Learning sign language is an invaluable skill that you can use in a variety of situations, such as teaching your baby how to sign before they can speak, or if you want to communicate with someone who has experienced hearing loss. Unlike verbal languages that can take years to become fluent in, learning sign language is significantly easier.
With a few free online lessons, you’ll be proficient in the alphabet, common words and phrases, and greetings in no time. Plus, if you stick with it a little bit longer and participate in a few more tutorials, you’ll become fluent in sign language before you know it.
ASL University
Don’t let the slightly confusing website layout scare you away. This is the official website for American Sign Language University, and it has a lesson for every aspect of sign language that you would ever want to learn. It also has quizzes, fingerspelling practice, and numbers practice. The format is set up just like a college class because it is an actual college class, but you get to enjoy the privilege of taking it for free.
Start ASL
Start ASL's user-friendly website has many different options for people wanting to learn sign language, from “I want to learn ASL online with student interaction and no ads” to “I want to learn baby sign language.” You can fully customize your experience and take online lessons, look up the ASL dictionary, find an ASL tutor, and even learn more about deaf culture, history, and the science behind hearing loss.
ASL Pro
The web design on ASL Pro isn’t the greatest, but it works for what you want to accomplish: learning sign language. On this website, you can watch video dictionaries, practice your skills, take quizzes, and you can even learn sign language in other languages besides English, such as German, Italian, and French. This site also has a mobile version, so you can easily practice your ASL skills on-the-go.
Sign Language 101
Visually appealing Sign Language 101 starts you off on the right foot with a “Sign Language ABC’s” video lesson, then you can scroll down and choose from a number of different, exciting video lessons about gestures and body language, everyday signs and common phrases, hobbies, and more. Their lessons are free, but they do accept donations that go towards supporting St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Handspeak
Handspeak has quite a few options to get started, like “ASL Dictionary,” “Learn ASL,” “Phrases,” and “Sign Writing.” The best starting point is going to be under the “Learn ASL” tab, which takes you to a page full of mini-lessons, tutorials, and some frequently asked questions. It even has the option for you to look into face-to-face lessons, if that is something you are interested in.
