ASL | The Alphabet | American Sign Language

IN THIS COURSE, we’re going to focus on the most basic fundamental of American Sign Language (ASL): The manual alphabet.

*** This course is designed for complete beginners without any prior knowledge of ASL. No previous ASL skills or experience are necessary.

THE TARGET SIGN LANGUAGE SKILLS ARE:

• Signing the complete alphabet correctly from memory

• Recognizing and understanding all of the letters in ASL

• Being able to sign and recognize the letters quickly

• Beginning fingerspelling of multiple letters and short words

• Beginning recognition of signed multiple letters and short words

IN THIS COURSE:

• Students will learn each individual letter at a slow pace to guarantee understanding

• Students will view all of the ABCs from multiple angles to ensure precise hand and finger positioning

• Students will participate in many exercises and activities to improve speed and fluency with the ASL alphabet

• Students will begin to learn basic fingerspelling skills and signing multiple letters at a time

• Students will be tested on their ability to sign, recognize, and understand all of the ASL letters

AFTER TAKING THIS COURSE:

• Students will be proficient in signing and recognizing all letters of the ASL alphabet

• Students will be confident using and understanding the ASL alphabet with other people

• Students will have forward momentum to improve their fingerspelling skills

• Students will have a strong foundation to continue studying more advanced sign language

QUESTIONS:

What is the main focus of this course?

• The focus is the most basic fundamental of ASL: The alphabet.

Do I need to have prior knowledge or experience with ASL before taking this class?

• No. This course is designed for complete beginners without any prior knowledge of ASL. It's a great gateway towards more advanced sign language skills.

I already know some of the ASL alphabet. How can this course help me?

• We have LOTS of exercises and activities to improve your speed, recognition, and understanding of the ASL alphabet. In addition, the course provides practice and instruction on signing multiple letters and short words.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

• Hello! My name is Michael. When I was three years old, my younger brother became sick with spinal meningitis. In the process, my brother became deaf with an almost complete hearing loss. This difficult situation provided a unique opportunity for my family and I to become fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). Unlike some deaf children, my brother was not sent away to a deaf or hard of hearing school. He grew up with us, his hearing family, and we were active in the deaf community.

• As a police officer and federal investigator, I often used ASL to communicate with and interpret for witnesses, victims, and perpetrators. I decided to create ASL courses because it’s a useful and practical skill to have. Like learning any language, it opens your mind and creates the ability to communicate with a whole new group of people.