Reddit mentions: The best sign language books

We found 27 Reddit comments discussing the best sign language books. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 16 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

1. E-Z American Sign Language (Barron's Easy Way)

    Features:
  • Item Weight - 3 lbs.
  • Package Quantity: 1
  • Excellent Quality.
  • Great Gift Idea.
  • Satisfaction Ensured.
E-Z American Sign Language (Barron's Easy Way)
Specs:
Height10 Inches
Length7.8125 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateAugust 2009
Weight1.50575724946 Pounds
Width1 Inches
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2. The Book of Name Signs: Naming in American Sign Language

    Features:
  • Crown Business
The Book of Name Signs: Naming in American Sign Language
Specs:
Height9 Inches
Length7 Inches
Number of items1
Weight0.5952481074 Pounds
Width0.38 Inches
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3. The Joy of Signing: Second Edition

great resource for learning to sign
The Joy of Signing: Second Edition
Specs:
Height10.75 Inches
Length8 Inches
Number of items1
Weight1.8849523401 Pounds
Width1 Inches
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4. Signing Naturally: Student Workbook, Units 1-6 (Book & DVDs)

    Features:
  • Great product!
Signing Naturally: Student Workbook, Units 1-6 (Book & DVDs)
Specs:
Height0.8 Inches
Length10.8 Inches
Number of items1
Weight2.48 Pounds
Width8.3 Inches
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6. British Sign Language For Dummies

NewMint ConditionDispatch same day for order received before 12 noonGuaranteed packagingNo quibbles returns
British Sign Language For Dummies
Specs:
Height9.200769 Inches
Length7.40156 Inches
Number of items1
Weight1.42 Pounds
Width0.799211 Inches
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8. The Art of Sign Language: Phrases

    Features:
  • 100% Arabica beans
The Art of Sign Language: Phrases
Specs:
Height6.5 Inches
Length5.75 Inches
Number of items1
Weight1.3 Pounds
Width1 Inches
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10. Everything Sign Language Book (Everything Series)

    Features:
  • Used Book in Good Condition
Everything Sign Language Book (Everything Series)
Specs:
Height9.25 Inches
Length8.25 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateJanuary 2004
Weight1.3 Pounds
Width0.5 Inches
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13. Open Your Eyes: Deaf Studies Talking

    Features:
  • Used Book in Good Condition
Open Your Eyes: Deaf Studies Talking
Specs:
Height10 Inches
Length7 Inches
Number of items1
Weight1.45 Pounds
Width0.8 Inches
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14. The Everything Sign Language Book: American Sign Language Made Easy... All new photos!

The Everything Sign Language Book: American Sign Language Made Easy... All new photos!
Specs:
Height9.25 Inches
Length8 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2009
Weight0.9590108397 Pounds
Width0.7 Inches
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15. Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture

Harvard University Press
Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture
Specs:
Height8.999982 Inches
Length5.999988 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateSeptember 1990
Weight0.35053499658 Pounds
Width0.37499925 Inches
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16. Dirty Sign Language: Everyday Slang from "What's Up?" to "F*%# Off!" (Dirty Everyday Slang)

Dirty Sign Language: Everyday Slang from "What's Up?" to "F*%# Off!" (Dirty Everyday Slang)
Specs:
Height7 Inches
Is adult product1
Length4.25 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateJune 2011
Weight0.2645547144 Pounds
Width0.29 Inches
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🎓 Reddit experts on sign language books

The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where sign language books are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
Total score: 4
Number of comments: 2
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 3
Number of comments: 2
Relevant subreddits: 2
Total score: 3
Number of comments: 2
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 3
Number of comments: 2
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 3
Number of comments: 1
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 2
Number of comments: 1
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 2
Number of comments: 1
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 1
Number of comments: 1
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 1
Number of comments: 1
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 1
Number of comments: 1
Relevant subreddits: 1

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Top Reddit comments about Sign Language:

u/ButturedToast · 3 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon
  1. I've really wanted to learn ASL. American Sign Language. If I went to college, that woulda been my major. Might still happen, who knows. I'm not sure why I want to learn it, I've just always had that itch.urge that it was for me. I'm not much of a vocal talker, I like to rely on body language more, and sign language is all about body language. Literally, lol. And I think it looks beautiful to speak with your hands like that. A few years ago, I learned a few songs to sign along with, but I've since forgotten them. Need to get back into that. It was a fun way to learn the signs for words.

