My learning Project (ASL)

If you have been following my progress in ECMP 355 or university in general, it is obvious that i struggle immensely with online classes. I have sat down in meetings with counsellors asking me why i cannot pass simple classes- when I breeze through more difficult ones. For years I assumed I was lazy or lacked motivation- but this is simply not the case. As I near the end of my University Career I have had to face the fact that I suffer from pretty severe anxiety when it comes to any sort of Online learning. Sometimes simply opening my laptop can feel like an incredibly overwhelming task. At this point Everyone that has worked at the university with my situation has been incredibly accommodating and I have even been able to substitute other classes instead of online ones- except for this semester- I knew i would have to try to tough out my anxiety through out ECMP 355 and it has certainly been a challenge- I did however come up with a way to cope. Instead of blogging each week about my learning project- I kept track of my learning in a word document- more of a journal format. This strategy helped calm my nerves and actually allowed me to get my work done- although to the naked eye it looks like I have done squat. I am now sharing with you in one giant blog post- a semesters worth of work- my journey learning American Sign Language (ASL) using the internet.

Let me start out by saying, once I figured a strategy for my learning, It was all great from there! What a great learning experience! Learning ASL was so enjoyable! It is certainly not the worst homework I've ever had! I began by making a schedule of what I wanted to learn- and through my searching I found the MOST amazing Youtube channel- I did the majority of my learning from a woman named Rochelle Barlow- she has a web series called "Learn ASL in 31 days". I will leave a link to her channel Here!

Each day she introduced something new- Alphabet, numbers, categories of vocabulary (food, money, emotions, questions etc). Each day I watched a video, I took notes on the specific vocabulary that I learned- for instance I would write down what the motion looked like using my already "known" vocabulary so that I could remember. Some of my definitions sound incredibly silly out of context! I will share some of my journal notes with you below. I had a bit of a slow start to my learning project, but once I got started I tried to watch about 2 videos a week in order to finish on time. This was an accomplishable task since the lessons were pretty short and easy to follow!


Below are my notes over the course of my learning project!

I began ASL with the general goal of learning any language- to be able to understand/converse. Like any language there are certain ways to “say” things. For example, while I was in Mexico, speaking with people who do not speak English as their first language, they say things a little differently than we do here. One of my Spanish friends said “he is a retard” and maybe for lack of a better word, he said this referring to someone with a disability, but I informed him that in English that word has gotten quite outdated/ politically incorrect and we do not use it anymore in that context. This was a surprise to him, as he did not understand our culture. Same thing goes for ASL- There are certain Feax Pas – if you will. For example always keep your hands turned out, you are not signing to yourself.

So how do I begin? How does anyone learn any language? I started with the alphabet. When introducing yourself using ASL you must always sign your name, so getting good at knowing the alphabet is important. Also, from what I have seen, If there is certain slangs used that people do not have a sign for, they spell it out.

Learning the alphabet was relatively easy, although controlling my individual fingers was a skill I didn’t know that I didn’t pocess, so a few of the letters are difficult for me- but the more I practice, the more my fingers get used to their own individual pathways and where they need to go. I struggle with M every time- My pinky finger has a mind of its own.

I watch a video to get the jist, and then practice with still images and then infront of a mirror. (Just as a reminder)

 I have also been practicing spelling out different words so that my hands get used to signing in different orders. (This is more difficult than it may seem!) I have gotten really good at signing my name, however I really have to think about any other word. 

Learning simple questions, and phrases:

Please, Thank-you, Excuse (please excuse him or her) etc. These are easier for me to learn and remember, since they are much more closely related to talking with my hands (bigger gestures) and they are a little easier than having to place the fingers in a specific way! 

For example: "Please" is a flat hand rubbing against ones chest, Thank you, is a flat hand extending from the chin, (now details are important here- if you begin under the chin, that is a bad word!!) and Excuse is running the fingers downwards on the opposite flat palm. I like learning these because they are general, its one gesture for up to several words! A lot  easy to remember instead of having to learn the sign for thank, and the sign for you and putting them together- that could potentially get very tedious. 

