Hello, Welcome To Week Six!

This week, I took a different approach to my ASL learning journey. Unfortunately, I lost my original written draft, but no matter, I’m now reporting to you live on how the process went! As you might have guessed from my title, I used TikTok as my primary learning resource.

Typically, TikTok is my go-to app for entertainment, something I use to relax and unwind (as I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I tend to lose a lot of free time scrolling). This week, I wanted to challenge myself to use TikTok as a learning tool, which was definitely not the norm for me.

In the video below, I showcase some of the signs I learned, introduce the account I followed, and include snippets of the videos that helped me along the way. Now, let’s talk about the experience!

The Pros of Learning ASL on TikTok

-A More Purposeful Use of TikTok
One of the biggest benefits of using TikTok for ASL learning was that I found myself using the app more intentionally rather than mindlessly scrolling. Almost every time I opened TikTok, I made it a goal to practice ASL. (I won’t lie, there was still some mindless scrolling, but much less than usual!)

– Easy to Navigate
Since I’m already familiar with TikTok, finding ASL videos was simple. I could easily search for what I needed and quickly locate learning content. I used the search bar to locate ASL videos and decided to stick with one account for my TikTok learning experiment.

–Adjustable Playback Speed
I discovered a new (to me) feature on TikTok that allows you to slow down or speed up videos. While I don’t typically use this in my free time, it was extremely helpful for learning ASL. I share more about how I did this at the end of my YouTube video. As someone who like’s to re-watch and rewind video’s while I am learning, this was a very helpful feature. 

The Drawbacks of Learning ASL on TikTok

– Lack of Structured Learning
I’ve mentioned before that I prefer autonomy in my learning, I like to choose what to learn and in what order. On TikTok, videos provide short snippets, but you don’t always know what each video will cover. To find specific signs, I had to scroll and skip through multiple videos, which wasn’t ideal.

– Limited Explanations
While slowing down videos was helpful, the lack of detailed explanations made learning a bit tricky. Many videos don’t provide different angles or in depth instructions to ensure the accuracy of ASL signs. Unlike some other resources I’ve used, TikTok didn’t offer tips or corrections, which made it harder to be certain I was signing correctly. Ensuring that I am doing the signs right is so important in learning ASL, it is a foundation you need when learning any new language. 

–Limited ASL Content on Accounts
I recognize that TikTok isn’t a dedicated ASL learning platform, so content can be hit or miss. On the account I followed, there were some great ASL videos, but they were mixed in with videos about other languages. This meant I could only learn a handful of signs before needing to either find another account or switch platforms (But as mentioned, I wanted to stick with one TikTok account for the sense of my experiment). 

Final Thoughts

Overall, TikTok can be a helpful tool for learning ASL, but it does have its limitations. It’s great for quick exposure to new signs, but for a more structured and in depth learning experience, dedicated ASL apps and platforms are far more effective. The other resources I’ve reviewed on this blog provide a much stronger learning foundation, offering detailed tips, proper hand placement guidance, and adjustable playback speeds for better comprehension (and they are free like TikTok is, which is another plus I forgot to talk about!).

While I enjoyed the challenge of using TikTok in a new way, I’ll likely stick with platforms specifically designed for ASL learning.