Learning American Sign Language (ASL) can be a great way to connect with friends and family, and it is also a very important skill to have in the job market. Language learning has been shown to improve brain function, increase creative ability, and improve memory. As a visual language, ASL improves spatial awareness, response time, and concentration skills. These lessons will teach you everything from the full basics of ASL to advanced dialogue and storytelling. As these classes are all online, they are also suitable for home education, children, and adults. Completing ASL can be easy if you really commit to it and these courses will provide you with the necessary training and resources to master the language. Here are the top ten ASL courses you can do online.
1. American Sign Language Level 1 by Udemy
For those who want to go beyond the basics of ASL and understand many intermediate modules, this course could be your choice. In this lesson, students will learn the basics of ASL, including alphabets, numbers 1 to 99, and how to sign names for colours, animals, family members, food and drink, actions, emotions, and more. Also included in this Udemy tutorial are courses designed specifically to help you use your signing skills. This course, unfortunately, does not have the definitions that make it accessible to deaf students. However, it is a good middle-class study for non-deaf people who want to start learning American Sign Language. And for those who are interested, there is a printed certificate of completion once all the courses have been completed. The course is one of the best sellers on Udemy and is popular with over 9000 students. Once you sign up, you get lifetime access to all the content. You can sign up for the cost of 19.99 USD.
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2. American Sign Language Level 1 by Skillshare
This course taught on Skillshare by Ryan Jesperson, which gives students a basic knowledge of ASL. Students also get a glimpse of everything you teach about the history of ASL and some insights into the field of deaf education. The lessons will include alphabets, numbers from 1 to 100, colours, animals, food and drink, actions, emotions, and will help students with their storytelling skills. Upon graduation, students should be able to use ASL to illustrate a short story. In conjunction with much-needed video lessons, students are also provided with a downloadable PDF workbook for taking notes and assessing their reading as they progress. As for the price, Skillshare provides a 2-month free trial. The course contains a total of 23 lessons which lasts for almost 3 hours and can be completed at your own pace. All the content is very beginner-friendly. All in all, this is a great section that introduces ASL in an easy to follow and original way.
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3. Gallaudet University: Online ASL Courses
Gallaudet University provides a series of courses to help students master ASL. In total, there are 4 ASL modules that can be taken simultaneously before moving on to the next. ASL 1 is the first course (designed for students with no previous ASL knowledge) that incorporates important details about the culture of the deaf. ASL II will build on the foundations and introduce you to capacity building, classification, spatial management, mass production, and interim and distribution features. ASL III will teach you how to create stories, dialogues, and short stories using ASL, which will require you to become more familiar with ASL vocabulary and program features. And finally, ASL IV will expand on vocabulary and grammar so students can define settings, discuss items, and more! When it comes to price, this course is on the high end, with each category costing about $ 300. But for those who want a university degree, it may be worth the investment. And the course covers all aspects of ASL in a very thorough manner.
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4. ASL Expressions Lessons by Udemy
This Udemy course has 7 lectures and will take an hour and a half to work on. All tutorials come with downloadable PDFs that you can use for future reference or print so you can easily follow the text. By the end of this lesson, you should have the necessary skills to participate in basic ASL discussions and build sentences. Some of the things you will learn include introducing yourself, answering questions, and asking for unfamiliar symbols. You will leave the study with 120+ sign language, 60+ phrases, and spelling skills. You will also learn about numbers, the basic ASL grammar, and important notes regarding deaf culture and ASL. This course gives you a foundation to take higher and more complicated ASL courses. It’s only suitable for beginners as it’s a very short course and doesn’t require much time to finish. The course also provides you with a completion certificate and lifetime access to all the content in case you want to brush up on the basics again. The course costs 50 USD.
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5. Learn ASL Through Live Classes
These lessons have a completely different format from the other subjects in this list as all classes are taught life! That doesn’t mean you will be stuck with a restricted and mundane schedule though. Classes are offered several times a day so that students can choose a time that works. Some of the topics covered in this course are 25 signs you need to know; important ASL vocabulary for beginners; fingerspelling 101; asking and answering questions; working vocabulary for ASL beginners; the introduction of the custom of hearing; and you must know ASL for buying and eating out. You will have the opportunity to practice live signing during the ASL chat class. Live performance is very important when you learn ASL, and with your live teacher, you will get instant feedback, correction, and encouragement. Each class is only 45 minutes long which ensures that you don’t get fed up with the lessons fast. The interactive nature of the courses helps you to clarify doubts then and there. Moreover, you get the first 14 days of the course free.