I also like to take pictures on my webcam of doing myself doing these, as it creates a visual to help me remember when I am quizzing myself later. My goal is to be able to incorporate some of this signing into my actual daily transgressions, so being able to remember them without a piece of paper in front of me is important. When I am having a conversation with my friends, ill add a sign in here or there to begin using it more- instead of when I just sit down to “learn”. 

                                                                             Please 

                                                                             How 

“Who” is very detailed! ASL is more than just hand signs- it is a full body language. When asking Who? One thumb is under the chin, while the index finger is making a “scratching notion” Not only is this important, but you must lean forward and squint the face! The fact that you are asking a question is obvious, even if you don’t understand the symbol! ASL is very intertwined with culture and our general understandings, which is something I didn’t expect! 

The same goes for “what” and “where” (where I got confused with no as it is a shaking of the finger) You must ask the question with body language, as well as the sign.  

Help (hitchhiker) thumbs up on flat opposite hand. (You would help a hitchhiker by picking them up!) Little tricks and associations make things easier to remember. 

When- D shape around one finger with the other(kind of like a clock)

Why- hand starts at forehead, is pulled down side of face (not touching it) as two fingers contract (making a rock on sign) (Why wouldn’t you want to rock on!)  

These are just a few of the examples from my journaling!




As my vocabulary has increased- I began to find it much easier to make tables with my little tricks and reminders beside, instead of taking pictures.

Want	Claws -pulling open a drawer
Stop/Finish	Chop on flat palm/ One hand out turned to side (firm shake)
Yes	Fist (thumb tucked under shaking up and down)
No	Signing n-o really fast (2 fingers on top of thumb up and down).
Can	Motorcycle fists in a downwards motion
Home	(Eat and sleep) touch mouth and than ear with bird hand
School	Flat hands palms clapping together (teacher trying to get attention)
Work	Wrists touching together (fists) “I’d rather slit my wrists than be at work”
Store	Bird hand (facing you than turned out)
Come/Go	Two fingers pointing in/moving away from body)
In/out	(Bird hand going in cupped hand) out bringing it out
With	(Knuckles together)
Drive/ Drive to	Hands on wheel /move wheel
Family	(This close to losing my sh** emoji) fingers touching, make full circle
Mom/Dad /Grandma/Grandpa	Mom- thumb on chin hand extended/same except on forhead- Bump it out once for grandmother/grandfather
Boy	Pinching bill of hat
Brother/Sister	Touching chin or forehead bring down and touch two guns
Happy	Palms in
Great/wonderful	Flat hands up and down
Sorry	First circular on chest

**This is just an example of my what kinds of things I write on my tables! With each lesson, I did my best to add onto the list! 

I have been working on making my own sentences as well- It is one thing to regurgitate what each video teaches you, but thinking of your own sentences and putting them together is another! Making the leap from single words to sentences is difficult! Here is an example of something I've practiced- When making up my own sentences It really highlights what I DON'T know. If I don't know a sign for what I am specifically trying to say, I either have to figure out a different way to say it, or look up the sign! 

This says: Hello! My name is Carley. In school, I am learning ASL. 
Like learning any language, I have to stick to really basic sentences in order to be successful! 

 Some more important things I've noted: All male signs tend to the top half of the face, and all female signs tend to the lower half of the face- so for example if you are using the sign for "cousin" it would be clear which gender you are speaking about based on where your hand is placed. 

Learning colours have been quite the struggle! I found a lot of them hard for me to remember aside from really basic-  red, black white. A lot of the colour signs involve the fingers getting more complicated, a similar problem I had learning the alphabet. Additionally, there aren’t signs for crazy colors- you have to spell it out if you want to say Magenta.

The more I use these signs in my every day life, I am beginning to take notice when ASL "pops" up in pop culture. For example in the hunger games- there is a character that has had his tongue cut out in unfortunate events and is using ASL- or one show that I have been absolutely addicted to on Netflix called "Switched at Birth". 

