American Sign Language is the first language most deaf Americans learn. It is considered to be the fourth most used language in the United States. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/asl.htm#e As such, learning American Sign Language is a valuable endeavor.

If you've seen deaf people signing, though, you might be a little intimidated by how quickly they communicate. But, learning American Sign Language is not difficult. Many of the movements mimic natural gestures and the most common ASL concepts are based on word pictures that many of us are familiar with. However, learning to sign will require a time commitment. If you're serious about becoming fluent, you will need to spend time practicing several times a week.

So, how do you get started? The best thing about signing is that you already have all the most important equipment you will need: your hands! A good American Sign Language study guide will also be of help. The book "A Basic Course in American Sign Language" is a great resource for learning ASL.http://www.hearmore.com/store/prodview.asp?idstore=6&idproduct=590&product=A_Basic_Course_in_American_Sign_Language_(Text) If you want to broaden your sign vocabulary even more, the Random House Webster's Unabridged American Sign Language Dictionary contains over 5600 signs along with full torso illustrations for easy reference.http://www.flipkart.com/random-house-webster-american-sign/0375426167-dvw3f04kid If you'd like to learn online, instructional websites such as ASLPro.com and Handspeak.com offer free comprehensive American Sign Language education.http://www.aslpro.com/ http://www.handspeak.com/

This page will be covering three steps to learning ASL. You'll start with learning the alphabet and, as you progress, you'll eventually be able to converse freely with native signers and deaf people. A dedicated ASL student can potentially become fluent in a year.http://easysignlanguagelessons.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-sign-language/

• Become more familiar with ASL syntax by mentally rephrasing sentences before you say them.

• Practice signing what you hear on television or the radio.

• Ask respectful questions about deaf culture and society.

When children are learning English, the first thing they learn is the alphabet. It is similar with American Sign Language. Learning the ASL alphabet is critical to signing well. It teaches students how to form proper handshapes, which are essential to good signing. This is similar to the need for proper pronunciation in spoken languages.

Learning the ASL alphabet is also important because of the emphasis on finger-spelling in sign language. Signing the alphabet, or finger-spelling, is essential because there are many words and proper nouns that have no established sign. These have to be spelled out to be understood. Even native signers frequently need to finger-spell in conversation and interpreting. Being able to finger-spell rapidly and clearly greatly increases fluency. Finger-spelling is also critical to conversation, since you will have to spell your name to everyone you meet.

There are several resources for learning the ASL alphabet. All sign language textbooks will contain the alphabet. ASL websites will usually begin with a tutorial on signing the alphabet.http://www.masterstech-home.com/the_library/asl_dictionary_project/asl_tables/Alphabet.html Even children's books and programs regularly feature the ASL alphabet, often accompanied by the ABC song.

When practicing the signed alphabet, you will want to pay special attention to forming the proper handshapes. This is an important part of good finger-spelling, since many letters appear similar. Clear and distinct signed letters will make your signing easy to understand.

Now that you can finger-spell the alphabet, what do you need to learn now? The next step is to learn proper ASL syntax or grammar. Learning to use proper syntax is just as important in sign language as it is in any spoken language. It will help you to be easily understood and it also shows native signers that you respect the language. ASL has its own grammatical structure that is different from the English language, so when you can master ASL syntax, you have accomplished the most difficult part of learning American Sign Language.

Since American Sign Language has its roots in French Sign Language, the grammar reflects the grammar of French and other Romance languages.http://deafness.about.com/cs/featurearticles/a/signhistory.htm This means that the proper way of phrasing a sentence in ASL will sound very different from what you are used to saying in English.

As an example, take the sentence "I will go to the store tomorrow". In spoken English, this sentence is phrased properly. In American Sign Language, however, the sentence would be properly signed as "Tomorrow store I go will". The grammar thus follows a "Time", "Topic", "Comment" structure.http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/grammar.htm While these rules are not strictly enforced in every situation, generally a signer will use this syntax when forming a sentence. Spoken French, Spanish and Italian follow a similar grammatical phrasing, so a person familiar with these languages will usually pick up ASL syntax fairly quickly.

By now, you're starting to think in ASL grammar. Now it's time to move on to signing simple sentences. The first things you will want to be able to sign are statements about what you're doing and questions about what others are doing. This means learning common conversational phrases.

A good place to start is learning how to ask questions about what others are signing. Questions such as "How do you sign....", "Can you repeat that?", "What does that mean?" will help you to learn new vocabulary. Asking questions like this will also show deaf persons that you are interested in improving your signing. This will help them to feel more comfortable with you. As you learn more, you will have things you want to express about yourself. Simple sentences like "I want...", "I feel...", and "I need..." are easy introductions to conversation.

Many sign language textbooks and videos offer practice conversations and dialogues to help you become familiar with conversational signing. If you feel that you need even more practice, attending a sign language class will give you even more exposure to the language.http://www.ehow.com/how_5435781_learn-american-sign-language-phrases.html Ideally, spending time with deaf people is the best way to improve your ASL vocabulary and phrasing.http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/firstofall.htm Since every deaf person has his or her own way of signing, spending time interacting with the deaf will help you to become acquainted with these differences, broadening your understanding of the language.http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/firstofall.htm