  2. What a great idea ! Dang. I never thought to look to Amazon for learning aids. Huzzah !

  3. Uh...does this count ?

  4. Universal sign language....but this would probably be pretty funny as well.

    Thanks for the contest :D
u/lexabear · 3 pointsr/IAmA

I'm currently taking a sign language class and I'm loving the experience.

>Is it taught like other languages?

Yes, in that there are classes for it. I found the class I'm taking by googling "[city name] asl" and the first result was a class through my local speech and hearing association. Also check any colleges/universities near you.

>Are there specific grammar rules?

ASL is not just English with hands instead of audible words. It is its own language with its on grammar. For instance, question-words (who, what, etc) go at the end of the question instead of at the beginning as with English.

>Also is it something you need classes for or can I learn it from books?

Like nimrah mentioned, I found learning signs from the book with the course difficult because it's one static 2D image. Luckily the book comes with instructional DVDs that I found explained signs very clearly. We are using the Signing Naturally book.

u/flyingfresian · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

blahaa vhshvdhvfjvfsjfvsfj

Favourite colour: purple

Breast size: AWESOME

This is on my main list or you could just go nuts and buy anything you fancy from my socks list. I like socks.

Excellent contest ♥

u/that-fn-guy · 2 pointsr/rva

We used "Barrons e-z american sign language" as our textbook its is structured well and really cheap online. I never really used Youtube so nothing I can recommend, I would say the other resources posted should be better then youtube. ASL is really something you'll pick up and do better with others face to face.
Best of luck.

https://www.amazon.com/Z-American-Sign-Language-Barrons/dp/0764144588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518295242&sr=8-1&keywords=barrons+e-z+american+sign+language

u/Muskwatch · 2 pointsr/AskHistorians

I love your question - I just ordered the book hand talk and will get back to you after I read it! I'm expecting some answers there.

That said - I know that it did diverge from region to region, but was still intelligible, and I also know that all languages change over time, though sometimes lingua francas change a bit less. They still change though.

The question of 'how much' is what I'm hoping to find out from the book.

u/dvieu · 1 pointr/asl

I always have governed myself by, ask deaf, and deaf is always right. While I wouldn't go against your teachers name signs, because only deaf can give them. I would follow the rules I have learned from the teachers at Gallaudet and the book http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0915035308 , when giving my fictional character a name sign. Really you are using an ad hoc sign for yourself, but would have to finger spell the name when introducing yourself every time anyway. So you save yourself spelling the name for times after you establish yourself and your ad hock sign for yourself. Many times interpreters know more about the rules than the users, much like a ESL might know more about English than the average American. We have to study the language and know more about it for our job. Users have the luxury of just living with it and most things being inherit.

I have learned the rule to be too not mix descriptive signs with initialized signs, and that initialized signs are in arbitrary locations. Does this mean this is followed always, no. Be flexible, know what's right and what's used and have options.

u/snowfey · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Labor day!!

This book, please. :) Used is completely fine with me.

“Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?”

u/eclectic_air · 1 pointr/asl

I'm a fan of the Barron's American Sign Language The Easy Way (link for current version). I have the 2007 edition, and really like how it is laid out, along with all of the cultural information.

u/yakusokuN8 · 18 pointsr/NoStupidQuestions

Yes. There's even books like THIS which talk about it.

I'm sure you could search on YouTube for "sign language slang" and find some more explanations, too.

u/kikellea · 2 pointsr/deaf

Could buy an ASL book... I (hearing) grew up referring to The Joy of Signing once in a while.

u/Mrsparklee · 1 pointr/IWantToLearn

I'm trying to learn too, I have this book I don't know how helpful it is but it may be a good resource.

u/HandySigns · 2 pointsr/explainlikeimfive

A couple of reasons. There are grammatical rules when it comes to sign names in American Sign language that must be followed and also name signs usually consist of a back story or have meaning. Typically if a non deaf person gives themselves a name sign it does not adhere to the grammatical rules of ASL and will also lack cultural meaning.


