It’s always exciting to add a new language to our collection, but especially so when it’s one of the most used (and most requested!) languages in North America.

You can now learn American Sign Language in Transparent Language Online*.

ASL is the first visual-spatial language we’ve tackled, so we partnered with the experts at Signing Savvy to make the most useful, inclusive course possible.

The course contains 16 units covering fingerspelling, 1,000+ sign videos, sentence structure, and a series of Deaf culture facts. By the end of this 60-hour course, learners will build a good foundation in American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf culture.

Fingerspelling

The first unit focuses on the manual alphabet: the corresponding hand signs for the 26 letters of the English alphabet.

Learners will master all of the letters, then practice using them in pangrams (sentences that use all 26 characters). It all comes together in context in a lesson about fingerspelling your name.

Common Signs

The remaining units focus on the most common, useful signs for beginners, ranging from greetings and conversation basics to numbers and food.

All signs are taught via short video clips so learners can see the language in action. The learning activities encourage both this video input and output, giving learners the opportunity to practice signing on their own.

Putting Signs Together

The second half of the course introduces more ASL syntax.

300+ example sentences show you how to combine signs to communicate more complex ideas based on all of the signs you’ve learned in the first half.

For example, you learn signs for numbers and foods in units 4 and 8 respectively. In unit 10 you’ll learn to put those signs together to discuss how much food costs.

At the end of the course, you’ll be able to participate in ASL conversations about common topics: sports, holidays, weather, shopping, and more.

Deaf Culture

Understanding Deaf culture is a crucial part of learning American Sign Language. Deaf culture facts and myths are sprinkled throughout the course so learners can understand different classifications of deafness, how to be polite when communicating with Deaf people, and beyond.

About Signing Savvy

This course wouldn’t be possible without the expertise and guidance of Signing Savvy.

Their team of educators, led by seasoned Deaf and CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) instructors passionate about sharing their native language, designed an ASL course for new learners using Signing Savvy’s dynamic, multimedia content.

As Jillian Winn from Signing Savvy explains, there are so many reasons people choose to learn ASL:

“Over the years, Signing Savvy has received feedback from people from all types of backgrounds interested in learning American Sign Language. From the veteran who lost his hearing during his service overseas, to the parents who just learned their newborn didn’t pass their hearing test, to the middle schooler who wants to communicate better with their Deaf classmate, to the co-worker who wants to sign with a friend at work. Signing Savvy began as a passion to increase access to learning tools for anyone interested in ASL, which is a truly beautiful and intricate language long recognized by linguists as equal to any spoken languages.”

We’re excited to work with Signing Savvy and leverage their expertise in Transparent Language Online to bring ASL to thousands of communities around the United States and Canada.

Access the course

The American Sign Language Course is available now in Transparent Language Online*.

👉 Want to learn ASL? Sign up for the free trial or access the course for course free through your local library.

👉 Want to provide ASL to your library community? Watch a replay of our event with Signing Savvy to learn more about the course and the ASL community!

*Currently available only for individual learners and subscribing libraries located in North America.