ASL 101 Tutorial: beginner level

These basic lessons are offered for learners who are interested in learning ASL as a second language (L2) online. These self-paced, self-learning lessons are for your personal and educational interests only whether you are an ASL student, a parent of deaf children, or an individual in a remote area.

Click on the titles for more details.

1: Introduction; ASL/Deaf Awareness quiz

ASL/Deaf Awareness quiz

2: Introducing oneself, signing for, numbers 1-12

Introducing oneself.

NAME, WHAT?, WHO; all alphabetical letters; NICE, MEET-YOU
Using a wh-question signal.
Fingerspelling one's name.
Understanding pronouns and spatial referencing.
Pointing; acting out: strategies of asking what the sign is for.
SIGN, WHAT; BOOK, CHAIR, DOOR, COMPUTER, PAPER, etc.
Understanding a basic OSV structure.
[action] IX-me #DO++ WHAT?
[object]/\ YOU [verb] (giving a command)
Tell when: IN-PAST/BEFORE, NOW, FUTURE/WILL
Counting 1 to 12. NUMBER, NEXT, BEFORE/PREVIOUS
Farewell: BYE.

3: Asking how one is, pronouns + possessives, same/different, basic feelings

Greetings: asking how one is.

HOW YOU?, FINE, GOOD, TIRED, etc.

Telling whose object is

Understand the difference between pronouns and possessives.
Voc: YOU, ME, YOUR, MY, etc.

Recognizing same/different

Voc: SAME, DIFFERENT

Opposite and category: strategies of asking what the sign is.

YES/NO, MAN/WOMAN, etc.

Use a basic constructive structure (grammar).
Use [objects] WHOLE IX+ SIGN WHAT?

Describing basic feelings.

PEOPLE; MAN, WOMAN, BOY, GIRL
FEELINGS; HAPPY, SAD, MAD...

Use a yes/no question signal. IX HAPPY, IX?
Negation: NOT

Basic activities: What is one doing?

RUNNING, SITTING, WALKING...

Use a verb LIKE, NOT+LIKE.

Tell when: YESTERDAY, TOMORROW, TODAY

4: Asking what sign means; discussing class, GIVE

Stategies: asking what a sign means and asking for clarification.

MEANING, EXPLAIN MORE, EXPLAIN AGAIN, CONTEXT+DEPENDENT or DEPEND+CONTEXT...

Use a verb inflection for GIVE.

5: Idenifying a person; colors; basic people

Identifying a person: basic description and basic colors.
WHO: WOMAN, MAN, GIRL, BOY, PEOPLE, PERSON.
SHIRT, PANTS, GLASSES, HAT
COLOR, BLUE, YELLOW, etc.

6: Needs and wants; GIVE, ASK, TELL

Expressing basic needs and wants.

7: Count 10-30, how many years; learning ASL

8: Talking about home, weather.

Talking about weather.

OUTSIDE, SNOW, RAIN, NICE, CLOUDY, SUNNY, etc.
Seasons of the year: SPRING, FALL, WINTER, SUMMER.

Talking about home.

HOME, HOUSE, #APT, #CONDO, ROOMMATE etc.
LIVE WITH, #PET

Talking about non-numeral age.

NEW, YOUNG, OLD, VERY-OLD,

9: Talking about home, roommates, pets; basic characteristics

10: Talking about studies and work

Talking about studies.

STUDY, GRADUATE

Talking about work: basic occupations.

WORK, SERVE, CLEAN, COOK, etc.

11: Discussing basic hobbies and interests

12:

Work in progress

13: Talking about friends; contact information; count 30-99

Count cardinal numbers from one through 100.
- Tell age.

14: Transportation, MINUTES, HOURS

Count cardinal numbers from 1 to 30. Review 1-10. Introduce HOW-MANY, PLUS.

15: Making basic plan; telling o'clock; telling days of the week.

Tell frequency: days and weeks.

16:

Work in progress

17:

Talking about home country.

BIRTH, HISTORY

Tell a year.

Watch the documentary Audism Unveiled.

18:

Shopping for clothes.

BUY, PAY, COST

Tell a price in dollars and cents.

19:

Describing people.

APPEARANCE, TALL, SHORT, SLIM, CHUBBY, etc.

24:

Oral exam: tips

Final exam: study tips

A word of caution: online lessons are, in any way, no substitute for face-to-face instruction and live interaction in real life. I strongly recommend that you take a face-to-face course to attain a high level of communicative competency. However, these lessons may be beneficial supplementary materials or extra practice for ASL students, instructors, and individuals alike.

These online tutorials are only a scratch or a small amount from real life classroom where you would acquire the language more, consume a lot of information, practice live interactive communication, turn-taking, and so on. These lessons do not necessarily reflect the same from your real life instructor's curriculum.

The most efficient communicative competency is two-way interactive communication with a native or near-native instructor and fluent signers in Deaf/ASL community. It's an opportunity where you can acquire the target language in an immersive environemnt, develop and use your language through two-way interactive conversations and meaning negotiation, receive corrective feedback, develop your language structure, and understand subtle pragmatics, contextual meanings, and other complex aspects.

Got any question or a tutorial request? Send your email to Handspeak. These lessons are a personal, volunteer contribution; thus, many things are incomplete or are work in progress.

Got some memorable anecdotes, learning tips, and/or invaluable advice to share with others students and instructors? Instructors are welcome to contribute tutorial posts, tips, and/or ideas. Email me.