[Course Forum] American Sign Language by Diana.S

Feedback for these ASL Courses:





ASL Seasonal has signs that didn’t fit elsewhere but will probably be moved into ASL 2 or 3.

Currently, these courses work best on desktop, and I’m constantly updating and improving the videos. While it’s always a work in progress, many people have recommended these courses, so I hope that you enjoy them!

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@Diana.S ~ these courses are fabulous ! I have recommended them to so many people, even those with no previous interest in ASL. You are an excellent teacher ! :+1: :smiley:

Any plans on updating the videos in the Seasonal course to match the newer style ones in the other 2 courses ?

I know you are probably very busy, but any plans for an ASL3 ? You mentioned you were compiling lists back when we were on the old forum.

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Updates on deck:

  • Make backgrounds consistent again (due to some data loss :’( )
  • Investigate improving gifs’ performance on app
  • Brighten gifs
  • Update photos in multimedia levels
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Hey @pdao! Thanks again for the compliments. :blush:

I would like to update the style of the Seasonal course, but that has definitely fallen behind ASL 3 in priority (which is in the video editing stage!). Speaking of which, I was hoping to ask you (and everyone)—would you prefer a completely new ASL 3 course, or lengthening the ASL 2? I like having everyone together in ASL 2 because it makes the course show up higher in its category, and it helps people keep up their streaks. I mostly wanted to make a new course because I was wary of the old 25-level app limit. Thoughts?

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I like the idea of lengthening the ASL2 course for continuity and statistics sake, but I think you might pay a price in heavier load times for the images. Sometimes, depending on the time of day, they load very slow on my machines. For that reason alone, I personally would opt for an ASL3. It also makes completion of the ASL2 course a little easier (since it would have less levels than if you increased it with new signs). But, I will definitely go with whatever option you provide us.

Strange, even though I now reside in a country (Taiwan) that doesn’t do anything “American”, I still am drawn to your courses. I sometimes use the signs on trains and buses to see if anyone will recognize them. I am doing my part to educate the locals on the joy of ASL !

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Great, good to know! I was wondering, in general, what length of course becomes too overwhelming to complete, so thanks for helping to answer that.

And hey, way to spread the ASL love! I’m actually half-Taiwanese myself, so sometime I’ll have to pick your brain about living there :slight_smile:

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I’ve been meaning to start learning ASL for a year now, but French has been prioritized due to graduation requirements. I had a deaf sprinter challenge me on the track while exercising a week or two ago though, and that motivated me to look into learning at least a few signs. I only started this course but I’ve looked at the later parts of it, and I have to say it looks great. It is slow in the Android app as expected, but it’s not intolerable. I’m already hoping you put more material on Memrise. :wink:

Due to Memrise’s inadequate course search function, it might not be a bad idea to keep your cards in one deck to keep it easy to find; however, your decks are one of only a handful sorted under the ASL category, so it might not become an issue soon if ever.

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I’ve done the first lesson of ASL1, its very well put together. I just wonder why you did not use any facial expressions? Everything I’ve learned about ASL involves the use of facial expressions.

Thanks for your feedback! I’m glad you’ve started the course and even have someone you could practice with!

Hi @BrianQuintanilla, great question! I’ve tested out a few iterations of this course, and the current one tries to balance the use of facial expressions so learners understand the minimum requirements for communication. My intent is to give clear facial expressions for those signs that truly require them (for example, emotions, yes/no, etc.) and to use a neutral expression for signs that don’t have to have them (like many of the signs in the first lesson such as hello, goodbye, please) so that people focus on the harder task of memorizing the shape and movement.

I’m working on editing some updated videos that make these expressions more clear (stronger nod for “yes,” stronger headshake for “no”) and I’m excited to replace them when I can!

Thanks for commenting, and I’m glad you like the course!

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Howdy, thanks for taking the time to answer my question. Now it all makes sense. I’m excited to see how far you take the lessons.

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Really liked the course, so far is there an ETA for ASL 3 yet?

I’m so glad you liked the course, thanks for the feedback! Let’s set a tentative ASL 3 deadline for some time after the holidays…let’s say around the end of January.

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@Diana.S ~ Wonderful news ! I hope you have a blessed holiday season !

@pdao, not to sidetrack this topic too much, but have you ever tried learning Chinese sign language? I know maybe three words (signs?) in it, and from what little I know, it’s pretty different from ASL.

@neoncube ~ thanks for the insight. As expected, Taiwan has its own variation of sign language. Different from Chinese Sign Language (CSL), as its origins stem from Japanese Sign Language (JSL), due to the Japanese occupation of Taiwan from 1895 ~ 1945, so it is more akin to JSL than CSL. From what little I have learned so far, there are even two distinct dialectical variations within TSL (more or less based on geographical location). So, I have some feelers out to see if I can find a local church, school or social agency that might offer some help to me in learning TSL.

Nothing I find here though will probably even come close to the in-depth lessons that Diana provides with ASL. She is a phenomenal teacher ! :smiley:

Sorry for also side-tracking this topic.

Interesting!

Well, I hope your search for some way to learn TSL goes well :slight_smile:

(And my apologies again to Dianna for somewhat derailing this topic)

That’s alright! For everybody’s convenience, I’ve also created a topic about it here so we can continue the discussion and make it easier to find. :slight_smile:

Thanks :slight_smile:

Unfortunately they seemed to have chosen a different time or place to exercise, and I hurt my shoulder, so I haven’t been able to practice with them since. I didn’t have much time regardless. I’m thinking about attending a class this winter semester, as I don’t see any other decent practice options. At least I can practice individual signs at any time thanks to your decks. There are some more complete signs in these decks but those actually are intolerably slow on my smartphone. :stuck_out_tongue: