The American Sign Language Phrase Book

by Lou Fant, Barbara Bernstein Fant, Betty C. Miller

Book Overview

Open up a whole new world of communication through ASL

You can easily learn ASL with help from The American Sign Language Phrase Book. With more than 500 phrases, this is the reference guide to everyday expressions in American Sign Language, providing a quick way for you to converse with deaf people.

Clearly illustrated with hundreds of line drawings, this book focuses on areas such as health, family, school, sports,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0071497137
• ISBN13: 9780071497138
• Release Date: August 2008
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Great Book

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!

really helpful for the ASL student

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!

A Fabulous Addition To Any Signing Library

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)

Finally learning to hear through the silence

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.

An excelent series of examples of clear ASL grammer!

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. :-)