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6. Sign Language 101
The first thing you need to know about this course is that it is completely free! If you want to learn ASL right now, but don’t want to pay any money, then this is the best online ASL course for you. The lessons are easily accessible on the Sign Language 101 website through YouTube videos. The 10 studies cover the following topics: gestures and body language; ABCs, colours and pronouns; daily symbols and common phrases; synonyms for common phrases; around the house & hobbies; people, body and clothing; time & calendar; verbs & directions; food and drink; and animals and games. Each lesson is about 20 minutes long and is taught by Pastor Byron Bridges. He too was born deaf and grew up in a family of deaf people. He has invested himself in the subjects and is more than qualified to teach you the basics of ASL (he has BA, MA, and Ed. D)! Hands down one of the best free online ASL classes available. Each lesson is only 20 mins long which makes them short and effective.
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7. American Sign Language University
Recommended for teachers, students and families, American Sign Language University (ASLU) is a free ASL resource for teachers and students. This service, developed by Drs. Bill Vicars, a deaf person who specializes in American Sign Language and Deaf Studies at California State University in Sacramento, has been teaching ASL for 20 years. ASLU has been used to increase sign language learning and meet the language needs of the course. In addition, teachers are able to download all lessons and activities, free of charge, to enhance learning in the classroom. Although Dr Vicar’s ASLU offers ASLU-led courses for about $ 483 each, all guided resources are completely free, making ASLU the best budget option for ASL online courses. The courses, arranged in order at the top of the site’s main page, include instructional videos, a list of words, an exercise assignment, recommended reading, and lessons in the culture of the deaf. Dr Vicar’s video First 100 Signs is a great place to start communication between parents and children.
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8. Sign It ASL
Designed for local students, Sign It ASL is an independent, online sign language and source course. In partnership with the Signing Time Foundation and the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management, Sign It ASL is completely free for families in the United States with a child under the age of 36 months with a certain degree of hearing loss. The Sign It ASL course consists of 10 units, each of which includes vocabulary, news, conversational practice, deaf culture lessons, questions, and more. All courses are taught by deaf actors, lawyers and actors. One, two, and three units are available for purchase for a lifetime of about $ 50 each, or they can be purchased in bulk for about $120.
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9. Start ASL
The founders of Start ASL have created their ASL program as a curriculum-based, sign-language platform developed after classes. Not surprisingly, Start ASL, with a partnership of hundreds of schools, is an excellent online ASL credit learning tool. The Start ASL curriculum is designed to model classroom setting as closely as possible, with the practice of discussing its components. Each unit contains names, video lessons and assignments, and reading materials. Start ASL connects students with each other through a special Facebook group, allowing students to get acquainted. The acquisition of Start ASL includes all three levels, each equivalent to about one year of a high school class or one semester of college courses. Students pass these levels, further divided into units, further and at their own pace. Start ASL offers two different subscriptions to best suit students’ needs: Silver and Gold. Silver is the basic subscription, which includes access to courses, a certificate of completion, and a written response to assignments. Gold includes all of the Silver offers, as well as video feedback and increased student support. Gold is needed for students who use Start ASL to get an education loan. The Silver and Gold standard prices are about $ 25 and $ 50 per month, respectively, or Start ASL offers annual payment options for good savings. These subscriptions can be upgraded, downgraded, or cancelled at any time.
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10. Sign On
While most ASL online programs offer video tutorials and shared feedback, very few students pair directly with native sign language users in each video conference setting. SignOn was developed to close the gap, connect online readers with the deaf community and simplify immersion information. Each student is paired with one of SignOn’s deaf ambassadors, depending on the student’s learning objectives. The main objectives of each 30-minute session are to build relationships with the deaf community and to improve language retention. All agents at SignOn identify as deaf. It is important, according to the American Society for Deaf Children, that deaf or hard of hearing children have been exposed to deaf adults in order to combat misconceptions about the deaf community. An individual session costs about $ 25, although there are significant savings when sessions are purchased in bulk. Members of the American Society for Deaf Children can receive five free SignOn sessions, and membership is open to everyone. Annual membership costs $ 35.
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