 The show features two young girls who were in fact switched at birth, and documents their journey in finding out who their real parents are after adolescence. One of them is hearing impaired, and the show does a great job of documenting the characters as they adjust to new communication methods- one of them being ASL. The characters get to learn slowly, and all of the characters on the show are fluent. It has done a fabulous job at not only teaching me new signs with a slow pace, it is entertaining and allows me to recognize ones I have learnt so far! A great way to truly integrate what I have been learning into my daily life of Netflix binging. (haha)

I began even watching interviews of the characters on Youtube, talking about their experiences learning ASL. This opened up my exploration to a whole new level! Once you enter into a new corner of the internet, you never know what you are going to find- I began watching ASL interpretations of songs and various Vlogs. I really learned how ASL works from these song interpretations- and how it is different and similar to the English we speak every day. ASL doesn't waste any time using extra words that are unnecessary such as I was "so" tired, you just simply say you are tired. A lot of the song interpretations are like this- the interpreter must find a way to express the lyrics in a literal way and then put all of the signs together. One of my favourites that I watched was firefly! Check it out!

As I mentioned above, I found a whole wack of Video Blogs that I found both entertaining and informative. Many of them gave insight to what it may be like to live with hearing impairment, while others were funny to watch! One of my favourites was "Funny things hearing people do" I will leave it below as well in case you want to check it out, these guys are a hoot! All of their videos are pretty entertaining, and even though they sign really fast, I find watching them is a great way to continue working on my comprehension. 

I am over half way done "Learn ASL in 31 days" at this point. I am still really enjoying the lessons since they are fun and easy. I add onto my vocabulary everyday, and I am now able to form small sentences. I have even been teaching my boyfriend a lesson or two, which is super fun and helps me remember the things I have learnt! He quizzes me from time to time to help me as well, and that has been a great contribution to my learning! Another great method for me to continue on with my learning has been the reviews Rochelle Barlow goes over in her video series. At the end of each lesson she reviews, and every ten videos or so she does bigger review, similar to what any teacher would do at the end of a unit! I have been often switching between adding to my vocabulary table, and making my own video blogs. I will link one of my practice sessions below! 

Yes I am aware that I am incredibly awkward on video!! It was a good way for me to learn and quiz myself, but painful to watch myself! The next set of numbers were even more painful to learn and practice since math is CLEARLY not my strong suit!! 

Idioms and Indexing were two important topics covered in Rochelle's lessons- these items are both specific to ASL culture. Understanding the culture is just as important as speaking the language, if you are unable to understand these things, a lot of the things in the language won't make sense! Indexing is a fairly simple concept- It refers to when someone is talking about someone else, instead of repeatedly spelling their name over and over, you can point to a specific spot beside you to refer to them if that is where you signed their name in the first place, it just has to be consistent. 

Idioms again are a fairly simple concept, there are just a lot of them. By idioms I mean figure of speech, and there are several of them that refer specifically just to ASL. Not only do I have to learn and remember their signs, I also have to remember their meanings! Here are a few examples:

True Biz- I agree 100%

Funny none- That’s not funny/ nothing to laugh about

Swallow fish- Gullible

Think gone- I forget

Touch finish- Been there done that

At this point, (I am on day 27 of 31) I have been attempting to turn off the subtitles of my instructional videos, and I can usually get the "jist" of what is going, although I always watch it again to make sure I didn't miss anything. My comprehension is improving all the time, however my signing skills are still very slow, and I forget things now and then. My biggest weakness is definitely finger signing- this is important to be good at considering when there are no other resorts or you cannot remember a sign, you must finger sign- so I am constantly reviewing my alphabet!! I am good enough now to communicate with sentences, but there is still so much I either forget on a regular basis, or haven't even learnt!! 

Today is day 30, and Rochelle is spending today's lesson reviewing! I feel like I can sort of keep up, but am still SO slow!! With the lessons getting increasingly more difficult, I have to continue to practice more and more- that is the key to this whole language- practice practice practice, and immerse yourself the best you can! Tomorrow's final lesson is a test, so to "study" I have been going over my vocabulary sheets, and re watching certain videos.

Here is a link to the final test!! Part 1 and Part 2

In Part 1, I did quite well on naming all of the signs... until she got to the finger spelling, where unfortunately I got overwhelmed and bombed. However- Not to Fret!! This is why Youtube learning is beneficial! I can go back, review and correct myself. Instead of getting overwhelmed- I can pause the video! Hallelujah! 

