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Friday, February 3rd
You'll have a hard time finding a better resource for sign language lessons than Start ASL. You can get three levels of content for free: that includes more than 170 lesson videos, 1,100 vocabulary and phrase videos, as well as essential ASL grammar lessons. For Free. No tricks or gimmicks. This company is 100% committed to helping people learn to sign.
Course 1: the basics
Start ASL's Course 1 is designed for beginners or to refresh your skills if you have some experience. It has 13 units that cover the basics of fingerspelling and numbers, word order and sentence types, verbs, pronouns, how to identify people, and lessons on Deaf culture and history. You'll get 60 lesson videos, 30 activities and quizzes, and several assignments.
Course 2: focus on grammar
ASL 2 targets grammar skills like time, duration and regularity, plus inflection, distance and more. This level has 30+ lesson videos and more than 15 advanced quizzes and activities.
Course 3: the most advanced
Finally, ASL 3 is the most advanced level and is ideal for those who are trying to become completely fluent in sign language. The 20 lesson videos and 17 activities/quizzes cover topics like role shifting, narratives and storytelling, and they even delve into interpreting songs.
Each level takes 3-12 months
How long will it take you to work through the three levels of sign language lessons on Start ASL? They estimate that really driven, self-motivated students can complete a level in 3-4 months. If you're taking the course for credit (and need to work through it more slowly for mastery and retention), expect each level to take from 9-12 months to complete.
Get much more with a paid membership
With so much for free, you might be wondering why Start ASL offers paid plans. What more could you possibly get? The answer is "quite a lot" . Whether you choose the Silver plan ($24.95/month, $149/semester, $199/year) or Gold ($49.95/month, $299/semester, $499/year), your package will include the ability to track your progress, to get a completion certificate for school or employment benefits, and to receive text (Silver) or video (Gold) feedback from Start ASL's instructors on your signing assignments. And how about online group practice sessions, virtual office hours with the instructors, and even social events via Zoom? These plans are the best way to get the most out of your studies, especially if you need school credit for your language learning. Both of them are backed by a 14-day satisfaction guarantee.
Need a tutor?
Also, if you're interested in working one-on-one with a tutor, check out Start ASL's tutoring page. Read through the bios and reviews of the six instructors featured there and schedule your session directly through the Start ASL website. It really is that easy. You can expect rates that range from $26 to $40 per hour, and keep in mind that this is considered to be a service separate from Start ASL itself.
Glowing praise from Start ASL students
Still not convinced? We're not sure that's possible, but go check out the 200+ testimonials on the Start ASL site if you need a little push. You'll see glowing praise like "best online resource for learning sign language" and "amazing" and so much more. And did we mention "free" ?
Best of the best
We strongly encourage you to consider Start ASL first as you decide where to take sign language lessons. Spend as much time as you like working your way through the free content, with no pressure to subscribe until you're ready for all of the perks you get as a Silver or Gold member. We're pretty sure you're going to love everything about this service, and Start ASL remains our first-place winner among providers of sign language instruction.
Whether you're interested in connecting with people in the Deaf community, trying to communicate with a non-verbal child, or facing hearing loss yourself, you're in good company. It's estimated that over 500,000 people in the US and Canada use American Sign Language (ASL).
If you're hoping to learn to sign, it's important to choose lessons that teach not just the signs themselves but also about Deaf culture and the differences between ASL and English. (It surprises many people when they learn that they don't correspond in a 1:1 fashion. In fact, ASL often uses a completely different word order, and facial expressions are a critical component of using ASL fluently.
Sign language lessons that include different instructors can help you see that individuals often have their own unique way of signing - just like someone from the South has a spoken accent that's very distinct from a New Yorker. Going back to the question of where to learn ASL, it might be possible to find classes nearby at a community college or even a library. Will they fit your schedule? Your budget?
Maybe, maybe not. Fortunately, there are many providers of sign language lessons online that let you study at your own pace, any time of day or night. (And hey, unlike other language lessons, you don't have to worry about disturbing people as you practice ASL in a quiet public place!)
What should you look for as you choose where to take sign language lessons through the internet? Here are some suggestions that can help you narrow down the options:
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best Sign Language lessons available today. We hope these reviews help you open new doors of communication as you learn to sign fluently in ASL right away!
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