacher. It's appreciated. I lost my sight in my right eye when I was 18 months old from a trauma and only have half my vision left in my other eye. Please know that I appreciate what the government calls your disability, but that I call your talented gift. You are doing something about it and teaching others acceptance and tolerance and even inclusiveness.
Thank you! You are so beautiful and a wonderful educator. Never stop!
this was wonderful. Thank you.
+Esther Schnaidman My pleasure! I'm so glad you found this helpful or enjoyable! :) Thanks for stopping by.
Very helpful thank you
I work at cinnabon in Minnesota! I was born in El salvador and my sister is deaf, I learn sigh language in El salvador but it's totally different and at cinnabon was hard for me to communicate with deaf, but now I'm feeling thankful because this videos that I watch in CZcams are helping me so much, now my ASL it's getting better and my friends they understand what I'm trying to said! They are suprice bacuse I speaks English Spanish Portuguese American sigh Language and Salvadoran sigh languages
Thank you for keeping making this kind of videos it's really helpful.🤗🤗🤗
Thank you so much for sharing your story and for the kind feedback! Keep up the language learning -- sounds like you are great at communicating with a wide range of people!
Thank you Meredith for always teaching us. I have a 2 yr old grandson who is hearing but can't speak only some words.......
He takes speech therapy and is learning sign language. I've been signing since 1989 but I am slow slow slow stii at understanding someone signs to me. I'm very happy I can begin to communicate with him and show him I am able to talk to him ... yesterday he came over with his daddy and we had a storm come through our city at that time and he was very scared because I was telling that storm not to bring any bad weather and I said it really harsh to the sky and he hears really well but it scared him so, cute because after it was over I was able to sign to him that I was sorry that I scared him by yelling at that storm and he came over and motioned to me to take my glasses off looked into my eyes and he forgave me because I was signing to him and helped him understand that I do care about his feelings. I have always been drawn to the sign language and when I'm in the stores shopping I run into people who work who are sign language deaf and mute its makes them smile when they see I can sign to them. 😊 I took m y classes at a tech school 2x an DC worked as a student assistant for 2 yrs and loved trying to assist students in class and even high school. The 3rd and 2nd graders were my favorite.
that was really helpful! thank you
Thank you for the kind feedback!
You're awesome
Thanks again!
Thank you SO very much for indicating certain points in your video, marks in the video, where each term or subject or learning technique is. This helped me track down the word, "fine", during my coursework. Even the way other teachers relay the info is subpar compared to you!!! You've aided tremendously.
The way you:
- Go slow
- Varying perspectives (side views)
- Varying locations / methods /gestures, etc
- The caption on screen
- Repetition
- You don't delay the lessons & get straight to the point & straightforwardness
- Including facial expressions @ necessary points
On & on & on BY FAR - your videos are the most helpful I've found!
The (work)book I'm reading (despite being a Gallaudet taught teacher & author [w images & video links]), Bill Vicars & other tutorials don't even come close to your teaching skills. THANK YOU bunches!
Thank you for making a video that not only teaches signs, but also uses ASL throughout the video like in the intro and outro!! It's really helpful to see the signs used in context
thanks im learning for my self to learn in high school😚
That's great! Keep up the good work.
Thank You so much!!
Thank YOU, Kat, for watching! :D
;-)
Kat K.P hi I know some
My 8 yr old Great Grand Daughter has been deaf since birth. She & I communicate well enough so that we do understand each other but I so want to learn ASL so we can express our feelings better. She attends a school for the deaf; Alexander Graham Bell here in N E Ohio & she’s doing great. I’m so happy I found your channel, she’ll be so proud of her ~Nana❣️ I did find the app called Tiny Cards but it’s slow learning & it would take me forever to spell everything out letter by letter to her plus she’s so fast at it I’m not sure how well I’d do! I just can’t thank you enough, for you have given me a nice start on communicating with her. I’d love to be proficient as she enters her pre teen & teenage years. She’s the only deaf child in my family & I have “12” Great Grands. The others as they have gotten older seem to come to me for advice, just discussing everyday life and I want this experience with her as well. {{{HUGGZ}}} and keep up the great work you’re doing.
Thank you! This is the easiest one I have found. I learned basic sign long ago but had forgotten much. Your sign is what I am used to seeing and helped me recall much plus correct some errors I had learned very quickly.
Thank YOU for the kind feedback! Glad you're finding this useful.
Im literally avoiding doing my latin homework to watching this video lololol
At least still learning a language!
You are so pretty and have a lovely smile!
Thank you very much, Natalia!
