American sign language is widely used across the world. It is a great way to communicate. Can you learn sign language online? Yes! There are some great places on the Internet where you can order excellent courses that will teach you how to sign in a snap.

Sign language is like the universal language. Using your hands to convey what you mean to others can easily break down language barriers. Imagine if you are in a foreign country and do not speak their native language well. How would you communicate something important, such as needing a hospital or some other form of help? The only way you would be able to "speak" without an interpreter would be through using your hands. In essence, you would be "deaf" to the language there that you don't know. Using your hands as a form of "sign language" will help you get your message across.

There are plenty of places online to start. There are free sites designed to help teach ASL that have extensive video libraries where words, common phrases, and everyday conversation can be instantly accessed and displayed. There are demos for phrases relating to everything from animals to sports.

If you want to go at your own pace and have fun in the process, you can do that online easily. What's cool about going online to learn ASL is that you can start out with games, which is a neat way to learn something without feeling like you are in school. Videos can also be run in half-speed as many times as you want, so you sign along over and over until you really get it.

For example, with the Rocket Language's "MegaSpelling" game, you run videos of the alphabet, 200 common names, and 100 common words. You can then test your knowledge in any of the categories. When a video appears, type in what you think is being signed, hit submit, and see if you're right.

A second game in the learning series, called "MegaSign," has over 1,500 words and phrases divided into 15 topics. Players select which topic or a combination of, they wish to be tested on, and how fast you want the game to go. The signing hits the video screen, and you choose the multiple-choice answer you think is the match. There's no grading and you can't flunk, but you can always try again.

There are sites that offer a free six-day course to test out its method of teaching ASL. If you like it, the entire course is available on DVD , or it can be downloaded and accessed immediately for about half the cost. Learn more on sign language online at signlanguage.weebly.com