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Can I Become fluent in ASL?

ASL- American #english #any Sign Language

any english
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Nicole’s Answer

You definitely can! You will want to look for good ASL programs in regions where you are interested in going to school. You can also look for volunteer opportunities as well, because, as with any language, it is optimal to immerse yourself in the language and culture you are studying. Take a few moments to check out the website for the National Association for the Deaf - https://www.nad.org/resources/american-sign-language/learning-american-sign-language/ as this will be a good jump off point to getting started.
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Angela D.’s Answer

The short answer is Yes! My neighbor across the street is a fluent ASL interpreter and teacher. She is also bilingual in spoken English/Spanish. She really enjoys her ability to increase communication and understanding. Her informal teaching served me well, as when I was in graduate school a deaf colleague/friend of mine and her interpreter taught me a great deal about their experiences and culture, including how to speak properly to facilitate lip reading. We used to partner up to complete projects, papers, and even presentations in the classes that we took together. While I'm not fluent in ASL, I know enough to get along, especially as my friend was quite patient and had a sense of humor! Gallaudet University, specializing in courses for the deaf and hard of hearing, offers free courses/videos. The NAD website below also provides some ideas and resources. Coursera includes a class that you can audit for free that may be of interest as well. Wishing you the best in your endeavors, Dr. B
Gallaudet University - https://www.gallaudet.edu/asl-connect/asl-for-free
National Association for the Deaf - https://www.nad.org/resources/american-sign-language/learning-american-sign-language/
University of Houston – American Deaf Culture (Coursera) - https://www.coursera.org/learn/deaf-culture
Thank you comment icon thank you so much Marie
Thank you comment icon You are most welcome! Angela D. Blaver (Suissa), Ph.D.
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Riley’s Answer

Of course, you can! If you dedicate enough time to practicing, you can become fluent in any language you set your mind to. Conveniently, sign language is one of the easier languages to learn because you do not need to learn new grammar rules or spelling. To learn sign language you could either buy a book on the topic or use the internet. There are loads of free videos on youtube to help you get started.

Riley recommends the following next steps:

Sign Language 101 is a great website to use.
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David’s Answer

Definitely, as long as you have the passion, dedication, and determination for what you are doing and that is what you want you can definitely be fluent in it or even become professional with certification for it. There is definitely a need or as well a benefit of picking up ASL and putting on your resume/CV because like most employer will consider additional language or foreign language as a plus to the job because they may need you to travel other countries for project or meeting as well as if someone has a language barrier you can jump in an assist due to you know the language. Know another language is always a plus toward yourself or your career, don't think that you are not using it everyday is a waste it will be handy when it comes unexpectedly, so always refresh yourself with the language or practice, it will comes handy when it hits you when you needed it the most.
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Alejandro’s Answer

Absolutely! I have a friend who loves watching videos on learning ASL and I've actually learned a bit from her. Learning it is a great skill to have. Not many people take the initiative to learn it.
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Alexander’s Answer

Absolutely! Myself and 2 friends took an ASL course in college to cover a language requirement without any experience in sign language. About 2/3 of the way through the semester my friend got a job as basically a paraprofessional with a student at a local deaf school. He had to learn on his feet and put in the effort to really observe but within a couple months he was fluent in ASL. It was very impressive and clearly he had a drive to learn quickly to communicate with students and teachers at the school.

I am sure you can learn and pick it up fairly quickly.
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