Have you been dying to learn sign language for years but have never gotten around to doing it? Don't worry! It's never too late to learn a new language, and that includes sign language. But just like any other language, learning takes initiative, drive and a little patience. I'm no expert in the art of signing, but I have managed to learn the basics, and you can too! Remember, you can do anything if you put your mind to it. So to help you out, I've found some information and tips from the world of signing to hopefully help you get started on your journey.

Learn the Alphabet First

Many sign language practitioners suggest that in order to really get the most out of signing, just like in any spoken language, you need to learn the alphabet first. The main reason is that the alphabet is the foundation for most languages. But don't worry - learning the alphabet is relatively simple. I learned it in one day and am still able to recall the letters. The way I taught myself is a little bit strange, but it worked for me. I actually learned the Spanish alphabet (spoken) years ago in middle school but was having a hard time remembering it, so I decided to teach myself to remember sign language letters by speaking each letter that I signed in Spanish. Since I know the English alphabet so well, I knew my mind would passively run through the letters and leave room for me to forget what I was signing, but by reciting the Spanish alphabet, I could make sure I would remember both - and it actually worked.

Of course, to remember the letters you'll have to utilize your own system for remembering, but to help you there are a variety of charts found on the Internet with pictures of how to hold your hands. I consulted more than one to ensure accuracy because some of the charts were drawn with the hands turn in different ways. But no matter how you learn, once you get the alphabet down, you'll be set.

Learning Finger Spelling

To see how far you've come, you can test your skills by seeing how fast you can spell out simple words like "jump" or "play" or even your name; this is known as finger spelling. Instead of signing in full words (you haven't learned them yet anyway), you spell out words by signing each letter. You will see that it can be a challenge to arrange the letters in different orders without practice. But once you are able to move quickly through words without pausing, you can successfully say you've learned.

One website that is very helpful in picking up your finger spellings skills is the American Sign Language Finger spelling Practice Site (www.asl.ms). On this site, you will find a hand that spells words out letter by letter. You can choose the speed you want the hand to move in, and you can also replay the word as many times as you would like in until your mind adjusts to recognizing the letters. Trust me, it is very different trying to sign words you've made up than to read letters from fast-moving hand that made up its own word! Give it a try - its great practice!

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