Hello, everyone!

It has officially been my first week of learning and experimenting with ASL. Until I find a method that works best for me, I’ve decided to explore one website or app at a time. This way, I can evaluate whether it’s the most effective tool for my learning needs.

Pocket Sign: An Intro

This week, I started with an app called Pocket Sign, which is free to download from the App Store. I tried to use the app daily. Some days, I found it challenging to make time for practice, but I’m hopeful that I’ll develop a habit of setting aside dedicated time for learning.

 

Documentation Decision: 

To document my progress, I decided to share a video on YouTube. I screen-recorded some of the app’s daily exercises and activities to give viewers (all you lovely readers) an idea of what it offers.

 

Pro’s and Con’s of Pocket Sign: 

One limitation I noticed with Pocket Sign is that the free version restricts how much you can practice or learn each day. As a student new to this skill, I wish the app offered unlimited levels or activities daily. On days when I have more time to dedicate to practice, I find this restriction frustrating. However, one positive aspect of the daily lessons is that you consistently learn something new each day.

If you watch my YouTube video, you’ll see that the app demonstrates how to sign each word and provides exercises where you differentiate between two similar signs.

One particularly engaging feature is the sentence-building activity. After learning new signs, the app prompts you to form sentences using what you’ve learned. I also appreciate the option to adjust the speed of the signing demonstrations—this is especially helpful when you’re just starting.

 

Another feature I tried out is the camera sign practice option. As a complete beginner, this feature was incredibly helpful. The app shows you how to sign each letter, and you mimic it. Once the app recognizes that you’ve signed it correctly, you can move to the next letter. Unfortunately, I found that the app sometimes advanced to the next sign even when I hadn’t done it correctly. This almost ruins the opportunity for additional practice, which is a drawback. Additionally, using the camera feature with its flip/mirror mode was a bit challenging, as shown in my YouTube video (because of the way the screen is mirrored).

One of the app’s standout features is the dictionary tool. You can look up specific words or sentences, and a person appears on-screen to show you how to sign what you searched for. This opened up a whole new way for me to learn and experiment with ASL. As a future educator, this feature alone makes me want to keep the app and incorporate it into the classroom. While I aim to become fluent in ASL independently, this tool would be a fantastic accessibility resource for those moments when I need quick guidance. (You can see me exploring this feature in my video.)

Lastly, I love that the app saves what you’ve learned under the Study section. Within this section, you can access flashcards for different categories you’ve worked on. For example, the app starts with the “Food” category. In my video, you’ll see me revisit this category and explore everything I’ve covered in my initial lessons.

Overall, Pocket Sign has been a helpful tool to kickstart my ASL journey. While there are some limitations and areas for improvement, the features it offers (especially the dictionary and sentence-building exercises) have made it a worthwhile experience so far. I look forward to continuing this journey.