Sunday, November 13, 2011

Learning Sign Language - What's the Best Way for You?

By Edward Simmons


Learning sign language will require you to learn a whole new approach to speaking. Though before long it will feel natural, at first communicating with your hands instead of your vocal chords feels strange. Like many other things in life, it's a matter of learning a new way of doing things. If you apply some of the tips we'll cover in this article, you will find that learning sign language can be quite simple.

Learning sign language is in many ways very similar to learning any other new language. The most important factor is how much time you spend practicing what you're learning, for one thing. If you only open a book every so often, or attend a class once or twice a week, it will be hard for you to retain anything. Learning a new language requires practice on a daily basis, whether it's spoken or signed. You may want to seek out people who know sign language if you don't have anyone else to practice with. Whether you know them or you don't, most likely there are people in your area who use it. Inquire about nearby deaf communities or look online and try to attend events where sign language is used.

As you begin learning sign language, you should find a great book on the subject and take it everywhere you go. This allows you to practice when you have free time, and you can refer to the book if you run into someone you can sign with. The book can teach or remind you how to sign different words.Of course, learning sign language from a book alone would be challenging. It is possible, but these days there are other tools as well, whether in a classroom or online. A book, however, will help you learn sign language more quickly and makes a great reference tool.

If you want to learn sign language, watching as much as you can helps. When you can't actually practice it, the next best thing is to watch others doing it. Try to find videos, TV programs or movies that show people signing. Many TV shows these days are close captioned, meaning there's seldom a sign language interpreter. There are movies where people are signing though. You can find a wide variety of videos and websites that display it, if you search on the internet. To learn sign language, you must expose yourself to it as much as you possibly can.

At first, you may find that learning sign language seems a little difficult. Once you mater the basics though it will look and feel more natural. Sign language, like any other new language, requires a great deal of practice. It's important to follow these tips to make learning sign language easier but you'll never master it without practicing.




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