In Part 2, Rochelle signs a story-first at a normal conversation rate, and second nice and slow. There were a few things I picked up in the first run through, but definitely a lot more on the second. I wrote down everything I saw on a piece of paper and tried to put the pieces together, but I was definitely missing parts in order for it to make sense. But I was actually impresses that I was actually able to follow over 50% of what was going on. FIFTY PERCENT! (at the regular pace) This is a huge accomplishment for me!!  I didn't see an answer key anywhere, so I commented on the video to see if I could get a reply with some guidance! This is the beauty of learning on the internet- there are thousands of people connecting through common interests! There are a million "teachers" out there! I haven't heard anything back yet, however I have had so much fun picking up this new skill I am going to continue to learn (probably at a slower pace once the next semester begins). Not only has this been a fun and rewarding experience, it is something I can continue to learn, and can potentially be useful in my teaching career!! 

As I begin to wind down from the semester- the question pops into my head- How do I apply this to teaching!? Well I have a few ideas!

I was having a conversation with one of my Kinesiology profs, (Kerri) and we got to talking about using ASL in the classroom. Kerri has been using ASL for years and is fairly fluent. We began to discuss how it works really well to integrate ASL into EAL (English as an Additional Language) classrooms. Introducing signs with basic english words allows students to attach a visual to the new words they are learning. Instead of simply showing students pictures, having them use their hands practicing, it allows them to participate in learning- developing that muscle memory and making each word more clear to them. This connects with what I have been learning as an Arts Educator- Students that take learning into their bodies connect with their learning on another level. Not only are can they see what they are learning, they can also feel it! Although the goal of an EAL classroom is not to teach ASL, it could definitely be a useful tool, especially if you have a wide variety of students that all speak different languages as their first.

Using ASL in the classroom could also make communication much easier- If children learn simple signs such as "bathroom" "water" or other things they spend time asking to go do during they day, they could simply hold up a sign, so they are clearly communicating what they need instead of disrupting the class to raise their hand and ask a question.

ASL is just another language, so having students learn this could never be harmful- it is simply developing yet another literacy, and empathy for how other people communicate. This past summer I spent a month on an exchange in Mexico teaching English and the biggest thing I took from this teaching experience is how much we limit our students by primarily only speaking one language. The people and students I met in Mexico not only speak Spanish and English, lots of them know French as well. Their second and third languages are incredibly strong- and I was embarrassed to only speak one! What an incredible skill to have to be able to communicate with so many different people! When asking my students about this- they told me that once you learn a second language, it becomes a lot easier to learn a third, a forth and so on. The more we develop this skill in our students, the more we equip them for success in what ever they may choose to do in the future.

Overall, I have to say learning ASL was an incredible experience, and I surprised myself by how far I came in "31" lessons. I used these lessons as my base, and then branched out to other outlets (Vlogs, Tv Shows, meeting with ASL pros, an ASL app) to further my learning. Like I mentioned above, my learning grew exponentially once I began to immerse myself in the language by watching shows, youtube videos and having conversations with others! You cannot simply learn a language by only turning on your "ASL" brain when you sit down to learn- your brain must be engaged all the time. I started out with pretty low expectations, but I would say I am about as competent in ASL by the end of this project as I was in competency in French by the end of French 100. I have to say though, I really appreciated being able to learn on my own time, and ASL is a fun language to learn! I surprised myself at my rate of success on the test given by Rochelle Barrows's video series, and have really learned to appreciate the beauty of the language. ASL has sort of a silent rhythm to it, fluent signers are interesting/beautiful to watch, each sign is so expressive with the whole body! There are even signs that require one to use their mouth or eyes in a certain way- as an Arts Educator I am all for this- with dance being my major I use my body to communicate all the time- and I am so thank-ful that I have had the experience to learn another way to do so!


Here is my final  Digital learning Artifact! This summarizes a little bit of my learning, but the process has also helped me realize I have a long way to go if I ever want to be fluent in ASL! Enjoy (Merry Christmas!)