Learning American Sign Language [Spiral-bound]

Tom Humphries (Author), Carol Padden (Author), Rob Hills (Illustrator), Daniel W. Renner (Illustrator), Peggy Swartzel-Lott (Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0135285712 | ISBN-13: 978-0135285718 | Publication Date: January 15, 1992 | Edition: 1st

Written by two leading authorities in the field, this book is designed to help learners successfully interact with deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users. It is also used as the basic text for a course in ASL. Lessons are structured around language needed for common life situations, and the book is also supported by a videotape.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 350 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1st edition (January 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0135285712
• ISBN-13: 978-0135285718
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,804 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #99 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Sign Language

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have For Serious ASL Students!, August 31, 2003

By 

Tom "Tom" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Learning American Sign Language (Spiral-bound)

I'll admit that when I purchased this book, I was doing it more for an addition to my library than for actual use. Being a Deaf American Sign Language teacher, I'd often used several other basic ASL books and thought them sufficient, to a point. However, when I got my hands on this book, I was thrilled with the extra mile the writers and illustrators went when producing it.

This book is similar to "A Basic Course in ASL," and some may find it hard to dicern between the two. However, this book has many more practice sentences and conversation. Many more opportunities to use your new-found skills. Many more illustrations. There is use of slang and idiomatic language that isn't found often in other resources.

You can purchase a videotape to accompany this book. If you are learning on your own, that really is a must-have. Otherwise, this book offers a full course in beginning your trip to understanding true American Sign Language (versus Signed English or Contact Sign). Highly recommended by this deafie! :v)

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pros and Cons, July 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Learning American Sign Language (Spiral-bound)

I used this text for my ASL 1 and ASL 2 courses in college, and I think this text was better organized compared to some other texts for learning sign. However, some of the pictures are a bit difficult to decifer and some of the signs are repeated throughout the text. I would like to see the video and the text as a package deal for fifty one dollars, perhaps that would be more worth one's money.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Vocab...too bad most of it is localized, January 6, 2003

By 

"natalie74" (Arlington, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Learning American Sign Language (Spiral-bound)

This was a text I used in Beginning ASL II. There is a supplemental video that goes along with the book as well.

While there is tons of vocabulary used in this text, most of it is used the the Pacific Northwest area. This is not a great book if you're taking classes in the midwest or even the south. I was really glad that I had a professor that could show me local signs in my State/City/neighborhood.

There is some examples of ASL grammar included, but nothing hard and fast. As I've learned, the grammar has been easier to pick up.

The video I mentioned is very helpful since most of the exercises revolve around certain scenes that are acted out. There are some werid camera angles during a few black and white "intermissions".