Best sign language books according to redditors

Yes. There's even books like THIS which talk about it.

I'm sure you could search on YouTube for "sign language slang" and find some more explanations, too.

Not really. Name signs have to meet specific linguistic criteria. Sam Supalla wrote The Book of Name Signs which explains how name signs work; someone with limited ASL experience may end up with a name sign that breaks linguistic rules. (Kind of like Mr. Mxyzptlk from the comics, whose name doesn't follow English linguistic rules.)

1. I've really wanted to learn ASL. American Sign Language. If I went to college, that woulda been my major. Might still happen, who knows. I'm not sure why I want to learn it, I've just always had that itch.urge that it was for me. I'm not much of a vocal talker, I like to rely on body language more, and sign language is all about body language. Literally, lol. And I think it looks beautiful to speak with your hands like that. A few years ago, I learned a few songs to sign along with, but I've since forgotten them. Need to get back into that. It was a fun way to learn the signs for words.
   
   
2. What a great idea ! Dang. I never thought to look to Amazon for learning aids. Huzzah !
   
   
3. Uh...does this count ?
   
   
4. Universal sign language....but this would probably be pretty funny as well.
   
   Thanks for the contest :D

I'm currently taking a sign language class and I'm loving the experience.

>Is it taught like other languages?

Yes, in that there are classes for it. I found the class I'm taking by googling "[city name] asl" and the first result was a class through my local speech and hearing association. Also check any colleges/universities near you.

>Are there specific grammar rules?

ASL is not just English with hands instead of audible words. It is its own language with its on grammar. For instance, question-words (who, what, etc) go at the end of the question instead of at the beginning as with English.

>Also is it something you need classes for or can I learn it from books?

Like nimrah mentioned, I found learning signs from the book with the course difficult because it's one static 2D image. Luckily the book comes with instructional DVDs that I found explained signs very clearly. We are using the Signing Naturally book.

A couple of reasons. There are grammatical rules when it comes to sign names in American Sign language that must be followed and also name signs usually consist of a back story or have meaning. Typically if a non deaf person gives themselves a name sign it does not adhere to the grammatical rules of ASL and will also lack cultural meaning.


Here is a link to a great book that details the history and rules of name signs. https://www.amazon.com/Book-Name-Signs-American-Language/dp/0915035308

Fun fact: putting sugar on a cut will speed up healing. Also, the brain doesn't differentiate between emotional and physical pain. Painkillers work on both.

Honey badgers eat porcupines and steal food from lions.

Reading is fun

My guess is this one.
http://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Sign-Language-Everyday-Slang/dp/1569757860

I'd sign her up for a class instead, she'll learn way more. If you do go the book route, my class used this book and the accompanying student study guide.

This book http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0915035308?pc_redir=1405232571&robot_redir=1 will explain everything. The short version is that name signs are a cultural pastime and best to be left to the culture that own it. There are rules, one of which is that a nabe sign can only be given by a person who is deaf. It's also customary to be given a name sign, not to make up your own.

Many people don't follow the rules, but I would rather let a deaf break them, than myself.

Could buy an ASL book... I (hearing) grew up referring to The Joy of Signing once in a while.

I suggest looking through Open Your Eyes and see if there's an article that grabs your eye.

Linked!

I'm all for laziness. Laziness is practically my middle name these days.

We used "Barrons e-z american sign language" as our textbook its is structured well and really cheap online. I never really used Youtube so nothing I can recommend, I would say the other resources posted should be better then youtube. ASL is really something you'll pick up and do better with others face to face.
Best of luck.

https://www.amazon.com/Z-American-Sign-Language-Barrons/dp/0764144588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518295242&sr=8-1&keywords=barrons+e-z+american+sign+language

this is pretty geeky. and is on my main list.

I want to go back to uni to study sign language, this will help a LOT. Also main list.

Finally from my main list, I would pick this to take to a desert island I might need a CD player on the island too...

I love your question - I just ordered the book hand talk and will get back to you after I read it! I'm expecting some answers there.

That said - I know that it did diverge from region to region, but was still intelligible, and I also know that all languages change over time, though sometimes lingua francas change a bit less. They still change though.

The question of 'how much' is what I'm hoping to find out from the book.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Everything-Sign-Language-Book/dp/1598698834

hah
But seriously
All these books are extremely wague and will give you barely anything that a reasonable person simply knows already.
I cannot reccomend any single one, but you should rather do a Search on cross-examination handbooks. They contain a lot of info how to spot person's lies or simply them being uncomfortable with your questions.
As for the observations form a distance the only thing really giving you some edge is personal life experience. The more people you meet, the better you may judge a complete stranger.

I'm trying to learn too, I have this book I don't know how helpful it is but it may be a good resource.

Yeah, this is appropriative douchebaggery, aimed to appeal to the most puerile of audiences, done by someone who isn't actually fluent in ASL and so doesn't really know what she's saying - and any one of those offenses is sufficient reason to scorn the author, never mind all three together.

(And holy shit, there are 78 one-star reviews over the past three days? Somebody's brigading Amazon hard.)

Edit: I'm kind of wondering what y'all think of this book, which is getting much more positive reviews despite seemingly having the same problems (authors not Deaf, 'dirty' signs just transliterations of English words, not actually what native ASL speakers use) as the book above.

aescolanus wrote:

Yeah, this is appropriative douchebaggery, aimed to appeal to the most puerile of audiences, done by someone who isn't actually fluent in ASL and so doesn't really know what she's saying - and any one of those offenses is sufficient reason to scorn the author, never mind all three together.

(And holy shit, there are 78 one-star reviews over the past three days? Somebody's brigading Amazon hard.)



-------
Edit from 2013-10-11T13:40:37+00:00

-------
Yeah, this is appropriative douchebaggery, aimed to appeal to the most puerile of audiences, done by someone who isn't actually fluent in ASL and so doesn't really know what she's saying - and any one of those offenses is sufficient reason to scorn the author, never mind all three together.

(And holy shit, there are 78 one-star reviews over the past three days? Somebody's brigading Amazon hard.)

Edit: I'm kind of wondering what y'all think of this book, which is getting much more positive reviews despite seemingly having the same problems (authors not Deaf, 'dirty' signs just transliterations of English words, not actually what native ASL speakers use) as the book above.

and here's the link to amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Gallaudet-Exposed-University-Discrimination-Incompetence/dp/0972118756

I learned from the book The Joy of Signing when I was a kid. Amazon has a used version for $9.91. I learned it on my own just because I thought it was interesting. I didn’t even have anyone else to talk to. I had pretty much forgotten all about it when I started working with the deaf lady many years later and it all came back. You’ll understand why when you start learning. The signs just make sense.

Also, if it makes you feel any better the deaf lady I worked with was a riot and being deaf didn’t bother her in the slightest. I imagine there were difficulties she faced, but we chatted all the time at work and used to go to lunch together most days. I never once saw it slow her down.

I'm a fan of the Barron's American Sign Language The Easy Way (link for current version). I have the 2007 edition, and really like how it is laid out, along with all of the cultural information.

I've learned in ASL classes that the deaf community can be very segregated within themselves, as in the community has marked differences between deaf, near-deaf, and hearing signers. The book we read in class, Deaf in America, even talked about differences socially between being born deaf and losing hearing later in life. Have you experienced any of this first hand? What is your status like in the deaf community as a hearing signer?