When it comes to educational apps I want them to be easy and fun. If you look at the Duolingo app, it is one of the most-used language apps in the world. If you look at the Duolingo Language Report, you’ll see that people all over the world turn to the app to learn a variety of languages, such as English, Spanish, or French. I love Duolingo, and even used it in high-school to learn French for class and some Ukrainian for my job. My only downside to the five star app; it does not offer ASL.
Although it seems normal for Duolingo to not offer ASL, as the app uses many audio aspects for their learning, it uses a lot of pictures and words, which many users can use for matching the word to the picture. In my opinion, it would be no issue for the app to create animations of hands performing the signs to teach the language.
Regardless of Duolingo not teaching ASL, I love the layout of the app and how intriguing it can be for any age group. This week, knowing Duolingo does not offer ASL lessons, I turned to another app; SignSchool. SignSchool is a free ASL teaching app that provides a variety of topics with lessons, games, a ‘sign of the day’ and a dictionary. When I first opened SignSchool it looked very professional. The app has a colour theme of green, which gave a school aesthetic, but other than that it seemed very plain.
I started with topics and went straight to the ‘Greetings’ since I already know the other two topics; numbers and colours. There were ten greetings that I was eager to learn. However, I came into a bit of trouble. The video was way too fast! Even with the option to slow down the video, it was still too quick and I had to repeat the video quite a few times to try to learn the new signs. Below the video, the app also shows a still-picture of what your hand is supposed to look like as you go about the sign. I found the pictures unnecessary because they showed the starting and ending position of the hand, but not the axis in which your hand should be. For some of the very fast signs, it only confused me more and it was very difficult for me to learn anything.
One part of the app that I did love was the ‘Games’ section where you could do a fingerspelling game. What this would do is show a series of alphabetical signs in a certain order, with the option to slow it down, and then you would be able to type in your answer. I thought this was very beneficial for staying sharp on the alphabet and practicing fingerspelling and recognizing fingerspelling.
Despite my downsides to this app, I will be keeping it to practice my fingerspelling. Other than that, I would not recommend a beginner downloading the app to try to start their journey in sign language. It has potential to be great for a more experienced signer.
Thanks for joining me this week guys! See you all on my next update!
Hi Carys! Your blog post provides a great comparison between Duolingo and SignSchool, highlighting both the strengths and drawbacks of each app. I appreciate your perspective on how Duolingo could incorporate ASL using animations, which is an interesting and valid point. Your review of SignSchool is detailed and helpful, especially in addressing the challenges beginners might face with the speed of the videos and the effectiveness of the images. The inclusion of the finger-spelling game as a standout feature adds a nice balance to your critique. Overall, your post is engaging and informative, making it a valuable read for anyone interested in learning ASL through apps!
I also love the way you create your Youtube videos!
Thank you! I definitely think Duolingo could incorporate ASL. I always try to find the positives and negatives so even though SignSchool isn’t the best app I’ve used, that fingerspelling game sure makes it handy!
Hi Carys! I completely agree with you on Duolingo’s ease of use! It’s so engaging, which is why it’s such a popular choice for learning languages.
It’s interesting to hear about your experience with SignSchool! It sounds like it has great potential but could use some adjustments for beginners. I love that it includes a fingerspelling game—practicing recognition is such a key part of learning ASL. Have you tried any other ASL learning resources? I’d love to hear what else has worked for you!”*
Thanks for your insightful Post!
Hey Poonam! Yes I love the fingerspelling aspect to SignSchool! My favourite ASL app that I’ve found so far would have to be Lingvano! It’s access and resources is amazing and I think is the best option for beginner ASL learners!
Hi Carys! I loved using Duolingo for the french class I have taken in university, I also used it as a child in elementary school while I learnt french. It is disappointing that they do not have ASL. They have math and music as options now but no ASL. I find it quite odd as they have so many different languages and new subjects. I am so glad you found an app that is working though !