Customer Reviews

The American Sign Language Phrase Book

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love this book! If you are trying to learn ASL, you will probably learn a lot from this book. It is divided into chapters by subject, like "Health" "Travel" and "Animals and Colors." So, you are able to build your vocabulary as you are learning basic grammar.

ASL syntax is quite different from English, so I have found it very helpful to use this book. All of the phrases and sentences are shown in ASL, so you are able to learn how to piece your signs together.

Also, the drawings are great - the character who models the signs looks very amiable.

I'm just a beginner in ASL, mostly I know vocabulary. I have just begun to try to grasp the grammar, and this book has been a big help. I highly recommend it!

This book is a good resource for learning ASL signs. While it does do a good job introducing beginners to ASL phrases and also displays the difference between ASL and Signed Exact English (often mistaken for ASL), it does not explain the grammar rules of ASL. The point being that, after one has learned the signs in the book, one has no way of knowing how to form other phrases on their own. Instead of teaching the method, this book teaches memorization. This is okay sometimes but for those who REALLY want to learn the language and become fluent, it is not enough. To learn ASL grammar, I would recommend "American Sign Language: A Teacher's Resource Text on Grammar and Culture" by Baker-Shenk and Cokely. All in all, this book is pretty good and is much better than many other resources out there, it's just not enough.

This book is a very good starting point for learning ASL, because it emphasizes that ASL is NOT English. The introductory discussion of ASL points it out repeatedly, and the organization as a phrase book rather than a dictionary drives the point home. I wish I'd had this book from the beginning.

(Besides, I always grin when I see the illustrations, because they look to me like Colin Machrie of _Whose Line is it Anyway?_ fame.)

This is the text I recommend as a print reinforcement for the signs I teach. The tendency with Sign books, even if they claim to be ASL format, is, if they are set up in alphabetical-order, like a dictionary, then the hearing signer wants to string the signs togther in order of their more familiar spoken English gramma. No one would ask their French teacher to teach them French in English grammar order! Why don't we give Deaf culture and Sign use the same respect!?Lou Fant does!Sign (ASL) should be learned from native users, Deaf! Sign Language books should be used to remind and refresh. Otherwise, we, those Deaf teachers, have to "unteach" signs done trying to use two left hands, or pointing in a wrong direction (often totally changing the concept)!Also, corresponding with this book, is a video. All of the drawings in the book are of Lou Fant. The video is all Lou Fant. It is dry. Ok, sleep inducing! The only variation is a different shirt or sweater donned at the begining of a new chapter. Even consistancy deserves a little variety. :-)

I'm deaf and my friends are always trying to talk to me. So when I brought the book to school, they looked through it and we are able to have conversations during our free time. They even know and understand what I'm saying and I can understand them as well. My translator is also happy since she doesn't have to "hold my hand" for everything and doesn't have to get involved with fights. This book is great and I would recommend this for anybody-deaf or not!

Are you a person who is interested in learning American Sign Language? Or perhaps you're someone who already knows the vocabulary, but isn't comfortable yet with the syntax? Maybe you're, like me, d/Deaf and like to kep abreast of all the resources available to potential interpreters and signers. Regardless of your reason for wanting to know more about ASL, this book will benefit you!

I'll admit that the drawings are not the best, but the explanation of the sentence structure along with examples of English sentences translated to ASL really make this book worth your money and your time. Covering hundreds of signs and helping you to "think deaf," "The American Sign Language Phrase Book" is sure to help you get on your way or help you have a resource ready when someone asks for your advice. Highly recommended. :o)

As a multi-lingual speaking person, I found this book to be extremely helpful in learning ASL. The approach taken by Lou Fant is very natural. Children learn language by example. If they have a good example, they learn well, and vice versa. Mr. Fant's book teaches ASL the way a child would learn it, by example, and a great one at that. Despite what has been said about the book, it does teach grammar rules. However, those rules are taught more indirectly than directly. If the reader will take the samples / examples in the book and apply them to their study of ASL, success is inevitable. I do agree that the drawings could be a little clearer. Despite that small problem, the book is definitely worth the time and money. As with any endeavour, or language for that matter, ASL takes practice and perseverance. This book is definitely an asset in any individual's library, speaking or deaf.

I have searched for books to help in my advancement of ASL and found this book the best in giving incredible and easy understanding of American Sign Language. Previously I found the grammar of ASL difficult to grasp, but with the easy to read instruction and wonderful illustrations it is coming together. I would love to see more advanced books written by Lou Fant.

This is an excellent resource for those who wish to use real-life ASL as spoken by the American Deaf Community. Unlike other books on the topic, The American Sign Language Phrase Book avoids "Signed English" (the use of ASL as a word-for-word analog to spoken English). The book presents the grammar of ASL, showing sentence structure, phrasing, even slang, and noting when spoken English words are inappropriate. This is the only book I've seen that could really facilitate a friendly conversation between a hearing and deaf person. The down side? The illustrations are hard to get used to. Because The American Sign Language Phrase Book (properly) emphasizes facial expression, there is often not enough detail given in illustrating the hands. My ASL teacher recommends this book to the exclusion of any other ASL dictionary

I just purchased this book not too long ago and I can't put it down! As a beginning ASL student I find this book very helpful. My confidence in meeting deaf folks is stronger than ever because of this wonderful book. Don't give it a second thought; Buy it!