De nada
I stumbled across this video and brought back great memories for when I first started learning ASL. I drifted away from my studies, life happened, and restarting all over . Very excited 😊
Thank you for these helpful videos Meredith. I am a nurse-aide and have had patients who are deaf. I want to learn so that future patients who are deaf can easily understood and not struggle to be heard or seen. So these videos are very helpful. In fact, I just started learning yesterday and can introduce myself and ask someone how they are, for their name and ask them if they want anything in asl. It’s very fun to learn and I can practice it even when I speak.
Is the word “Thank you” and “Good” the same??
I'm just learning myself, but I think "Thank you" is just simply taking your right finger tips to your chin and extending to the person you're thanking. 'Good is the same but back handing you right hand into the palm of the left. Hope that made sense. Maybe Meredith can verify.
Mark S Thank you so much for your help!! ☺️
No good is straight a little thank you go a little more than a inch
@@kaylaee I thank you also. I am learning ASL and was wondering about that also. Now I see and it makes since to me now. Thank you
@@jogman262 Thank you is directional as in goes in direction to person being thanked. Good does not require you to strike you passive hand (right left depending on if you are right or left handed). Signing good by striking passive hand is called the "citation" form of the sign. It is more formal that way.
I'm learning sign language so I dont have to talk to ppl
just pretend I'm deaf ;)
Diamond Blue Book that’s not…
About a year in...self learning ASL...Meredith is hands down my top teacher...I now use apps she suggested on her website and just joined a meet up group to meet others learning or using ASL locally in two weeks... Now a woman has been coming to my food pantry at my church and I found out she is deaf and nobody could communicate with her but I feel I'm about there to start lol ...thanks for the videos and God bless
I’m Japanese!!
I’m learning Japanese Sign Language.
Now I begin learning ASL with watching this video or using application!!
I hope I can help deaf people in Japan or English users.
I have recently started dating a wonderful young lady name Tina. She is deaf and I have been watching your videos and books to learn ASL. You have been a big help in me being apart of her world. Thanks
Fantastic! I'm so glad you're learning to communicate with her in her own language. Keep up the good work!
I am working at a Tourist place in Germany and a week ago a deaf person was there and I felt so bad that I can't speak ASL cause it surely would have made their day, and would have been so much quicker than writing it down, so I decided to learn ASL now so I can comunicate with deaf people in the future 🤗
Most ASL videos I viewed went way too fast. As I am a complete beginner, both repeating the sign as well as a second time from a different angle helped greatly. In addition, then combining signs for short sentences gave context & how to move smoothly thru them. Thank you for your efforts.
I have been looking for a CZcams channel to (re) learn. There are a ton of channels on here, but this one (so far) seems to be the best one for me because there’s no back ground distraction, there’s very clear voice over, her signing doesn’t go too fast, and she repeats each word/sentence, not only facing the camera, but she turns sideways. Signing was really easy to learn when I was a kid, but now re-learning as an adult who has been out for practice for MANY years, having a free online source is amazing.
I plan to try to teach my daughters ASL as a second language. The only languages that seem to be available thru the public school system are Spanish and French. I figure since our kids aren’t going to be physically going back to school anytime soon, this is the perfect time for us as a family to learn.
If anyone knows of any other resources, such as printable things I can use for practice, quizzes and tests, that would be awesome.
Thanks!
Hi Mina Morgan, thanks for your comment! I'm so glad you're (re)learning ASL with your daughters, and am thrilled you find these video formats useful. If you're looking for more resources, I list several at aslmeredith.com/learn-from-home and aslmeredith.com/resources - hope those two pages help!
My wife had SSHL and we are both trying to learn - your videos are the best I have found - thank you for helping so many people!
Iam trying to learn ASL by watching your videos please keep them coming iwas 17 years old when I learn ASL the first time now Iam 66 and trying to learn it all over again so thank you for your video it helping me to learn it all over again please keep your video coming God bless you and your family 🙏 karen may from Morgantown wva
Hi Karen, thank you for sharing! It's great that you're returning to your ASL practice. Keep up the good work!
I don't know anyone who is deaf or mute, but I was watching this show called "Switched at Birth" and one of the main characters if deaf, and that's when it hit me, if I ever met a deaf person, I would have no way of understanding them and that's kind of inspired me to try and learn ASL. Great video! It was super easy to follow along. :)
Thank you for posting this. My son will be 3 next month and i've been doing ASL and speech therapy with him to increase his dialogue. While he isn't deaf or hard of hearing, sign language has helped bridge the word i say with the sign that matches it and its WORKING! Thank you so much!
Hi Jennifer, thank you so much for sharing this with me! I'm thrilled to learn that these videos help you learn ASL to effectively facilitate communication with your son. Let me know if you ever have any questions :)