Here is a link to a great book that details the history and rules of name signs. https://www.amazon.com/Book-Name-Signs-American-Language/dp/0915035308

u/StinkinFinger · 1 pointr/happy

I learned from the book The Joy of Signing when I was a kid. Amazon has a used version for $9.91. I learned it on my own just because I thought it was interesting. I didn’t even have anyone else to talk to. I had pretty much forgotten all about it when I started working with the deaf lady many years later and it all came back. You’ll understand why when you start learning. The signs just make sense.

Also, if it makes you feel any better the deaf lady I worked with was a riot and being deaf didn’t bother her in the slightest. I imagine there were difficulties she faced, but we chatted all the time at work and used to go to lunch together most days. I never once saw it slow her down.

u/woofiegrrl · 6 pointsr/deaf

Not really. Name signs have to meet specific linguistic criteria. Sam Supalla wrote The Book of Name Signs which explains how name signs work; someone with limited ASL experience may end up with a name sign that breaks linguistic rules. (Kind of like Mr. Mxyzptlk from the comics, whose name doesn't follow English linguistic rules.)

u/8bitesq · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Linked!

I'm all for laziness. Laziness is practically my middle name these days.

u/DuncantheWonderDog · 1 pointr/asl

I would suggest either Open Your Eyes or Deaf Gain.

Both of them are collections of scholarly writings from deaf studies. Variety of topics, so it's a good way to get an overview and an idea of what's going on in deaf studies.

u/TnkrbllThmbsckr · 2 pointsr/asl

I'd sign her up for a class instead, she'll learn way more. If you do go the book route, my class used this book and the accompanying student study guide.

u/Coonsi · 1 pointr/books

http://www.amazon.com/The-Everything-Sign-Language-Book/dp/1598698834

hah
But seriously
All these books are extremely wague and will give you barely anything that a reasonable person simply knows already.
I cannot reccomend any single one, but you should rather do a Search on cross-examination handbooks. They contain a lot of info how to spot person's lies or simply them being uncomfortable with your questions.
As for the observations form a distance the only thing really giving you some edge is personal life experience. The more people you meet, the better you may judge a complete stranger.

u/cul_maith · 1 pointr/IAmA

I've learned in ASL classes that the deaf community can be very segregated within themselves, as in the community has marked differences between deaf, near-deaf, and hearing signers. The book we read in class, Deaf in America, even talked about differences socially between being born deaf and losing hearing later in life. Have you experienced any of this first hand? What is your status like in the deaf community as a hearing signer?

u/aescolanus · 1 pointr/SRSDiscussion

Yeah, this is appropriative douchebaggery, aimed to appeal to the most puerile of audiences, done by someone who isn't actually fluent in ASL and so doesn't really know what she's saying - and any one of those offenses is sufficient reason to scorn the author, never mind all three together.

(And holy shit, there are 78 one-star reviews over the past three days? Somebody's brigading Amazon hard.)

Edit: I'm kind of wondering what y'all think of this book, which is getting much more positive reviews despite seemingly having the same problems (authors not Deaf, 'dirty' signs just transliterations of English words, not actually what native ASL speakers use) as the book above.

u/pixis-4950 · 1 pointr/doublespeaklockstep

aescolanus wrote:

Yeah, this is appropriative douchebaggery, aimed to appeal to the most puerile of audiences, done by someone who isn't actually fluent in ASL and so doesn't really know what she's saying - and any one of those offenses is sufficient reason to scorn the author, never mind all three together.

(And holy shit, there are 78 one-star reviews over the past three days? Somebody's brigading Amazon hard.)



-------
Edit from 2013-10-11T13:40:37+00:00

-------
Yeah, this is appropriative douchebaggery, aimed to appeal to the most puerile of audiences, done by someone who isn't actually fluent in ASL and so doesn't really know what she's saying - and any one of those offenses is sufficient reason to scorn the author, never mind all three together.

(And holy shit, there are 78 one-star reviews over the past three days? Somebody's brigading Amazon hard.)

Edit: I'm kind of wondering what y'all think of this book, which is getting much more positive reviews despite seemingly having the same problems (authors not Deaf, 'dirty' signs just transliterations of English words, not actually what native ASL speakers use) as the book above.