Customer Reviews

American Sign Language: A Comprehensive Dictionary

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book. More than 60 percent of the signs I got out of it were rejected as wrong or outdated by Deaf persons and ASL teachers and interpreters. it was a big disappointment, because of the cost. Better choice is the "Handshape Dictionary."

A very good dictionary, but still a dictionary, not to be confused with a book to learn sign language. If you were to buy, "Joy of Signing" and this, you would probably have a wonderful combination set for learning, "Joy" for learning basic variations for phases, and this for learning advanced(to an extent) variaions. An another good thing about this book is the throwing in of short senteneces, instead of flipping through half the book four times to find all the words for "in a few months" it is listed right there. A draw back is it does not list days of week, numbers, names of months etc. But all together, a very good book.

Most of the words I looked up were in this book. It includes religious, sexual, some slang, and many other signs frequently ignored in other books. If an english word has several meanings or if there are several signs for the same word they are in here. If a sign has several meanings, that is noted. The illustrations which are accompanied by directions are also pretty easy to follow. Though the signs sometimes differed to what I've seen commonly used, they were usually accurate. This book is limited by the fact that it only a dictionary and if you want to learn ASL you must learn it through use, a course, or another book.

Overall, I highly recommed this book. It is probably the best book of sign language I have seen.

I decided to learn sign language with absolutely no background in the subject. No book could list EVERY sign for EVERY word but this book covers almost every word I was looking for. It would take more than this book alone to get skilled at ASL but this book is an excellent teaching reference. I highly recommed it to anyone who desires to learn sign language. It is more than just talking with your hands. It is a wonderful form of expression.

I have many sign language books but find this one the easiest to use. It tells if there are other words that will use the same sign and I really like this. It is very helpful.

If you're simply looking for a good dictionary with a variety of regional signs and lots of entries, this is the best bet! It has over 7,000 entries and 12,000 illustrations. Some of the illustrations aren't the easiest to understand, but if you already have a basic knowledge of sign language, you can't beat this book! Not only does it have many English gloss entries, but it shows you various signs for the same gloss, which ones are cosidered vulgar, which ones are distinctly regional, and gives you some synonyms that can be used with the same gloss. A must-have addition to any serious signer's library!

This book is very inaccurate and poorly put together. I'm not sure they proofread the thing. Better to consider Elaine Costello's "American Sign Language Dictionary."

All Languages change, and Sign Language is no exception. I feel that this book is a little out of date.

This is one of the best ASL books I've used. The dictionary gives you great images and descriptions of the actual movements of your hands and facial expressions. This is a must get book for any level.

I purchased this for a home which house individuals who are deaf and receive 24/7 supports. The books been helpful.