Anyone else absolutely obsessed with TikTok? If you are, you’re not alone. I spend quite a lot of time on the app, often opening it right when I turn off my alarm to help me wake up in the mornings. It was only natural for me to run to the app when contemplating what to document my journey on this week.
Using TikTok made documenting my progress quite easy and fun. Last week, I recorded a video on my phone and uploaded it to YouTube, which got the point across fairly well, but was quite boring. I found with TikTok, I was able to include my references in the video as screenshots instead of putting them separately in my post. Another great part about using TikTok was being able to cut in between takes rather than having to remake the whole video if I made a mistake.
This far into my learning journey, I’m able to do the alphabet, sign my name, and sign out the letters to words quite accurately. This week, I focused on learning numbers, specifically, 1-20. Using ASL Bloom, I was able to learn these easily and practice everyday. This is the knowledge I used in my TikTok recording.
These numbers were very easy to learn but they had me questioning if there were variations like their are in the alphabet. Again, ASL variations can happen for a multitude of reasons, such as ASL signs evolving over time, regional variation (like slang or the different ways to say ‘to’), and international influence from other sign languages. I went ahead and watched a few videos on ASL number counting and found quite a few variations.
Through ASL Bloom, they show you how to use the numbers at a beginner level, making it obvious how your hand is supposed to look at every point. This was noticeable with the number ‘three.’ In the app, your palm faces away from you, but in the video your palm faces toward you. Another variation I noticed was with the numbers 16-19, where the way you move your hand went from a horizontal sweep in the app to a vertical turn in the video. The video also showed alternatives on how to do 16-19 by adding together the ‘ten’ followed by the remainder of your number. ex) to do 16, you would first do the sign for ‘ten,’ then follow it up by the sign for ‘six.’
Finding out about all the variations for counting numbers made some things easier for me. Such as how ASL Bloom had me switching the face of my palm every few numbers, which would make me forget what exact fingers to use for the sign, but the video specified the easier way to do it and had the palm switching directions less. Learning about the variations has definitely helped me find my own ASL language, as everyone who learns ASL uses it differently. I am having a lot of fun learning this language and am very excited to be able to apply it in a classroom setting in the future!
See you guys next week for the update on my journey!
That tiktok was pretty good, I don’t know asl at all but I definitely should learn as much as I can for when I teach. did you upload it to tiktok as well, if so did it get views?
Thank you! No I didn’t upload it, I saved it as a private video. But I might reconsider posting it!
This awesome that you’re going this way, about your learning journey, and hopefully posting it to TikTok! I hope one day, I can learn ASL for the classroom, as well. Maybe, I can learn from you. 😊
Thank you! I posted the video on private, but I might change it for public view! Learning ASL basics has been pretty easy so far! Even if you learn the alphabet and some greetings it’ll make all the difference!
I think you did awesome!! I would love to learn ASL one day! I did not know there were so many variations of ASL, but I suppose that was naive of me! I think this is such an awesome skill to have as a teacher, and really admire your effort to learn!
Thank you so much! I was shocked about all the variations in ASL as well. Not only is there different languages like English, French, etc., but even accents! It’s so interesting to learn and I would definitely recommend learning at least the alphabet!
I think you did a great job with your TikTok video and the way you helped describe the complicated motions involved with numbers. There is definitely a lot more hand movement variations then I would of expected! Learning it is tricky with the hand flipping back and forth depending on which number you are signing. It is even tricker when learning from a video, but I think you did great! I think the benefit of so many resources available online is that it gives you the opportunity to understand the variations and find your own way! Thanks for teaching us numbers this week!
Thank you! The numbers were definitely tricky at first but it’s kinda similar to French and stacking the numbers! I loved making the video so I’m definitely gonna keep doing it!