BUFFALO, N.Y. — As people spend time at home, some are picking up new skills, or brushing up on ones they once had. Many 2 On Your Side viewers told us they were interested in learning American Sign Language.
Jodie Chibi is a director at Deaf Access Services, and oversees their interpreting department on a daily basis.
Here are some of her tips for getting started learning ASL:
1) Sign up for a course from a reputable program, like Deaf Access Services. Chibi said not to learn from YouTube videos, because they may not be correct American Sign Language.
2) Practice, practice, practice. Jodie says you will learn the most by signing with people who are deaf and have been using American Sign Language their entire lives.
3) Be patient. American Sign Language isn't a spoken language, so you won't learn it the same way that you would learn other types of languages. Each region of each country has different dialects, which can take a while to pick up.
Registration is now open for American Sign Language community education classes at Deaf Access Services, which will take place online. You can sign up here.
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