Striving for a Second Language: Introduction to my Learning Project

My interest in American Sign Language (ASL) started when I was around five years old. One of my favourite movies was MVP: Most Valuable Primate, which was about a monkey that played hockey. I know what you are thinking, what does that have to do with sign language? Well, one of the characters in the show was deaf, and I would see her and her family sign to each other. The monkey also used sign language, which is how the girl and the monkey became friends. Great movie, I highly recommend it. I also enjoyed watching Switched at Birth when I got older. ASL was very prevalent in this show as it followed two girls who were switched at birth, one of whom was deaf. I loved to watch the language and see how expressive it is. I have learned through these shows and other interviews that sign language is much more than the signs. Emotion, facial expression, and body language are essential to convey meaning in ASL.

When I was younger, I did try to learn sign language. My mom had bought me a book which had some simple signs. I used to be able to sign the alphabet, but that is long forgotten. I do still know how to sign my name. I want to try to learn again, as I think it is beneficial to know. I feel that this skill would also be incredibly useful in a classroom setting, should one day I have a student who is hard of hearing.

I plan first to learn how to sign the alphabet and then numbers. After accomplishing this, I would like to learn the 5 W’s so I can ask questions. I think I will sort words into a sort of categories like family, places, feelings, describing words, and so on. I want to learn the most common words so I can have a chance of being able to converse and be helpful to those who are deaf and hard of hearing. I would also like to learn some history surrounding sign language. I have already downloaded two apps on my phone, “The ASL App” and “SignSchool,” to help me get started. I plan to use Youtube videos such as this one, to learn signs that are not on these apps. I will also use signlanguage101.com. I still do have the poster that came with the book I had as a child. I plan to hang it in my room as a visual reminder of the alphabet.

Wish me luck on this exciting learning journey!