Page i Learning Sign Language by Susan Shelly and Jim Schneck A Division of Macmillan General Reference A Simon & Schuster Macmillan Company 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019 inside front cover DEAR READER fold-out back cover THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S REFERENCE CARD [...]... mentor and friend Finally, thanks to our families and friends, and the most special thanks to Michael, Sara, and Ryan Special Thanks to the Technical Reviewer The Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Sign Language was reviewed by an expert who double-checked the accuracy of what you'll learn here, to help us ensure that this book gives you everything you need to know about learning American Sign Language. .. ready to work in Part 2, “Preparing to Learn ASL.” We'll tell you about the four elements of a sign and why no sign can be complete without all four We'll cover topics such as the importance of facial expression and body language, signs that look like what they represent (iconic signs), plurals, possessives, and modified signs Then it's time to get busy You're going to learn the handshapes for the American... Part 4, “More Signs You'll Need to Know.” In this section you'll learn to sign time in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years You'll also learn the signs for the days of the week We'll show you the signs for body parts, illnesses, and emotions, then move into colors and other descriptive signs Signs relating to crime, law enforcement, and religion round out the section Just when you think... straining to hear the already elevated volume of the evening news or the I Love Lucy rerun Most of these people are not motivated to learn sign language, only to crank up the television volume a little higher and perhaps consider a hearing aid when the excessive noise can no longer be tolerated by others in the household The point is, as ASL becomes more widely used, accepted, and respected, there's... American Sign Language and interpreting for almost three decades, I have witnessed the explosion of information regarding Deaf people, their culture, American Sign Language, and the profession of interpreting Much of what still exists today (though to an increasingly lesser degree) are the hurdles that Deaf people need to overcome surrounding language barrier issues It's incredible to think that sign language. .. a major milestone Giving credence to American Sign Language places it on an equal par with languages of other cultures—and essentially implies acceptance of the Deaf community at large I am pleased to be able to say that I personally know one of the authors, Jim Schneck My friendship with Jim took root when he was still a high school student learning American Sign Language and was under the tutelage... HOLDS THE RECORD FOR THE LONGEST INTERPRETED NEWS BROADCAST IN THE HISTORY TELEVISION Page xvi INTRODUCTION Deaf people in this country have had a troubled, misunderstood, and overlooked history Largely controlled by hearing people who told them what and how to learn, how to communicate, what jobs to expect, how to raise their children, and even who to marry, Deaf people for many years accepted the labels... fascinating language will be nearly as great as your interest in it Page 3 Chapter 1 So, You Want to Learn to Sign American Sign Language It's beautiful It's controversial And it's becoming more widely used every day American Sign Language (ASL) is currently the third most-used language in the United States, behind English and Spanish It is thought to be the primary language for more than half of the country's... tell them how to live The Deaf Revolution started quietly, then erupted in 1988, at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., it continues today Deaf people are demanding fair treatment They are demanding to be recognized as a minority, not a group of handicapped people They are demanding respect and dignity They are also demanding that their language American Sign Language (ASL)—be recognized as complete. .. followed the lead of American blacks and started to demand respect for themselves and their language Linguists and researchers began exploring ASL and said publicly that it is a real language Hearing educators were forced to look at ASL as a viable learning tool, and Deaf parents and some hearing parents of Deaf children began to insist that their children be permitted to use ASL freely The National Theatre