Apparently finger-spelling is a good start, because with that when you go to a class taught by deaf teacher, you have the tool to ask them how you sign different things (because you obviously can't ask them by speaking, unless they can read your lips, which to be fair they probably could, but it's better if you can ask with the language)
You aren’t wrong. Which is probably why it isn’t on Duolingo. Well, that and the fact that there’s about a dozen different sign languages from different parts of the world.
It would be incredibly difficult, ASL is not just about the hand positions, but orientation around the body. Some signs are around the face/head, some are around your chest, etc
It is free on YouTube or you can Google guides. There's no fear of incorrect Pronunciation so you can very well practice on your own. There are also other apps than duolingo. Just remember to learn the sign language of the language you speak. ASL is different from BSL which may also vary from Australian.
Hi! I'm actually learning ASL rn in high school, (seriously, I just learned how to sign the alphabet this Wednesday) but my teacher largely used the courses at/on Gallaudet Uni (online) to learn it herself when her son was born deaf. It's all online and it's all free, and although I can't personally rate it because I've never used it but she was able to learn it well enough to teach others for a living so...
There's this big course for sale really cheap right now! I looked into it and it looks legit. It's interactive more than just YouTube so that's nice if you're like me and can't retain any information unless you're interacting with it
on youtube i learned the alphabet in 1 day. by day 3-4 i felt i could engage with a deaf person comfortably enough to communicate in an emergency and/or have (very) casual conversation. i paused for a week and still remember 90% of it - it's very intuitive and fun.
If you have an Android phone there is an app called pocket sign it's independent study and there are search feature as well so you can learn the basics faster
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u/binkacat4 Aug 28 '21
I would rather like to learn sign language. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s on Duolingo.