Once you have decided that you are interested in learning sign language, the next step is figuring out which variety to learn. Just as there are many spoken languages, there are different forms of this communication as well. There are many variations even among English speakers. There are, for example both American and British varieties of sign language, as well as Pidgin Signed English, which is a more simplified version. The version you want to learn will depend on where you live and where you plan to use sign language. There are common elements to the different English based sign languages, so once you know one, you would find it possible to communicate at a basic level with people who spoke a different type.
As you begin learning ASL, you should find a great book on the subject and take it everywhere you go. This way, if you have free time you can practice… and you can refer to the book if you run into someone you can sign with. The book can teach you or remind you of how to make the signs for different words.
Of course, it would be challenging to learn this form of communication from only a book. It is certainly possible, but nowadays there are many other tools you can use, whether online or in a classroom. A book is, however, a great reference tool and will help you learn sign language more quickly.
If you are going to learn ASL or BSL, you have to understand that it’s a completely separate language of its own and not a way of translating words or sentences into hand gestures. For example, if you are learning American Sign Language, the kind most frequently used in the United States, you won’t be translating every English word into a hand signal. Sign language goes beyond hand signals and much of the meaning of words or sentences is carried through visual cues like body language or eye contact in conjunction with the hand signals. You don’t have to maintain eye contact to have a conversation with spoken English. When using sign language, on the other hand, looking away is a signal that the conversation has ended.